2:00-4:00 PM
Pre-Conference Workshop
*Separate registration required.
Speakers: Carrie Grimes, Vanderbilt University, and Michael Neel, Vanderbilt University
What keeps early career teachers in their roles—and what compels them to leave? This workshop presents findings from a year-long study exploring the experiences of early career educators in SAIS independent schools, with a focus on what contributes to their sense of connection, satisfaction, and long-term commitment. Drawing on survey data and participant insights, the session will highlight patterns in recruitment and retention and invite school leaders to reflect on how their institutional practices, cultures, and relationships can strengthen teacher belonging and engagement. Participants will leave with actionable takeaways to support the growth and stability of their early career faculty.
8:00-8:45 AM
Speaker: Karen Firminger, Bear Creek School
Imagine partnering with parent leaders who actively build trust and foster a strong, vibrant school community. Imagine parents who create meaningful engagements that strengthen the bond with your school. Learn how to design a parent program tailored to your school’s unique needs. Discover actionable steps for implementation and, crucially, how to operationalize a program that stands the test of time. Walk away from this session with concrete strategies to boost retention and positively transform your school culture. Don’t miss this opportunity to cultivate a committed, united parent community!
Speaker: Bridget Johnson, Deans’ Roundtable
Preview a comprehensive toolkit for evaluating student life programs in independent school settings. This demonstration session showcases how strategically designed assessment tools gather meaningful data from all stakeholders—administrators, faculty, parents, and students—to create a complete picture of student life operations. Observe how the toolkit identifies strengths and challenges across key domains, including communication systems, student support, crisis management, disciplinary processes, and community building. See examples of how schools have measured operational efficiency, resource allocation, and staff workload balance using these instruments. Learn about implementation strategies that maximize response rates and produce actionable insights.
Participants will explore sample surveys, data visualization examples, and implementation frameworks during this interactive demonstration. Discover how this assessment approach could align with your school’s unique context and mission while addressing the evolving needs of your community. Leave with a clear understanding of how comprehensive assessment could transform your student life programs.
10:30-11:30 AM
Speakers: Nina Kumar, Authentic Connections, and David Peden, The Galloway School
Decades of research show that resilience rests fundamentally on relationships, and relationships are at the core of independent school life. Results from surveys administered to over 200,000 students and 25,000 educators at independent schools have provided rich data on the areas of school life – including relationships with parents, peers, and school climate – most linked to mental health.
In this session, Nina Kumar, co-founder and CEO of Authentic Connections, will highlight important trends in community well-being and share focus areas and actionable recommendations. Additionally, David Peden, assistant head of school at The Galloway School, will discuss how they have leveraged data-driven insights to prioritize interventions, improving overall well-being and fostering deeper connections. Attendees will leave with an expanded knowledge of the current state of mental health across schools and ways to bring their community together to support well-being.
1:45-2:45 PM
Speaker: Amber Stockham, NBOA
In a recently released report by NBOA, 77% of respondents identified recruiting and retaining high-quality faculty and staff as a top priority for the next few years. In another recent NAIS survey, 47% of respondents reported increasing wages above projected inflation rates to retain faculty and staff.
Join Amber Stockham, NBOA’s senior director of human resources, to discuss successful retention strategies for every school type and budget. Learn how to determine what is important to your faculty and staff, focus your efforts on proven strategies, and identify options that can improve your retention rate in the coming years.
Speakers: Dr. Yerko Sepúlveda, Porter-Gaud School, and Rev. Palmer Kennedy, Porter-Gaud School
How do schools support students who have violated community norms (identity-based harassment, cheating, bullying, etc.) after disciplinary action? While many institutions have strong support systems for those harmed, fewer have structured pathways for the offending student’s reentry into the community. This session explores a redemptive approach that moves beyond punishment toward transformation. Participants will learn how to foster accountability, self-reflection, and reconciliation, ensuring that students who have caused harm and broken rules engage in meaningful learning, take responsibility, and reintegrate in a way that promotes belonging and well-being for each member of the community. Using real examples, attendees will gain strategies to develop structured reentry programs that align with their school’s values, whether faith-based or non-sectarian.
3:15-4:00 PM
Speaker: Thad Persons, The Westminster Schools
Hiring is hard, and it’s getting harder. This interactive workshop will optimize your hiring funnel from sourcing and selecting to closing. We will provide you with data-driven strategies to find the best teachers and staff out there, even when they’re not looking. “Build a bench” of viable candidates primed to fill future openings.
4:30-5:15 PM
Speakers: Bernetta Edmondson, Woodward Academy, and Michelle Rosenthal, Woodward Academy
Strengthen family-school connections with proven engagement and communication strategies. This session will explore how private schools can adopt a service-based model to meet parent expectations for both academic excellence and a positive experience. Learn to create seamless transitions with warm handoff strategies from admissions to ongoing parent engagement. Implement proactive communication methods and high-touch service approaches to cultivate trust and reinforce relationships. Attendees will leave with actionable insights to elevate the parent experience, strengthen the school’s reputation, and support student success from enrollment through graduation.
Speakers: Graeme Scott, MARIO Education, and Jason Simons, Atlanta International School
This will be an interactive and informative session led by a former school leader with 30 years of experience in leadership and student well-being, alongside the middle school associate principal from Atlanta International School, who specializes in student wellness. Attendees will learn about the research behind current global student well-being issues and how almost 50 schools worldwide are using the MARIO approach to address these significant challenges. We will begin with a dive into the research and hear about attendees’ current experiences in their schools. We will then examine some innovative ways of collecting data on student well-being and analyze some real anonymized data, recommending potential next steps. Participants will hear how Atlanta International School has addressed student well-being, leveraging the MARIO approach to give students a voice and enable them to take more control over their own outcomes and become self-directed learners.
Speakers: Jon Kleiman, Challenge Success, and Jessica Sant, The Lovett School
In today’s educational landscape, the pressure to excel often overshadows students’ holistic development. The Lovett School, a K-12 independent school in Atlanta, GA, has partnered with Challenge Success to address this issue by promoting a balanced approach to success. Over the past three years, this collaboration has focused on redefining priorities, fostering a healthier community, and emphasizing student well-being. Dedicated teams of teachers, parents, students, administrators, and trustees have worked together to broaden the notion of success, guided by survey data. This session will share insights from Lovett’s journey, highlighting the importance of shared decision-making in creating meaningful change.
Speakers: Hacker Burr, Big Back Pack, and Mark Gaunya, Borislow Insurance
Discover how independent schools can make smarter financial decisions by challenging outdated practices in hiring, budgeting, and employee benefits. Explore how heads and boards are shifting toward data-driven leadership, moving beyond traditional independent school hiring models to attract business office leaders from corporate, nonprofit, and higher education sectors. Learn how these leaders bring fresh perspectives, best practices, and financial acumen that drive long-term sustainability. Examine the rising costs of employee benefits and explore self-funded insurance models as a strategy to manage expenses more effectively. Understand how a misstep in CFO hiring or benefits strategy can potentially shift a school’s budget by seven figures. Engage in interactive discussions and real-world case studies that highlight creative solutions for optimizing financial operations. Walk away with actionable strategies to rethink leadership pipelines, push back against the status quo, and strengthen your school’s financial health in an increasingly challenging environment.
