2022 Fundamentals Conference | Schedule

Speaker: Debra Wilson, President, SAIS

Risk management and liability are two areas that all school leaders need to understand. What is risk management and what are the key areas schools should be thinking about? How do you know where there is “liability,” and how do you address it without bubble wrapping your school? We will tackle these issues and provide participants with ways to proactively think about risks and understand some of the more frequent legal issues that arise in schools.

Speaker: Heather Broadwater, Employment Attorney, Stanton Law

Employees are to be provided a safe workplace, free of discrimination based on protected categories, paid appropriately, and provided leave and other benefits in accordance with applicable laws. From recruitment and selection to compensation and benefits to discipline and termination, legal rights and responsibilities permeate nearly every aspect of human resource management. This session will focus on major employment laws and the fundamental human resource policies, procedures, and practices they affect. While time will not allow for a deep or broad exploration of employment laws, participants should achieve a basic understanding of key provisions and tips for compliance. 

Speaker: Penny Abrahams, Consultant, ISM

When enrollment management, marketing communications, and development leaders are on the same page, you take your strategies to the next level.

At ISM, we call this advancement—all school activities that develop, maintain, and reinforce the relationships between your school and its current and prospective families, employees, alumni, friends, and the greater community. Without a strong advancement strategy, your school misses out on opportunities to invite families to apply, re-enroll, and make philanthropic gifts.

How strong is your school’s advancement strategy today and where should you focus your efforts? Join this session to self-evaluate using ISM’s propriety Advancement Assessment. Explore your results and consider a framework for applying what you learn to create an actionable plan that ties back to your strategic initiatives and helps advance your institution’s unique mission.

Speaker: Jennifer Osland Hillen, Chief Learning Officer, NBOA

Financial and operational acumen is critical to the success of all leaders charged with managing their schools, including the head of school and other administrators outside of the business office. This session is designed for those administrators who desire to be good stewards of their school’s financial resources, to be strategic in light of financial pressure, and to work more collaboratively with their business officer and leadership team around financial issues.

Budgets reflect how the school’s resources are allocated to deliver on its mission, and informed leaders help fulfill a school’s mission by pulling the appropriate strategic financial levers.

In this program, you will:

• Gain a clearer understanding of the independent school business and operational models.
• Learn the most important revenue and expense streams and the assets and liabilities that impact a school’s financial sustainability.
• Understand financial terminology used in the business office, development, enrollment, and other business operations within the school.
• Learn more about the charge of the business officer who, in collaboration with the full leadership team, oversees the areas of risk management, human resources, and more.
• Explore the variety of financial levers schools may consider to ensure long-term financial health.
• Explore collaborative opportunities among departments in working towards financial sustainability.

Speakers: Mark Reed, Managing Director, John M. Belk Endowment & Brian Wise, Director of Diversity Planning, Charlotte Country Day School

Speaker: Chris Lukach, CEO, AKCG – Public Relations Counselors

The global pandemic has upended not only the way we work, but also the way we communicate. Even as independent schools largely have resumed normal activities, our relationships with our audiences — families, prospective families, faculty, referral sources, and the like — are remaining increasingly distant, distrusting, even transactional. Moreover, the movement for increased social justice has forced school leaders into a heightened — and for some, new — role as advocate. 

During this session, we will review best practices for communicating through times of crisis and upheaval, and share tips for rebuilding weakened bonds in the months and years to come. 

The culminating session of the conference will include a panel of heads with diverse experiences and backgrounds. The focus will be on how each head works with their board of trustees. Facilitated by former head of school, Scott Wilson, the panel will answer questions around working with their board and effective strategies for a successful partnership. Participants will have time to listen, reflect, and ask questions of the panelists.

Panelists:

• Sean Corcoran, Head, Brainerd Baptist School
• Megan Cover, Head, Girls Preparatory School
• Jim McIntyre, Head, Father Ryan High School
• Kristin Watts, Head, The Bright School
• Scott Wilson, Consultant, ISM / Retired Head, Baylor School