Hello there! On behalf of everyone at SAIS, welcome to the 2026-2027 school year.
Don’t know about you, but summer felt quicker than normal. My youngest is off to her first year of college, which lands me right in the middle of two college moves, empty-nesting, and caring for an aging parent. Life seems to be full of transition, complexity, and joy.
In my experience, starting a new school year carries that same mix of transition, complexity, and joy. The August rush often normalizes a top challenge for most leaders where daily demands crowd out any margin for strategy. Before the year’s momentum takes over, reflect with your team on the following questions:
- How could we lead our calendar rather than let it lead us, through timeboxing, protected blocks, or a weekly strategy hour?
- Where could we build greater capacity in emerging and mid-level leaders, through delegation, immersion experiences, or targeted training?
- How could we use AI to automate routine tasks and free up time for higher-order thinking?
- What is the one strategic priority that, if we protect time for it now, will matter most by spring?
- Which recurring meetings or tasks could we delegate, delay, or drop entirely this year?
Zooming out from our individual calendars, check out this month’s Trend Tracker that captures the wider patterns worth watching.
Trend Tracker
August’s Trend Tracker surfaces a common thread across eight very different topics: the gap between how things look on paper and how they’re actually experienced on the ground.
Private and independent school satisfaction is up, but the market itself is fragmenting fast, and microschools are quietly pulling students from every sector. Teen mental health research is pushing back on simple phone-and-tech narratives in favor of relationships and offline experience. Inside our own buildings, leaders consistently rate their accountability and recognition efforts higher than their teams do. Head of school turnover has settled into a new normal well above pre-pandemic levels. And, AI now touches nearly every section, from how students actually learn, to a widening two-track labor market, to individual choices about whether AI sharpens thinking or slowly replaces it.
The skills and higher ed sections round things out with the same pattern. Everyone agrees durable skills matter, but no one agrees on what counts as evidence.
As you think through these trends, know that SAIS is here to help you turn insight into impact.
Trend Tracker, August 2026 (Web Version)Strategic Services
Our new website highlights how SAIS is expanding the differentiated ways we serve individual schools and teams. Alongside the growing suite of research, data, and tools, we now offer virtual and on-campus experiences customized for your community. See what’s available to support your mission and vision through the SAIS Strategic Services:
- Governance Health Index
- Employee Value Index
- Leadership and Team Development
- Future-Ready Learning Design
- Faculty Motivation & Engagement
- School Community Feedback
- Custom Blueprint Sprint
We’re honored to partner with you on this journey. Wishing you and your school community a meaningful start to the year.
Dr. Brett Jacobsen
SAIS President