Leadership transitions can bring a range of emotions, including excitement and anxiety, especially when a new head of school onboards. Nearly 10% of SAIS member schools faced this situation during the 2025-26 academic year, with 7.5% of heads of school new to their role and 2.3% serving as an interim head. While the number of new heads has been on a steady decline for the past few years, suggesting some stabilization in the leadership landscape, the number of interim heads is on a slight upward trend.
For individuals taking on a headship, building trust within the school community quickly allows the head to begin making a meaningful impact for the school. Elizabeth Miller, who stepped into the role of head of school for The Children’s School on January 1, 2026, after having served as interim head, shares her thoughts on what new school leaders may want to consider during periods of transition.
Signals: When approaching a new leadership role, how do you intentionally prioritize building trust across a school community, from faculty and staff to students and families?
Elizabeth Miller: The standard rule of thumb is to be visible. I prefer to let the energy and the momentum be more visible than me as a person. Upon arrival, I do my very best to meet one on one with each individual that I can and ascertain their level of interest in propelling the school and community forward. I truly enjoy learning about each person’s connection to and commitment for the culture, but, as much as possible, I prefer to be behind the scenes.
I reach out to every new family and ask them what brought them to the school and what their hopes are. I share why I am drawn to the school. It’s less about being out in front and more about the personal one-to-one conversation for me. [While this may not be a] traditional response expected from a head of school, … I’ve found it is the authentic answer for me.
Signals: What leadership behaviors or routines have you found to be most effective in helping people feel respected, heard, and valued in day-to-day interactions?
EM: Perhaps some of us were always “world-class worriers,” but I think society has perfected worrying in recent years. As a head, I need to be a non-anxious presence. I’ve found that when people are comfortable sharing their concerns we can build true rapport.
As leaders, we want every individual to feel respected, heard, and valued. The reality is that as a head you won’t always be able to agree to every request, even after you truly hear the concern That means that someone may tell you that he or she does not feel respected or heard or valued when, in fact, you do respect the individual, you have heard their point of view, and you do value their perspective, but you are not willing or able to agree to their request or demand. Being a leader is not always following the easiest path of acquiescence, but it is always striving to communicate calmly, clearly, and consistently after having truly listened.
Signals: What formal or informal feedback mechanisms have helped shape decisions or school policies in meaningful ways?
EM: I’m a “nerd” and reader, so I do try to read everything I can get my hands on before I officially start, then I pepper every constituent I can with questions. I appreciate the wise counsel of past leaders at a school. A past or current trustee can explain what that strategic plan intended; a retired or current teacher can share the impetus for that capital campaign; and a grandparent can show why the accreditation self-study validates the culture.
Signals: How do you decide what to communicate, when, and how, especially when decisions are complex, unpopular, or still evolving?
EM: For me communication is a cascade: it’s building up and out. Depending on the issue, it’s going from students to parents to faculty to trustees or in the opposite direction. I often rely on my thought partner – the board chair – for counsel. That relationship is so central to the work we do that it’s probably not a surprise that two of the board chairs I’ve worked with are enduring friends for life, despite long-distance. When you find [a strong partnership], revel in that relationship and know that it’s not a given.
My mantra has been I will answer any question unless I can’t legally, morally, or ethically do so. I hope others will follow suit.
Signals: New leaders often inherit existing assumptions and tensions. How do you overcome challenges to building trust?
EM: This may sound trite, but something as simple as knocking on a door can be a culture marker in a school. I have always been accustomed to colleagues knocking on a closed door. [It takes] time to shift a culture, but knocking on a door can become a barometer of trust.
Signals: How do you create space for candid conversation or differing perspectives while maintaining cohesion and forward momentum?
EM: Dr. Annette Smith, retired head from the Hutchison School, Memphis, TN, [is a mentor of mine and] modeled this by balancing opportunities for one-to-one dialogue and group conversation. I thrived in that setting, so I have since tried to create that balance for my team. The leadership team I enjoy working with now is the single most enjoyable and effective group, and I appreciate them personally and professionally.
Signals: How does your leadership team balance accountability with flexibility, particularly when supporting faculty and staff through change or uncertainty?
EM: In addition to their “day job,” the typical expectations of a robust leadership role includes each individual taking pride in accomplishing “above and beyond” special projects each semester. These are shared with their peers, with me, and ultimately with the Board of Trustees. The cumulative effort is impressive and documents how the school’s mission is being propelled forward.
Signals: What approaches have helped ensure feedback feels developmental and supportive rather than punitive?
EM: I ask every colleague to suggest edits to his or her job description. This exercise highlights opportunities to play to one’s strengths and where some tasks or assignments should truly be reconsidered. I believe it’s only fair to clearly articulate all community expectations before agreements for the coming year are offered – from meeting times to chaperoning, from extra duties to special projects. As my brother used to tease me, I plan my spontaneity, and I would like to give my colleagues the opportunity to plan as they might wish. Our lives are full, and we have many competing demands upon it; let’s reduce stress by providing as much notice as possible.
Signals: For leaders new to a school or stepping into their first headship, what advice would you offer about building trust early and sustaining it over time?
EM: After every community address, always strictly book an hour of blank space. You don’t want to be the leader who rushes out of the room. Be the head that makes him/herself available so that a colleague can ask a question privately or in a small group. I didn’t start this practice immediately, but I found that you can avoid misunderstandings and better take the temperature by “lingering longer.” It takes thoughtful care to prepare for a community forum or Q&A, so give yourself the time afterward to answer those questions and then debrief with your trusted leadership team as well. It matters!
Signals: Finally, what practices do you suggest new heads consider implementing in year one to build success?
EM: I have three.
Elizabeth Miller is the head of school at The Children’s School in Atlanta, serving 275 students ages 3 through grade 8. She has held several leadership roles during 20-plus years in education, including as head of school at Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy in Florida, Lauralton Hall in Connecticut, and Villa Duchesne in St. Louis. She was also the founding deputy head of school at GEMS Nations Academy in Dubai.
Miller has led the planning and adoption process for strategic plans and is well-versed in school management. She began her independent school career in Atlanta in 2002 as a classroom teacher at Pace Academy, where she taught Chinese and Japanese history, American history, ancient and medieval history, public speaking and journalism.
Prior to working in education, Elizabeth had a successful career in international business based out of Atlanta. She received her bachelor’s in journalism from Ohio Wesleyan University and earned a master’s in Regional Studies East Asia from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Arts & Sciences before moving to Atlanta in 1993.
Related Events:
Institute for Early Career Heads: June 15-17, Charlotte, NC
Small Schools Summit: June 24-26, Charlotte, NC
Institute for Heads: June 28-July 1, Chattanooga, TN
