February 2026 Signals

Hello there,

As I write this, many of us are navigating a wintry mix of snow and ice, power outages, and those familiar open-or-close school decisions. I hope you fared well. As this weather system moves on, February school life quickly takes its place. Though it’s the shortest month on the calendar, it can often feel like the longest stretch of days.

With time at a premium, I want to offer a simple framework you can use right away to spark meaningful conversation with your team. Take a few minutes together to reflect on three key areas: 1-what’s feeling stretched, 2-where you feel steady, and 3-what you might try next. See what emerges, where misalignment exists, and how you move forward as a collective unit.

1. Where We’re Stretched

• Where are we feeling pressure right now?
• What’s taking more energy than it should?
• Where are people or systems feeling thin?

2. Where We’re Steady

• What’s working well right now?
• Where do we feel confident or grounded?
• What do we want to protect as things evolve?

3. What We’ll Try Next

• What’s one small thing we could test?
• What would make the next month easier or clearer?
• What’s one adjustment within our control?

Additionally, I encourage you to explore this month’s Trend Tracker and Pulse Perspectives, offering timely insights and practical context to support where stretched and even steady.

In this edition of the Trend Tracker, we highlight the following signals and trends. Within each area, a number of clickable resources are available. 

01 AI-Enriched Learning
02 Mules & Modalities
03 Leadership Dilemmas
04 Workplace Vulnerabilities
05 Meaningful Feedback
06 Change Culture
07 Fundraising Trends
08 Trust Signals

Trend Tracker, February 2026 (Web Version)

Reflecting real-time perspectives representing the voices in our association, we solicited feedback from advancement professionals, marketing & communications professionals, and board chairs respectively to complete a pulse survey focused on priorities and challenges. Some key findings include the following:

Advancement

• Board and leadership engagement continues to be a persistent pressure point, both as a challenge and a lever for improvement.
• Underutilized growth opportunities include alumni engagement, board-led fundraising, and major gift cultivation, areas seen as high-potential but not fully leveraged.

Marketing & Communication

• For top communication channels, social media gained 10% points from last year to supersede word of mouth and email newsletters in reaching target audiences.
• Alumni relations, student/parent testimonials, and video marketing are widely viewed as underutilized but high-growth opportunities.

Board

• Fundraising, strategic time allocation, and trustee recruitment are the most significant challenges facing board chairs.
• Board chairs want deeper strategic partnership with heads, especially time and space to discuss long-term strategy beyond operational issues.

See slide deck for full results.

Pulse Perspectives, February 2026 (Web Version)

To build capacity for your team, check out upcoming professional development opportunities.

Webinars

• Leading Through Change: Strategies for Moving People and Culture Forward (February 17)
• Rethinking Assessments: Differentiation That Works (March 19) 
• Building Proactive Systems for Student Well-Being (March 24)
• Middle Matters: Essential Leadership Skills for Mid-Level Leaders (April 23)
• Beyond the Counselor’s Office – Evaluating and Enhancing Mental Health Initiatives (May 7)

Blueprint Sprint

• Orlando (March 16-17)
• Charleston (April 20-21)

As you know, leadership rarely happens in isolation. We are here to support you through whatever weather patterns lie ahead and cheering you on as you lead your communities forward.

Take care,

Dr. Brett Jacobsen
SAIS President