It All Starts With Your School’s “Why”
Recruiting and retaining qualified faculty and staff remains a top concern for heads of school, according to a recent pulse survey. The onboarding experience for new faculty and staff sets the foundation for a new hire’s first impression of your school. Onboarding provides the opportunity to set clear expectations while welcoming new employees into the school community.
Two school share how they approach onboarding with intention: Woodward Academy, a co-educational day school with two campuses in metro Atlanta (Johns Creek and College Park, GA), serving more than 2,700 students in grades PreK-12, and Forsyth Country Day School, located in Lewisville, NC, and serving nearly 925 students in grades PreK-12. By developing structured programs, both schools integrate new hires into their unique school cultures and shared values while keeping the focus on the “why”—the mission and vision.
Intentional Onboarding for Mission, Vision, and Values
At Forsyth Country Day School, the new “Faculty Fury” program—a nod to the school’s mascot—is an immediate welcome for new FCDS faculty. A comprehensive and supportive onboarding process focuses on the school’s mission, culture, professional expectations, and opportunities to integrate faculty and staff into the broader social and academic community.
This intentional onboarding program is based on the 5 C’s framework developed by Dr. Talya Bauer and the Society for Human Resource Management. With a focus on five key elements—compliance, culture, clarification, confidence, and connection—new hires feel informed, prepared, and welcomed into the FCDS community.
Before school starts, new faculty participate in a two-day orientation where they learn about the structure of independent schools; the FCDS mission, vision, and values; and the school’s strategic plan. Meet-and-greet sessions with leadership, colleagues, and support teams help build relationships.
Along those same lines, the mission of the Woodward Academy onboarding program is to ensure the successful integration of new faculty into the social and academic community in a way that is both enriching and supportive.
The Woodward program centers around three core focus areas: academic foundations, social and cultural norms, and connections and communication. As at FCDS, Woodward onboarding begins with two days of school-wide orientation, where new faculty are introduced to the Academy’s culture, leadership, benefits, instructional tools, and technology resources.
For staff, onboarding includes department-specific orientation and training sessions designed to familiarize new hires with their roles, team dynamics, and individual expectations. For those joining in leadership positions, a dedicated leadership training module during their first year equips leaders with essential skills and insights necessary for effective management.
Integrating New Hires Into School Culture & Community
Both Woodward and FCDS view mentorship as a critical component to onboarding. Before the school year officially begins, Woodward welcomes new hires into a year-long “New-to-Woodward Teacher & Mentor Program,” through which each new teacher is paired with a trained faculty mentor. The pairs meet at least monthly throughout the year for guidance, relationship building, and professional growth.
“During faculty pre-planning, new teachers are introduced to Woodward’s rich 125-year history and long-standing traditions during an Academy-wide welcome session with the school’s President,” shares MaSheena Johnkins, assistant VP of human resources. Throughout the year, a variety of socials, check-ins, and mentor/new-hire meetings foster connection, support, and a strong sense of community.
Faculty onboarding workshops also dive into the “why” behind Woodward, through which new faculty explore the mission; Portrait of a Learner; curriculum approach; and Social, Emotional, and Ethical (SEE) Learning program, laying the foundation for a shared understanding of what makes Woodward unique.
Staff participate in several council meetings and town halls throughout the year, fostering open communication and engagement by inviting participation from all employees. A comprehensive employee handbook presents policies, procedures, and workplace expectations, ensuring clarity and consistency. Additionally, senior staff members actively ensure that all updates and expectations are communicated effectively across the Academy. To further support information accessibility, a robust and detailed employee portal that serves as a central resource for all employees.
In similar fashion, Forsyth Country Day School also prioritizes relationship-building by scheduling dedicated social events and informal gatherings early in the onboarding process, which helps new hires feel welcomed and integrated into the school community. As a fun precursor to orientation, engaging videos introduce mentor/mentee pairs for the year. This early introduction falls in line with Forsyth Country Day School’s belief that onboarding begins at recruitment, before a new hire’s first day.
FCDS plans ahead to ensure a smooth transition, with new hires receiving welcome emails from human resources and the technology team before setting foot on campus. They can also meet their supervisors and access HR training models before they arrive. New hires are provided hands-on training sessions on technology and school systems to ensure that they are comfortable using grading platforms, learning management tools, and internal communication systems.
Over the course of year-long onboarding, FCDS approaches the process like a funnel, intentionally beginning with the mission, vision, and culture, then evolving more toward policies and procedures as the year progresses. After the initial two-day orientation, each subsequent meeting begins with the mission and culture to re-center the cohort on the “why” of the organization. Rather than beginning with the “what” and “how” of policies and procedures, this approach helps new faculty understand that each decision made by the organization is driven by the unique mission and culture of the school and that this might be different than other schools at which they’ve worked.
During the first year, FCDS continues to support new faculty through monthly professional development, offering deep dives into both foundational departments within the school and role-specific training to enhance their knowledge base and skills. All faculty are trained in Better Conversations Every Day™ through FCDS’s partnership with the Center for Creative Leadership, which enhances communication skills and gives the entire community a shared language. Through continued mentorship and structured support, the school aims to create an environment where new faculty feel valued, prepared, and empowered to succeed.
Onboarding Challenges and Strategies
One of the biggest challenges in onboarding new faculty and staff is balancing the dissemination of critical information with providing adequate time for processing, along with relationship and team building. “It’s easy to overwhelm new hires with policies, procedures, and technology training, leaving little room for them to absorb the information or connect with colleagues,” shares Dr. Yolanda McClure, director of teaching and learning at FCDS. “We’ve found that a ‘less is more’ approach, coupled with strategic pacing, is key.”
Instead of an intense, back-to-back, multi-day information dump, Forsyth Country Day School now positions the essential two-day training on a Friday and Monday, allowing for reflection time over the weekend between the two orientation days. Furthermore, the school implemented a phased, pre-onboarding checklist, giving new hires a sense of control, while reducing anxiety and feelings over being overwhelmed.
Time is another big challenge when it comes to faculty onboarding. To address this, Woodward Academy has learned the importance of flexibility and proactive planning. By prioritizing onboarding at the summer leadership retreat—a time where principals and school leaders work together to identify and schedule key events before the school year begins—the school is able to build experiences into the calendar early, ensuring they remain a visible and intentional part of the school year.
Staff recruiting needs fluctuate throughout the year, making it challenging to consistently schedule in-person orientations as part of the Woodward onboarding process. However, by effectively leveraging technology and developing integrated solutions, every new employee receives a consistent and welcoming introduction to the Academy, regardless of their start date.
Unconventional onboarding strategies significantly enhance the FCDS onboarding experience. The pre-orientation mentor videos not only allow mentors to share what they value most about the school, but also spark robust conversations and create a welcoming atmosphere. FCDS also gamifies learning school acronyms and encourages new hires to become familiar with campus locations by engaging in a Bingo game. This playful approach not only helps new faculty quickly navigate the school, but also fosters camaraderie and provides a lighthearted way to share campus stories, strengthening community connections.
Woodward uses technology as a means of serving faculty and staff. An embedded New Employee Introduction video is part of the virtual onboarding experience for staff, allowing new hires to meet key members of the Academy prior to their first day. According to Director of Learning & Innovation Connie White, “This approach provides the opportunity to complete a virtual orientation in advance, enabling a smoother transition and allowing staff to report directly to their departments on day one.”
A comprehensive Mentor/New-to-Woodward Faculty Program website serves as a central hub for all aspects of the onboarding experience. This site includes the full program overview, a year-long meeting schedule, assignment details, technology toolkits, academic resources, and links to the mission and vision materials, providing new faculty with easy access to everything they need to thrive.
Finally, through thoughtfully planned events, such as an End-of-Year New Faculty Celebration hosted at a country club, Woodward honors the journey of new teachers. A social hour and dinner precedes a time of reflection where new faculty, principals, and school leaders join together to share meaningful experiences from the year. This special event not only celebrates individual and collective growth, but also reinforces the strong sense of community at Woodward.
Ideas Into Action
For schools looking to revamp and establish an onboarding program, Forsyth Country Day School and Woodward Academy share elements to prioritize for long-term success.
Related Programming
SAIS offers summer programming for those new to the teaching profession and those that are transitioning from teaching in public schools.
The SAIS Institute for New Teachers provides guidance, support, and the opportunity to practice planning and instructional skills with a small peer group led by an experienced independent school educator. Immediate, constructive feedback on demonstration lessons allows attendees to practice their craft in a supportive setting. This three-day program offers practical hands-on strategies and information unique to the culture and setting of an independent school. New teachers leave this workshop empowered to create and facilitate inspired learning experiences, partner with parents, and find their place in the school community.
The Institute for New Teachers: Public-to-Private is an online self-paced course offered May 1-August 31 for experienced public school teachers who are making the move to an independent school. Participants will explore the unique culture and structure of an independent school and what it’s like to work within a mission-aligned school community. A downloadable workbook is provided to guide participants as they learn and collect information about their new school. Opportunities for reflection, comparison, and additional questions are also included. The activities are designed to facilitate the relationship between the new teacher and their mentor, division, or department leader.
