I'm spending the weekend at the conference. CAIS is a regional organization which is part of the national body, National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS).
Disambiguating "Private School" and Independent School"
"Private school" means that the revenue to support the school comes from sources other than state funding. Some private schools are for-profit, and others are non-profit. About 80% of the private school universe consists of schools associated with a particular house of worship or religion. Examples include Roman Catholic parochial schools, Lutheran schools, and so on. (More details at What Is A Private School?)
Independent schools are a subset of the private school universe. What makes them "independent" is that they are
- Are non-profit
- not under the control by any larger body,
- governed by a self-perpetuating board of
trustees.
The role of the board is to
- Establish the school's mission
- Safeguard the mission
- Manage the school and its assets for future generations.
Presentations at this weekend's conference
The complete roster of presentations is here.
I attended (and twittered) the following:
“Ten Emerging Insights on Learning and the Road Ahead” Mark David Milliron (Keynote)
In this presentation we’ll explore ten emerging insights in the quickly changing world of learning. We’ll dive into these insights and vision the road ahead on issues including the demographic change at hand; the different “ways” learners are engaging education; blended, mobile, and game-based learning; learning networks and the open-content movement; advanced analytics and cultures of inquiry; continuing conversations on student readiness; and our shared commitment to meaningful human connections. Finally, we’ll explore strategies for leveraging these insights in a thoughtful and inclusive way—avoiding the all-too-common hyperbole while being open to real possibilities for the road ahead.
Equity Pedagogy and the Diversity Journey
Al Adams, Head of School, (see his articles especially Access, Affordability, Inclusion And Success (pdf) and Karen Eshoo, Assistant Head of School, Lick-Wilmerding High School
It is one thing to provide access to our schools for students from diverse backgrounds; it is another to build a culture where they and their families feel authentically included. It is yet another to ensure that they succeed. Probing hard questions about the relationship between teaching practice and our school’s commitment to embrace students from all walks of life, Lick-Wilmerding’s faculty is addressing the challenges of (1) seeing that our students are fully known,including any dimension of their lives or learning styles that inhibit their progress and (2) expanding teachers’ pedagogi cal palettes to give every student the best possible chance to succeed, while enriching the learning environment for all students. The broader context for this workshop is L-W’s two decades of intense wrestling with the thorny questions related to access, inclusion, and success in a diverse independent school.
Data-Informed Decision Making
Joel Weiss, Head of School,
Crane Country Day School
Many of us have read Jim Collins’ book Good to Great. He advocates that we must continually refine the path to excellence with the “brutal facts” of reality. As one leader summarizes, “My job is to turn over rocks and look at the squiggly things underneath!” So what does “confronting the brutal facts” mean in a practical way at a small independent school? In this session, one school will share some of the techniques it has used to generate important data for the administration and Board. Annual parent surveys, demographic studies, grade analysis of our graduates, and openended meetings with the Head of School, are all examples of tools we have used to create a culture where people (and the truth!) are heard.
Charter Schools and the Shifting Educational Landscape
James McManus, Executive Director, California Association of Independent Schools and Ron Reynolds, Executive Director, California Association of Private Schools Organization
California first authorized the existence of charter schools in 1992, and there are now 750 of them in the state. This session will focus on the phenomenal growth of charter schools and the varied perceptions — many of them very positive — that the public holds of them. It will also explore charters as the “new competition” for independent schools, as both entities attempt to recruit students (and families) in an era marked by demographic and economic downturns. Additionally, this session will give participants an opportunity to exchange observations about charter schools and their varied impacts in their own independent school settings, along with strategies for addressing the changes on the educational landscape that charters are creating.
The "New Normal" -- A Game-Changing Model for Financially Sustainable Schools Patrick F. Bassett, President, National Association of Independent Schools
Most independent schools invested significant energy and serious discipline in creating their 2009-10 budgets, opening school with tuitions and enrollments that reflected the uncertain economic times that continue. Unprecedented amounts and kinds of communication with key constituencies assisted schools in maintaining understanding and support. But what strategies can schools pursue now, given that the relatively “easy” budget adjustments have been implemented, especially with major financial challenges still looming? This session will explore the “new normal,” focusing on the weighty implications of two major trends — our history of unsustainable tuition increases and increased competition in the marketplace. Shifting assumptions, changes in Board focus, and an increased emphasis on becoming the broader school world’s “value leader” (rather than its “price leader”) will be addressed.
Reporting from the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) 2010 Heads & Trustees Conference (links will be added as posted)
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