Guiding Growth: A Multi-Year Coaching Strategy

The National Institute for Excellence in Teaching shares how instructional coaching and targeted mentorship can help struggling new teachers. Intentional support demonstrates the critical role that instructional leadership plays in increasing teacher effectiveness and retention. Establishing trust, leveraging data to drive instruction, providing feedback to build confidence, and embracing a growth mindset can transform not just one classroom, but an entire school's culture.

Additional Research & Resources:

• Federal Judge Blocks Overtime Rule Nationwide: 5 Biggest Questions for K-12 Independent Schools, FisherPhillips

• How to Ensure Accountability in Private-School Choice Programs, Fordham Institute



• Resistance to Change in Schools: The Perspectives of Parents, Teachers, and School Administrators, ISM

• The Swerve: K-12's Age of Transformation, Tyton Partners

Connection at Work Isn’t Only About People

The NeuroLeadership Institute reports that 93% of organizations are concerned about employee retention. Their research reveals four distinct types of connections that shape our work experience: Colleague, Leader, Employer, and Role. Understanding these "CLEAR Connections" could be the key to unlocking better retention and performance. How might we navigate this complex web of workplace relationships?

Additional Research & Resources:

• For Teens Online, Conspiracy Theories Are Commonplace. Media Literacy Is Not., EdSurge

• Homegrown Talent: The Strategic Importance of Internal Growth Pipelines in Education, Learner-Centered Collaborative



• Malicious QR Codes: 5 Ways To Protect Educators and Students, Tech & Learning

• Perfectionism and the High-Stakes Culture of Success: The Hidden Toll on Kids and Parents, American Psychological Association

Beyond the Pilot: How to Scale Up Innovation in Schools

The race to implement new initiatives often feels like choosing between reckless speed and frustrating delay. The Learning Accelerator shows that, through strategic piloting, capacity building, and gradual scaling, schools can successfully implement new programs and initiatives. With linked tools to guide reflection and observation, your next pilot program can empower teachers and meet evolving student needs.

Additional Research & Resources:

• Cultivating Critical Thinking: Guiding AI Use in Today's Classroom, The AI Education Project

• Designing Questions That Support Scaffolding, MiddleWeb

• Survey Shows Skyrocketing AI Use in Education, eSchool News

• Why Teachers Should Grade Less Frequently, Edutopia

Endowment Management: The Business of Independent Schools

While some schools’ benefit from substantial endowments and others more modest, the purpose is clear: to support the school’s mission over the long term. More than just a financial buffer, it's a complex instrument requiring careful orchestration between trustees, staff, and investment managers. Commonfund shares how schools can approach endowment management while honoring their duty to future generations.

Additional Research & Resources:

• 8 Marketing Strategies for Schools to Attract Relocating Families, Truth Tree

• How Are Nonprofits Actually Using Artificial Intelligence?, NonProfitPro

• The Power of Words: Crafting Effective Crisis Communications, Joffe Emergency Services

• Turning Families Into School Champions, Explo Elevate

Curriculum Symposium

February 11-12, 2025, Charlotte, NC

The SAIS Curriculum Symposium equips independent school educators and curriculum leaders with the tools and insights needed to create learning experiences that drive student success and foster continuous learning.

Choose impactful sessions from among four learning journeys.

• Mapping & Design
• Instructional Strategies
• Assessment & Feedback
• Student Motivation & Engagement

With keynotes focused on research & innovation, participants will explore pedagogical ideas, innovative instructional strategies, and transformative educational products and services.

Upcoming Webinars:

• Streamlining Your Curriculum Through the Storyboarding Approach: January 8, 12:00-1:00 PM EST

• Leading the Future of Independent Schools - Insights for Aspiring Leaders: January 16, 12:00-1:00 PM EST

• Practical Strategies for Accelerating Your Annual Fund With AI: January 28, 12:00-1:00 PM EST

• Trustee Education Series: Legal Landscape & Hot Topics: February 4, 5:00-6:00 PM EST

• Rethinking Middle Level Leadership Development: February 6, 12:00-1:00 PM EST

• Strategies for Recruiting and Retaining Teachers of Color in Independent Schools: February 18, 12:00-1:00 PM EST