SAES NOTES - FEBRUARY 2025

Unreasonable Hospitality, Grace, and the Power of Belonging

On a recent on-site accreditation visit, team members discussed some of their favorite professional books over dinner. One suggestion caught my attention: Unreasonable Hospitality. I made a mental note to add this book to the growing stack of books on my virtual bedside table, where it promptly got buried by 27 other ideas before our dinner had concluded. But as luck (and a probably not-so-random quirk of the ever-listening internet) would have it, a mention of this same book appeared near the bottom of a random newsletter loitering in my email inbox several days later. Because this was clearly a sign, I dutifully clicked on the link to learn more about this notion of “unreasonable hospitality.”

As I read through this article (highly recommended - make sure you note the 3 ways to cultivate unreasonable hospitality), I was intrigued and fascinated by the story of how a restauranteur was able to achieve “unprecedented transformation” through “radical reinvention, a true partnership between the kitchen and the dining room—and memorable, over-the-top, bespoke hospitality.” With my mind spinning with parallel ideas for our schools, I stopped dead in my tracks when I came across this description of a customer experience:

“But when asked about his experience a few years later, the father couldn’t remember what he ate, but he never forgot how the staff made him feel: like he belonged.”

This resonated strongly with my understanding of Episcopal Identity. It also reminded me of what a fellow teacher said to me early in my journey as an educator: “Rob, great teaching is not so much about what you know or what you say, it is about how you make them feel.” Over the years, I have come to understand this to be another version of the famous Maya Angelou quote, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

As Episcopal Schools, we are called to help those in our care to learn, grow, and thrive. As educators and leaders, we have the opportunity to enable “unprecedented transformation” for our schools and in the hearts and minds of our community members. We have the opportunity to partner with parents and parishes in this sacred work, and we have the opportunity to follow the example of Christ by extending “memorable, radical, unreasonable hospitality” - a.k.a, Grace. As Episcopal Schools, we are certainly about the becoming and the believing aspects of an Episcopal education, but at the end of the day, it all goes back to how we make others feel - making them feel like they belong.

LGLO,

BONUS Reading on the Power of Belonging

Gracie's Cancer: What my dog taught me about hope, perseverance, and belonging.

“Her hope rested on an unshakable belief that her pack would never let her down or leave her behind. Belonging is the source of her hope.”

The Rt. Rev. Jacob W. Owensby is the fourth Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Louisiana. He is also a philosopher, and a university chancellor, and author who writes about navigating life's complexities with faith, hope, and love.

$5,000 BONUS FOR A TEACHER AT YOUR SCHOOL

Calling on all SAES Heads of School.....help us award $5,000 to two deserving SAES teachers!! This year we will award one teacher from the Special Focus category (including Chaplains) and one from MS/US teacher category to receive the prestigious Connie Wootton Excellence in Teacher Award and the $5,000 cash prize.

Deadline Date to Nominate: February 14, 2025

Learn More and Nominate Now

Selected Resources for Reflection, Learning, and Growth

The recent SAES Webinar, The Powerful Phrases for Workplace Conflict, offers some very practical advice for navigating conflict and difficult conversations, with more content available at T he Conflict and Collaboration Resource Center

Expert Advice: How to Lead a Negative Team Member

“Leading a negative team member can be frustrating. You have a vision, and you’re energized about your new solution, but they’re skeptical, critical, and keep bringing up problems.”

5 Ways AI Can Help Strengthen Teams

The question is no longer whether you adopt AI — it’s how smartly you integrate it into your processes. Today’s AI tools can be used to radically transform meetings for the better. In the brainstorming arena, AI tools can help your team generate a larger, richer idea pool.

New Research: Done Right, Virtual Tutoring Nearly Rivals In-Person Version

Two new Johns Hopkins University studies explore how high-quality virtual tutoring can help struggling students.

Legal Implications of Recent Executive Orders for Independent Schools

Here is a link to our alert on the Trump Administration’s recent actions impacting independent and private schools.

What Schools Should Know About Immigration and ICE Enforcement

“With the new presidential administration’s hard stance on immigration, many school officials are anxious about visits from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and uncertain about what to do should such a visit occur.”

Research Roundup: 3 Must-Read Studies About Early Care and Education

Three notable studies related to child care and early learning.

More Research: The 10 Most Significant Education Studies of 2024

A yearly review of the research you should read, from the sneaky ways that inattention can spread in your classroom to the promises and perils of AI.

From NAIS The Top 5 Blogs of 2024

For Your Coaches: Be a Better Coach by Understanding Teen Brains

“No matter the sport, it’s the coach’s job to help players fix their mistakes. But how best to correct them, so that instead of feeling wounded or demoralized, the kid feels motivated to improve? Coaches will typically opt for one of two approaches: identifying the mistake and offering blunt corrections or downplaying the error to boost the kid’s confidence.”

How Knowing Teen Brains a Little Better Can Help Coaches Be Effective Mentors

To Share with Teachers: 16 Variations on Think-Pair-Share to Keep Students Engaged

Teachers and students use this classic learning strategy often. To keep it from getting stale, try these tweaks.

Broken Feedback and Stale Sandwiches

“Improvement always begins with feedback. People never improve until they know how they’re doing. Self-defeating behaviors persist in low-feedback environments.”

Scholarships Available for the Jubilee Centre's MA in Character Education Program

The Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues at the University of Birmingham located in Edgbaston, U.K delivers a Master of Arts (MA) in Character Education. The MA program is a part-time degree that is taught online (via distance learning) over 3 years giving students the flexibility to complete the program alongside full-time employment. Teaching for the next cohort (2025/26) commences on 29th September 2025

Health Insurance Option for Schools (Webinar)

The Independent School Benefits Consortium (ISBC) is a national healthcare platform that provides benefits to independent schools in a cost-effective manner. By uniting schools, the ISBC offers choice, flexibility and control, enabling institutions to provide comprehensive benefits packages that support educators in their mission to help students succeed.

Virtual Learning Opportunities

It Starts with Us: Prioritizing Mental Health

February 11, 2025

10:00 am - 11:00 am CST

Fee: $199.00 Per Member School

Enhancing the mental health of school staff is crucial for fostering a positive environment for students. Our nervous systems are interconnected, meaning that educators and staff cannot cultivate optimal conditions for student well-being if they are stressed, overwhelmed, or under-supported. This conversation with Michelle Kinder, Chief Mental Health Officer at Tacky Box, and co-author of "WHOLE: What Teachers Need to Help Students Thrive," will explore the importance of prioritizing mental health and provide evidence-based strategies to help you effectively manage your nervous system, creating a healthier environment for both you and your students.

Culture and Engagement: Unlock The Keys To Your School Success

February 19, 2025

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm CST

Fee: FREE

Today’s employees are seeking work that is both meaningful and supportive of their well-being. While many believe a job in education meets both needs, it is the school’s culture that meets those needs. A school that wants to be known for its positive community and culture must be intentional about creating this. Join Mary Katherine Duffy and Rob Devlin as they welcome back Christy Heno, a culture and engagement coach at the Presbyterian School in Houston. Christy will give her best tips for building culture in a school community.

Auxiliary Programs: To Be or Not to Be. That Is The Question

February 27, 2025

10:00 am - 11:00 am CST

Fee: Free

Are you thinking about beginning an Auxiliary Program at your school? SAES is pleased to welcome Kristen Stevens, Director of Auxiliary Programs at All Saints in Beaumont, to facilitate a discussion of the considerations schools should consider and questions to answer before deciding to offer Auxiliary Programs.

ACCREDITATION NOTES

Accreditation has historically been something of a sleeper topic–not too interesting to most folks other than school leaders and those like me who manage the accreditation process. Lately, however, it’s become a bit of a hot topic in some circles, and it occurs to me that it may be helpful for SAES heads to have a sense of how SAES understands accreditation and what SAES accreditation does and does not mean.

At its most basic level, accreditation serves as an external validation of a school by an organization whose purpose is to determine whether schools meet certain standards. The United States, unlike many other countries, never established national oversight of schools or colleges, so accrediting agencies developed, in part, to validate a college or school’s program and to ensure that academic work done in one state would be accepted as commensurate with that of another state. Many states, including the states that SAES serves, require that non-public schools be accredited in order for academic credit or teaching service to be recognized.

SAES began accrediting schools in the late 1980’s as a response to regulations made in the states our Association serves. Like most independent school accrediting bodies, SAES accreditation is based upon evidence of 1) adherence to SAES Standards and 2) a commitment of continuous improvement. Also like most accrediting bodies, SAES employs an accreditation process in which compliance with standards and plans for growth are reviewed internally (the Self-Study process) and externally (the Visiting Team). SAES accreditation is unique, however, in being designed exclusively for Episcopal schools in order to address the unique governance issues that might arise from church and school interactions and to ensure that Episcopal identity is an essential component of the school’s mission and program.

SAES accreditation reflects the Association’s belief that each school is unique. SAES does not require particular curricula or programs but rather expects that all curricula and programming should follow the school’s particular mission and context. We also believe that educational programming should reflect current research on the nature of teaching and learning and the skills students will need in their futures, but again, that does not require one certain curriculum or pedagogical method. Likewise, while we require that our schools incorporate their Episcopal identity in all aspects of school operations and programs, we recognize that Episcopal identity will look different in different contexts, such as the ages served, whether there is a parish associated with the school and the diocese in which the school is located.

Should you receive questions from parents about SAES accreditation, you can refer them to our website for the Standards of the Association. You should also know that if individuals complain to SAES about school matters, we are clear that SAES does not address individual student or teacher complaints but can only address pervasive practices which might conflict with our Standards. Rob Devlin and I are always happy to answer any questions you or members of your community might have about SAES accreditation.

Chris Carter

SAES SOLUTION PARTNER HIGHLIGHT

Contact: Dan Tehrani

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