See You at the Conference! 
FastStats 2016: Teacher Load
By Dr. Jeffrey L. Mitchell , Head of Currey Ingram Academy, Brentwood, TN


In this FastStats SAIS and NAIS faculty salaries are compared, reviewing the median salaries of SAIS and NAIS teachers for the past ten years. The data shows a healthy upward trend for median salaries overall, and a steady gap between NAIS and SAIS schools, with NAIS teachers enjoying higher median salaries.   >>Read more.
Company Profile: ISM

For the past 40 years, Independent School Management (ISM) has supported educators in independent schools through workshops, consulting, insurance services, financial aid services, risk assessment, and more. As their mission states, ISM's purpose is to "Advance School Leadership - Enrich the Student Experience." >>Read more.


SAIS Distinguished Service Award - Pat Taylor

Pat Taylor
Jackson Academy, Jackson, MS
 
With a career in education spanning more than 40 years, Pat Taylor  began his career in 1972 as a history teacher at St. Paul's Episcopal School in Mobile, AL, and for the next 35 years served St. Paul's as dean of students, principal, and assistant head of school. He also served as head of Houston Academy in Dothan, AL.
 
Currently in his 10th year as head of Jackson Academy, he has proved visionary, leading the academic team as it advanced into STEM education, an Apple K-12 one-to-one environment, divisional restructuring that created a middle school, and personalized learning influenced by new brain research.
 
Taylor  earned degrees from the University of South Alabama and LaSalle University.  He has served on the SACS Alabama state committee, the SAIS accreditation committee, and is currently serving on the board of the Alabama Independent School Association. 

News from Schools

Indre Zalepuga, a senior at Saint Stephen's Episcopal School in Bradenton, FL recently was named one of 10 students worldwide to win a Youth Honor Award from Skipping Stones magazine. The awards recognize students' contributions in art or literature that promote an understanding of cultural diversity and appreciation of nature. Skipping Stones is a global magazine for youth.

Woodward Academy (College Park, GA) 6th grader   Kaiden Dye's poem, "Be the Difference Maker," was selected in a national writing contest for publication in T he Super Chronicles: Stories about the power to make a difference, by Jack and Jill of America, Inc. Kaiden is a member of the Greater Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter of Jack and Jill, an organization dedicated to nurturing future African American leaders by strengthening children through leadership development, volunteer service, philanthropic giving, and civic duty.  The Super Chronicles was released July 31, 2016, on Amazon.

Earlier this month, 52 juniors and seniors and four faculty chaperones from Carrollwood Day School in Tampa, FL, traveled to Nicaragua to volunteer with Outreach 360. The students spent a week in the rural town of Jinotega and surrounding areas working with impoverished youth to teach them conversational English through games and songs. In addition to volunteering, the students experience authentic culture and real-world immersion through activities and excursions planned by their hosts. Students gain global awareness and a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by a community working to overcome poverty and achieve a greater standard of living. As an International Baccalaureate World School, this service-learning trip is a capstone experience for many of the school's Diploma Programme students.

Got news to share? Email [email protected].
SAIS Athletic Directors Conference - Registration Now Open!

The 2nd Annual Athletic Directors Conference will be held January 12-13, 2017 at the Crowne Plaza Ravinia in Atlanta. Attend sessions about leadership, gender equity, parent-coach relationships, event management, and more! Visit  www.sais.org/ADC.
  >>Register here. 
Stephen P. Robinson Collaboration Grants

The Stephen P. Robinson Collaboration Grants were created to encourage independent schools to form new partnerships with other schools, institutions of higher education, businesses, and/or nonprofits. SAIS will annually divide a total of $25,000 among two to five member schools. Those applying must demonstrate a vision and capacity to pursue and carry out meaningful collaborations. Successful examples have demonstrated efforts that benefit the greater community or region in unique ways. SAIS will accept proposals for the 2017 Collaboration Grants between October 1 and December 31, 2016. Awards will be announced and disbursed by February 1, 2017.    >>Read more about the Collaboration Grants Program.

On-Site Board Workshops
 
SAIS President Dr. Kirk Walker and Vice President Damian Kavanagh are available to visit your campus and conduct on-site governance workshops.
  • Trusteeship for Independent Schools
  • New Trustee Orientation
  • Becoming an Outstanding Board
  • The Changing Landscape of Independent School Governance 
We're Looking for a Few Good ... Photos
WANTED:
Your School's Logo 
 
Does your school's logo appear in the SAIS Online Member Directory?  If not, please send your school's logo to [email protected].

 

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
FastStats
Company Profile: ISM
News from SAIS Schools
Athletic Directors Conference
SAIS Collaboration Grants
On-Site Board Workshops
Tweets of Note
QUICK LINKS
SAIS Featured School
Highlands School

Enrolling 300 students from four-year-old kindergarten to grade 8, Highlands School in Mountain Brook, AL, is an independent day school offering a well-rounded educational experience in a nurturing academic environment. Highlands approach to instruction includes STEM, project based learning, social-emotional education, differentiated instruction, and health & wellness. School culture is designed to support and encourage the social-emotional development of Highlands students and prepare them to be leaders who will make a positive difference in the world.
  >>Read more. 

Would you like to be an SAIS Featured School? Contact [email protected]
    
Blogs of Note
 
Veteran educator Angela Maiers praises an oft-criticized group. 
 
Toy Savage, teacher and historian at Norfolk Academy in Norfolk, VA, observes a student come full circle. 

Education consultant George Couros muses on the opportunity presented by a change. 

Sarah Dawe, 1st grade teacher at Brookwood School in Manchester, MA, is spending two weeks in Rwanda as an Exchange Educator. Check out her blog posts here. 
Tweets of Note
 
Pumpkins, author visit, hurricane recovery, and SAIS visiting schools
>>Read tweets here.

The  SAIS Value Narrative Survey is a school culture and school climate survey that helps schools understand the important beliefs of stakeholders and the perceptions of how well the school is delivering on its mission. More than 150 schools have used the survey and more than 100,000 responses have been generated.
 
SAIS is piloting a Self-Determination Survey for faculty and students and a governance evaluation assessment that is aligned with the five domains of SAIS governance training. Contact us for information or to participate.  
Retiring in 2017? 
A blue nametag sticker with the words Hello I Am Retired to illustrate that you are done with your career and are living off a pension or 401k or other retirement savingsIf you are a head of school who will be retiring at the end of the 2016-17 school year, please let us know so we can induct you into the SAIS Legacy Club, a group of retired heads of school who gather annually. Please complete our Legacy Club bio form.
Technical Assistance Services:
Benchmarking and Bylaws

The deadline to enter NAIS DASL data has been extended!  This powerful tool is open to NAIS and non NAIS members.  Do you need benchmark salary information? SAIS can help and can teach you how to use this powerful tool. 

Do your bylaws need a refresh? We have read quite a number and are happy to read yours and will provide suggestions on aligning your bylaws with your aspirations of being and remaining a strategically effective board.  Contact Damian Kavanagh at SAIS, (404) 918-8850 or  [email protected] .