2021 INDEX VIRTUAL ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Sessions are open to INDEX member schools only.

SEP

21

2-3 PM EST

Stop Dreaming… Start Doing: What Is Really Going to Change?

John Kowalik, Head of School, The Potomac School (VA)
Dominic Randolph, Head of School, Riverdale Country School (NY)

Lessons learned and applied from the Pandemic.
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SEP

22

2-3 PM EST

Elementary Schools: Thriving Post-Covid and Lessons Learned from the Pandemic

Aaron Cooper, Head of School, New Canaan Country School (CT)
Shelly Luke Wille, Head of School, Children’s Day School (CA)

One month back into the year post pandemic (or will we be post?), let’s come together to talk about what it means to thrive after a year of rapid change and crisis. What have we learned? How much of the past year was change evolution and best practice vs. crisis response? We will reflect on these questions through the lenses of the major themes that have been present over the past 18 months.
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OCT

6

2-3 PM EST

Leading Amidst a Fraught Landscape of DEI in Schools: Polarization, Misinformation, and Anonymous Petitions

Cathy Hall, Head of School, Noble and Greenough School (MA)
Kelly Sortino, Head of School, Crystal Springs Uplands School (CA)

Over the last 18 months, independent school leaders have found themselves in the crosshairs of a mounting intensity and divisiveness in our school communities around issues of DEI, with feelings of urgency and conflicting certainties only deepening. This interactive session has three goals:

  • Sharing what and how we are hearing from our different stakeholders
  • Sharing strategies we are employing to approach this important work
  • Sharing ways we are taking care of ourselves by turning the negative energy into positive self-care in the increasingly isolating world of leading a school during this challenging time

For each of the three agenda items, we will share our stories and provide time for discussion and collaboration from session participants.

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OCT

20

2-3 PM EST

Community Wellness and Leading Out of the Trauma of the Pandemic

Lee Hark, Head of School, Greenhill School (TX)
Matt Levinson, Head of School, The Pingry School (NJ)

As we emerge from the shadow of a global pandemic, it remains to be seen how our school communities will respond. As leaders, how do we continue to keep our communities safe, care for employees and students who have been traumatized by this experience, and care for our leadership teams…and ourselves? In this session, we will lean on each other for advice and suggestions about how to heal and help our community thrive in the midst of what will surely be another challenging and complicated year.
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OCT

22

1-3 PM EST

INDEX Data and Report Review – Online Q&A Session (Elementary Schools)

Audience: INDEX Data Users Only (Elementary Schools)

Lisa Pullman, Executive Director, INDEX

For those of you who have attended an INDEX Annual Conference in person, you’ll know that we spend the morning of the first day reviewing the INDEX data and reporting. This is a time to ask questions about the the data definitions, the data, and the reporting.
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OCT

25

1-3 PM EST

INDEX Data and Report Review – Online Q&A Session (Middle/Upper Schools)

Audience: INDEX Data Users Only (Middle/Upper Schools)

Lisa Pullman, Executive Director, INDEX

For those of you who have attended an INDEX Annual Conference in person, you’ll know that we spend the morning of the first day reviewing the INDEX data and reporting. This is a time to ask questions about the the data definitions, the data, and the reporting.
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OCT

26

1-3 PM EST

INDEX Data and Report Review – Online Q&A Session (PK-12 Schools)

Audience: INDEX Data Users Only (PK-12 Schools)

Lisa Pullman, Executive Director, INDEX

For those of you who have attended an INDEX Annual Conference in person, you’ll know that we spend the morning of the first day reviewing the INDEX data and reporting. This is a time to ask questions about the the data definitions, the data, and the reporting.
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OCT

27

1-3 PM EST

INDEX Data and Report Review – Online Q&A Session (Makeup)

Audience: INDEX Data Users Only

Lisa Pullman, Executive Director, INDEX

For those of you who have attended an INDEX Annual Conference in person, you’ll know that we spend the morning of the first day reviewing the INDEX data and reporting. This is a time to ask questions about the the data definitions, the data, and the reporting.
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NOV

17

2-3 PM EST

Rebuilding Faculty and Staff Post-Covid

Audience: Heads of School Only

Jim Hamilton, Head of School, Berwick Academy (ME)

As we enter the new normal there are many aspects of our institutions that need our continued attention. Our faculty and staff, perhaps our most prized resource, is at the top of that list. In this working session, we will share strategies on how we are actively working to rebuild our faculties following a year like no other. Please come ready to share ideas and strategies that you are employing to improve morale, get folks re-centered, and ultimately support our faculty and staff post-pandemic.
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DEC

14

2-3 PM EST

Leading in a DEIB Context: Culture, Crisis, and Identity

Katherine Dinh, Head of School, Marin Country Day School (CA)
Greg Schneider, Head of School, Belmont Hill School (MA)

In this workshop, participants will engage in discussions about the challenges that we face as heads trying to lead through the two pandemics: COVID-19 and racial inequity. The facilitators will share relevant stories that they have experienced at their schools, and the DEIB initiatives that they have led. Participants will also be invited to share their own leadership challenges in the context of DEIB issues, and to speak in small groups with others to gain ideas, perspectives, and empathy. The facilitators offer views on K – 8 and 7 – 12 settings, and provide their own personal experiences as two heads who identify differently in gender and race. We invite participants to join us in a conversation about the complexities and inspiration gained by leading through the two pandemics.
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JAN

5

2-3 PM EST

Compensation Structures & Performance Review Systems

Jeffrey Houser, CFO, Georgetown Day School (DC)

Are we losing good talent to other jobs? Do we know if we’re paying a livable wage? Are our faculty and staff being recognized for their extraordinary contributions? Do they receive feedback that motivates them to continue improving? This session will unpack the variables needed to develop a compensation program that is fair and equitable by taking into account internal factors (such as tenure, performance, and community participation) and external market conditions (such as cost of living, industry standards, and peer-school averages). Further, it will explore the importance of a comprehensive and predictable performance- review structure that provides the opportunity for all employees to grow equally in the organization.
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JAN

19

2-3 PM EST

Net Tuition Revenue and Other Approaches to Financial Aid Management: What’s Working, and Why?

Matt Glendinning, Head of School, Moses Brown School (RI)

As tuition growth continues to outpace incomes, many schools have experienced significantly increased demand for financial aid, straining school budgets. This session will focus on the strategic use of discounting as an enrollment management tool, particularly the Net Tuition Revenue model. Please come to share your challenges and recommended approaches to enhancing accessibility.
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FEB

2

2-3 PM EST

Rethinking the Teaching Model: Where is Education Headed?

Tom Sheppard, Head of School, Chadwick School (CA)
Geoff Wagg, Head of School, Waynflete School (ME)

For all the ills brought on by the pandemic, independent schools by and large have continued to provide high quality learning through an extraordinary level of innovation and creative problem solving. The shifts between in-person, hybrid, and online learning will likely be seen as one of the greatest disruptors in the history of education. As we look to the post-pandemic world, we have the opportunity to incorporate these innovations and continue to consider new ones that will address long standing and consistently expanding issues of programmatic and financial sustainability. Join us for a discussion of how we can leverage the new ways of teaching discovered during this period and reinvent our schools for the future.
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MAR

9

2-3 PM EST

Leveraging the Role of the CFO to Advance DEIB Initiatives

Katharine Wardle, Assistant Head of School for Finance and Operations,
Francis Parker School (CA)

In this session we will look at some examples of where the role of CFO in building budgets, managing the back office, and being the go-to role for accountability metrics, can help or hinder DEIB efforts. We will look at case studies in schools where efforts have been made with different degrees of success. Break into groups and debrief and discuss the learnings. “Answers’ will be provided at the end of the session for you to compare to your own as a way to deepen the learning.
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APR

20

2-3 PM EST

Future-Forward Approaches to Tuition Sustainability

Rich Schellhas, Head of School, Germantown Academy (PA)
David Pannepacker, CFOO, Germantown Academy (PA)

After briefly reviewing key tuition trends among INDEX schools, we will engage in an open sharing and brainstorming session in which we candidly share best practices, pose questions, and discuss from among the following areas based on participant interest: Exploring the range of viable tuition models; Proactive recession planning; Mission-centric budget management; Leveraging and increasing endowment; Analyzing and understanding your competitive market.
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