spring heads meeting

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May 1 - 3, 2016
Alderbrook Resort
Union, WA
SPRING
HEADS
MEETING
Featuring
Caroline G. Blackwell,
Vice President Equity and Justice, NAIS
presenting:
Leadership for Equity in Independent Schools: Looking in the
Mirror—and Out of the Window—at Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
in Independent Schools
Caroline Blackwell will join us to kick off the Spring Heads Meeting with a critical examination of equity and
inclusion in Independent schools, especially at the leadership level. Authentic and powerful leadership for the
challenges and opportunities schools face today requires knowledge, resourcefulness, empathy, courage, and
support. Ms. Blackwell will help will help attendees think through the evolving understanding of what a diverse
and equitable community looks and acts like regardless of the community’s complexion. She will also examine
roadblocks to effective equity leadership, principally implicit bias and cultural privilege, and share tools, strategies,
structures, and practices that we can employ at the Association and Institutional levels to mitigate bias and
increase our collective cultural competence.
Session Descriptions
Monday, May 2, 2016
8:15am-9:00am
Connecting with Legislators presented by Suzie Hanson, Executive Director, WFIS
WFIS champions a message that debunks preconceived ideas about our private
school communities. Establishing a relationship with legislators demystifies and clarifies the good work on behalf
of so many students in their district. WFIS will share ideas on creating connections under positive circumstances,
which is critical when asking for protection of our freedom and independence.
10:00am-12:00pm Bringing Commitment to Care (C2C) to Life through Accreditation
In this working session, we will review and discuss the newly created Accreditation Standard for Diversity,
Equity, Inclusion, and Justice. Groups facilitated by the members of the Standards and Practices Committee,
which rewrote the former Diversity Standard, will answer questions such as: What impact will this new Standard
have on my school? At what point does a school meet (or not meet) the new Standard? If you were on an
accreditation Visiting Team, what would you be looking for regarding this Standard? How can the association
help schools achieve the level of success they are aiming for in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice?
7:00-8:30pm
“Help!”: This open mic style event will build on the success if last year’s spectacular fails
night. It will be a fun, light-hearted way for us to learn from each other’s experience doing what the we do best supporting one another. All are invited to bring a 3-5 minute story originating from anytime in your career that
exemplifies a time that you asked for or wished for help. You might also share something you expect to need
help with in the future. Attendees are welcome to bring a story or soak up the learning as an audience
member.
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
9:00am-12:00pm
Strategic Planning Sandbox: Exploring Our Emerging Strategic Priorities
With Alexa Carver, the board’s strategic planning consultant, we will begin this working session with a review of
the progress on the association’s new strategic plan. We will then organize into NWAIS trustee-led small groups
to review the plan’s three major priorities, and then generate the strategies and performance indicators the
association can use to implement the priorities and measure their success. The Board will take the ideas
generated at this session to use them to complete the association’s new strategic plan at its annual retreat in
August.
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Speaker Biographies
Caroline G. Blackwell, Vice President Equity and Justice, NAIS
Prior to joining NAIS, Caroline served as the executive director of the Metro Human Relations
Commission in Nashville, Tennessee. Before that, she was a senior administrator at
University School of Nashville for 17 years. Caroline earned a B.S. in journalism from the
University of Maryland, College Park, and an M.S.W. in clinical group work from Boston
University. She also holds numerous certifications in mediation, conflict resolution, and
facilitation. A long-time volunteer with NAIS, Caroline is the lead facilitator for the Diversity
Leadership Institute and has been a chair of NAIS’s People of Color Conference. She’s also a
contributor to NAIS publications.
Suzie Hanson, Executive Director, WFIS
Suzie Hanson has served as the executive director of the Washington Federation of
Independent Schools (WFIS) since July 1, 2011. WFIS is a coalition of more than 500 private
pre-, elementary and secondary schools serving 80,000 students in Washington. WFIS
advocates in Olympia on behalf of private schools assuring private schools stay independent.
WFIS is also a State-CAPE member. CAPE ties state goals to the national goals of private
schools through the Council for American Private Education. Prior to heading WFIS, Suzie
was the Assistant Director at Spruce Street School in downtown Seattle. In that role she
served as the liaison between the school and the city government. This allowed her the
opportunity to work with active advocacy organizations to promote the neighborhoods, protect
the businesses, and provide guidance for large-scale development plans. Suzie promoted the needs of the
school within the context of city’s ambitious South Lake Union growth plan and successfully created
partnerships between the school and the greater community.
Alexa Carver is an independent consultant who specializes in strategy consulting for
nonprofits. While she started her career as a teacher and school administrator, she has since
moved into an active role in a wide array of nonprofits as a board member and consultant.
Alexa currently operates an independent consulting firm, Inspire Impact Consulting, where
she focuses her work with boards and leadership teams on strategy and board development
to inspire maximum mission impact. Alexa has her undergraduate degree from Harvard
University and a Masters in Not-forprofit Leadership from Seattle University.
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NWAIS Attendance and Travel Policies
All NWAIS Accredited and Candidate member schools are required to attend each Heads Meeting and are billed for a
portion of the meeting expenses whether or not the school Head attends. If you cannot attend, please send a
representative who you believe will benefit from this special program.
Travel expenses to and from the meeting are reimbursed to attendees, added to the meeting expenses, and shared
among all accredited and candidate member schools. Hotel expenses are not covered by the Travel Share Policies.
Please plan ahead. Book travel early to minimize these shared costs.
Heads from Affiliate Member schools and Subscriber schools will only be charged for the Heads Meeting if they attend.
They will be billed for a full share of the meeting expenses but are responsible for their own travel expenses and will
not be billed for the shared portion.
We invite you to share this special location and event with your family. Spouses and children will be billed only for
meals at a per meal cost.
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Spring Heads Meeting Agenda At A Glance
PRE-CONFERENCE – Saturday, April 30, 2016
1:30-6:00
Accreditation Committee Meeting (followed by dinner)
Twanoh Room
PRE-CONFERENCE – Sunday, May 1, 2016
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9:00-2:00
Meeting (with working lunch)
Training For Host Schools (Required for
those
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1:30-3:30
Accreditation
Twanoh Room
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Sunday,
May
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3:45-4:15
Registration
4:15-4:30
Welcome
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4:30-6:00
Keynote with Caroline G. Blackwell, Vice President
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Equity and Justice, NAIS
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6:00
Reception
Olympic Foyer
Olympic Ballroom
Olympic Ballroom
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Rain location: Olympic Foyer
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Dinner
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Monday,
May 2,
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Breakfast Available
8:15-9:00
Breakfast Session: Connecting with Legislators
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presented by Suzie Hanson, Executive Director, WFIS
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9:00-10:00
NWAIS
Association Business Meeting
10:00-12:00
Bringing
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Accreditation
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12:00-1:00
Lunch
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1:00-5:00
Free Time
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5:00-6:00
Reception
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6:00-7:00
Dinner
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7:00-8:30
“Help!”:
Learn from each other’s experience doing
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what
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Olympic Ballroom
Olympic Ballroom
Olympic Ballroom
Olympic Ballroom
Olympic Ballroom
Waterfront Checkerboard
Rain location: Olympic Foyer
Olympic Ballroom
Olympic Ballroom
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
8:00-9:00
9:00-12:00
12:00
Breakfast
Strategic Planning Sandbox: Exploring Our Emerging
Strategic Priorities
Conference Conclusion
Box lunches available at 11:30
Olympic Ballroom
Olympic Ballroom
Olympic Ballroom
(Let Emily know if you would like one available earlier to accommodate an early departure)
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