Thursday, February 28, 2013

NAIS Diversity Handbook

For the last several years I've had the honor of being a member of the faculty of the NAIS Diversity Institute (name has been changed to Diversity Leadership Institute for summer 2013). I work closely with Nishant Mehta, an extraordinary, innovative educator and friend who is the head-elect of The Children's School in Atlanta, team teaching a strand on leading and managing change for diversity and inclusion. We were asked to write a chapter for the new NAIS Diversity Handbook, to be published this spring. So this afternoon there was a session to introduce/promote the book. Nishant and I spoke for a few minutes about our chapter and several other contributors did the same. Since the book has yet to be published, I didn't know exactly how it would be organized or what other content would be included. What's clear from today's session is that the book will definitely be a valuable resource for heads, boards, diversity practitioners, and faculty.

Every time I'm asked to speak at a conference the biggest worry isn't how best to present the information. Rather, the fear is that no one will show. I'm happy - and relieved - to report that we had 35 or 40 people interested in learning about the Handbook, and we enjoyed a really rich conversation about diversity in schools, how far we've come, and how to make sure the work continues

Thanks to Gene Batiste at NAIS for including me in this project.

What if Revolutionaries Had a School?

Ever heard of Sekou Andrews? I hadn't. He is a dynamic poet, teacher, storyteller, and inspirational speaker. Super talented and thought provoking. Look him up.

Jim Collins:The Unofficial Abridged Version

Jim Collins, known widely as one of the great leadership thinkers and writers in the world, was our keynote speaker this morning. He's sold over 10 million books - Good to Great, Built to Last, Great by Choice, How the Mighty Fall, best sellers all - and in 55 minutes gave us the highlights of each. And now I'm supposed to boil that down into a blog-sized chunk? Right.

Much that he said resonated with me and, it seemed, many others in the audience. (I'm using quotations below, but these quotes are paraphrased from my hastily scribbled notes)

"Building a great enterprise is first and foremost about the right people"
"A meaningful life for those of us in the social sector is about loving the people we work with (faculty) and loving the people we work for (students)"
"Culture of discipline - discipline of mission, purpose, vision - is present in all great enterprises"
"Trick is to marry creativity with discipline in a way that amplifies creativity instead of crushing it"
"Critical to preserve the core (values, purpose) and stimulate progress. Balance is 80% core and 20% process. Organizations become great by knowing which 20% to change."

This is just the tip of the iceberg. So much good stuff to take in.


The Problem with Old Bloggers

Listening to keynote speaker Jim Collins and sitting next to a fellow conference blogger. As she's typing away, I'm taking notes on my legal pad. Later I'll try to turn those notes into a blog entry. But I think I'm just too old to be able to listen, synthesize, and try to be thoughtful and reflective...all while pecking away on my iPad. I bet I know some 5th graders who could do it well. Humbling.

Breakfast with the President

This year's breakfast is notable not for the cold bacon, warm orange juice, or even all the official NAIS business. Rather, it marks the first official introduction of NAIS president elect, John Chubb, and for current president Pat Bassett's final chance to address the membership.

As always, Pat shared some interesting data and tidbits. My two favorites were headlines from articles on the website Insidehighered.com: "Study: Helicopter Parents Cause Mental Health Problems for Children" and "Economic Payoff Seen From Attending Colleges with More Diversity." I'm intrigued to read both. (If I can figure out how to make hyperlinks from my iPad, I will do it later)

In recognition of his leadership of NAIS, Pat received a well-deserved and protracted standing ovation at the conclusion of his remarks.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Community

Last night my school held its annual benefit auction. It was a huge success from two standpoints: we raised lots of money to support The Town School and we gathered in a festive atmosphere to celebrate our school community and community of parents.

In a way, the NAIS Annual Conference is also a celebration of community. I spent much of the afternoon and evening connecting with old friends from all the schools where I've worked and my twenty-plus years in this field. We reminisced, told stories of our exploits (good and bad), compared notes on new programs and initiatives, and introduced each other to colleagues, expanding our personal and professional networks.

I remember my first NAIS conference and really being turned off by all the blue blazers. Now I've come to grips with the fact, after all these years, this is an important community in my life. As our students might say, these are "my peeps." You won't catch me in a blue blazer, though.

Sharing with Aspiring Heads

I served on a panel today with four other heads - Kate Windsor from Miss Porter's, John Berrengos from Independent Day School, Jane Fried from Brearley, and Don Grace from The Blue School - where we spoke about our experiences as new heads of school. What did we feel like we did well? What did we wish we did better? Our reflections seemed to resonate with the aspiring heads to whom we were asked to present, but I really enjoyed hearing what the others had to say as well. No matter the size or configuration of our schools, there are many universal truths of independent school leadership. Work-life balance is a challenge; the work is more pastoral than one might think; we tend to think in terms of internal and external constituencies, but in truth there are many overlaps; and attitude is at least as important as aptitude. Good stuff.

Here We Go!

On the train down to Philly after a late night at my school's benefit auction (successful evening...fundraising goals reached...fun had by all). I'm looking forward to the conference speakers and workshops, to connecting with old friends and making new ones, and to reflecting the highlights of the conference here. I'll also be busy helping out with a few sessions, beginning this morning when I'm on a panel offering advice to the aspiring heads group, then speaking at a session on the new NAIS Diversity Handbook and helping to facilitate some discussions after two of the keynote speakers. First piece of advice for aspiring heads? Don't volunteer to do too many things at NAIS! (Just kidding,of course)