ISACS is offering virtual educational sessions for boards and heads: Trustee Series 2023-24. A one-hour webinar on important governance topics will be held each of the following months: August, September, October & December 2023 & February – May 2024. In December 2023 and May 2024 there will be bonus sessions in a roundtable format specifically for incoming & current board chairs.
Trustee Series Brochure
2023-24 Trustee Series Brochure.
Audience
For trustees of independent schools & heads of school.
Questions
If you have any questions, please contact programinfo@isacs.org.
Series Dates & Time
Live webinars will take place via Zoom, 3:00 – 4:00 pm central/4:00 – 5:00 pm eastern on the following Thursdays unless otherwise noted:
- Wednesday, August 23, 2023
- September 14, 2023
- October 12, 2023
- December 7, 2023 - Roundtable for incoming & current board chairs only
- December 14, 2023
- February 15, 2024
- March 14, 2024
- April 25, 2024
- May 2, 2024 – Roundtable for Incoming & current board chairs only
- May 16, 2024
To accommodate busy schedules, webinars will be recorded and available to registered schools and their trustees until June 30, 2024, unless otherwise noted. The December 7 and May 2 sessions for incoming and current board chairs will not be recorded.
All trustees and heads who plan to attend the live presentation MUST pre-register on Zoom for each webinar, see "Important Registration Details" tab below for more information.
Recordings & Resources
- Trustee Series webinars will be recorded, unless otherwise noted. Any content and/or conversations that occurred in Zoom breakout rooms were not recorded.
- Trustee Series webinar recordings will be available to registered schools to access until June 30, 2024, unless otherwise noted.
- Instructions on how to access the recordings and applicable resources will be sent within 24-48 hours of the live presentation to the contact person registered on the ISACS website as well as anyone pre-registered on Zoom for that particular webinar.
- Passwords are not required to access the recordings; however, Trustee Series registrants will be prompted to complete a Zoom On-Demand Online Form before gaining access to each webinar.
- Recordings must only be accessed by schools that registered for the 2023-24 Trustee Series. Please do not share the recording links with others outside your school community. ISACS will contact any non-registrant who completes the online form and will require a registration fee.
Presenters & Webinar Details
Presenters & Bios
Trustee Series Webinars
Trustee Series webinars will take place from
3:00 – 4:00 pm central/4:00 – 5:00 pm eastern
- WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2023
Board Culture, Roles & Responsibilities
Lynn Wendell, Independent School Governance Expert
Whether you are new to trusteeship or a seasoned board member, it is a good idea to pause and reflect on the best practices and board habits that lead to effective governance. Join this webinar to review the core responsibilities of independent school board members and how your responsibilities as a board member are different from those of the head of school. We will discuss tricky situations you might encounter as a board member and how to handle them and review aspects of board culture that contribute to board success. This governance "booster shot" will prepare you for what's ahead as you approach the 2023-24 board cycle.
- THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2023
Foundations of Governance: Tips & Traps for Trustees
Sara Goldsmith Schwartz, Schwartz Hannum PC
Serving on the board of trustees of an independent school is a significant contribution to the community, and also a significant responsibility. This webinar, led by experienced school attorney Sara Schwartz, will utilize real-life hypotheticals to explore key aspects of being an independent school trustee. Topics will include: overview of duties; essential board functions and documents; the ideal board relationship with the head of school; the board’s role in a crisis; and recommended action items.
- THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023
Effective Financial Governance for Independent School Trustees
Mary Kay Markunas, National Business Officers Association (NBOA)
Every independent school trustee must effectively steward the school by fulfilling their fiduciary role; the board’s partnerships with the head of school and business officer are critical. This webinar will foster a deeper level of fiduciary stewardship and financial governance. Trustees will enhance their understanding of the multi-faceted independent school business model and learn to ask the right questions to inform more strategic discussion. School leaders will learn how best to report information to ensure financial stewardship and long-term sustainability.
- THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2023
Wearing Three Hats: Trustee-Parent Dilemmas
Robert Evans, Psychologist, Author & School Consultant
The relationship between trustees and parents has always been complex. It begins with the closest of connections when the trustee also is a parent at the school. Wearing two hats—as steward and customer—presents a range of challenges. But trustees also have a third hat when they deal with parents, especially those who second-guess and criticize teachers and seek special treatment for their children. What are the best ways to manage these situations? In this webinar, Evans will outline concrete steps for successful coping.
- THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2024
Futureproofing Your Board
Greg Bamford & Carla Silver, Leadership+Design
Most trustees know that their primary role is to hold the school in trust and to steward it into the future. However, most boards tend to focus on the present and–at best!–think about the next 5-7 years. Thinking like futurists allows boards to consider a longer-term direction and be more likely to shape the future rather than simply react to it. Trustees should be thinking about playing the long game, and thinking like a futurist is a mindset that we can develop, practice, and apply to board work. Embracing futurist thinking at the board level leads to higher trustee engagement, more fulfilling work, and a board that is focused on strategic thinking and generative governance. We’ll introduce fundamental frameworks for bringing futurist thinking to the boardroom: identifying the signals of our possible futures, using scenarios to sharpen strategic thinking, and framing strategic questions to guide you toward your preferred future.
- THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2024
DEI & the Board of Trustees: Continuing the Work
Valaida Wise, Dr. Valaida Wise Consulting
Recent research underscores the vital role a school's board plays in the success or failure of the school’s DEI efforts. Since the board’s role is so crucial, it is imperative that all members understand the factors leading to success while also understanding the partnership that must exist between the board and school leadership. This webinar will use case studies and research to review the roles and responsibilities of the board while providing a framework model to guide the board's DEI efforts.
- THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024
Strategice Small School Governance for a New Era
Brooke Carroll, Acies Strategies, Consultant & Author
There are many wonderful attributes of small schools that make them attractive to families and students, and small schools face unique challenges that are distinct from their larger school peers. Good governance is particularly important for small schools as they navigate a post-pandemic world. In this webinar, we consider four critical areas that small school trustees must address to support their school's success: business planning, culture, mission clarity and alignment, and partnership with the head of school.
- THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2024
What's Next Now? Planning for 2024/25
Tim Fish, National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
The pace of change in our schools is constantly accelerating and the forces acting on our ability to thrive are increasing. We are living in an age of adaptive challenges. In this webinar, Fish will explore the five forces that will have the greatest impact on our schools and examine a framework for learning design to help schools ensure that we are preparing students to respond to these forces.
Bonus Webinars for Board Chairs
Board Chair Roundtables will take place from
3:00 – 4:00 pm central/4:00 – 5:00 pm eastern
(Will NOT Be Recorded)
- THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2023
Board Chair Roundtable I
Lucinda Lee Katz, Former Head of School & Board Chair & Irvenia Waters, Former Board Chair & Executive Coach
Join us for a facilitated conversation on issues board chairs confronting board chairs. Former board chairs themselves, Katz and Waters invite your engagement to share and hear from peers.
- THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2024
Board Chair Roundtable II
Georgy Ann Peluchiwski & Stephanie Rogen, Greenwich Leadership Partners
Join us for a facilitated conversation on the issues confronting board chairs. Peluchiwski and Rogen invite your participation to share and hear from peers.
How to Register Your Board
Please remember that only ONE person per school needs to register to provide the entire school community access to this Series.
This registrant will become the "Contact Person" and will be the only contact to receive additional communications from ISACS throughout the Series regarding Zoom links, important reminders, and post webinar resources. This person should share all details with the school community as needed.
HOW TO CREATE A PROFILE OR LOG IN
CREATE A NEW/SIGN INTO YOUR CONTACT RECORD
(This is for anyone who needs to create a new contact record or has not signed into the Member Portal and created a new password since July 2021.)
- Visit the Member Portal and select the “Sign-Up” tab
- Enter your SCHOOL email address & create a new password
- Make sure your email is spelled correctly or you will not receive the verification email during the next step
- Do not attempt to use the “reset your password” function as all passwords were erased for security purposes when we migrated systems in July 2021
- Follow the prompts to send the verification email and then click on the “Confirm my account” link in that email
- Check your quarantine, spam, and junk folders
- Check your quarantine, spam, and junk folders
- Identifying and/or Creating a New Contact Record
- If you were in the previous ISACS database, the new system will identify you based on your name and/or email domain, link your record to the school, and prompt you to update
- If you were NOT in the previous ISACS database, the new system will begin the contact record creation process, during which, be sure to search for your school to be properly linked
OR
LOG INTO YOUR CONTACT RECORD
(This is for those who have already logged into their contact record in the Member Portal and created their new password after July 2021.)
- Visit the Member Portal and select the “Log In” tab
- Enter your SCHOOL email address and password
- If you forgot your password, click on “reset your password”*
- *Resetting your password will only work if you have previously logged into the new system and created a new password. Otherwise, there is technically no password to reset as all of them were erased during migration in July 2021.
- If you forgot your password, click on “reset your password”*
Create/Sign-Up/Log In Instructions (PDF)
HOW TO REGISTER
REGISTERING FOR THE TRUSTEE SERIES
Please note that registration for this webinar series is per SCHOOL, so only ONE person per school needs to register to provide your entire board & head access to the Trustee Series.
- Once you have logged into your contact record via the ISACS Member Portal, click on the "EVENTS" tab in the black tool bar, click on "Register for Events", scroll & select the thumbnail icon for the "2023-24 Trustee Series".
- Once you are on the event page, click on "REGISTRATION" (blue hyperlink under the date) to begin the registration process.
- Follow the registration steps in sequential order using the blue “Next” button in the bottom right corner to advance. Make sure to answer all required questions.
- Payment can be made via electronic check/bank/ACH, credit card, OR you may select "Bill (School Name)" or "Send me an invoice/pay at a later time". You are responsible for forwarding the invoice on to your school for payment.
- Once registration is complete, the registrant will receive a confirmation email with details and a separate email that includes a paid receipt or an invoice. Registrants may receive additional confirmation emails from ISACS.
Questions regarding registration, please email karen@isacs.org
Registration Fees & Details
Registration Fees
- ONLY ONE "TRUSTEE SERIES" REGISTRATION IS NEEDED PER SCHOOL FOR ACCESS TO THE 10 ONE-HOUR LIVE WEBINARS AND RECORDINGS FOR YOUR HEAD & BOARD.
- ISACS Member School: $600 PER SCHOOL
- Non-Member School: $700 PER SCHOOL
- All trustees & heads who plan to attend the live presentation(s) MUST pre-register on Zoom for each webinar, see "Registration Details" tab above for more information.
- To accommodate busy schedules, webinars will be recorded and available to registered schools until June 30, 2024, unless otherwise noted.
ATTENTION: Association of Colorado Independent Schools (ACIS),
Association of Independent Maryland Schools (AIMS),
Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS) &
New York State Association of Independent School (NYSAIS):
Please register for the Trustee Series through your school’s respective Association’s website to receive the ISACS member rate.
If you have any questions, please contact your school’s Association directly.
Registration Details
Registration Confirmation Emails & Zoom Pre-Registration Instructions
- Once your school's registration is complete, an order confirmation email will automatically be sent to the contact person.
- Approximately one to two weeks prior to each Trustee Series webinar, ISACS will send a confirmation email to the contact person who registered on the ISACS website with details of the upcoming webinar including the pre-registration Zoom link.
- THE CONTACT PERSON NEEDS TO SHARE THE PRE-REGISTRATION ZOOM LINK(S) WITH ALL HEADS AND/OR TRUSTEES WHO PLAN TO ATTEND THE LIVE WEBINAR(S) AS THEY MUST PRE-REGISTER ON ZOOM.
- Approximately 24 hours prior to each webinar, a Zoom reminder email will be sent to all those heads and trustees who pre-registered.
If you do not receive these emails prior to each Trustee Series webinar, please contact Karen Zeitlin at karen@isacs.org. It is possible your email address was entered incorrectly OR your registration was not completed.
Policies & Disclaimers
Community of Learners
We are delighted you will be joining this ISACS learning community. We ask everyone to enter each session as listeners, learners, and thoughtful contributors. We welcome a variety of perspectives with a focus on understanding as opposed to debating. Our hope is for each session to serve as a springboard to additional conversations. At ISACS, our goal is to create, support, and protect a trusting community of learners where it is safe to share with each other. To that end, ISACS prohibits the recording of any portion of this event as well as the unapproved posting of presenter or participant comments or resources from ISACS events. We thank you in advance for your willingness to respectfully listen and learn along with us.
Acknowledgement of Intellectual Property
Participants expressly acknowledge the intellectual property of the presenters of this event and the following conditions of attendance. This acknowledgement includes the understanding that creating any form of recording or copying, including but not limited to video, audio, or photography is a violation of the intellectual property of the speakers as well as a violation of the terms of participation in this event. Participants expressly agree not to independently record/copy, or knowingly let anyone else record/copy, any part of the conference sessions in which they participate. Participants will not share the event or recorded links, resources, or content. The links must be used solely by the registrant.
ISACS Recording & Resources Disclaimer:
Series recordings and presenter resources are provided only to those schools that have registered for the Series. By accessing the recording and resources, you are notified that these links and its contents should not be copied or distributed to those outside of your school community. The recording and resources are provided solely for the use of the registered school entity for the purpose of professional development for that specific school community and should not be shared with those outside your school community. Copies of the recording or the resources must not be made or distributed. Adhering to this disclaimer allows ISACS to offer this extended listening opportunity to facilitate a more flexible schedule in support of our member schools. Failure to do so would constitute a breach with our contracted presenters. ISACS will contact any non-registrant who completes the online form and will require a registration fee.
Zoom Details
Getting Started with Zoom
Where do I download the latest version of Zoom?
You can download the latest Desktop Client version in the Zoom Download Center, or learn more about downloading Zoom.
How do I use Zoom on my PC or Mac?
After downloading Zoom, learn how to use the Zoom Desktop Client.
Do you need an account to participate?
ISACS recommends everyone signs up for a free Zoom Basic Account, because while some platforms like "Zoom Meetings" do not require an account to participate, others like "Zoom Webinars" or "Zoom Sessions" (used for Parent & Trustee Series) will for security reasons.
How do I signup for Zoom?
You can sign up for a free Zoom Basic Account.
How much does Zoom cost?
A Zoom Basic account is free. Learn more about available Zoom plans and pricing.
Joining a Zoom MeetingĀ
How do I join the Zoom Meeting/Webinar/Session Live?
You will need to pre-register using the link provided by your school. Once you complete the form, you will receive an event ticket from Zoom with an individual URL for you to use on the day of the event.
How do I join computer/device audio?
On most devices, you will sync your computer/device audio by clicking "Join Audio", "Join with Computer Audio". Click on "Audio" to access the audio settings. Learn more about connecting your audio.
Can I Use Bluetooth Headset?
Yes, as long as the Bluetooth device is compatible with the computer or mobile device that you are using.
Do I have to have a webcam to join on Zoom?
While you are not required to have a webcam to join a Zoom Meeting/Webinar/Session, ISACS recommends that you do have one and you turn it on, when applicable, to capture the full experience. If not, you will continue to be able to listen and speak during the meeting, share your screen, and view the webcam video of other participants.
Cancellation & Questions?
Cancellation Policy for Virtual Programming
ISACS does not provide refunds for the Trustee Series.
Questions?
Please email programinfo@isacs.org