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.  

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.

• 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 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.

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.