Title:
What I wish I had known 20 years ago!! Heads and Boards working together to ensure a long-term, healthy, calm, proactive, positive, and collaborative school climate and culture.

Consultant / Presenter: John Littleford from Littleford and Associates
Target audience: Head of School AND Board Chair/President (requirement); preferably Heads new to the role and/or new to their school; preferably Board Chairs new to their role (1-3 years)
Format: 90 minute sessions with a short presentation followed by discussions around a case study.

Time: 6pm to 7pm Eastern time

Dates: 

April 9, 2025
May 7, 2025 

Goals:

• Support and enhance the relationship between the Head of School and the Board Chair (President).
• Promote dialogue between the Head of School and the Board Chair and amongst other school Heads and Board Chairs.
• Encourage discussion regarding sensitive topics that can often create challenges between the Head and the Board Chair.
• Generate important discussions around common School improvement issues and topics.
• Help extend a Head’s tenure at their school via strategic relationship development and planning with the Board Chair.

April 9 - The Effectiveness of Schools and The Longevity of Heads
Over 30 years of research has shown that there is a direct and powerful connection of the effectiveness of schools and the longevity of heads.
Long term heads lead to mission consistency, constituent continuity, more effective fund raising over time and better working partnerships between heads and boards. Head turnover, with an average tenure at each school of 5.5 years, leads to power vacuums, frequent searches and transitions, lost revenue, missed opportunities, stakeholder unrest and mission drift.
How do we keep our "heads”? What have the great schools with long term successful heads taught us about how they find, keep and work so effectively with their heads? What have great heads taught us about the characteristics of their success and the secrets of their staying power?
This session will discuss the research, the history and the powerful correlation of these two important elements in the health, growth and development of independent schools.
 
May 7 - Constituent Attacks: Managing and Avoiding Stakeholder Uprisings 
This session will explore the wide range of issues that may create stakeholder aggravation leading to serious constituent unrest. Such stakeholder unrest may arise from the faculty, the parents and/or from the alumni or in some cases from all three. This session will outline proven strategies to prevent serious disgruntlement among constituents from occurring, but if it does happen, it will explain how the board and the head should manage communication, engagement and follow up. Holding a “town meeting” is NOT the appropriate response! The wrong approach can worsen already fragile stakeholder relations.
Today, the number of events that can trigger stakeholder unrest is increasing and how the head, the board and the leadership team respond is critical. When these situations are handled properly, the school leadership can emerge stronger.

REGISTER HERE