|
Large Schools Symposium: Opportunities and Challenges for Complex School Communities An NWAIS Workshop Series to support senior leaders, heads of school and trustees guiding the work of schools with student populations of over 400 students.
Brought to you in partnership with NAIS and MISBO  .  .
Friday, March 6, 2026
Friday, March 13, 2026Friday, March 20, 2026
12:00 - 1:30PM PT / 1:00 - 2:30 AM MT
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
Audience
The series is designed to be broadly applicable to heads of school, trustees and senior leaders whose roles intersect with the board. This course will incorporate information and trends from national experts as well as case studies on leadership and institutional strategy from current heads of school at some of our most complex member institutions.
Workshop Series Description
Large schools have their own challenges and opportunities. Large schools have significant opportunities for leveraging their campuses, administrative structures, and resources; they can face greater risks in terms of economic shifts due to the complexity of their structures and greater reputational risks due to their visibility and status as pillars of the community.
Join national thought leaders, current school leaders and others who work in large schools for this three-part virtual series to explore how large schools can take advantage of their unique opportunities to seize strategic opportunities to position them for ongoing success.
Outcomes
Through the workshop series, participants will develop a deeper understanding of the national landscape for large schools and how those national trends are impacting schools right here in the NWAIS region.
Schools will leave with:
- a renewed sense of the national market trends for large schools
- an opportunity to examine the future implications of emerging policies
- examples of how large schools are maximizing their strategic position
- new tools to bring your school to its next phase of development
Session Descriptions
March 6, 2026 - 12:00-1:30PM PT / 1:00-2:30PM MT
Session 1 | Perspectives on The National Landscape for Large Schools12:00-12:15 Welcome from Chris Watson, Executive Director, NWAIS 12:15-12:45 Opening Address with Debra Wilson, President, NAIS 12:45-1:30 Mission, Margin, and Mayhem: Leading in the Age of AI and Vouchers With Dr. Damian Kavanagh, CAE, President & CEO, MISBO
AI and vouchers are pressing on independent schools from opposite sides, one reshaping cost and labor, the other reshaping access and control. This session explores how leaders can anticipate these pressures, ask better questions, and adapt without drifting away from what makes their schools truly independent. AI and vouchers may look like solutions, but for large schools they quietly test who really controls the mission, the model, and the future.
March 13, 2026 - 12:00-1:30PM PT / 1:00-2:30PM MT
Session 2 | Navigating the FutureKey Trends Impacting Large Independent Schools with Amada Torres, Vice President for Studies, Insights, and Research at the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
Large schools face different opportunities and challenges from environmental pressures. This workshop will examine the most pressing trends shaping schools of 400+ students, including economic and demographic shifts, competitive pressures, admissions and enrollment patterns, philanthropy, and workforce dynamics. Participants will gain insights and strategies to adapt to these changes and strengthen their institution’s value proposition. This session combines data-driven analysis with practical recommendations to help schools thrive in a rapidly evolving landscape.
March 20, 2026 - 12:00-1:30PM PT / 1:00-2:30PM MTSession 3 | Case Studies From Large Schools
Case Study 1: Two Heads Are Better Than One: A Leadership Model to Build Organizational Agility and Foster Innovation with Giselle Furlonge and Rob Phillips, Co-Heads of School, Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences
In today’s complex educational landscape, independent schools face urgent calls for adaptability, resilience, and strategic clarity. At Seattle Academy of Arts & Sciences, school leaders have responded by reimagining leadership—elevating a long-standing culture of collaboration into a co-head of school model. This session will explore how formalized shared leadership can strengthen strategic vision, enhance decision-making, and support innovation across school functions.
Case Study 2: Campus Expansion – Creating a facilities master plan that is holistically aligned with the school’s mission, vision, values, and strategy with Andrew Menke, Waterford School
About our Guest Speakers
Dr. Damian Kavanagh, CAE, President & CEO, MISBO
Damian has been President & CEO of MISBO since 2017, leading the largest regional association for independent school operations professionals. Before that, he spent seven years with SAIS, overseeing accreditation and membership programs. He has facilitated nearly 1,000 workshops for school leaders, universities, and associations, and consulted for schools of all types. Damian has presented at numerous conferences on independent school effectiveness and sustainability. A former teacher, coach, and administrator, he holds degrees in Latin literature, a Doctorate in Education, and the Certified Association Executive designation. He is also an accomplished lacrosse coach and official.
Amada Torres, Vice President for Studies, Insights, and Research at the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Amada leads original research and produces national studies that inform and support independent schools across the United States. In her role, she regularly contributes to the annual NAIS TrendBook and speaks on key issues affecting independent education, including market and socioeconomic trends, financial sustainability, admissions and marketing, governance and leadership, community well-being, and advocacy. Torres previously worked as a Senior Manager at the Corporate Executive Board and as an economic consultant with Peru’s Ministry of Economy and Finance. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Universidad del Pacífico in Lima, Peru, and earned a master’s degree in Finance and Business Economics from the University of Essex in the United Kingdom as a Chevening Scholar.
Contributing Heads of School Giselle Furlonge, Co-Head of School, Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences
Giselle Furlonge serves as Co-Head of School and brings a deep passion for strategic leadership, cultivating innovative and culturally responsive school systems, and supporting students, families, and teachers alike. Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Giselle graduated summa cum laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa at the University of Pennsylvania, where she majored in Classical Languages, Anthropology, and American History. She continued her studies in Classics and archaeology at UCLA before shifting her focus to education, earning a Master of Arts in Private School Leadership from Columbia University’s Teachers College. Giselle has taught Latin, Ancient Greek, and American History at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy (PA), the Taft School (CT), and St. Andrew’s School (DE). Since joining SAAS, she has served as Head of Upper School and Associate Head of School, while also teaching in the Innovations Department and the Humanities. Her courses have included Entrepreneurial Leadership as well as senior English and History seminars such as Books to Film, The History of Ostracism and Social Exclusion, and Black Literature.
Rob Phillips, Co-Head of School, Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences Rob has served as Head of School at Seattle Academy since July 2018 and, in 2025, the school evolved its leadership structure into a mission-driven Co-Head model. A member of the faculty since 1991, he has taught and developed signature programs including the Seattle Challenge Trip, the 11th Grade Honors American Studies course, and the school’s first Entrepreneurship classes. He also led extended student wilderness expeditions across the American Southwest, Southeast Alaska, Western Canada, and the Arctic. A longtime soccer and track coach, he guided the Seattle Academy Girls soccer teams to four state championships.
Rob holds a Leadership Executive MBA from Seattle University and studied anthropology, comparative religion, history, and literature. He serves on the Board of Governors of the Northwest Association of Independent Schools (NWAIS), is Vice Chair of the NWAIS Accreditation Committee and sits on the NWAIS Risk Committee. He also serves on the board of the Independent School Data Exchange (INDEX), and has been a member of three independent school boards.
Andrew Menke, Head of School, Waterford School Andrew Menke became Waterford's second Head of School in 2016. Andrew has spent his entire career in education. He has served four different independent schools for the last 36 years as a faculty member, coach, advisor, admissions, and development director and for the last 27 years as a school head. He first served as a head of the Colorado Rocky Mountain School in Carbondale, CO; and prior to joining Waterford School led the New Hampton School in New Hampton, NH. Andrew holds a B.A. from Towson University and a M.A. from Dartmouth College. In his free time, he enjoys skiing, running, fly fishing, climbing, surfing and road cycling. Andrew's wife, Jennifer, is a physical therapist. The Menke's have two children - Anna, 31 and Auden, 28
Registration
Registration is now OPEN!
Participants will register for the full series. In the case that you are not able to attend all sessions in real time, all registrations include access to session recordings. Registrations are non-transferable and access is limited to the person
who has registered. Recordings should not be shared.
Pricing
Registration includes access to all four workshops and recordings*
Member Schools | $125
Non-NWAIS Schools | $225
*
Links to recordings will remain active for one month following each session.
Clock Hours, STARS Credits, and Certificates
This course is eligible for a total of 4.5 in-service hours / credits.
A session sign-in sheet will be provided in a follow up email following each session to note your attendance. To receive full credit for your participation in this course, you will need to sign in for each session you attend. You may also request
a certificate of participation via this sign-in sheet.
Please make sure to check any spam or promotional folders in your inbox, as our emails tend to get misclassified.
For more information on Continuing Education Units, please visit our CEU FAQ page.
If you have any other questions, contact NWAIS Program Coordinator & Registrar, Vivian Hoang.
Cancellation
Substitutions may be made any time prior to the first workshop. Written cancellations received for courses prior to the first workshop are eligible for a refund after a $50 cancellation fee.
Still have questions?
Please feel free to reach out to any of us for the following:
|
