June 22-24, 2026 | Alderbrook Lodge

Speakers and Sessions

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Meera Shah

Founder and Executive Director of Trey Education

&

Lauren Evans

Lower and Middle School Principal at Carolina Day School

Presenting:

Culture Compass: A Framework for Shared Performance and Thriving

Description

We know that culture eats strategy for breakfast, but how might we “see” how culture and strategy are in opposition or alignment? What features of culture might support ongoing improvement, achievement of outcomes, and overall flourishing of individuals and the collective? And–for leaders at every level–how might we intentionally and effectively influence the culture in a department, team, division, or school toward higher levels of shared performance and thriving?Over two highly interactive sessions, we’ll explore what a championship culture is (and isn’t), the levers that shape such a culture, and tools leaders can use to do this work. Leaders will leave with a new lens on cultivating culture and a tangible set of actions to build a championship culture in their department, division, or entire school!

Guiding Questions

• How might we use the lens of culture to both orient to what’s happening in our schools and wayfind towards higher levels of thriving and performance?
• What is a “championship culture” and how does it compare to the current culture in my team, division, or school?
• Which levers and leadership moves are critical in the development of a culture that leads to performance and thriving?
• What specific, intentional actions might I use to shape culture from where I sit in the organization?

Purpose & Objectives

• Through a culture assessment, develop a shared, practical understanding of the concepts and features of a championship culture.
• Identify and unpack the specific levers used to shape culture within a department, division, or school, regardless of formal title.
• Leave with a clear, actionable set of next steps to intentionally cultivate a more intentional culture in one’s own leadership context.

Meera Shah

As an independent school educator and academic leader for over two decades, Meera has mentored teachers, overseen the professional growth of faculty at the department and all-school level, run leadership teams, and shepherded curricular and programmatic change in schools. Meera founded Trey Education to help independent school leaders move their people and programs forward and, since 2021, has supported over 40 independent schools to do just that. Along with her team, Meera draws on her deep understanding of schools, curriculum, change leadership, and systems to support schools looking to build and elevate teams, grow teacher-leaders, strengthen administrators, deepen practice and pedagogy, enhance program and curriculum, redesign schedules, enhance operations, and more. A skilled facilitator and designer of adult learning, Meera partners with schools and leaders with the belief that change, growth, and empowerment are intertwined, and thus prioritizes authentic relationships, responsive design, and collaboration in her work. In short, Meera provides strategic school leaders with added capacity, expertise, and third-party perspectives and facilitation they need to bridge the gap between aspiration and implementation for their best ideas.

Lauren Evans

Lauren Evans stands at the forefront of educational innovation, particularly renowned for her dedication to transforming learning environments into spaces where equity, empathy, and leadership flourish. As the lower and middle school division head at Carolina Day School, Lauren has spearheaded pivotal curriculum reforms that have significantly enriched academic and social-emotional learning landscapes. Her unwavering commitment to professional and community development has instigated profound, transformative changes in educational methodologies and practices. With a deeply rooted background in special education and school administration, Lauren offers invaluable perspectives on crafting inclusive, student-centered educational experiences. Her approach integrates mindfulness, empathetic leadership, and a staunch commitment to social justice.

As Well As

Ken Rogers

Ken Rogers is the Assistant Head of School for Curriculum and Instruction at The Park School in Brookline, MA and a nationally recognized independent-school presenter whose work centers on leadership, adult learning, organizational clarity, and effective communication.

Presenting:

Holding the Umbrella: Shaping Culture Under Pressure

Pressure is part of leadership; culture is shaped by how it’s held. In this two-session experience, school leaders explore how everyday responses to pressure influence culture over time. Participants build greater pressure-literacy, learning to read pressure more clearly, ease blame and urgency, and turn moments of friction into opportunities for learning and steadiness. These two sessions help school leaders become more pressure-literate — better able to recognize how pressure moves through systems and to respond in ways that reduce contagion, prevent blame, and support learning-centered culture.

Session One: Seeing Pressure Clearly
Outcome: Increased pressure-literacy and clearer understanding of how misrouted pressure quietly shapes culture.

Session Two: Working With Pressure Differently
Outcome: Concrete, transferable tools for managing pressure with greater steadiness, precision, and sustainability.

Ken Rogers

Ken Rogers is the Assistant Head of School for Curriculum and Instruction at The Park School in Boston, MA, after serving four years as the school’s Upper School (Grades 5–8) Division Head. He also serves on the faculty of the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS) New Teacher Institute and the Association of Independent Schools in New England New Teacher Workshop Series. A trained counselor with extensive independent school experience as a teacher, department chair, dean, and head of middle school, Ken is a frequent presenter for independent school associations and a consultant and presenter for schools. His work focuses on leadership, adult learning, organizational clarity, and building sustainable teaching practices that support long-term professional growth and strong student outcomes. Ken has most recently led workshops with the Association of Independent Schools in New England, including Sustaining Your Practice: Creating Teaching Habits to Last Your Whole Career and New Leaders in Today’s Changing Landscape. Other recent workshops include Toddlers, Bullies, and Henny Pennies: Managing Adult Behaviors, Surviving a Bear Attack, and The Anchored Self. He is known for translating research, tools for effective communication, and systems thinking into engaging experiences and practical tools that educators and leaders can apply immediately in complex school environments.

More Information Coming Soon About Our Conference Sessions. Stay Tuned!

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