BUILDING BETTER BOARDS
A Virtual Workshop Series

Seven Sessions Dedicated to Board Improvement

Registration is Not Yet Open For This Program 

To register for individual sessions, follow links under Session Overview.

Series Overview

In this series of workshops, attendees will explore the role of trustee, and provide a space for board members to learn from national thought leaders, experienced board chairs, heads of school and association leadership.

Offered throughout the year, each workshop has a theme for board improvement and actionable steps to move your school forward. Previously this workshop was recommended for those new to the role, but feedback was that it was universally valuable. All independent school board members are encouraged to attend.

Making the Most of Building Better Boards

Attendees can register for individual workshops or your board can register for full access for the series. All registrations include access to session recordings* and resource materials.

If you have registered individually, the recording is for your own reference and should not be shared. If you register for the full series, you are welcome to share the recordings with anyone affiliated with your school.

* Links to recordings will remain active until August 31, 2027, so they may be used and reviewed throughout the year.

Series Overview

Follow the links below for more session information or to register for an individual workshop.

NOTE : The opening session is 90 minutes and the remaining sessions will all be 60 minutes in length, beginning at 12:00 PM PT / 1:00 PM MT

Session 1 | Wednesday,  September 23, 2026 —12:00-1:30 PM PT / 1:00-2:30 PM MT

You Are A New Trustee… Now What?

This workshop will orient new board members to the roles, responsibilities and good governance practices of independent school trustees. Heads of school, new trustees, current trustees and board chairs, are all invited to attend.

with Chris Watson, Executive Director of NWAIS—joined By Heads of School from Across the Association

Session 2 | Wednesday, October 28, 2026 —12:00-1:00 PM PT / 1:00-2:00 PM MT

Good Governance: Ground Rules for School Growth & Leadership Stability

This session offers a quick overview of expectations of Boards and trustees of independent schools. Then the fun begins as we use relevant examples to illustrate how quickly things can go south when Boards or individual trustees improvise. It is striking to consider that the Board/Head relationship is typically the cause of a head's departure--not the relationship with parents, alumni,  faculty/staff, or students.  By the end of this session trustees will see a pathway to improve communication, maximize trustee satisfaction and contribution, and recommit to the support of a Head of School by sharing expertise, accountability, and commitment to a well-articulated mission and the school's people.

 with Kathleen O'Neill Jamieson, Experienced Educational Leader, Executive Coach, and Board Advisor

Session 3 | Wednesday, January 13, 2027 —12:00-1:00 PM PT / 1:00-2:00 PM MT

Better Governance Practices 

This session will highlight the governance practices, trends and sustainability markers that allow boards to do their best work. These practices have been distilled through his partnership with Associations across the country as well as work with NWAIS schools and boards over the last year, and will provide practical strategies to bring your board work to the next level.

More details to follow

 with Chris Watson, Executive Director of NWAIS—joined By Heads of School from Across the Association

Session 4 | Wednesday, February 3, 2027 —12:00-1:00 PM PT / 1:00-2:00 PM MT

Articulating Your School’s Secret Sauce: A Practical Framework for Differentiation and Strategic Clarity During a Time of Heightened Uncertainty 

Core competency, unique offering, Hedgehog principle—whatever you want to call it--If your school cannot articulate a compelling “Secret Sauce,” it will struggle in today’s competitive enrollment landscape. Whether you're launching a strategic enrollment reset or a visioning process, this foundational work can align your leadership and sharpen your message. This interactive workshop will guide you through practical, thought-provoking exercises you can take back to your board and staff to spark transformational conversations and define what makes your school distinctly compelling. 

Participants Will:

• Gain practical tools and exercises to build alignment between board and staff around what makes your school unique. 
• Build understanding about why clearly articulating your school’s core differentiator is essential before launching strategic planning or visioning efforts. 
• Learn how the “Secret Sauce” concept can serve as a powerful foundation for your school’s marketing and branding strategy. 

This workshop clearly and explicitly explains why it is critical for a school to articulate its Secret Sauce (key differentiator) and how to do so simply and concisely. This is unique and new because historically this work has not been prioritized or seen as important by many schools, has fallen in a gap between branding/ marketing work and identity work, or felt out of reach for smaller less well resourced schools. This process makes it clear and accessible and can be scaled up or down to suit the needs of any school and has been implemented successfully with many schools ranging in enrollment from 70 to 1400. 

with Alexa Carver, Inspire Impact Consulting. Alexa is an experienced school leader and consultant who helps nonprofit boards and leadership teams get clear on who they are and where they're going. Through her firm, Inspire Impact Consulting, she specializes in facilitation, governance, organizational identity, and strategic planning.

Session 5 | Wednesday March 17, 2027 —12:00-1:00 PM PT / 1:00-2:00 PM MT

Governing for High Performance and Greater Impact – Toward Better Boards

This session will focus on the current and emerging challenges facing independent school boards and how they might address them through improved and more effective governance.
 
Topics will include: 

• The need for change and transformation in schools in a changing context.
• Key dimensions of effective board governance.
• Levers and mechanisms for improving board governance.
  

with James P. Honan, Ed.D., a leading voice on governance, financial stewardship, and organizational performance in education and nonprofit organizations. Dr. Honan is Educational Co-Chair of Harvard's Institute for Educational Management and Faculty Chair of executive programs in nonprofit leadership and financial stewardship at the Kennedy School. 

Session 6 | Wednesday, April 28, 2027 —12:00-1:00 PM PT / 1:00-2:00 PM MT

Better Governance Practices 

This session will highlight the governance practices, trends and sustainability markers that allow boards to do their best work. These practices have been distilled through his partnership with associations across the country as well as through work with NWAIS schools and boards over the last year. In each of these sessions, Chris will provide practical strategies to bring your governance work to the next level.

More details to follow

with Chris Watson, Executive Director of NWAIS—joined By Heads of School from Across the Association

Session 7 | Wednesday, May 12, 2027 —12:00-1:00 PM PT / 1:00-2:00 PM MT

Feedback for the Head of School – Strengthening Performance and Leadership

Boards play a critical role in supporting and evaluating the Head of School—one that requires both informed oversight and objective accountability. This session will explore a trustee’s role in assuring the Head of School receives timely, constructive feedback throughout the year using a meaningful, goal-aligned annual evaluation process.

The session will also address how to collect performance data and professional development data and as well as how to use both.

Trustees will leave with practical tools and a clear framework for fostering continuous feedback in supporting the Head’s performance and professional growth.

with Oliver G. Prince, Principal, The Prince Group. Oliver Is An Executive Coach, Leader, and Trusted Advisor to Nonprofits and Independent Schools. He Currently Serves As A Member Of The Board of the Independent Schools Chairpersons Association (ISCA).

Registration 

Registration is not yet open for this program

Pricing

  Non-Members | $85 per session

School Wide Registration - (Available only to NWAIS Schools) | $750 

(Includes access to all sessions and all recordings* for anyone affiliated with your school)

 * Links to recordings will remain active until August 31, 2027, so they may be used and reviewed throughout the year.

Cancellation

Substitutions may be made for individual registrations any time prior to sessions at no extra charge. Written cancellations received by 24-hours before the start time of the session are eligible for a refund after a $20 cancellation fee. Any cancellations received after the 24-hour window will be ineligible for refunds. 

Cancellations for school wide registrations are eligible for a refund after a $100 cancellation fee by September 14, 2026. 

Still have questions?

Please feel free to reach out to any of us for the following:

• PROGRAMMING | Emily McGrath, Associate Director
• EVENT LOGISTICS | Jami Sheets, Director of Community Engagement
• REGISTRATION | Vivian Hoang, Program Coordinator & Registrar