NBOA / NAIS National Town Hall Meeting
Facilitators: NBOA Board Members and Staff
Following up on the provocative issues raised in the Town Hall Meeting, NBOA board members and staff will lead small groups in a discussion of critical challenges facing independent schools. Brainstorm the next steps for our schools, and explore solutions to common challenges. After this creative, think-outside-of-the-box interchange, the collective notes will be compiled and shared on both the NBOA and NAIS websites enabling our communities to share best practices, benefit from each other’s wisdom, and work together toward the mutual goal of financial sustainability for all of our schools.
Legal Issues in the Head of School Search
Caryn Pass, Heather Broadwater, and Grace Lee, Venable LLP
The search for a new head of school is a complicated and often expensive undertaking. Throughout the process, legal issues arise that are all too often ignored. These oversights can result in added expenses to the process and can reduce the success of the search. Examine strategies for addressing the search processes’ legal issues, including the review of the search firm contract, illegal questions that should be avoided in the interview process, the negotiation of the head’s package, the drafting of the employment agreement, and compliance with intermediate sanctions.
The 21st Century Independent School Library: A Case Study
Robert McArthur, St. Paul’s School and Tom Spies, Hord Coplan Macht, Inc.
The libraries being designed and constructed today bear only a slight resemblance to their predecessors. Gone are the floor-to-ceiling stacks and isolated reading corners; in their places are wireless access and communal learning spaces. Using the new library at one school as a case study, learn about the elements of a 21st century library. Topics that will be addressed include the move to small group spaces, internet access, increased visibility of a school’s archival history, allowing food in a library café, and the use of space. Discover how these design trends can greatly benefit the students of the 21st century.
Emergency Preparedness 101: Not Business as Usual
John L. Lane, Woodward Academy
The time to plan and test your school’s response to a disaster or crisis—man-made or natural—is before the event occurs. One school spent the last year coordinating their five separate campuses (over one million square feet of buildings on over 100 acres) with local, county, and state law enforcement and emergency management agencies. Hear their experiences, including the importance of rehearsing the school crisis management team; how to use local and state resources; and involving students, faculty, and staff in the process. Learn how to implement a coordinated emergency preparedness plan for your schools.
Linking Up: Business Productivity Software as a Foundation for Collaboration
Michael C. Pelletier, BlumShapiro
Many independent schools have dedicated only a limited amount of resources to their technology needs, and cite “the cost of technology enhancements” as the biggest tech issue they face. These challenges are the very same as those faced by many mid-market businesses. Independent schools have an opportunity to look at the innovation and progress these businesses have made and capitalize on the collective experience of a broad set of industries. Learn that by using business productivity software, schools can improve collaboration, transparency, and insight between students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni. The specific focus of this session is learning the value of Microsoft SharePoint Server.
NASBA Information
NBOA is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.learningmarket.org.