NAIS Leadership Through Partnership
October 22-23, 2026; NAIS Headquarters, Washington, DC ( registration is now open ) NAIS Leadership Through Partnership (LTP) is a foundational governance program that provides heads and board chairs dedicated time to build a collaborative relationship, learn about best governance practices, and explore the most common challenges and opportunities facing independent schools today. Leading for Climate and Culture Build and sustain a thriving school culture that fosters engagement, belonging, and
Details
PD Guide isn't connected to NAIS — confirm details there before registering.
Topics
Program Overview
While content may be customized based on attendee needs and facilitator discretion, LTP offers a variety of interactive learning opportunities and approaches to support the working relationship between the head of school and the board of trustees.
Topics Covered
- Shared Conceptions of School Leadership Understand your shared conceptions of school leadership that include the vision of both the head of school and the board chair.
- Structure, Strategies, and Approaches to Governance Experience and learn the structure, strategies, and approaches to effective independent school governance.
- Strengthen the Board-Head Relationship Strengthen the overall board-head working relationship by working through real-life scenarios that challenge shared leadership.
- Frameworks to Foster Strategic Trust and Collaboration Work through alignment frameworks to strengthen strategic trust and collaboration around both planned strategies and unforeseen challenges.
- Explore Data Trends Investigate data trends and how they may impact the work that your school engages in.
- Develop Resources for Leadership and Governance Work Generate resources that will support concepts like developing a cadence of feedback and communication, head of school and board evaluations, and understanding the governing rules of the board.
- Understand Your School's Context in the Big Picture Place your school in the larger, national, independent school context.
2026 Faculty
- Anne-Marie Balzano Senior Strategist, Leadership Alignment & Governance NAIS
- Mark Mitchell Vice President, Access & Affordability NAIS
- Ann Snyder Vice President, Strategic Initiatives NAIS
- Amada Torres Vice President, Studies, Insights, and Research NAIS
- Jackie Wolking Director, Innovation Programs NAIS
Descriptions on this page are excerpted from NAIS's own published materials.