NAIS Leadership Through Partnership (LTP)

  • Leadership
  • Heads of School
  • Governance
  • Board of Trustees
  • Professional, Staff, and Team Development
  • Strategy and Planning

About the Event

The most effective schools are led by a cohesive, collaborative team at the top. NAIS Leadership Through Partnership (LTP) is designed specifically for heads of school and their board chairs to invest in their leadership relationship, align around mission and strategy, and develop the tools to govern with purpose and clarity. 

LTP offers a rare opportunity to step away from the day-to-day work to focus on what matters most: building a high-functioning, trust-based partnership that can lead your school through today’s most complex challenges. 

Leadership Through Partnership is part of the Leading for Influence track of the NAIS Leadership Academy. 

Register Now
Date / Time
October 22-23, 2026
Location

NAIS Headquarters (Washington, DC)

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

  • Understand your shared conceptions of school leadership that include the vision of both the head of school and the board chair. 

  • Experience and learn the structure, strategies, and approaches to effective independent school governance. 

  • Strengthen the overall board-head working relationship by working through real-life scenarios that challenge shared leadership. 

  • Work through alignment frameworks to strengthen strategic trust and collaboration around both planned strategies and unforeseen challenges. 

  • Investigate data trends and how they may impact the work that your school engages in. 

  • 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. 

  • Place your school in the larger, national, independent school context. 

LTP is an event for a head of school and their board chair/trustee.

For the newly appointed head, board chair, or trustee, LTP proves particularly valuable to forge a positive and effective relationship and support leadership sustainability. 

For the trustee and school head with a well-established relationship, LTP offers an opportunity to gain fresh perspectives on styles of collaboration in the context of new challenges and priorities. 

2026 Faculty

  • Check Back Soon for Faculty Members

  • Testimonial

    What Attendees Are Saying

    Attending LTP provides the opportunity for focused, intentional work with your board chair that you are unlikely to get in other ways.
    Past Leadership Through Partnership Attendee
  • Testimonial

    What Attendees Are Saying

    It is important 1:1 time and there is so much added richness by experiencing that time next to others cultivating similar relationships.
    Past Leadership Through Partnership Attendee
  • Testimonial

    What Attendees Are Saying

    It was a great opportunity to meet other heads and chairs and learn from their experiences. It also made me feel less lonely as a chair.
    Past Leadership Through Partnership Attendee

Registration Information

The registration fee is for a team of two participants (one head of school and one trustee) and includes all program costs, breakfast and lunch on October 22 and 23, and hotel accommodations at the AKA Hotel. Each participant receives their own hotel room for the nights of October 21 and 22. Click here to register.

*Contact us for more information about the benefits of NAIS membership, including discounted event pricing.  

Registration Type
Early-Bird Pricing for a Team of Two (Through 6/3/2026)
Standard Pricing for a Team of Two (On or After 6/4/2026)
Member Price*
$4,400
$4,900
Nonmember Price
$5,700
$6,300
  • Registration Type
    Member Price*
  • Early-Bird Pricing for a Team of Two (Through 6/3/2026)
    $4,400
  • Standard Pricing for a Team of Two (On or After 6/4/2026)
    $4,900
  • Registration Type
    Nonmember Price
  • Early-Bird Pricing for a Team of Two (Through 6/3/2026)
    $5,700
  • Standard Pricing for a Team of Two (On or After 6/4/2026)
    $6,300

Hotel Accommodations

Your registration fee includes the cost of your hotel room during the event. NAIS will reserve your hotel room at the Hotel AKA Washington Circle, located at 1 Washington Circle, NW, Washington, DC 20037.  

Reservations will be made for arrival on October 21 and departure on October 23; please plan your travel accordingly. Check-in time is 4:00 PM ET and check-out time is 11:00 AM ET. As a reminder, the program will take place at NAIS Headquarters, which is within walking distance of the hotel.  

This event is a residential program, and you are expected to stay at the conference hotel and participate in the entire program. If you require dates other than what is covered, please contact us at institutes@nais.org. Additional fees may apply. 

Schedule

Watch for a more detailed schedule coming soon. The program begins by 9:00 AM ET on Thursday, October 22 (breakfast served 8:00 – 9:00 AM) and concludes by 5:00 PM ET on Friday, October 23.  

Contact Information and Cancellation Policy

Please contact institutes@nais.org or 202-973-9700 with any questions.  

Cancellations must be received in writing at institutes@nais.org. Cancellations received up to 30 days (September 22, 2026) before the program's start date will be fully refunded, less a $75 administrative fee. Cancellations received fewer than 30 days prior to the program will not be refunded.