Independent School Magazine

As the world continues to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders everywhere are trying to envision and plan for a new normal––and contemplating how to lead and live amid constant uncertainty. In the Fall issue, we aim to provide the necessary context, a sense of the new dimensions of health and well-being, and what that might look like for your community.

The focus for this issue—crisis leadership—hits close to home. We started planning the issue a year ago, and the content was written and edited months ago, well before the COVID-19 pandemic started to transform our world. As you begin to look down the road to the mid- and long-term future of your school, you'll find inspiration in these articles, which explore the crisis life cycle, crisis management teams, boards working through difficult times, and more.

The success of an independent school relies on a strong board of trustees, one that fundamentally understands the essence of the school⁠—why it exists, what its purpose is, and who it serves. A school’s success also relies on a strong head-board relationship. This issue explores critical issues at the heart of this foundational relationship, examining how heads and boards can be most effective, stay agile in time of change, and explore structures to ensure board accountability.