Manuscript Submissions

Independent School magazine has evolved. We’ve made something great even better. And we want you to be a part of it. We hope you’ll see even more opportunity to contribute and be a part of the Independent School magazine community.
 
As always, there are themes for feature articles in each issue, but there are also additional avenues to share your expertise, ideas, and experiences. The department descriptions that follow should help serve as a guide for the submission process.

Themes for Feature Articles

Word count for Features: 1,800-2,500 words

Winter 2025
The School Sustainability Issue
What is sustainability? Outside of its environmental connection/connotation, in the context of independent schools, it speaks to the many aspects of what keeps a school going—how it runs and how it thrives now and into the future. As the educational landscape continues to shift, independent schools must be adaptable and resilient in the face of challenges outside of their control. In this issue, we’ll explore how schools can foster a culture of continuous innovation and improvement while balancing the demands of the current market and the around-the-corner trends with school mission. We’ll examine multiple dimensions of school sustainability, from the business model and tuition-setting to strategy and operations to programs and facilities.   

Spring 2025
Deadline: November 15, 2024
The Technology Issue
The lightning speed with which technology is shaping our world––and education in particular––can be hard to keep up with. As independent schools navigate the landscape, working to balance the day-to-day tools and strategies with ongoing preparation for an even more tech-driven future, it’s critical to understand the ever-widening scope of issues that impact education––ethics, digital literacy, student well-being, teacher PD, curriculum development, cybersecurity, data privacy, and more. We hope to examine these issues by exploring such questions as: 

• How can school leaders ensure that the intersection of technology and pedagogy aligns with broader school mission and values and long-term goals? How can technology enhance productivity, improve student engagement, personalized learning, and overall educational experiences, and better prepare students for the future workforce? Is technology widely accessible? Does it bridge gaps or widen them?  

• How much does technology drive teaching & learning and the student experience in schools? How much is too much? How can school leaders and teachers assess when technology is supporting learning and the student experience or distracting from it?  

• What do school leaders need to consider to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) in a mission-aligned, school-specific way? How can schools develop a schoolwide policy for assessing, using, and teaching AI? How to develop and communicate norms about AI in school with faculty, staff, students, and families? 

• How are independent schools managing cellphones? What are the pros and cons of cellphone bans? What are the most pressing issues related to cellphone bans? How are schools developing policies for managing, regulating, and communicating about cellphones and smart devices? 

• How can schools help teachers, students, and families understand the scope of digital literacy and digital citizenship? And to better understand and coexist with social media, in particular? What role can curriculum play? What kind of social media-related policies should schools have—how best to develop them, to assess what should be included/covered? How to draw clearer boundaries around social media as it relates to student behavior on and off campus?    

• How should school leaders think about technology through a legal and risk management lens? What does the landscape of cyber threats in the education space look like now? How can schools best assess, manage, plan for, and protect against such threats in the near-term and the future? What are the biggest privacy issues school leaders must track and manage? How can school leaders ensure that data and sensitive information is protected?  

• How can schools of all sizes think about technology leadership and management? Who is responsible for strategic planning and policy- and decision-making? Day-to-day management of tools, devices, and software?  

• What kind of professional development is necessary to help educators keep up with and better integrate technology into their teaching practices and student-learning strategies? How can school leaders ensure adequate and ongoing training is built in? 

Summer 2025
Deadline: February 15, 2025
The Teachers Issue

Fall 2025
Deadline: May 15, 2025
The Value Issue

Winter 2026
Deadline: August 15, 2025
The Students Issue

Departments

School News
Short profiles of independent member school news, programs, awards, and more. School communications directors: Send relevant press releases, and include photos with captions when available.
Word count: each item 200-300 words
 
News You Can Use
Short items broadly related to education, including new reports, surveys, and studies; new books; new software; and education-in-the-news stories. Press and public relations officers: Send relevant press releases.
Word count: each item 100-150 words
 
Reading Room
Book reviews—of professional and education-related books as well as for-pleasure reading. Share what you're reading with your colleagues: Did you read a book recently that you want to tell your colleagues about? Tell us about it in a few sentences: why did you like it? What made you want to read it? What was your biggest takeaway? Did you have a favorite line?
Word count: 250-300 words

Research Insights
Articles provide the context and results of important research study and survey results that are useful to independent schools; highlights NAIS research and institutional research from member schools, as well as studies from universities and think tanks. Please note: This is not an outlet for publishing research papers or journal articles; the focus is on interpreting results and providing greater context and insight for independent schools.
Word count: 1,200-1,500 words
 
Trend Lines
Articles address and report on issues related to the changing education landscape—school models, financial models, admissions, financial aid, wellness, parent relations, legal issues, diversity & inclusion, and teaching & learning. They provide a big-picture view of trends and issues that are or will be impacting independent education.
Word count: 1,200-1,500 words
 
Leadership Lessons
Designed to inspire current leaders and keep them engaged in their work and to activate and inspire administrators and teachers who may not be in leadership positions—yet—these articles explore many facets of leadership. This department features a mix of leadership issues, theories, and concept writ large, as well as first-person leadership stories and reflections.
Word count: 1,000-1,200 words

Teaching & Learning
Designed to amplify the voices of teachers and teacher-leaders, this department cultivates important ideas, discussion, and perspectives about this critical dimension of the independent school experience. These articles are a mix of reflection, theory, and strategy and present ideas through a big-picture lens.
Word count: 1,200-1,500 words

In Practice
A place for case studies. Articles provide an in-depth look at how an independent school has implemented an idea, theory, program, or practice. Submissions should include background information, a description of the specific approach, insights learned along the way, as well as key takeaways and useful guidance.
Word count: 1,500-1,700 words
 
Boardroom
The head-trustee relationship is one of the key factors in a school's success. This department, geared for heads and trustees, explores the many facets of this important relationship. Articles focus on key governance issues and are designed to help build and secure productive working relationships.
Word count: 1,300-1,500 words
 
The Conversation
Designed to capture the essence of a dialogue between school colleagues, this Q&A explores the interconnectedness of relationships in the school community and seeks to break down silos and to get people talking about how their roles and work impact each other. Have you had a conversation recently with someone on campus that changed the way you think and work or led to an unexpected collaboration? Tell us about it. Do you know of—or are you a part of—an exemplary mentor-mentee pair? A great student-teacher duo? We want to hear about it. Send us a brief description, and we’ll follow up.
 
Independent Spirit
Independent schools are truly unique, as are the passionate people who make up the school community. Designed to capture the essence of independent school life, this essay is a thoughtful reflection on why you chose to work at and be part of the independent school community—essentially, why you love what you do. Maybe you wound up at a school somewhat accidentally or after a long career elsewhere—what was your a-ha moment? Or maybe you grew up in independent schools—why did you decide to stay on? Reflect on and share your journey.
Word count: 300 words

General Writing Guidelines

Independent School is not an academic journal. We do not publish dissertations or other academic papers.
 
We follow AP style, with a few exceptions (namely, we use the serial comma). We do not include footnotes or endnotes. This information should be incorporated into the text in a journalistic style.
 
We’re always reviewing and accepting ideas and articles, so feel free to send along any ideas you may have at any time. All articles and ideas, including theme-related submissions that arrive after the posted deadlines, will be considered for future issues. Submit manuscripts (Word or Google document) to [email protected].

Please note that we generally close out each issue three months prior to publication.

• Fall issue usually closes by April 15
• Winter issue usually closes by July 15
• Spring issue usually closes by September 15
• Summer issue usually closes by December 15

Allow at least two months for a decision. When submitting an article, please indicate whether your article, or any variation, has been published in another publication.

Letters to the Editor

• The maximum length of a letter to the editor is 500 words
• Letters to the editor may be edited for length, clarity, civility, and accuracy; writers may be provided with the edited version before publication.
• We will publish letters that address a specific issue theme or article.
• Letters to the editor must not include material pulled from another source without attribution.

We will not publish material that is:

• Potentially libelous. Libel is any unsubstantiated or untrue statement that damages someone else’s reputation.
• Discriminatory on any grounds. This includes discrimination based on age, ability, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or culture.
• Obscene. This includes any statement that is vulgar, profane, or offensive.
• Threatening. This includes personal attacks, intimidation, bullying or threat of harm against a person or organization.
• Copyrighted or printed in another publication. We assume all letters to the editor are original. We can’t print a letter you’ve sent to another publication.

You must provide your full name and location; it will be published alongside your letter. If your letter identifies another person, please ask for their permission before you send your letter to NAIS. For example, if you share a personal experience and mention colleagues, please ask them if you can identify them in your letter. When you submit a letter, we assume that you’ve received consent from other people.

Send all letters to [email protected].