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Our History

NAIS's History: Highlights

  • 1962
    National Association of Independent Schools established
    Delegates from the Independent Schools Education Board (ISEB) and the National Council of Independent Schools (NCIS) vote on March 1 to establish the National Association of Independent Schools. The first board chair is John Gummere. Francis “Torch” Parkman, who had been president of NCIS and former head of St. Mark’s School in Southborough, Massachusetts, is named the first president of NAIS. 66% of NAIS schools are single-sex, 33% co-educational.
  • the 1970s
    The Support for Secondary Schools Conference is held

    1974: NAIS publishes A Teacher’s Notebook: French. NAIS publishes A Teacher’s Notebook: Latin. NAIS publishes The Independent School Trustee Handbook, 3rd Edition. 

    1975: The NAIS Teacher’s Notebook series adds its eighth volume, Alternatives for Children with Learning Problems. NAIS publishes The Selection and Appointment of School Heads, 2nd Edition. 

    1977: NAIS publishes A Teachers’ Round Table on Sexual Education. NAIS publishes Accounting for Independent Schools, 2nd Edition.

  • 1979 - 1983
    Publications

    1979: The NAIS Task Force on Secondary Mathematics publishes Occasional Papers #1-3. NAIS publishes Interdependence: A Handbook for Environmental Education. 

    1980: NAIS publishes The Business Manager in the Independent School. NAIS moves from 4 Liberty Square to 18 Tremont, in Boston. 

    1981: NAIS publishes the Handbook on Teacher Renewal and Development. NAIS publishes Faculty Burnout, Morale, and Vocational Adaptation. 

    1983: NAIS publishes Evaluating the Performance of Trustees and School Heads. NAIS publishes A Legal Primer.

  • 1982
    NAIS membership exceeds 900 for the first time.
  • 1984
    NAIS Association Grants Fund is established
    NAIS Association Grants Fund is established through which NAIS provides matching grants of up to $1,000 to member local, state, and regional associations to stimulate development of direct services to teachers. NAIS Board of Directors approves the creation of the Independent Education Fund to enhance capability for building a legislative lobbying network. Principles of Good Practice for Heads are approved. Principles of Good Practice for Boards of Trustees are approved. Principles of Good Practice for Independent School Trustees are approved. NAIS publishes Extended Day Programs in Independent Schools. A Study of High Schools, co-sponsored by the National Association of Secondary Schools Principals and NAIS Commission on Educational Issues, leads to the publication of Horace’s Compromise: The Dilemma of the American High School.
  • 1990s
    Launching Website and Publications
    1. 1996 - NAIS website. 
    2. NAIS publishes Philanthropy at Independent Schools. Principles of Good Practice for Secondary School Educators are approved. Principles of Good Practice for Equity and Justice are approved. 
    3. Attendance at the NAIS People of Color Conference tops 1,000 for the first time. 
    4. The NAIS Board creates the Legal Assistance Advisory Panel and revises policy on legal assistance to allow NAIS participation in cases before state and federal appellate courts in addition to the U.S. Supreme Court. NAIS joins the Hawaii, California, and Pacific Northwest associations in sponsoring the first Pacific Basin Conference.
  • 1994
    Committee for women and Girls in Independent Schools
    • CWIS renames itself the Committee for women and Girls in Independent Schools, dedicated to bringing attention to attitudes, policies, and practices that either encourage or inhibit the fair treatment and the fullest development of women and girls.
    • Principles of Good Practice for Early Childhood Educators are approved.
    • Principles of Good Practice for School Search Committees and Search Consultants are approved.
    • Public Affairs Leadership Network membership exceeds 1,000 individuals.
    • NAIS publishes Access and Affordability: Strategic Financial Perspectives for Independent Schools.
  • 2000
    Private schools celebrate the 75th anniversary

    Private schools celebrate the 75th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Pierce v. Society of Sisters in which the right of private schools to exist and operate was upheld.

    • NAIS Public Affairs Leadership Network membership exceeds 2,400 individuals.
    • Established in 1984, the NAIS Association Grants Funds has staffed 26 workshops and awarded $117,000 in grants to member associations for teacher development.
    • NAIS member associations establish task forces on accreditation, professional development, and the role of its Coordinating Committee.
    • TABS establishes separate identity and moves to offices of its own. NAIS restructuring plan to take effect August 1, 2000.
  • 2017
    The NAIS People of Color Conference (PoCC) celebrates its 30th anneversary

    The NAIS People of Color Conference (PoCC) celebrates its 30th year in Anaheim, California. NAIS holds its first Equity Design Lab institute on the topic of culturally responsive teaching. NAIS publishes research reports including the Diversity Practitioner Survey and Survey on Independent School Hiring Practices. NAIS helps members interpret the implications of major tax reform.

  • the 2020s
    Debra P. Wilson becomes the ninth president of NAIS

    2023 Debra P. Wilson becomes the ninth president of NAIS, succeeding Donna Orem, who retires after serving as president since 2016. 

    Donna Orem publishes a cumulative booklet based on her Looking Ahead Series called Conversations for Independent School Leaders: Using Data, Trends, and Forecasts to Plan for the Future. Data tools help members with pressing needs. Market View 6 includes enhancements for enrollment planning; Salary Explorer helps schools set competitive salaries during a tight labor market. NAIS research explores topics such as health and well-being, student engagement, and the impact of polarization on independent schools. 2024 NAIS moves it headquarters to 2001 K Street NW, Suite 1150, in Washington, DC.