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New View EDU Episode 88: Navigating Disruption Through Collaboration

April 21, 2026

Available April 21, 2026

Find New View EDU on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and many other podcast apps.

Chad Tew headshotIt’s no secret that independent schools face ongoing challenges, from enrollment to governance to changing norms and social pressures. The schools that continue to thrive are generally the ones that adapt and innovate without losing their sense of tradition and identity. But that’s certainly easier said than done, especially when solutions like mergers enter the picture. Chad Tew, “chief disruption navigator” for LearnCollab, joins host Morva McDonald to talk about the market and landscape for independent schools, why he thinks of merging as more of a unification process, and how different levels of collaboration can shore up school communities in disruptive times.

Chad and Morva delve into some of the common frustrations facing school leaders, starting with the demographic cliff that’s helping shape enrollment trends. Chad points out that while, of course, the demographic cliff is a serious challenge, there are other factors driving instability for schools. He shares his thoughts on the opposing concepts of homeostasis and apostasis and how they relate to boards and governance. Many boards, he says, are so focused on clinging to stability that they miss the opportunity to make innovative changes that would benefit the school, so the growth and positive change that could occur through thoughtful pruning of old practices never takes hold. He also warns that schools can get complacent in believing they understand their value proposition and market positioning, but as parental priorities and social norms are rapidly shifting, leaders may not fully understand the way their schools are perceived or what the current competition is any longer.

Chad cautions that schools can hyperfocus on what they believe is their unique identity, while missing how that identity is working for them in the current climate. The most successful, strongest schools, he says, are the ones that continuously learn from available data and apply what they see through small, meaningful changes. With that approach, he says, schools are more attuned to warning signs in the environment that signal the need to make a shift. Catching the signs early and being responsive to what they indicate means they can be converted into opportunities. For example, he highlights a school that found higher attrition in the late elementary grades because of the potential to integrate into the community at a popularly chosen middle school. Before the situation became critical, they were able to explore an articulation agreement that benefited both communities—not a true merger, but a collaborative agreement that helped create continuity between the schools.

Thinking about potential collaborative relationships with other school communities can bring exciting change that strengthens both schools, Chad argues. He says he encourages every school, even in times of stability, to consider how “merging” in some way with another community might be useful. He suggests thinking not of a merger, but a unification process, similar to blending families in a marriage. How can working together expand the school family while allowing each institution to keep some of the identity and traditions that make it unique? He shares several examples from his work in which schools explored unification tactics that benefited everyone.

Chad and Morva finish the conversation with some advice for heads of school and CFOs who may need to navigate the day-to-day complexities of collaboration or unification. In addition to practical advice, Chad suggests that school leaders try to understand that no unification process will come without loss. Rather than focusing on the challenges and the potential losses, thinking of the opportunities and new ideas that will be fostered through the work can help make unification a positive experience in the balance.

Key Questions

Some of the key questions Morva and Chad explore in this episode include:

  • You sometimes refer to yourself as a “chief disruption navigator.” What’s the story behind that, and how does it relate to your interest in mergers and finance for independent schools?
  • What are the key signals in the external environment that point to needing a different business model for independent schools going forward? What disruptions are we currently navigating?
  • Collaborations of all kinds, up to and including full mergers, are part of sustaining our schools through periods of disruption. What are the signs that a school should consider collaborating or merging? How should communities approach those decisions?
  • What is your best advice for heads, CFOs, and other critical staff as they navigate unification efforts with other schools?

Episode Highlights

  • “One thing that is a challenge for schools, I think, is their governance model, and boards that are focused on kind of like, stability. And we're here to just kind of hold the mission for the future, which is true. And at the same time, sometimes that means that you're so focused on stability that you don't see the flip side of homeostasis, which is kind of apostasis. It's that idea that kind of like programmed, regulated cell death is what the real definition is, where any multicellular organism eliminates either damaged or unwanted or aged cells so that you can maintain a healthy balance. That's a challenge for independent schools.” (5:30)
  • “I think every school should be thinking about a merger or some kind of collaboration. And sometimes some of the most exciting school collaborations come out of a strong school looking at opportunities where they can expand, by kind of helping out or absorbing or merging with another school. The word merger is something that can be scary to people. I like unification better, unifying two schools, unifying two faculties, two student bodies, two cultures, and how do you unify? So you think about it as like, you know, when two families come together, you know, as a result of a marriage, kind of. You want to try and set it up for success by thinking about unification instead of an up-down thing.” (20:28)
  • “It used to be a better example before department stores started having so many challenges because of Amazon and whatnot, that Macy's and Bloomingdale's are owned by the same company, Federated Department Stores. They're very different types of companies. They have different marketplaces. But that Federated has a lot of strength and advantage by being able to source manufacturers and suppliers and have shared warehouses and backbone business systems and whatnot. So I think that focusing on where is there possible synergy is, you know, a helpful thing for two schools. They don't have to look the same.” (25:38)

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Full Transcript

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About Our Guest

Chad Tew is founder and chief disruption navigator at LearnCollab, where over the past decade he has been helping independent schools develop sustainable financial and enrollment strategies, including rightsizing and mergers. He’s founded a school, served as a CFO, trustee, and teacher, and been a university senior fellow. 

He recently refreshed his personal “why” on a sabbatical, where he taught English to monks while living in a Kathmandu Buddhist monastery and traveled widely. While writing a forthcoming book, Chad is building LearnCollab’s platform to deliver merger and collaboration guidance at scale—so schools can affordably access merger frameworks, checklists, and process support.