Register for the 2024 Conference

A  conference for leaders & educators of small schools.

2024 Keynote Speakers

Educators Collaborative Opening Keynote Speaker:

Hari Kondabolu

Funding provided in part by Educators Collaborative

Hari Kondabolu is a comedian, writer, podcaster, and regular panelist on Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me on NPR.

Acies Strategies Closing Keynote Speaker:

Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr., PhD

Funding provided in part by Acies Strategies

Founder of The Privilege Institute and the global White Privilege Conference, Dr. Moore is an acclaimed speaker, leader, and practitioner in academia, business, diversity, leadership and community service, as well as an author and the mind behind the 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenges.

Enquiry Tracker Featured Speaker:

Julia Volkman

TEACHER BURNOUT: HOW ADMINISTRATORS HELP AND HURT

Funding provided in part by Enquiry Tracker

Additional Support Provided by:

Conference Dinners provided in part by Edu-Tech Academic Solutions

Attendee Scholarships provided in party by Advancement Connections

Leadership Level sponsorship provided by: ADVIS, Melissa Kelly Photography & W.S. Cumby Construction

Supporting Level sponsorship provided by: ModSchool & PAISBOA

The 2023 Conference was a huge success, thanks to the amazing contributions of all of our workshop presenters, Featured & Keynote speakers, and the support of our Sponsors! 

The Crefeld School's mission is to graduate self-aware, empathetic, lifelong learners, who possess an appreciation for diverse perspectives, their role in society, and their ability to act as agents of change. Serving students in grades 7 through 12 in a gender inclusive setting, Crefeld provides an intentionally different college preparatory program to help students become their best selves.

Located in the beautiful Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia, Crefeld's campus is conveniently located just blocks from a picturesque, robust shopping and dining area, as well as two train lines that connect visitors directly to Center City (downtown) Philadelphia and the Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). 

We recommend out of town guests book accommodations at the Chestnut Hill Hotel, within walking distance of The Crefeld School, or seek out one of the many Airbnb rentals available in the neighborhood.

2024 Conference Speakers

Opening Keynote: Hari Kondabolu

Hari Kondabolu is a comedian, writer and podcaster based in Brooklyn. The NY Times called him “one of the most exciting political comics in stand-up today” and described his 2018 Netflix special Warn Your Relatives as “an incisively funny and formally adventurous hour that reveals a comic in command of his powers.” The special was named on many “Best of” lists, including for Time, Paste Magazine, Cosmopolitan, E! Online, and Mashable. He was also named one of 2018’s “Comics To Watch” by Variety. Hari currently hosts the new Netflix food competition series Snack vs Chef along with Megan Stalter. 

In 2017, his truTV documentary The Problem with Apu was released to critical acclaim and spurred a global conversation about race and representation. The Nation called it “a devastating critique of the ultimate comedic sacred cow: The Simpsons.” It is now used in high school, college and grad school curriculums around the US. 

Hari has also released two comedy albums, Waiting for 2042 & Mainstream American Comic with legendary indie rock label Kill Rock Stars. Additionally, he has performed on such shows as Conan, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and The Late Show with David Letterman among many others. He is also a former writer & correspondent on the much loved, Chris Rock produced FX show Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell. 

A regular on the public radio, Hari is a panelist on the NPR game show Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me. As a podcaster, he co-hosted the popular Politically Reactive with dear friend W. Kamau Bell. Additionally, he also co-hosts what he politely describes as a “pop up podcast,” The Untitled Kondabolu Brothers Podcast with his younger brother Ashok (“Dap” from HBO’s Chillin’ Island and defunct rap group Das Racist.) 

Hari attended both Bowdoin College and Wesleyan University, graduating from the former institution with a B.A. in Comparative Politics. A former immigrant rights organizer in Seattle who worked under the leadership of now-Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, Hari also earned a Masters in Human Rights from the London School of Economics in 2008. He was the “Artist In Residence” at NYU’s APA Institute for the 2014-2015 Academic Year and at Shangri La Museum in Honolulu in 2018. 

Find Hari: website, X @harikondabolu, Instagram, Facebook, Bandcamp, TikTok @harikondabolu

Closing Keynote: Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr., PhD

Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr. has pursued and achieved success in academia, business, diversity, leadership and community service. In 1996, he started America & MOORE, LLC to provide comprehensive diversity, privilege, leadership and #BecomingAntiRacist training/workshops. He is recognized as one of the nation’s top motivational/educational speakers and practitioners. His interview with Wisconsin Public Radio won the 2015 Wisconsin Broadcasters Association's Best Interview in Medium Market Radio. He is featured in the film, I’m not Racist…. Am I?, and in the article “5 Clear Ways to Tell Whether You'll Be a Good Leader in 2021.”

Dr. Moore was recently named one of Wisconsin's 51 Most Influential Black Leaders. In 2022 he was the recipient of the ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law’s Honorable Bernice B. Donald Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Legal Profession Award. He is also the Founder/Program Director for the global White Privilege Conference (WPC).

In 2014 Dr. Moore founded The Privilege Institute (TPI) which engages people in research, education, action and leadership through workshops, conferences, publications and strategic partnerships/relationships. He is co-founder of the online journal, Understanding and Dismantling Privilege, co-editor of Everyday White People Confront Racial and Social Injustice: 15 Stories (2015), The Guide for White Women who Teach Black Boys (2017), The Diversity Consultant Cookbook: Preparing for the Challenge (2019), Teaching Beautiful Brilliant Black Girls (2021), and Lil’ e - The Big Misunderstanding (2020). For over 10-years he was Director of Diversity at Brooklyn Friends School and The Bush School.

Find Dr. Moore: website, X @eddieknowsmoore, Instagram @eddiemoorejr , LinkedIn

Featured Speaker: Julia Volkman

Teacher Burnout: How Administrators Help and Hurt

Teacher burnout is at an all-time high. Trained, skilled professionals are leaving the profession in droves. What can we do to stop this? Are administrators inadvertently contributing to this mass exodus? In this workshop, Julia will discuss what her research team has learned so far from their academic-year, longitudinal study of teacher burnout, self-efficacy, and mentoring. Early findings from the research study will be presented along with practical tips for how to work skillfully with all adults in our schools.

About Julia: Julia Volkman has been teaching children and mentoring teachers in private and public schools since 1997. She is a Faculty Member of the Brain Health Initiative, guest lecturer for Harvard University’s Neuroscience of Learning course, and educational researcher, a teacher mentor, and the founder and president of the educational project Maitri Learning. Ms. Volkman earned her AMI 3 to 6+ diploma from the Montreal Montessori Training Centre (a bilingual program) and her Master’s degree from Harvard University. Her graduate research on early literacy (the Montessori movable alphabet) won her Harvard Dean’s prize for outstanding research. Her work focuses on transforming education into a transdisciplinary, scientific pedagogy grounded in mind, brain, and education. 

Find Julia: website, Facebook, Instagram @maitrilearning , LinkedIn, YouTube

2024 Conference Schedule

The 2024 National Small Schools Conference, hosted on the campus of The Crefeld School, has been thoughtfully designed as a total experience for attendees. All meals are included in your registration and are the perfect time to meet and connect with new and old colleagues and friends. The hospitality tent is open throughout the conference in between meals for you to grab a drink or snack, or meet up with a fellow attendee.

* Schedule subject to change

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26

12:00 - Check-in Open, Refreshments available

1:30 - Conference Opening, Welcome & Introduction of Keynote Speaker

1:45 - Educators Collaborative Opening Keynote - Hari Kondabolu

3:00 - Session 1 Workshops

Pre-School Year Planning Intensives: Strategizing for Success Before the Bell Rings

Understanding Socio-Economic Diversity in Our Schools

Forging Relationships and Expanding Streams of Income

Building a Vibrant Small School Community

4:30 - Drinks & Dinner Reception in Backyard

Make your way out to the Backyard when your session ends and join your colleagues for a lively and casual dinner reception. “Tour of Philly” food stations showcasing the flavors of three famous Philly neighborhoods

Drinks & Hors d’Oeuvres, 4:30pm

Dinner, 5:00pm

THURSDAY, JUNE 27

8:30 - Breakfast in Backyard

Arrive a little early to enjoy a catered breakfast under the hospitality tent. Matines Café - Parisian fare

10:00 - Session 2 Workshops

Improving the Effectiveness of the Board-Head Relationship: How to Keep Making Progress When Many Plates Are Spinning

From Crisis to Action: A Change Management Case Study

Case Study – Lansdowne Friends School, Philadelphia: Reputation Review for an Impactful Positioning Strategy in a Small School

How Small Schools Can Prepare to Communicate through Unpredictability

11:30 - Lunch in Backyard

Mingle with your colleagues and recharge with a delicious catered lunch. Papermill Fresh Asian Kitchen - modern, healthy Southeast Asian fusion

Heads of School Lunch Meetup  Location TBA

1:30 - Enquiry Tracker Featured Speaker - Julia Volkman: Teacher Burnout: How Administrators Help and Hurt  Theater

3:00 - Session 3 Workshops

Election Preparation

Developing a Healthy and Effective Leadership Team in a Small School

More Bang for Your Buck: Fostering Adaptive Change Using the Resources You Have

Addressing Misbehavior: For Best Results have a Discipline Philosophy and Focus on Student Psychological Needs

6:00 - Dinner on the Avenue El Poquito, 8201 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia

Join us at a restaurant on Germantown Avenue, just a short walk from Chestnut Hill Hotel, for dinner. This is always a fun and memorable evening! (included in registration)

FRIDAY, JUNE 28

8:00 - Breakfast in Backyard

Arrive a little early to enjoy a catered breakfast under the hospitality tent. Spread Bagelry - Montreal-style bagels and other fresh and delicious breakfast options

9:30 - Session 4 Workshops

Leading from the Middle – How to Become an Effective 360 Degree Leader in Your School

Are Your Students People?

Unlocking the Potential: AI for Small School Websites

Do Collaborations Really Work? Exploring Lessons Learned from a Successful 7 School Community of Practice

10:45 - Acies Strategies Closing Keynote - Dr. Eddie Moore

12:30 - Closing Address

2024 Conference Workshops 

WORKSHOP SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCE

SCROLL DOWN FOR FULL DESCRIPTIONS.

SESSION 1

Pre-School Year Planning Intensives: Strategizing for Success Before the Bell Rings

+ Aubrey Bursch, CEO and Founder, Easy School Marketing, D.C.

Effective planning is the cornerstone of a successful academic year. Join us for an insightful session dedicated to empowering admissions, marketing, communications, and development teams to proactively prepare and organize before the start of the school year. We understand the critical role early planning plays in ensuring smooth operations and alleviating last-minute stress for small school leaders.

Drawing from years of experience facilitating planning intensives for schools, we will delve into proven strategies for comprehensive annual planning. From mapping out projects and setting deadlines to task prioritization and batching, we will equip participants with the tools and techniques needed to streamline their planning process.

Attendees will leave with a personalized timeline for conducting their own planning intensive, sample structures for effective planning sessions, best practices for hosting such intensives, and the foundation of a comprehensive planning schedule tailored to their school's unique needs.

Understanding Socio-Economic Diversity in Our Schools

+ Nyima Porter, Student Equity Specialist, Columbus Academy, OH

It’s difficult to truly understand poverty unless you’ve experienced it yourself. Poverty is a reality for many individuals and families. Understanding socio-economic differences bridges that gap from misconception to understanding. Learn how organizations can equip their staff and volunteers with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to effectively serve children living in economically disadvantaged communities. The curriculum we’ll discuss highlights trauma resiliency factors and asset-based thinking.

Forging Relationships and Expanding Streams of Income

+ Karen Giuffre, Founder and CEO,

+ Lisa Adao, Associate Director,

+ Alysson Keelen, Education Consultant, Teacher/Researcher

Voyagers' Community School, NJ

What would happen if founders and administrators stepped beyond the conventional confines of tuition-based sustainability? At Voyagers', this query has been a guiding principle for two decades. Our commitment to this expansive outlook has propelled us towards innovation, creative problem-solving, and extensive collaboration with a broad network of people and organizations. Learn how this approach has yielded an unintended and invaluable outcome. Our actions have become a source of inspiration and a benchmark for our stakeholders, friends, and colleagues, showcasing the transformative power of reimagining educational paradigms.

Building a Vibrant Small School Community

+ Dominique Mouthon, Co-Founder and CEO, Clever Education Solutions, NC

Delve into the intricacies of creating a thriving educational environment that extends beyond the classroom walls. Learn how to foster a sense of unity, engagement, and shared purpose within a smaller educational setting.

With its close-knit structure, a small school can provide an ideal canvas for cultivating meaningful connections among students, educators, and parents, resulting in a vibrant community and enhanced learning. This presentation emphasizes the pivotal role community plays in shaping educational experiences and outlines practical strategies for building and sustaining a dynamic community.

SESSION 2

Improving the Effectiveness of the Board-Head Relationship: How to Keep Making Progress When Many Plates Are Spinning

+ Todd Covert, Head of School,

+ Simon Holzapfel, Board Chair

Berkshire Montessori School, MA

The interactions of the board with the head are crucial to every school’s well-being, especially small schools with more constrained resources. Learn a systematic approach to making the board-head relationship more effective with transparent communication and a shared understanding. We’ll discuss practical takeaways to improve the effectiveness of communication and collaboration with the board, including: how to make the school’s strategy visible so board members are easily informed of progress, how to get the board to focus on the most pressing issues facing the school, how the head can connect the dots from strategy at the board level to implementation with the administration, and how heads can provide clearer boundaries for the board about their respective roles and responsibilities. The session will show how the head can develop the capacity to adapt and adjust to changing circumstances in a human-centered way.

From Crisis to Action: A Change Management Case Study

+ Taylor Hickman, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice, The Waldorf School of Philadelphia, PA

+ Aiyana Masla, Associate, Alma Partners, USA

In 2021, the Waldorf School of Philadelphia contracted Alma Partners to support a change management initiative to integrate responsive and informed diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice principles throughout their community and curriculum. This resulted in a program for the faculty, staff, board, and parents, which has now been implemented in eight other small schools. The objectives of the program include building a shared language around DEIJ and creating an inclusive, anti-racist, anti-bias curriculum. In this workshop, we will share the story of how the Waldorf School of Philadelphia moved from crisis to action, to confront their roles and responsibilities as an institution, alongside the racial and social justice reckoning that unfolded in the late spring and summer of 2020.

Case Study: Reputation Review for an Impactful Positioning Strategy in a Small School

+ Stephen Holmes, Principal and Founder, The 5Rs Partnership, Singapore

+ Eric Mayer, Head of School, Lansdowne Friends School, PA

A school’s reputation constitutes its asset for authenticity, distinctiveness, name, and acclaim. Yet, there is a genuine lack of robust measurement and coordinated responsibility for reputation in schools. Many schools find their planning processes underwhelming in both delivery and impact on reputation and market success. A precondition for a strong school reputation is alignment between what a school says about itself and what it does. This interactive session will take participants through key steps of reputation analysis to support authenticity in school planning, market positioning, and how to apply a robust framework for reputation assessment.

How Small Schools Can Prepare to Communicate through Unpredictability

+ Tim Spreitzer, Executive Vice President, Tierney, PA

The inevitability and unpredictability of disruption have never been clearer, and it is more important than ever to discuss how to be prepared for a sensitive issue that arises. In this workshop, we will delve into the growing reputational threats that small schools face every day and will provide high-level, real-life insights into navigating situations related to Title IX, social media issues, labor negotiations, cybersecurity events, leadership transitions, and student life concerns. We’ll discuss how to assess vulnerabilities, design plans to prepare effectively, and manage a situation when it happens. Participants will leave with a strong understanding of best practices when confronted with an issue.

SESSION 3

Election Preparation in Schools

+ Jen Cort, Counselor, School Administrator, Diversity Practitioner, Author and Podcast Host, Jen Cort Consulting, MD

Recent elections have highlighted divisions in our country and our schools, and 2024 appears to be no exception. Students feel unheard, adults are uncertain how to navigate conversations across differences, and we never have enough time to do it all. This workshop focuses on proactive, responsive, and reflective practices, lessons learned, and ideas to implement.

Developing a Healthy and Effective Leadership Team in a Small School

+ Edward Hollinger, Educational Consultant, The Hollinger Group, IL

Leadership teams are typically designed around expertise and experience. Meanwhile, many teams fail to achieve their desired effectiveness, even with the best experts and most seasoned experience. In this workshop, we'll explore the importance of the 4C model of healthy leadership team development. Learn why culture, clarity, communication, and chemistry are essential elements of building a healthy and effective team of leaders in your small school.

More Bang for Your Buck: Fostering Adaptive Change Using the Resources You Have

+ Melissa Carroll, Interim Division Director, The Philadelphia School, PA

Many small schools need to make sizable shifts to elevate curricular programs and enhance professional growth yet have tight budgets and lean administrative teams. This workshop will provide strategies to develop a culture of adaptive change within your faculty and staff to meet your strategic goals. Participants will gain innovative, practical, no-cost ideas aligned with research and proven practice.

Addressing Misbehavior: For Best Results, Have a Discipline Philosophy and Focus on Student Psychological Needs

+ Eileen Dieck, M.D., Board Chair,

+ David Streight, Resident Scholar

Heart of Character, USA

While small school communities offer so many advantages for student growth, disciplinary “problems” are part of life. Disciplinary issues can be addressed in a way that maintains relationships and nurtures student growth. A large measure of restorative practices’ success is due to the way it focuses on relationships while respecting student autonomy.

Illustrating a needs-based approach from the well-known restorative practices paradigm, we will reflect on schools’ disciplinary policies and begin the exercise of outlining a discipline “philosophy” that underpins a school’s policy.

Learn how students’ unmet needs for autonomy, belonging, and a sense of competence feed into many “misappropriate” and sometimes even harmful interactions. We can identify behavior problems using a philosophy based on the role that psychological needs play in social-emotional health and student well-being, while still maintaining your school’s mission.

SESSION 4

Leading from the Middle: How to Become an Effective 360-Degree Leader in Your School

+ Lisa Howell, Director of Marketing and Communications, Delaware Valley Friends School, PA

Admissions, marketing, advancement officers, and other "middle managers" in schools need to be able to lead and influence up, down, and across their organizations. They need to effectively direct their teams, work collaboratively with peers in other operational departments, activate faculty and staff to support their initiatives, and work effectively with their head of school. This is particularly true in small schools where administrators often wear multiple hats. This session will explore the unique leadership challenges of independent school "middle managers" and share strategies for effective 360-degree leadership.

Are Your Students People?

+ Erick Johnson, Head of School,

+ Kim Wood, Teacher

The Howard Gardner School, VA

Students arrive in our classrooms with their own set of experiences, desires, and expertise; however, they are often overlooked in favor of adult goals and concerns. Shifting this mindset to provide more opportunities for student agency in an authentic way leads to deeper student-teacher relationships and supports students as they build independence. Stronger relationships lead to stronger academic success and positive behavioral outcomes. Evidence also shows that meaningful experiences with autonomy and self-direction in the younger years lead to improved self-efficacy and resilience later in life.

One of the promises of the small school is that each student will be seen as a fully autonomous person - not a number, a score on a spreadsheet, a profile of behaviors, or learning needs. This workshop will challenge norms in the educational setting and ask participants to consider, “Are your students people?”

Unlocking the Potential: AI for Small School Websites

+ Tara Claeys, Founder and Creative Director, Design TLC, VA

In today's digital age, an effective online presence is crucial for connecting with your community, and AI can be a game-changer. Let’s explore the fascinating possibilities of harnessing AI to supercharge your small school's website.

Discover how AI-driven chatbots, personalized content recommendations, and intuitive navigation can create a user-friendly website that keeps visitors engaged. We’ll delve into the world of AI-driven SEO techniques that can improve your school's search engine rankings and visibility, helping people find you more easily. We’ll explore strategies to leverage AI for the admissions processes, alumni engagement, and donor outreach.

Do Collaborations Really Work? Exploring Lessons Learned from a Successful Seven-School Community

+ Crystal Cubbage, Executive Director, Philadelphia Learning Collaborative, PA

+ Erin Stewart, Counselor, Science Leadership Academy Beeber, PA

+ Candace Eaton, RWL Director, The Workshop School, PA

+ Robbie Marsden, History Teacher, Vaux Big Picture High School, PA

Hear how the Philadelphia Learning Collaborative (PLC), an educational nonprofit that often functions as an intermediary organization, convenes schools to take on initiatives that are too daunting to tackle alone, such as implementing new curriculum or strengthening school-based real-world learning programs. We will discuss our work across seven Philadelphia schools to implement an SEL curriculum in advisory that addressed students’ post-pandemic needs. This ongoing initiative maximizes advisory by using a common curriculum adapted in different contexts. The curriculum guides teachers in helping students to navigate transitions, find their voice, and chart a path for the future. Learn how to engage with school leaders about a challenge, remove barriers to participation to create an open community, collaborate with colleagues, and build a virtual community to advance initiatives. Strategize needs and innovations that have been tabled in your school to determine how cross-school collaboration can be meaningful.

Thank You to Our 2024 Sponsors!

Sponsors make NSSC possible. Please explore the offerings of our sponsors.

Opening Keynote Sponsor

Conference Dinners Sponsor

Scholarships Sponsor

Featured Speaker Sponsor

Leadership Sponsors

Supporting Sponsors