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AISGW 2009 Heads Conference The New Leadership Landscape: External and Internal Challenges for Today’s School Heads Harbourtowne Resort & Conference Center St. Michaels, MD October 22-23, 2009. The Year Ahead for AISGW Thomas Toch
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AISGW 2009 Heads ConferenceThe New Leadership Landscape: External and Internal Challenges for Today’s School Heads Harbourtowne Resort & Conference Center St. Michaels, MD October 22-23, 2009
The Year Ahead for AISGWThomas Toch Executive Director, Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington TToch@aisgw.orgwww.aisgw.org
Vision • Collegiality/networking between member schools at multiple levels (heads of school, admissions, teachers, etc.) • A thought-partner for member schools • An intellectual/policy leader on issues of importance to independent schools and the broader educational community • Strategic information and advice • A wide range of beneficial programming • High quality data collection and analysis • A voice to promote the collective strength and diversity of our schools
Build a broader financial base to support organization’s expansion • Increase and strengthen services to schools • Raise profile of organization and member schools Objectives
84 schools • Urban, suburban, exurban, rural • Pre-school through high schools • Many missions, many instructional strategies • 34,000 students • 8,100 employees The Membership
Schools in DC, MD, VA, and PA (1) • DC: 11,304 students in 26 schools • MD: 14,942 students in 37 schools • VA: 7,967 students in 21 schools The Membership
School-level enrollment: • median down 1 percent, average down 3 percent • 22 schools down 5 percent or more • 7 schools down 10 percent or more The 2009-10 School Year
Tuition: • median tuition increase: 4 percent • consistent across large, medium and small schools • 6 schools did not raise tuition • DC metro region consumer price index, Sept. 2008 to Sept. 2009: -0.8 percent The 2009-10 School Year
100 percent membership dues received • Programming income on target • Fall Dinner, Heads Conference, Job Bank consistent with YTD ‘08 • Fall Dinner sponsorships currently at $36K (three times ’08-09 and nearly four times ’09-10 budget) • None of $92,000 advocacy budget spent AISGW Finances
Encourage, enable entrepreneurialism • Patricia Mayo now director of programs and strategic initiatives • Deborah Brafford’s role expanded into new initiatives • Christie Antoniewicz taking substantial role in programming • Will Montague contributes strong research skills • Performance oriented: • Have established 2009-10 individual and organizational goals and timelines • Performance metrics tied to staff evaluations New Staffing Model
Increase and improve services to schools • Raise our profile and that of our member schools among key constituents • Strengthen our financial position, ease pressure on dues • Improve internal and external communications New Initiatives
Communicate the richness and diversity of the Washington-area independent school community • Improve communication with and within schools network • Raise profile of AISGW, member schools among key audiences (especially parents, public) • Brand independent schools as engines of opportunity • Drive more traffic to and through the AISGW website • Establish AISGW website as a key portal for families searching for independent schools • Deliver more, enhanced web-based services, resources to member schools Communications Initiative: Goals
Branding, marketing (Ian Symmonds and Associates) • Design (Ali Dasher) • Website redevelopment (Bridgeline) • Search-engine optimization (Bridgeline) Communications Initiative: The Plan
Currently is static, will be dynamic • New features, improved navigation • Fresh, up-beat, more attractive visually (video clips of schools) • New profiles of member schools • Potential to be a powerful search tool for families • Education policy pages • Driving traffic through search engine optimization • Using social networking to drive collegiality, enhance visibility Communications Initiative: Website Is Key
Teachers • Business managers • Leadership training • Role for former AISGW school leaders Expanded Programming
Two-way job bank • Substitute-teacher registry • Purchasing consortia • landscaping • energy audits • insurance • sports equipment • food service Expanded Services
New Revenue/Cost Savings Initiatives • Electronic invoicing/invitations • Sponsorships • Fall dinner • Single-sponsor events • Preferred vendor arrangements • Purchasing consortia • Website • Foundation funding • Conversations launched • Reseller relationships • Target: $1 million annual budget by 2011-12
Thought-leadership • Tackle the big issues in independent education • Contribution to national policy conversation • Foundation-funded • Early project: Towards a new economic model for independent education Policy Work
21st Century Skills • The Next Generation of Student Assessments • The Future of On-line Education • Architects on the School of the Future and Green Design Upcoming Programming Highlights