During her tenure as NAIS president, former NAIS president Donna Orem wrote Looking Ahead, a monthly email designed to help heads of school make sense of major issues that will affect independent schools in the near future. Each edition included a PowerPoint that heads can share with staff, faculty, and/or boards of trustees. PowerPoints are available to all NAIS member schools. Archived issues are available below.
2022-23
- May 2023: Conversations for Independent School Leaders (You can also read "Conversations for Independent School Leaders: Using Data, Trends, and Forecasts to Plan for the Future." This guide, curated for NAIS member schools by Donna Orem, provides such stats, trends, and forecasts in five critical areas for independent schools. In each area, you’ll find questions to prompt conversations among your leadership team and board.)
- April 2023: Summer Reading
- February 2023: State of the Independent School Industry
- January 2023: Scenario Planning for Fundraising
- November 2022: Scenario Planning for the Education Workforce
- October 2022: Scenario Planning for Sustainable Enrollment
- September 2022: The Governance Landscape: Composition and Culture
- August 2022: Legal and Federal Programs Update
2021-22
- June 2022: Generational Trends
- May 2022: Cybersecurity in Independent Schools
- April 2022: Summer Reading
- March 2022: Social-Emotional Learning
- February 2022: The State of Education in 2022
- January 2022: Fundraising Forecast
- November 2021: Pandemic Predictions
- October 2021: The State of Higher Education
- September 2021: The Role of Information and Technology in Building and Dividing Communities
- August 2021: Trends in Thriving
2020-21
- May 2021: Sustaining Schools During and Beyond COVID-19: Leaders and Leadership
- April 2021: Summer Reading
- March 2021: Sustaining Schools During and Beyond COVID-19: Workforce Trends
- February 2021: Sustaining Schools During and Beyond COVID-19: Equity and Inclusion Systems
- January 2021: Sustaining Schools During and Beyond COVID-19: Pandemic Learning Models
- December 2020: A (Challenging) Year in Review
- NAIS Staff Favorites for 2020: NAIS staff members regularly swap recommendations for books, TV shows, recipies, and more. During the pandemic, this has taken on greater meaning as we all look for diversions and ways to feel connected. Here, we share some favorites with you.
- November 2020: Sustaining Schools During and Beyond COVID-19: Tuition and Value
- October 2020: Sustaining Schools During and Beyond COVID-19: Civility, Conversation, and Community
- September 2020: Sustaining Schools During and Beyond COVID-19: The Online Learning Experience
- August 2020: Sustaining Schools During and Beyond COVID-19: Collaboration
2019-20
- June 2020: School Innovation and New School Models
- May 2020: Education Unknown: A Guide to Scenario Planning for Independent Schools in the Age of COVID-19
- April 2020: Student Health and Well-Being During and After COVID-19
- March 2020: Leading in a Crisis
- February 2020: Innovation and Problem-Solving
- January 2020: Workplace Trends
- November 2019: The Board’s Role in Financial Sustainability
- October 2019: Access for People With Disabilities
- September 2019: The Enrollment Landscape
2018-19
- June 2019: The Future of Fundraising in Independent Schools
- May 2019: Risk and Risk Management
- April 2019: Summer Reading
- March 2019: Creating Environments Where Effective Teamwork Can Take Place
- February 2019: Leading Change
- January 2019: The Future of Teaching
- November 2018: New Financial Models in Schools
- October 2018: Equity Pay Gap
- September 2018: International Student Market
2017-18
- June 2018: Changes Facing Higher Education
- May 2018: Vaping and Juuling
- April 2018: Summer Reading
- March 2018: Artificial Intelligence
- January 2018: 2018 and Beyond
- December 2017: Leadership Coaching
- October 2017: Generation Z
- September 2017: Teens, Technology, and Wellness
- August 2017: Building Effective Leadership Teams
2016-17
- June 2017: New Thinking in Governance
- May 2017: Summer Reading
- April 2017: Being Strategic About Strategy
- March 2017: Social Media and Online Rankings
- February 2017: Wealth and Access in America
- January 2017: Best Practices in Personnel Management
- December 2016: Tuition, Financial Aid, and the Market
- October 2016: Learning from Innovation in Public Schools
- September 2016: Ready for Leadership Change?
- August 2016: Costs and Revenues
- June 2016: New School Models
- May 2016: Millennials