This article appeared as "Division and Heads" in the Fall 2023 issue of Independent School.Heads are the backbones of independent schools, and their well-being and success are vital to their schools. But as heads juggle the ever-increasing demands of their jobs, many also have had to deal with conflicts and culture wars bubbling over in their own school communities. According to the 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer, two-thirds of Americans feel their country is divided—and that these divisions are too entrenched to overcome—so it’s not surprising that schools can become a microcosm of national tensions. They face conflict over topics as minor as uniform policies to existential questions about differing views of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Leading up to and following the 2016 election, NAIS increasingly heard from its members about discord and conflict within their school communities, which only increased in the wake of the pandemic, racial reckoning, and subsequent intense scrutiny of K–12 education. In NAIS’s “2021 State of Independent School Leadership Survey,” just one in four heads reported feeling “very prepared” to address political polarization at school, and another quarter listed it as a top challenge during the 2022–2023 school year.
In August 2022, following a series of interviews with heads of school, NAIS surveyed 500 member school leaders to learn more about the frequency and intensity of polarization at independent schools, as well as how heads are guiding their communities through them. We asked them to describe the headship; the diversity of their communities; how often DEI topics were brought up, and by whom; and more. The surveyed schools represented a variety of sizes and regions, and the heads had varying years of experience in their roles. Similar to NAIS member demographics, almost all schools were coeducational (90%) and most were day schools (86%).
The resulting analysis led to a two-part report, “How Polarization Affects Independent School Communities.” In the first part, NAIS analyzed how perceived gaps between teachers’ and parents’ political orientation affected how heads dealt with polarizing issues. Further analysis, which we explore here, has revealed troubling findings around heads’ degree of satisfaction at school, as well as how race and gender can impact their experiences managing polarizing topics.
The Findings
The Most Prevalent Polarizing TopicsVirtually every head of school surveyed reported that during the 2021–2022 school year they addressed constituents’ questions and topics related to DEI, and about half did so consistently. Fifty-seven percent reported that they engaged “very often” or “always” with topics of race and ethnicity, and 45% did so with topics related to gender and sexuality (see Chart 1).
Who’s Doing the Work?
Heads in different demographic groups reported different levels of engagement; heads of color, for example, were 16 percentage points more likely to frequently engage with issues related to race and ethnicity and 26 percentage points more likely to engage with issues related to gender and sexuality than white heads of school, while female heads were 6 percentage points more likely than male heads to engage on both topics.
A wide body of research shows that people of color and women often take on more DEI-related work than white people or men (willingly or unwillingly); while this study can’t quantify heads’ willingness to do DEI work, it does point to differences in who has engaged in this work most frequently.
Time Spent on These Topics
How does this work fit into heads’ busy schedules? Heads of school reported devoting an average of 22% of their time, energy, and attention each week to DEI-related topics (see Chart 2). Forty-nine percent of heads estimated that they spend at least 20% of their time and energy in a typical week addressing concerns about DEI-related topics. Ultimately, about half of heads are spending a full day (or more) of their weeks addressing constituents’ concerns about issues that have come to divide our society.
Of course, addressing constituent concerns around complex topics is part of the job and not inherently a bad thing; many heads gladly engage to fulfill their school’s mission or move their school forward. However, those conversations can become problematic when they regularly consume heads’ entire schedules without intention and prevent them from spending time on other work.
How Concerned are Heads?
Heads of color and female heads are spending more time on these topics. But were they concerned about the conversations being disruptive, demanding, mean-spirited, or otherwise unproductive?
The answer is, “It depends.” On average, heads ranked their level of concern about DEI-related discussions in their school communities about a five on a 10-point scale (see Chart 3); less than 20% of heads rated their concern at an 8 or higher. But heads of color, who were more likely to report working in diverse but politically heterogenous schools, were notably less concerned than their peers, averaging closer to 4 or 4.5. Female heads’ concern levels were more on par with male heads’, but they showed heightened concern (closer to 6) about issues of gender and sexuality.
What Drives These Differences?
While race, gender, and environment certainly contribute to these differences, so do communal differences in political orientations. When ranking their perceptions of constituents’ political orientations from liberal to conservative on a 1-to-10 scale, one in five heads reported a big difference between teachers and parents—a “high gap” of around 4.8 points, compared to 2.4 points’ difference at “moderate gap” schools and just 0.6 at “low gap” schools. While perceived political differences do not guarantee conflict, the heads at high-gap schools were the most concerned about the DEI-related discussions occurring at their schools, giving them an average ranking of 6, and they were more likely to describe leading their school as “intense” or “difficult.”
These high-gap schools were commonly large religious schools in politically red states, whereas low- and moderate-gap schools were typically nonreligious and in politically blue states.
Given this, it can be easy to feel down about the state of the independent school headship. But heads in this survey were far more likely to describe their jobs in a positive light than a negative one—over four in five described leadership at their school as very often or always interesting, lively, intellectually stimulating, and rewarding (see Chart 4).
What Can We Do?
Addressing polarization is no easy task, and no one strategy can magically heal a community’s divisions or prevent them from forming in the first place. We do know, however, that collaboration and communication can go a long way in helping to build trust, reduce ambiguity, and get everyone on the same page to start a more productive discussion. So how can heads use this information to manage polarization in their communities?Connect with others. More than anything else, 86% of heads found speaking with other heads of school to be “helpful” or “extremely helpful” when dealing with polarizing issues. Many also recommended maintaining strong relationships with the board chair; together, the head and chair must form a united front for the board, school, and larger community, working together to assess the environment and develop responses.
Plan out communications and gather information. What seems like a straightforward announcement can unintentionally convey something very different to its recipients. It’s important to keep your mission and values front and center when discussing how the school’s work or decision ties into your school
and community.
In what ways is it like national conversations? How do you ensure that you hear as many perspectives as possible? And communicate broadly and consistently about your work, building support with the board first, then tailoring your communications to different constituent groups. Write out talking points, and avoid abstract language, such as “strong academics” or “diverse and inclusive.”
Research has shown that discussing your actions in terms of benefits and progress, not just deficits being addressed, can help earn community support. Framing the story in positive terms can lower the risk that community members may feel personally targeted by your plans.
Boards must help heads. Trustees have a unique role to play in ensuring that heads remain fulfilled as they face modern challenges. Beyond doing their best to simply facilitate the head’s day-to-day work—by following best practices in governance and avoiding micromanaging or causing undue stress—they also need to support the head in making tough decisions, especially in the face of criticism and opposition, while making sure that the head has room to speak on behalf of the school.
Boards also need to consider questions of composition and community. Is the board’s composition in line with the school’s mission, vision, and values? Does it include a diversity of voices committed to ongoing professional development? Do board members understand the concerns of their school’s constituents? How will they keep them updated and build trust?
Ultimately, this study revealed that many heads feel prepared to address constituent concerns, manage conflict and disagreement, and speak to their communities in town hall settings. Though there’s never an easy time to be a head of school, it’s clear that the current cohort is able, willing, and empowered to keep their mission front and center as they guide their communities through challenging times.
Read More
Check out these NAIS resources on the topic of polarization.
- “Getting to We: Communicating in the Age of Polarization,” Independent School magazine, Spring 2022
- “An Educator’s Recipe for Depolarizing Schools and Selves,” Independent School magazine, Spring 2023
- “Fostering Civil Discourse in a Time of Polarity,” Independent Ideas blog, September 2020
- NAIS Webinar Recording: Polarization in Independent Schools, March 2023