2026 SAIS Annual Conference

A dedicated space for heads of PreK-8 schools to discuss the unique opportunities and challenges of the PreK-8 model.

Strong schools are built on strong leadership, and that starts with the people already in your building. Explore how school leaders can intentionally develop their teachers' leadership capacity through three key strategies: building authentic relationships, valuing teachers' time, and truly knowing your people. Gain practical ideas to spark leadership interest, create safe spaces for growth, and elevate teacher voice in meaningful ways. Walk away with actionable steps to foster a culture where leadership is nurtured, shared, and celebrated.

How do you use the data and tools that you already have access to in order to positively affect enrollment? In this session, learn new ways to consider your enrollment data, think differently about the partnership between admission and marketing, and leave with tactical ideas you can implement as soon as you return to your school.

Independent schools across the country are seeing rising levels of student anxiety, academic pressure, and complex peer dynamics. Schools often respond by adding new programs or policies. Yet the most effective student support systems grow from something deeper: intentional relationships.
At Calvary Day School in Savannah, GA, relationships are intentionally woven into the structure of the school through leadership collaboration, faculty rhythms, student advisement systems, small groups, and a comprehensive college counseling program.
In this session, Dr. Hunter Chadwick, head of school, and Erin Chadwick, director of college counseling, will share how their school has developed a relationship ecosystem that supports students academically, socially, and emotionally. The system begins with strong relational alignment among leadership and faculty and extends into structured student mentorship through weekly advisement groups, weekly small groups focused on relationships and personal development, and a college counseling model centered on long-term mentorship. Students are supported through a structured college preparation pathway that includes a Junior Seminar course, a Senior Seminar course, and year-long parent programming designed to help families navigate the college process while supporting student well-being.
Participants will explore how relational alignment among adults creates the conditions for meaningful student support and how schools can build systems that strengthen belonging; reduce student stress; and foster healthy communication among students, families, and faculty.

The adult community is the foundation of a successful school. Building an intentional professional growth system ensures you spend more time supporting, growing, and deepening engagement with the teachers and staff you want to keep at your school, instead of spending time, money, and effort on constantly recruiting and onboarding. 


Move beyond outdated, "check-the-box" professional development to drive retention and the success of your entire school. Join this interactive case study session to explore how two forward-thinking schools (St. Mary’s Episcopal School and Porter-Gaud School) have built dynamic, scaffolded professional growth systems. Learn how they foster feedback-rich communities where educators feel valued and supported, using intentional goal-setting processes that align teacher professional growth with strategic goals and thoughtfully onboarding new faculty members. This session will demonstrate that a culture of continuous learning, supported by personalized growth systems, is the most powerful retention tool for schools.