International Coalition of Girls' Schools

Headways for Heads of School at All-Boys and
All-Girls Schools

2023-24

Leading Boys' and Girls' Schools 
 

This year's Headways has sold out. Please contact Bruce Collins at collins@theibsc.org if you want to join the waitlist or receive information about the 2024-25 Headways program when it becomes available. Thank you.

Headways™ connects school leaders virtually using Zoom to discuss operational issues relevant to their post. IBSC partners with the International Coalition of Girls' Schools (ICGS) in this special online class. The Leading Boys’ and Girls’ Schools Headways cohort fosters interactive, dynamic conversations with other senior leaders of single-gender schools.

Gather for small-group, hour-long, facilitated conversations throughout the school year to discuss pre-arranged and time-sensitive topics. The program includes a similar number of participants from all-boys and all-girls schools co-facilitated by Sue Sadler, head of school at the Bryn Mawr School, and Henry Smyth, head of school at Gilman School (United States).

Who Should Attend?

Executive leaders (heads, presidents, CEOs, principals) at IBSC and ICGS member schools who report directly to their school’s governing boards

Topics

Wednesday, October 11, 2023, at 4:00 PM EDT
Gender and School Mission

Questions to Consider

  • How do we celebrate our boys’ and girls’ school missions in a gender-fluid world?
  • How and why are boys’ and girls’ schools more relevant today than ever before?
  • How do we make the case for the contemporary relevance of our schools?
  • What are the best practices and resources for orienting new students, employees, and families to our schools’ missions and values?
  • What resources have proven most helpful to us to lead our schools in conversations and decision-making related to gender fluidity?
  • How can IBSC and ICGS help us more in this regard?
Wednesday, November 8, 2023, at 4:00 PM EST

Healthy Relationships
Questions to Consider

How can we best promote the cultivation of healthy relationships in boys’ and girls’ school settings?

Part One

  • What can we do as educators to foster healthy relationship between students within and across gender groups?
  • What are best practices and experiences at each of our schools? What do we wish was working better?

Part Two

  • What makes for the best relationships between adult educators in our schools and students?
  • What are the shared characteristics of successful advising and mentoring programs?
  • How do these experiences inside and outside the classroom complement one another?
Tuesday, December 5, 2023, at 4:00 PM EST
Teacher Recruitment

Questions to Consider

  • How can we recruit and retain exceptional teachers in the midst of a changing labor market?
  • As boys’ and girls’ schools, what characteristics and attributes can we highlight uniquely to better recruit new faculty?
  • What are the best practices for retaining excellent faculty at our schools?
  • What opportunities can IBSC and ICGS provide to partner with us to maximize our success with teacher recruitment and retention?
Wednesday, February 7, 2024, at 4:00 PM EST
Well-Being and Mental Health

Questions to Consider

  • How can we support the mental health of faculty and staff?
  • What programs can assist us? What initiatives have proven most effective at each of our schools?
  • How can we benchmark and measure our progress?
  • How can our mission as boys’ and girls’ schools frame our wellness programs for faculty and staff?
Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at 4:00 PM EDT
Collaborations and Partnerships

Questions to Consider

  • What are the opportunities for mutually beneficial partnerships between boys’ and girls’ schools?
  • Where can we do better together?
  • How can we connect with one another for the benefit of our students and faculty?
  • Where are the “easy to reach” spaces for virtual and in-person collaborations among our schools?
  • How would we like IBSC and ICGS to facilitate these connections and foster these opportunities?

Registration 

IBSC member rate: US $250

This year's Headways has sold out. Please contact Bruce Collins at collins@theibsc.org if you want to join the waitlist or receive information about the 2024-25 Headways program when it becomes available. Thank you.

Available exclusively to members of IBSC or ICGS: To keep conversations lively and dynamic, this program is limited to the first nine IBSC members who register, with preference given to participants who commit to joining every session. Only one participant per school may register.

Refund Policy

IBSC will refund 90% of registration fees if a written request is received two weeks prior to the class. No refunds will be made for cancellations received after this time. If you want to replace the registered participant with a different leader from your school, please contact IBSC@theibsc.org.

Please note: Watch your email for login information for the class in early October.

Questions? 

Please contact Bruce Collins at collins@theibsc.org.