2023 NAIS Heads’ Summit

NAIS Heads' Summit

February 20-21 at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, Nevada

Join us at the NAIS Heads’ Summit to reconnect and recharge with heads of school from independent schools around the country. 

The Heads’ Summit is an event for sitting heads of school only that will take place at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas before the NAIS Annual Conference. It will begin with a reception on the evening of Monday, February 20, and end on the evening of Tuesday, February 21. There will be a mix of general and facilitated sessions, ample time built in for lunch and breaks to connect with your fellow heads in attendance, and finally a closing panel discussion centered around topics that are critical to the headship experience. 


2023 Heads' Summit Program

This schedule will be updated and is subject to change. All times listed are Pacific Time. A final schedule will be distributed to registrants closer to the event. 
 
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20
4:30–7:00 PM Registration and Check-In
5:30–7:00 PM Opening Reception and Community Building
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21
7:00-8:15 AM Breakfast, Registration, and Check-In
8:15-8:30 AM Welcome Remarks: Randall Dunn, Morva McDonald, and Tekakwitha Pernambuco-Wise 
8:30-10:00 AM Opening General Session: The Future of Education and Lifelong Learning (Michael B. Horn and Jeff Selingo in conversation with Debra Wilson)
10:00-10:15 AM Break
10:15-11:45 AM Session Block 1* (Choose from six interactive, discussion-based sessions on pressing topics for school leaders today. Read full session descriptions here.)
12:00-1:30 PM Lunch
1:45-3:15 PM Session Block 2* (Choose from six interactive, discussion-based sessions on pressing topics for school leaders today. Read full session descriptions here.)
3:15-3:30 PM Break
3:30-5:00 PM Closing General Session: The Headship: How We Can Remain Responsive and Resilient Leaders in the Face of Emergent Issues (Moderator: Morva McDonald, NAIS; Panelists: Michael Gary, Friends Select School (PA); Laura Danforth, The Masters School (NY); Scott Erickson, Phillips Brooks School (CA); Tracie Catlett, Greensboro Day School (NC); Shannon Harris Oriol, Antilles School (Virgin Islands))
5:00-5:15 PM Concluding Remarks: Randall Dunn, Rye Country Day School (NY) and NAIS Board Chair
5:15-6:00 PM Closing Reception

*Each session at the Heads’ Summit will provide an opportunity for heads to engage in structured conversations with one another. As such, Heads’ Summit sessions are distinctly different from regular conference sessions in that they are more focused on facilitating dialogue among heads.​ Read the full Block 1 and Block 2 session descriptions here.


2023 Heads' Summit Keynote Speakers


Michael B. Horn

Michael B. HornMichael B. Horn strives to create a world in which all individuals can build their passions and fulfill their potential through his writing, speaking, and work with a portfolio of education organizations. He is the author of several books, including the award-winning Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns; Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools; Choosing College; and his new book From Reopen to Reinvent: (Re)creating School for Every Child, released in July 2022. Horn is the co-founder of and a distinguished fellow at the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation, a nonprofit think tank. He cohosts the top education podcasts Future U and Class Disrupted. He is a regular contributor to Forbes.com and writes the Substack newsletter The Future of Education. Horn also serves as an executive editor at Education Next, and his work has been featured in outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Harvard Business Review, and NBC. 
 

Jeff Selingo

Jeff SelingoJeff Selingo is a New York Times bestselling author of three books on education and the job market. For nearly 25 years, his in-depth reporting and powerful storytelling has provided practical insight about the future of higher education and the workforce to university leaders, corporate executives, as well as students and parents. His research focuses on the changing nature of work and its impact on education, paying for college, the student experience, and shifting expectations for what the public and employers want from colleges. His latest book, Who Gets In & Why: A Year Inside College Admissions, was published in September 2020 and was named among the 100 Notable Books of the year by The New York Times. A regular contributor to The Atlantic, Selingo is a special advisor for innovation and professor of practice at Arizona State University. In addition, he regularly counsels universities and organizations on their innovation strategy. He also writes a bi-weekly newsletter on all things higher ed called Next, and co-hosts the education podcast FutureU. 
 

2023 Heads' Summit Pricing

Registration Type Early Bird Rates
(Through January 17)		 Standard Rates (After January 17)
For Annual Conference Registrants
Heads' Summit, Member $195 $250
Heads' Summit, Nonmember
(Nonmembers whose workshops were accepted for the conference can register using this rate.*)		 $290 $340
For Annual Conference Non-Registrants
Heads' Summit, Member $395 $445

 
*Nonmembers: If you are actively applying for NAIS membership, you are eligible to receive the NAIS discounted price for the NAIS Annual Conference. Contact us.