Teachers, Department Chairs, early career Division Heads, Administrators from any aspect of independent school life, aspiring Administrators

Requirements for attendees   

A minimum of five years of experience as a teacher or administrator in an independent school

Who can register for the Institute?   

Heads of School can select up to two people from their school to attend. There are only 20 openings in the Institute, and they will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.  The Head of School should give permission to participate. The applicant should complete the online registration form.

Mentors   

All mentors are Heads at TAIS member schools.  Each member of the cohort will have a mentor, and mentors will have one or two mentees. 

Thank you to our 2019-2020 Mentors:    

• It’s always inspiring to be around passionate school leaders, and NELI provided a forum that allowed us to learn from each other in meaningful way. The variety of topics discussed, the opportunity for both small and large group discussion and the opportunity for a mentorship experience were the highlights of my experience. (Rebekah Capps, Ensworth School) 

• My experience within the NELI challenged me to broaden the scope of my thinking, and reignited the discipline of self-reflection . . . I truly appreciated the shadowing component and found it incredibly beneficial. (Eric Vinson, Currey Ingram Academy)

• The TAIS NELI experience has broadened my horizons as a school leader. I have been exposed to countless new ideas and ways of thinking that will serve me well as I develop professionally. My mentor was an excellent source of wisdom and I’ve made a lifelong connection with him. On a personal level, the connections I’ve made with other educators in my cohort are only possible because of this program. I am so grateful for my NELI experience and would highly recommend it to any educator with a desire for a leadership role. (Nathaniel Haston, Grace Baptist Academy) 

• When my HoS asked me to participate in this program, I was worried that he had picked the wrong person because I had no interest in moving beyond my role as a classroom teacher . . . Fast forward a year: by the time our NELI cohort arrived for our third week in Nashville in the spring, I had applied for and been accepted to the role of chair of my department starting this summer, which is something I really wouldn’t have seen myself doing before. In retrospect, by asking me to pursue the NELI program, my school signaled to me that it had confidence in me before I had that kind of confidence in myself. (Ruth Ann Graham, Baylor School)

• Having access to school leaders through this program has been invaluable. It not only provided a glimpse into the scope of an administrator’s responsibilities, but it also forced me to examine the type of leader I am and the type of leader I want to be in the future. With continuing education and a desire to move out of the classroom, I feel as if I would be prepared for the challenge of administration. (Jenny Bullard, Girls Preparatory School)

• I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of this Leadership program with TAIS and Vanderbilt . . . There are so many aspects of being a strong leader that I learned from this experience. I look forward to taking it all back to my school and continuing to grow as a leader in our school’s community. (Randi Schlosser, St. Peter’s Episcopal School) 

• The TAIS New and Emerging Leaders Institute provided me an incredible amount of knowledge and offered opportunities to guide me as an educational leader. Furthermore, it equipped me with valuable resources and tools, which will only enrich my future leadership endeavors. (Angie Hackmeyer, Woodland Presbyterian School)

• I believe both of my mentee’s had a valuable [shadowing] experience. Having the opportunity to visit with other administrators broadened their perspective on school leadership and the impact of school leadership on school culture. They were both very reflective and introspective. (Michael McBrien, Webb School of Knoxville)

• I really believe . . . [the shadowing experience was valuable]. Especially in . . . [this] case . . . where he had only been in one school environment, It gave him a chance to see something else—how we work and communicate as an admin team, etc. I think it also gave him an opportunity to be self-reflective about what he is looking for in a leadership position and about areas of school that he is not typically exposed to in his current role. (Will Kesler, Battle Ground Academy)