1p EST | THUR, May 20, 2021

Leadership Go-Bags: Your Survival Kit for Leading Through Crises

Every difficult challenge requires a period of recovery, time to reflect, recharge, and replenish. Join Juna McDaid, Assistant Head of School for Academics at Potomac School, for a workshop on how to work through this recovery period. Juna will share a practical toolkit to help us look back, learn, and customize our proverbial survival kits - both personally and professionally - for the next crises. Like any useful go bag, we need to keep them updated. While many of us live in places with unique challenges, what we have in common is that we are still leading through multilayered pandemics. We will take time to build community and collectively share to help each other reflect on what skills and practices we may need to carry forward.

12p EST | THU, May 13, 2021

Creating Equitable Learning Environments

While educators and school leaders have widely recognized the importance of inclusive curricula, this focus, in and of itself, may be misguided. This week, please join us for a webinar with Indu Chugani Singh as she explores unintended consequences of diversifying the curriculum without first considering two key concepts: understanding who our learners are and how they access learning opportunities. The webinar invites participants to ask themselves: what happens when I design for the 'who' and 'how' before the 'what' of my curriculum?
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Free and open to all educators.

12p EST | THU, April 22, 2021

Ethical Assessment: The Conversation that Has to Happen

What if there were a Hippocratic Oath for assessment? Do no harm. And what if it went even further? Do good. This webinar featuring Gary Chapin of Educating for Good, interrogates our assumptions around assessment and offers a frame for Ethical Assessment that is truthful, kind, aligned to the student, and, ultimately, for good. Gary has worked in performance assessment for the past seven years with the Center for Collaborative Education and the Assessment for Learning Project. We’ll be talking about four general principles of an ethical assessment system, and also ask, “What does it look like on the ground?” Assessment that is ethical tells a story. It doesn’t merely provide a data point. How can we tell stories that best serve students?
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Free and open to all educators.

1p EST | TUE, May 4, 2021

Collective Insights from DEI Practitioners at Independent Schools

This special event is being hosted by First Republic Bank as part of the upcoming release of an important EXPLO Elevate research report examining the lived experiences of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) practitioners at independent schools, collected from over 25 interviews. The report addresses some of the opportunities and challenges DEI practitioners at independent schools face, shares suggestions around how leadership can support DEI practitioners, and much more. The author of the report, EXPLO Elevate Director of Research Sudipti Kumar, will be presenting findings. She will also be joined by several DEI practitioners who participated in the research.
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We wish to thank First Republic Bank for their generous support of EXPLO Elevate and for hosting this launch event.

1p EST | TUE, April 13, 2021

Starting an Institutional Research Function at Your School

In this webinar, EXPLO Elevate Director of Research Sudipti Kumar shares findings from our upcoming report 'Starting an Institutional Research Function at Your School: What An Independent School Needs to Know.' The report explores the role of an institutional researcher at independent schools, including why the role is a critical one, how schools can build the function over time, what skill sets to look for when hiring the right institutional researcher, and examples of the types of projects people in this role have undertaken. Joining Sudipti will be a set of panelists whose voices were critical in developing the report and who will be able to share their experience in the Institutional Research role at their respective schools: Libby Barlow, Director of Institutional Research at St. Paul’s School, Sarah Enterline, Director of Institutional Research at St. Mark’s School, and Denise Uehara, Principal Researcher and Knowledge Mobilizer at Kamehameha Schools.

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Free and open to all educators.
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Immediately following the webinar, the report will be made available to webinar participants as well as for EXPLO Elevate member schools.

2p EST | WED, March 31, 2021

The History of Asian Americans in the U.S. and Combating Stereotypes in Education

Asians and Asian Americans have been in the United States for centuries and are one of its fastest-growing minoritized groups, yet this diverse population's histories, struggles, and successes are rarely discussed in U.S. schools. This webinar will explore what it means to be 'Asian American' as well as the two dominant, competing stereotypes that surround this group: yellow peril and the model minority myth. We will discuss the historical and social conditions that generated these stereotypes and how they are harmful to individuals and our broader society. We will then turn to applications for school settings by discussing the current experiences of Asian American educators and students as well as action steps to combat stereotypes and improve representation and inclusion. This session will be led by Dr. Sarah-SoonLing Blackburn, an educator, speaker, and professional learning facilitator who has led learning experiences with schools and districts as well as organizations including Learning for Justice, Microsoft, and NY Times Student Travel.
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Free and open to all educators.

12p EST | WED, April 7, 2021

GatHERing Greatness: Women Leading Independent Schools

Women occupy such a small percentage of headship, yet their intuitive brand of leadership can yield important lessons for those considering a similar path. Successful women recognize that building community is essential for both professional success and personal wellness. The head of school role is a solitary practice, leaving many women without a close support network exactly at the moments when they need it most. Join Amanda Riegel, EXPLO Excelle Director, Dr. Noni Thomas Lopez, Head of School, The Gordon School, and Carrie Green, Director of Middle School, Kent Denver School, to learn how successful women meet these essential needs for connection and build resilience.
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Free and open to all educators.