Presenter: Evelyn McCulloch, Director of Technology & Accreditation Support, FCIS

Description: New to the Data and Analysis for School Leadership (DASL) platform? This introductory webinar will guide you through the essentials of getting started with data entry. Learn what data is required, how to navigate the platform, and best practices for accurate and efficient submission.

We’ll walk through key sections of Data Foundation and BIIS, highlight strategies, and share tips to help you stay on track. You’ll leave ready to begin entering your school’s data with clarity and confidence.

Presenter: Christina Camps, Director, Data Solutions, NAIS and Evelyn McCulloch, Director of Technology & Accreditation Support, FCIS

Description: Join National Association of Independent Schools and Florida Council of Independent Schools for an exclusive first look at the brand-new DASL dashboards! Reimagined to be more dynamic, visual, and intuitive, these powerful tools bring your data to life, making it easier than ever to spot trends, benchmark performance, and drive strategic decisions.

In this exciting session, you’ll get a guided tour of the new features, learn how to navigate with confidence, and discover how to turn your DASL data into clear, actionable insight for your school.

Presenter: Carrie White, Past Board Chair & FCIS Advisor

Topic: Tenets of Good Governance

Presenter: Fisher Phillips with Dr. Barbara Hodges

Description: Stay ahead of the latest federal and state legislative developments impacting K-12 independent schools. This webinar will cover key updates, emerging trends, and practical implications for school leadership, including compliance considerations, employment issues, and governance challenges. Designed to help independent schools navigate a rapidly evolving legal landscape with confidence.

Presenter: Melissa Alton, Director of Accreditation, FCIS

Description: Are you new to a Florida independent school? Whether you have moved to Florida from out of state or are transitioning to an FCIS school from public school or another private institution outside of FCIS, we want to help get your school year off to a successful start by understanding what you may encounter in your transition. FCIS welcomes all new Heads, administrators, teachers, and school staff new to FCIS schools to learn more about FCIS, how independent schools are governed in the state of Florida, legal obligations, and much more.  Bring your curiosity and your questions!

Topic: TBD

Topic: TBD

Presenter: Melissa Alton, Director of Accreditation, FCIS

Topic: New to FCIS and/or an FCIS School? What You Need to Know

Presenters: Brian Counter, Third Grade Teacher, Saint Paul's School; Adrianna Truby, Associate Head for Academics, Palmer Trinity School; Karin Montini, Associate Head of School, Oak Hall School

Description: Join us for an engaging webinar featuring three educational leaders who will share their experiences and strategies in preparing their schools for a successful Florida Council of Independent Schools (FCIS) Evaluation.  Whether you are a self-study coordinator or collaborator in your school's process, this webinar will provide valuable insights to help your institution thrive during the accreditation journey. Don't miss the chance to gain practical knowledge from leaders who have successfully navigated the process!

Presenter: Adam Dovico, Ed.D., Professor of Practice and Academic Director, Educational Leadership, School of Professional Studies, Wake Forest University

Description: Change rarely fails because of bad ideas, it fails because of how people experience it. In this engaging and thought-provoking session, Dr. Adam Dovico explores how influence, communication, and workplace culture determine whether change efforts gain momentum or quietly stall. Grounded in real-world leadership experiences, participants will examine how individuals and teams adopt change, the critical role of the “first follower,” and how leaders can build trust and buy-in across varying levels of readiness. Through interactive discussion, reflection, and practical application, attendees will walk away with concrete strategies to navigate resistance, leverage early adopters, manage conflict productively, and create a culture where positive change spreads naturally – conversation, relationships, and one decision at a time.

Presenter: Fisher Phillips with Dr. Barbara Hodges

Description: Join us for an overview of workplace accommodation obligations impacting schools. This session will cover key requirements under the PWFA, ADA, and other applicable laws, along with practical guidance on handling pregnancy-related requests, disabilities, and other employee needs. Gain insight into navigating compliance, reducing risk, and supporting your workforce with confidence.

Presenter: Palmer Ball, Palmer Ball Consulting

Description: This four-part series demystifies independent school finance, helping leaders move from surface-level understanding to strategic, data-informed decision-making. Across sessions, participants will explore the big picture of school financial health, shift toward net tuition revenue–driven thinking, and gain practical tools to analyze, project, and communicate financial outcomes. Grounded in real-world lessons, the series equips school leaders to ask better questions—and avoid costly missteps.

Presenter: Brendan Schneider, Founder & CEO, SchneiderB Media

Description: Enrollment success is no longer about waiting for families to find you. In this session, participants will explore how marketing, yield, and retention work together as an interconnected engine that drives sustainable enrollment. We will examine why schools have traditionally been too passive in their follow-up, what leading indicators actually predict enrollment outcomes, and how to move from "gatekeeper" thinking to a proactive, systematic approach. Heads will leave with a framework for having more strategic conversations with their admission teams, the right questions to ask about their enrollment funnel, and clarity on what distinguishes schools that fill seats from those that struggle.

Presenter: Dr. Barbara Hodges, Executive Director, FCIS

Description: Independent schools across Florida face different opportunities and challenges depending on their region. This specific webinar will focus on the trends within Tampa Bay.

This session will examine regional economic and financial trends, such as the labor market, real estate, population, and cost of living. Participants will gain valuable insights and a clearer understanding of the factors shaping their local market and future planning.

Presenter: Dr. Barbara Hodges, Executive Director, FCIS

Description: Independent schools across Florida face different opportunities and challenges depending on their region. This specific webinar will focus on the trends within Central Florida.

This session will examine regional economic and financial trends, such as the labor market, real estate, population, and cost of living. Participants will gain valuable insights and a clearer understanding of the factors shaping their local market and future planning.

Presenter: Evelyn McCulloch, Director of Technology & Accreditation Support, FCIS

Description: This three-part workshop series empowers educators to become intentional designers of authentic learning in an AI-enhanced classroom. Participants will explore how AI can deepen student thinking, increase engagement, and support meaningful, real-world learning experiences. Through exploration and practical examples, educators will move from understanding AI’s possibilities to designing lessons that align with their goals and values. Each session builds on the last—guiding teachers from foundational concepts to innovative classroom application. By the end of the series, participants will leave with ready-to-use strategies and a clear vision for integrating AI in ways that elevate teaching and learning.

Presenter: Palmer Ball, Palmer Ball Consulting

Description: This four-part series demystifies independent school finance, helping leaders move from surface-level understanding to strategic, data-informed decision-making. Across sessions, participants will explore the big picture of school financial health, shift toward net tuition revenue–driven thinking, and gain practical tools to analyze, project, and communicate financial outcomes. Grounded in real-world lessons, the series equips school leaders to ask better questions—and avoid costly missteps.

Presenter: Dr. Barbara Hodges, Executive Director, FCIS

Description: Independent schools across Florida face different opportunities and challenges depending on their region. This specific webinar will focus on the trends within South Florida.

This session will examine regional economic and financial trends, such as the labor market, real estate, population, and cost of living. Participants will gain valuable insights and a clearer understanding of the factors shaping their local market and future planning.

Presenter: Dr. Barbara Hodges, Executive Director, FCIS

Description: Independent schools across Florida face different opportunities and challenges depending on their region. This specific webinar will focus on the trends within North Florida.

This session will examine regional economic and financial trends, such as the labor market, real estate, population, and cost of living. Participants will gain valuable insights and a clearer understanding of the factors shaping their local market and future planning.

Presenter: Palmer Ball, Palmer Ball Consulting

Description: This four-part series demystifies independent school finance, helping leaders move from surface-level understanding to strategic, data-informed decision-making. Across sessions, participants will explore the big picture of school financial health, shift toward net tuition revenue–driven thinking, and gain practical tools to analyze, project, and communicate financial outcomes. Grounded in real-world lessons, the series equips school leaders to ask better questions—and avoid costly missteps.

Presenter: Tony Frontier, PhD, award-winning teacher, presenter, and best-selling author

Description: How can we ensure the integrity of students’ homework, projects, essays, assignments, and learning in an era where access to the internet means access to AI? Drawing on extensive research, this session will describe important distinctions between cheating and integrity and provide practical, student-centered solutions to support academic integrity, deter cheating, and help students take ownership of - and show pride in - their learning. Implications for day-to-day classroom practices, course syllabi, and academic integrity policies that support students’ intentional, effective uses of all resources, including AI tools, will be shared.

Presenter: Evelyn McCulloch, Director of Technology & Accreditation Support, FCIS

Description: This three-part workshop series empowers educators to become intentional designers of authentic learning in an AI-enhanced classroom. Participants will explore how AI can deepen student thinking, increase engagement, and support meaningful, real-world learning experiences. Through exploration and practical examples, educators will move from understanding AI’s possibilities to designing lessons that align with their goals and values. Each session builds on the last—guiding teachers from foundational concepts to innovative classroom application. By the end of the series, participants will leave with ready-to-use strategies and a clear vision for integrating AI in ways that elevate teaching and learning.

Presenter: Palmer Ball, Palmer Ball Consulting

Description: This four-part series demystifies independent school finance, helping leaders move from surface-level understanding to strategic, data-informed decision-making. Across sessions, participants will explore the big picture of school financial health, shift toward net tuition revenue–driven thinking, and gain practical tools to analyze, project, and communicate financial outcomes. Grounded in real-world lessons, the series equips school leaders to ask better questions—and avoid costly missteps.

This webinar is the opening event for those enrolled in the 2026-2027 Prospective Heads' Institute. 

This full-year program provides an opportunity to learn about the personal and professional qualities needed to lead effectively in today's culture. If you are currently serving in an administrative role and have given any thought to becoming a head of school or learning more about the responsibilities of a head of school, come and explore the many facets, challenges and rewards involved in a headship.

Who should attend?  Administrators considering Headship opportunities

Presenters: Brittany Lucas and Katie McLain, The dePaul School for Dyslexia

Description: Recent updates to the definition of dyslexia are reshaping how schools identify, understand, and support students with reading difficulties. This webinar will unpack key changes in the definition, clarify common misconceptions, and explore what these shifts mean for instructional practices, evaluation processes, and intervention planning.

Presenter: John Littleford, Littleford & Associates

Description: This session will use a case study to discuss social/cultural/political issues that may lead to conflicts within boards and how they can pit individual board members against each other and create factions within a board. These issues may be parent or staff initiated. The solutions to resolving these conflicts and divisions within boards relate to the core of healthy board governance: preserving institutional memory on boards and vetting, selecting and training wise board members.

Presenter: Andrew Forrester, Associate Head of School, The Bolles School

Topic:Building a Leadership Cohort at your School

Presenter: Janice Crampton, Executive Director & CEO, AISAP

Topic: TBD

Presenter: Fisher Phillips with Dr. Barbara Hodges

Description: Join us for an overview of key legal considerations impacting student admissions and retention in K-12 independent schools. This session will explore risk areas, policy decisions, and best practices across the student lifecycle—from initial inquiries and admissions decisions to enrollment management and retention strategies—helping schools build and sustain a strong, mission-aligned community.

Presenter: Evelyn McCulloch, Director of Technology & Accreditation Support, FCIS

Description: This three-part workshop series empowers educators to become intentional designers of authentic learning in an AI-enhanced classroom. Participants will explore how AI can deepen student thinking, increase engagement, and support meaningful, real-world learning experiences. Through exploration and practical examples, educators will move from understanding AI’s possibilities to designing lessons that align with their goals and values. Each session builds on the last—guiding teachers from foundational concepts to innovative classroom application. By the end of the series, participants will leave with ready-to-use strategies and a clear vision for integrating AI in ways that elevate teaching and learning.

Topic: TBD

Topic: TBD

Presenter: Fisher Phillips with Dr. Barbara Hodges

Description: When a crisis hits, how your school responds in the first moments can define the outcome. This session will cover the key legal and strategic considerations for K-12 independent schools, including incident response, internal and external communications, and coordination with leadership and counsel. We’ll explore common crisis scenarios—from student safety and employee issues to reputational threats—and provide guidance on responding swiftly, thoughtfully, and in a way that protects your school community and minimizes risk. 

Topic: TBD

Topic: TBD

Topic: TBD

Presenter: Mike Mersky, Senior Consultant, Carney Sandoe & Associates

Description: This webinar is designed for heads of school and trustees who want to better understand how growing an endowment can both enhance the annual budget and support the school’s strategic initiatives. Participants will explore how well-structured, functional endowments can help relieve pressure on the operating budget while also recognizing and advancing the school’s key priorities for the future.

Presenter: Fisher Phillips with Dr. Barbara Hodges

Description: Employee mental health is an increasingly critical issue for K-12 independent schools. This session will cover key legal considerations and emerging trends, including leave obligations, accommodation requests, and handling sensitive employee situations. Learn how to support your workforce, respond appropriately to mental health concerns, and navigate compliance while maintaining a healthy and productive school environment

Presenter: Fisher Phillips with Dr. Barbara Hodges

Description: Recruiting and hiring in K-12 independent schools comes with unique challenges and legal considerations. This session will cover key issues in the hiring process, including job postings, interviewing, background checks, and compliance with applicable employment laws. Learn how to attract top talent, make informed hiring decisions, and reduce risk while building a strong and effective school workforce.

Topic: TBD

Presenter: Lori Smith, ZKS Law

Presenters:Jessie Metzger, Executive Director of Educational Design and Technology, Jordanna Court, Director of Educational Technology, Faculty Engagement, Kelly Schuster-Paredes, Educational AI Data / Computer Science Specialist, Pine Crest School

Description: As technology reshapes industries, the workforce and society, schools face a clear choice: react to change or prepare intentionally for the future. This session explores strategic frameworks for AI integration and practical approaches to implementing AI safely, ethically and effectively across all areas of a school.

Examine how intentional AI integration can address accelerating change, information overload and operational inefficiencies that distract from teaching and learning. The session highlights how AI can support students, faculty and operations through mission-aligned implementation across grade levels and disciplines.

Topic: TBD

Topic: TBD

Topic: TBD

Presenter: Fisher Phillips with Dr. Barbara Hodges

Description: Join us for an overview of the key legal considerations surrounding student discipline in K-12 independent schools. This session will address evolving standards, risk areas, and compliance issues, including disciplinary policies, student conduct, and due process considerations. Gain insight into how to manage disciplinary matters effectively while minimizing legal exposure and maintaining a supportive school environment.