New York State Association of Independent Schools

Coordinates: 42°39′13″N 73°45′17″W / 42.653586°N 73.754782°W / 42.653586; -73.754782

New York State Association of Independent Schools
Formation October 8, 1947 (1947-10-08)
Founder Paul D. Shafer
Headquarters 17 Elk Street (First Floor)
NY 12207
Albany, New York
Executive Director
 Dr Mark W. Lauria
Website nysais.org

The New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) is an association of 194 independent schools, ranging from nurseries to high schools, in New York State. Founded in 1947, NYSAIS is the second largest state association of independent schools in the United States. In 2017 its member schools enrolled approximately 82,000 students.[1] It was established "to protect independent schools from obstructive legislation and regulation". NYSAIS accredits its member schools, provides professional development, and works with community leaders to support the needs and interests of independent schools throughout the state. NYSAIS is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)[2] as well the NAIS Commission on Accredition.[3]

Mission statement

"The New York State Association of Independent Schools promotes the independence, well-being, and public understanding of, and respect for, New York independent schools and serves as an accrediting body chartered by the New York State Board of Regents."[4]

To accomplish its mission, the New York State Association of Independent Schools:

Governing body and administration

The New York State Association of Independent Schools is governed by a Board of Trustees which meets on a regular basis, including an annual meeting at Mohonk Mountain House on the first Wednesday of November. The current President of the NYSAIS Board of Trustees is Dr. James Dawson who is the Head of School at Professional Children's School in New York City. Past Presidents of NYSAIS include Jody Douglass (Buffalo Seminary), Scott Gaynor (Stephen Gaynor School), Stephen Watters (The Green Vale School), Stephen M. Clement III (The Browning School), Rick Bryan (Nichols School), Drew Castertano (Millbrook School), Dorothy A. Hutcheson (The Nightingale-Bamford School), Charles Hertrick (Allendale Columbia School), and Archibald A. Smith III (Trinity-Pawling School).[5] The current Executive Director of NYSAIS is Dr. Mark W. Lauria who began his tenure in 2009. Past Executive Directors were Dr. Appleton Mason (1968-1976), Stephen Hinrichs (1976-1986), Fredrick Calder (1996-2007) and Elizabeth "Penny" Riegelman (2007-2009).[6]

History

Early years and incorporation

On April 17, 1947, Paul D. Shafer, President of the Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn sent out a letter to ten colleagues at other New York independent schools to discuss the founding of an association for New York independent schools. Those who received the letter were;

The New York State Association of Independent Schools held its first official meeting on October 8, 1947 at the Albany Academies. At the meeting on October 8, 1947, it was moved by Mr. Bradlee and seconded by Mr. Amos that they "set up the nucleus of a State organization (and) that the name be the New York State Association of Independent Schools (whose) membership...shall be limited to those elementary and secondary schools organized under a State charter as non-profit institutions."[7]

The first Annual Meeting of NYSAIS was held on January 18, 1949 at the Emma Willard School in Troy. The first officers were Paul Shafer (President), Anne Wellington (Vice-President), and Harry E. P. Meislahn (Secretary-Treasurer). The first guest at a NYSAIS meeting was Dr. Henry V. Gilson, New York's Associate Commissioner of Education.[8]

On October 25, 1968, NYSAIS was incorporated under a provisional charter granted by the New York State Board of Regents. The provisional charter required that NYSAIS draft a constitution and that a Board of Trustees be established. This was accomplished at the 20th Annual Meeting which was held on November 12, 1968 at Schrafft's Motor Inn in Albany. At this meeting, President Walter Clark announced the appointment of the first Executive Director, Appleton A. Mason Jr., who had previously served as the Headmaster of the Lake Forest Country Day School in Lake Forest, Illinois. The first official office for NYSAIS was at Appleton Mason's home in Loudonville, New York.[9]

Executive directors

Membership

NYSAIS has four membership categories:

Accreditation

According to the NYSAIS Charter, issued on February 25, 1984, the association has "authority to evaluate and accredit schools in the State of New York (which) is conferred by charter from the Regents of the University of New York." All good schools continually evaluate their performance by means of their own devising, but the view a school takes of itself needs periodically to be supplemented by an external view, one that brings a perspective the school cannot command.[18]

Formal evaluation combines self-scrutiny with external review by a committee of peers, both processes being guided by the NYSAIS Manual for Evaluation and Accreditation. The Manual gives structure, direction, and scope to the undertaking that goes beyond that which a school might ordinarily elect. The external review brings observations, comments and suggestions possible only for those who are not immersed in the daily concerns of a school’s life.[18]

The object in evaluation is to assist the school to better realize its objectives, to support rather than to inspect and to enhance the school’s unique character rather than to impose a common design. Thus, a school is evaluated in terms of its own purposes and objectives, not those of some remote authority.[18]

The accreditation of the NYSAIS schools is overseen by the NYSAIS Commission on Accreditation which is chaired by Kate Turley (City and Country School) with Co-Chairs Robert D. Vitalo (The Berkeley Carroll School) and Bart Baldwin (St. Luke's School). The NYSAIS Associate Directors who oversee NYSAIS Accreditation are Dr. Judith Sheridan and George Swain.[18]

NYSAIS is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS).[19]

Professional development

Mohonk Mountain House in the fall

NYSAIS organizes conferences, workshops, and residential institutes for teachers, school heads, trustees, assistant and division heads, business and financial managers, and administrators.[20] Most of the residential conferences are held at Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz or the Carey Center for Global Good in Rensselaerville.

The NYSAIS Council for Professional Learning and Collaboration (CPLC) works with the Associate Director of Accreditation on programs that include Beginning Teachers Institutes (BTI), Experienced Teachers Institutes (ETI), Emerging Leaders Institutes (ELI), as well as many workshops and conferences for teachers and administrators. Some are collaborative efforts with neighboring state associations of independent schools. The CPLC works to interpret the needs of NYSAIS professionals, providing timely opportunities for education and networking. NYSAIS Professional Development is directed by Associate Director Barbara Swanson.

Experienced Leaders Advising Schools (ELAS) program

The NYSAIS ELAS Program is a mission-driven initiative established in 2012 to meet a growing need from member schools. ELAS provides high-impact, low-cost advising and mentoring in areas such as governance, leadership, and long-term planning. ELAS advisors (referred to as ELAS Ed-visors) include retired heads of school and senior administrators. ELAS Ed-visors have extensive experience in independent school management and assist NYSAIS schools in finance and investment, fundraising, strategic planning, board structure, governance, succession planning, school leadership, and accreditation. Built upon a solid foundation of best practices combined with current research, each Ed-visement will be custom-designed to meet the specific needs of your educational community. The ELAS program is directed by the NYSAIS Associate Director for Evaluation and Accreditation, Judy Sheridan.[21]

Emerging Leaders Institute (ELI)

In 2010, participants at the NYSAIS Think Tank identified the need to create a professional development program for emerging leaders in NYSAIS schools. In 2011, NYSAIS launched the NYSAIS Emerging Leaders Institute (ELI) with 16 cohort members. The program is directed by George Swain, Associate Director for Evaluation and Accreditation at NYSAIS, and Marcy Mann, the Associate Head of School at the Professional Children's School. The 2013-2015 cohort included 19 participants from a diverse range of backgrounds and independent schools across New York State. Admission to the program is competitive and must include the strong endorsement of one’s current Head of School.[22]

Successful completion of this hybrid learning program involves full participation in residential conferences, one-day workshops and online seminars in addition to independent work throughout the two-year cohort experience. Major program components include:

Options include:

In addition to residential conferences, ELI members participate in:

NYSAIS—Now

NYSAIS—Now is a resource for online professional development and school improvement resources. Designed specifically for independent school leaders, it provides information to professionals within the association and beyond. Content covers a broad range of themes and topics with leadership and governance of independent schools as a particular focus. NYSAIS—Now features webinars, interviews, liveStreaming, and talks.

Athletic association

Under the NYSAIS umbrella, the New York State Association of Independent Schools Athletic Association (NYSAISAA) is a sports league for independent schools in New York State. It is overseen by the Athletic Executive Committee (AEC) as well as the NYSAIS Board of Trustees.[23]

References

Bibliography

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