October 4, 2023

Shortly after announcing a new OESIS event, I couldn’t help but notice Debra Wilson’s inaugural Independent School Magazine article as the new NAIS President. Sanje’s initial announcement said, “The conference will go beyond curriculum and pedagogy, the central themes of OESIS conferences, and focus on culture and school purpose.” Debra writes, “Over the past three years I have noticed a remarkable shift in interest around purpose in our community.” After years of calling out NAIS for a lack of willingness to address the limitations of the current governance structure to effectuate strategic change, is it possible that OESIS is now more in alignment with NAIS goals? Is Debra Wilson a “person of courage,” somebody who is brave and tells the truth, suggesting that the school purpose conversation “will lead us to an independent school renaissance…?” What I know of Debra tells me that she will potentially be successful, even though she faces some difficult challenges. Let’s look more closely at the three key themes Debra identifies as being a part of the purpose conversation. I would describe them as opportunities, and as such, they could be very exciting. But as any leadership organization will tell…