True to my resolution to visit somewhere new every week in June and July, I attended the annual conference of ISAS in Santa Fe at the beginning of this week.  ISAS is the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (http://www.isasw.org), and it is one of Awty’s two accreditation bodies (the other being the Council for International Schools, or CIS, http://www.cois.org).

I had driven on the freeway past Santa Fe on several occasions, but I had never previously actually stopped in the city.  This

time, by attending the ISAS conference, I discovered that Santa Fe is a true gem of a city; a thoroughly worthy capital for the state of New Mexico!

Attendance at the annual conference is compulsory for Heads of ISAS member schools, but the experience was so positive that I think everyone would have wanted to attend even if it had been optional.  The second (and final) day mainly comprised the business meeting of the organization – committee reports, financial reports, executive director’s report, standards committee report, membership report, and so on.  It was important, but hardly the type of thing that makes compelling reading in a blog, so I’ll focus instead on the first day.

A major focus of the first day of this year’s conference was fundraising, and especially the importance of the working relationship between Heads of Schools and their Advancement Officers.  We began with a very stimulating two hour session with Kay Sprinkel Grace (from Transforming Philanthropy LLC, http://www.kaygrace.org) who described the ‘Advancement Office – Head

of School Dream Team’ as the most powerful partnership in independent schools.  She argued that the more effective this partnership is, the more successful the engagement of parents, friends and other donors will be.  Kay Sprinkel Grace then guided us through discussions and a case study, to help us understand the dimensions and strategies for creating the most powerful partnership possible.

This was followed by a very impressive session facilitated by Frank Pisch (Chairman and CEO of The Compass Group, http://therightdirection.com/about/team/frank-pisch/) on the topic of “The Perfect Ask”.  This session comprised an interactive, participatory workshop that explored tried and true strategies for successfully soliciting major gifts, including a discussion on the types of gifts that are most beneficial for schools.  Using a linear approach to outline the process of asking for major gifts, Heads of Schools were provided with a checklist of solicitation considerations, from identification through stewardship and scheduling the meeting to closing the details of the gift.

The afternoon of this first day took a very different focus.  Titled “From the Dress-up Corner to the Senior Prom: Navigating Gender and Sexuality Diversity in PreK-12 Schools”, this three-hour session was led by Dr Jennifer Bryan, a Psychologist and

Educational Consultant (http://www.jenniferbryanphd.com).

She began by identifying Gender and Sexuality Diversity (GSD) as a broad construct that encompasses everything from “boy/girl colors” in kindergarten, to “coming out” in middle school, to the sexual behavior and values of adolescents in high school.  Dr Bryan provided an expansive developmental paradigm to help Heads of Schools understand the range of gender and sexual identities, expressions, and roles that children and adolescents embody as they navigate the personal, social and academic world of school.

Then, using a framework that emphasized identity development and pedagogical mission, we spent a very informative and challenging afternoon exploring the language, concepts, and skills needed to engage with gender and sexuality in the PreK-12 setting.  Our discussions were given focus by a series of video clips covering such diverse areas as gender role stereotypes, sissies and tomboys, the sexualization of girls and women, sexuality, sexuality diversity, using the word ‘gay’ to tease and bully and harass, sexuality diversity and religion, and gender diversity.  As you might imagine with a diverse group of Heads of Independent School Heads from Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Louisiana and Oklahoma, the discussion arising from this session was animated and robust.

I took the opportunity of a half-day before the conference to explore a little of the nearby countryside.  The highlight

of my explorations was the small town of Taos, about 70 miles north of Santa Fe, or more specifically, the Taos Pueblo to its immediate north.  Located on a small tributary of the Rio Grande, the area has been occupied for about 1000 years, and the pueblo (a multi-storeyed adobe residential structure) was first built in about 1450.  As shown in the photo at the top of this blog, the adobe building was fabulous – in some places five storeys high, it is said to be the oldest continuously inhabited community in the United States.

Another

highlight of my explorations was the Rio Grande Gorge bridge to the north-west of Taos, not so much for the bridge itself, but for the spectacular views of the Rio Grande Gorge below.  A few miles to the west of the bridge was a fascinating settlement known as Earthship (see www.earthship.org), which is a community

with sustainable buildings made entirely of recycled materials that functions “off the grid”.  The buildings clearly had quite radical designs that made great use of earth insulation, solar energy and natural vegetation.  I would love our students who have an interest in environmental sustainability to have the opportunity to explore Earthship one day - the place pulsates with creative and innovative solutions to many of the challenging environmental issues of our future.

On the way back to Santa Fe, I stopped off in Los Alamos, the small town where the Manhattan Project to develop the atomic bomb during World War II was located.  The town and its museums were mildly interesting, but to be honest, I was far more impressed by the spectacular canyon landforms surrounding the town.  The town is built on the top of four mesas of the

Pararito Plateau, and is surrounded on several sides by the colorful gorges and valleys of White Rock Canyon.  I found it was worth several stops on the roadside to photograph the spectacular desert scenery around Los Alamos; I took far fewer photos within the town itself.

I would be giving the wrong impression if I suggested that this has been a week of sightseeing.  Far from it, although I did fit a lot into my half day, having woken up before dawn and having missed breakfast to get out on the road.  However, it was worth it - my half-day day of sightseeing was a very refreshing distraction from other pressures and a rare opportunity to engage in my passion as a geographer to explore new places with a camera in my hand.  It is a passion I am looking forward to continuing next weekend.

After returning to Houston very late on Tuesday evening (or, to be more precise, at about 1:30 am on Wednesday morning due to some delayed flights), the rest of the week has been a mix of regular

paperwork, finishing off some staffing matters, responding to e-mails (as the only place I could get reliable internet access in Santa Fe was McDonald’s), and most time consuming of all, packing everything in my office ready for the move to the new building.

The packing took a couple of days, but I know it will be worth it once everything is set up in the new building (to be known as The Levant Foundation Building).  We obtained temporary possession of the building this week (meaning we can occupy it but we can’t conduct classes as yet – not a huge restriction during the sumemr break!).  A few senior administrators have already moved into their new offices, and I am hoping to make the move early next week.

Our grounds and maintenance staff are very busy at the moment with all the moving of offices and the dismantling of the old portable buildings, but my fingers are crossed that my turn to move will come soon!  As you can see in the photo below, I am looking longingly northwards towards that new building that I know will do so much to improve the quality of our students’ education for many years to come.