The Challenge of Leading Today’s Schools
Education leadership has never been more complex:
- 100% of heads report finding and retaining qualified staff is a significant challenge
- 97% of heads report responding to conflict in the community is a major challenge¹.
- 91% of heads say ensuring financial sustainability is a growing challenge¹.
- 42% of heads and 33% of boards report a strained head-board relationship.
- 48% of school leaders report increased stress and anxiety from competing priorities
- Limited peer networks mean fewer opportunities for authentic coaching & support.
1 NAIS Research: 2023 Hot Issues Survey: Challenges and Opportunities for Independent School
2 “Head of School Retention in Independent Schools”, Yaley, K (2021)
3 “Independent schools report staffing and mental health concerns” Independent School Management, May 2024
I don’t believe I could have navigated the past five years without the guidance and support of my Forum. It’s the most valuable meeting I have each month.
Transformative Outcomes for Leaders
Education leaders who participate in Forum experience:
- A sustainable support network that persists beyond formal sessions
- Practical tools for managing organizational complexity and change
- Increased resilience and well-being and decreased burnout risk
- Enhanced insight & decision-making through diverse perspectives
- Renewed sense of purpose and connection to core values
- Modeling authentic leadership for their school communities
How Leadership Forums Work
MEETING CADENCE
Cohorts meet throughout the school year, either in-person or on-line, tailored to each group’s availability. Online sessions last 90-120 minutes, and in-person sessions typically run for 3 hours hosted in a central location.
STRUCTURED COACHING PROCESS
Millennium’s peer coaching process leverages proven methods to address real-time challenges while building leadership skills.
SMALL PEER GROUPS
Applying education leaders are placed into cohorts of around eight peers from similar roles and schools. Cohorts often continue for many years at a time.
PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY
Confidentiality ensures the trust needed for authentic growth.
GEOGRAPHIC FLEXIBILITY
Our proprietary online meeting platform enables coaching-rich engagement and participation regardless of location.
SKILLED FACILITATION
Certified facilitators guide the process, introduce new themes each month, and ensure quality performance and outcomes.
Who Qualifies for Leadership Forums
Our Forums are designed specifically for:
- Heads of Schools and Principals
- Associate Heads and Assistant Principals
- Division Directors
- Aspiring school leaders
We create cohorts based on role similarity, ensuring peers understand each other's unique challenges. While our primary focus is independent schools, we welcome leaders from charter and public schools as capacity allows.
Investment in Your Leadership Journey
Participation in a Forum represents an investment in:
- Your personal well-being and leadership effectiveness
- Reducing burnout, turnover risk and associated costs
- Modeling authentic leadership for your community
- Building sustainable skills and relationships that grow over time
Forum participation fees range from $1,500-$2,000 for the academic year. Sliding scale pricing depending on each school’s budget is available to make Forum accessible to all educators who are authentically committed to whole-self leadership.
Hear From Current Forum Participants
“WE NOW HAVE A SHARED LANGUAGE, OPENNESS TO LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER, AND A LEVEL OF TRUST WE’VE NEVER HAD BEFORE.”
— David Dobson-Smith, Assoc, Head of School for Academics, Ridgefield Academy
“THE WORK THAT HAPPENS IN FORUM CLEARED MY MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT, HELPING ME TO NOT ONLY BE MORE AVAILABLE TO OTHERS BUT ALSO MORE OPEN.”
— Tracie Mastronicola, Head of School, Healdsburg School
“I WAS BLOWN AWAY BY HOW REFRESHED, ENERGIZED, AND CONNECTED I FELT. THIS HAS CONTINUED FOR FOUR YEARS. ”
— David Dobson-Smith, Assoc, Head of School for Academics, Ridgefield Academy
“WITHOUT FORUM, THE ISOLATION OF THE WORK - AND THE CHALLENGES INHERENT IN IT - COULD HAVE LED ME TO LEAVING THE PROFESSION.”
— Sam Shapiro, Head of School, Marin Montessori School
millennium voices
Our collaborative storytelling platform shares research, case studies, and perspectives from our community of practice. Subscribe to join our growing community of educators committed to authentic connection and well-being.
