CHALLENGES FACED BY LEADERS OF COLOR IN TODAY’S SCHOOLS
Leading any school today is challenging. Yet education leaders of color face a distinct set of challenges rooted in underrepresentation, professional isolation, and systemic inequities.
- Only 7% of independent Heads of Schools are people of color1
- Women of color comprise just 1.5% of Heads of School2
- Leaders of color frequently report being one of very few people of color in their schools
- Leaders of color report feeling “a constant need to reassert their leadership and credibility.”
- Leaders of color report feeling “unrealistic expectations to represent the perspective of all people of color.”
- Education leaders of color have a 25% higher rate of turnover than average, and more often report feeling isolated and lacking networks of peers for mentoring.3
1 NAIS Data and Analysis for School Leadership, 2020
2 NAIS Research: “Summary of Findings from Barriers to the Hiring of Women for the Independent School Headship”, 2010
3 “The Retention of Educators of Color Amidst Institutionalized Racism”, 2021
Transformative Outcomes for Leaders
Our solution to these challenges is to create networks of education leaders of color, who participate in a dynamic Forum experience for peer coaching and support:
- 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 Leaders of color Forums Work
MEETING CADENCE
Cohorts meet throughout the school year, either in-person or online, 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 leaders of color Forums?
leadership Forums are designed for:
- Heads of Schools and Principals
- Associate Heads and Assistant Principals
- Division Directors
- Aspiring school leaders
We create cohorts based on role similarity in comparable schools, 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.
Veteran Facilitators
These cohorts will be led by two veteran independent school leaders, each certified in executive coaching and Forum facilitation, with significant personal passion and experience navigating the unique challenges facing our education leaders of color.
Katherine Dinh
(she/her)
Katherine Dinh served as the Head of Marin Country Day School in Corte Madera, California from 2019 to 2025. Prior to that, she was the Head of Prospect Sierra School in El Cerrito, California from 2007 to 2019. She has spent more than 30 years in various school settings and geographic locations. Besides her deep experience teaching and leading in independent schools, she was also a founder of a public charter school in Boston early in her career, and later in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, she founded and directed a temporary K-8 school for displaced students and staff in Houston, TX.
Katherine has served on numerous school and educational boards, including as past Chair of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Board and President of the Heads’ Collegiate Forum. She also served as Co-Chair of The Principals’ Center at Harvard University Graduate School of Education, and on the Executive Committee of the Educational Records Bureau (ERB) Board.
Katherine received her B.A. in English from the University of Virginia, and M.Ed. in International Education from Harvard. She received her executive coaching certification from the Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute (BECI) at the Haas School of Business.
Steve Morris
(he/him)
Steve Morris has spent the past 28 years as a teacher, administrator, and leader in independent schools. He is currently a consultant with RG175, supporting head of school and senior administrative searches, strategic advising, and board development. Previously, Steve served for 15 years as Head of The San Francisco School, a PK–8 school, following leadership roles at University High School (UHS) as Assistant Head, Dean of Multicultural Programs, English teacher, community service co-director, and soccer coach. He began his career at Sewickley Academy and later served as Executive Director of Summerbridge Pittsburgh.
Steve regularly presents at national and local conferences on school culture, faculty development, and DEIJ/antiracism education. He recently co-created and facilitated a year-long workshop series for Aspiring Leaders of Color. His own professional learning includes the NAIS Deep Dive Summit on Equity and Social Justice, the Klingenstein Fellowship for Heads of School, and the Pahara Fellowship.
He has served as a Trustee on several Boards, including Marin Country Day School, San Francisco Day School, and The Urban School of San Francisco. Most recently, he was Board Chair of the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS).
Steve holds a Master of Arts in Education from Stanford University (Principal Fellows Program), a bachelor’s degree in English from the College of Wooster. He received his executive coaching certification from the Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute (BECI) at the Haas School of Business.
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. ”
— Andrew Davis, Head of School, Mt Tam School
“Each time I attend Forum, I emerge re-energized and re-excited by the opportunities that await me in school leadership.”
— Sam Shapiro, Head of School, Marin Montessori School
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