2025 Retreat for Heads and Associate/Assistant Heads of School

Homa Tavangar is the co-founder of the Big Questions Institute and the Oneness Lab.

She brings 30+ years’ experience helping diverse organizations and individuals to build cultural, racial and global competence, strategic governance, and visionary, generative leadership in diverse schools and organizations. She coaches leaders on accountability for equity, leading through crisis, and advises on strategic design and planning across five continents. She has co-authored seven books for educators, and is the author of best-selling Growing Up Global: Raising Children to Be At Home in the World (published by Random House) and Global Kids (Barefoot Books). Her most recent publication is 12 Big Questions Schools Must Answer to Create Irresistible Futures with Will Richardson (forthcoming, 2025). 

A graduate of UCLA and Princeton, Homa was born in Iran, has lived on four continents, speaks four languages, and has heritage in four world religions. She serves on several Boards, including ISS (International Schools Services) and is a judge for the Templeton Prize, considered the “world’s most interesting prize” with a purse calibrated to exceed the Nobel Prize. She is married and the mother of three adult daughters, and resides in Villanova, Pennsylvania.

 Sarah Prevette has developed transformational strategy for some of the country’s biggest business leaders and renowned brands including Google and Apple. Globally recognized for her work in human-centered design, entrepreneurship and change management, Prevette is the Founder and CEO of Future Design School – an organization supporting education transformation in over 65 countries. Her work in industry and schools around the world gives her a unique perspective on rising trends and we’re thrilled to have her here today to talk about what she’s seeing and what we might consider as strategic leaders going into this new school year.

Can students listen to music while they study?  Does keyboard-based note taking change learning compared to pen-based note taking?  Will AI strengthen and hasten student learning?  During this session, we will explore several principles of how human beings learn and filter these through the lens of digital technologies and AI.  Drawn from brain, behavioral, and educational research, these principles are learning "nuggets" that can shine a light on the efficacy (or lack thereof) of digital learning.

Exemplary employees enable schools to thrive while poorly performing and disruptive employees can distract schools from their mission. In this session we will discuss how to legally and effectively hire the best candidates. We will also review the issues to consider when terminating employees who are not aligned with the school’s mission. We will also discuss the best procedures to follow to enable the School to defend its hiring and separation decisions. We will review the potential claims that can result when employees are not interviewed and hired consistent with legal requirements, as well as issues that can arise when terminating employees with mental health issues and other disabilities, employees who have recently returned from leave and employees who have recently made a complaint. Finally, we will review some tools that schools can use to minimize their risks, including strong policies and severance agreements.

Susan Guerette, a partner in the Philadelphia office, represents management in labor and employment matters, including discrimination claims and employee defection disputes. She specializes in litigating cases involving non-compete agreements, trade secrets, fiduciary duty, and related issues stemming from employee transitions between competitors.

Susan has litigated more than 400 employee defection and recruitment matters in over 30 different states, as well as numerous arbitration actions before arbitration panels (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Susan has extensive experience across industries such as securities brokerage, healthcare, tech, food manufacturing, and staffing.

A member of the firm’s Education Practice Group, Susan advises private schools on employee, student, and board matters. She also counsels employers on compliance, immigration, and employment policies, drafting severance and compensation agreements, and developing programs to minimize risks from employee movement.

Susan is AV Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell, has been named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer since 2011, and was included in International Employment Lawyers’ inaugural “Women Leaders” list in 2022.

presented by Christina Lewellen, MBA, CAE
Executive Director, Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools

Are you hearing about the potential of AI but struggling to get started? This session will dig into AI tools that are most likely to unlock a new level of productivity in your work as a Head. Take the reins on your limited time and capacity and learn how these tools, when used cautiously and correctly, can give you work-life balance and drive greater efficiency into your leadership and operations. Delve into AI's transformative possibilities for schools and explore resources for immediate implementation. Attendees will walk away with a plethora of AI tools designed to unlock productivity, and the confidence to use them safely.

About the Presenter

Christina Lewellen is a seasoned association executive who brings a data-driven framework to business planning and strategy, having earned her MBA from the Rochester Institute of Technology and the Certified Association Executive designation from the American Society of Association Executives. She was named the Executive Director of ATLIS in 2019 and travels coast-to-coast visiting independent schools and their leadership teams. She serves as a trustee for the Harmony Foundation International and is an active volunteer in the association management space.

Presented by

• Dr. Lee Levison, Former Headmaster, Collegiate School
• Dr. T.J. Locke, Head of School, The Episcopal Academy
• Joy McGrath, Head of School, St. Andrew's School
• Christopher Torino, Assistant Head of School, The Episcopal Academy
• Dana Weeks, Head of School, Germantown Friends School

This year’s Spotlight Conversation builds upon the insights shared by Deerfield Academy’s Head of School, Dr. John Austin, during our 2024 Retreat. At that event, Dr. Austin introduced Thriving in a World of Pluralistic Contention: A Framework for Schools and its pillar principles of expressive freedom, disciplined nonpartisanship, and intellectual diversity—developed in collaboration with colleagues brought to together by the E.E. Ford Foundation. At the time, the Framework was nearing publication. Since its publication it has become a cornerstone of meaningful work in independent schools nationwide.

This year’s session brings together the Framework's project director, Dr. Lee Levison, and ADVIS school leaders for a presentation and discussion about the intentions and hopes behind the Framework and the work accomplished at three ADVIS schools as a result of it.

Attendance at last year's conversation is not necessary to engage fully with this year’s presentation and discussion. 

About the Presenters

Dr. T.J. Locke serves as Head of School at The Episcopal Academy, a Pre-K-12, co-ed, independent school in Newtown Square, PA. Before joining The Episcopal Academy in 2013, Dr. Locke served as Head of School at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans for seven years. Dr. Locke began his career as a high school English teacher and state champion-winning volleyball coach. He then served in various leadership roles for the Cherry Hill, N.J. public school system. A frequent presenter at national and regional conferences, Dr. Locke currently serves on two boards for the Horizons program. He previously served on the boards of the Educational Records Bureau, the Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools, and the Independent School Data Exchange. Dr. Locke earned a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in Educational Administration from Rutgers University and his doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania in Educational Leadership and Organizational Theory.

Joy McGrath, Head of School at St. Andrew’s School, is a Delaware native and a proud graduate of St. Andrew’s School, Class of 1992. She is honored to serve as the fifth head of school for St. Andrew’s in Middletown, Delaware. McGrath’s first return to St. Andrew’s was as a faculty member from 1999 to 2007, during which she served as director of advancement, a dorm parent, and an English teacher, among other roles. Before rejoining St. Andrew’s in 2021, she held the position of chief of staff to the president of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Joy McGrath and her husband, Ty Jones, also a member of the Class of 1992, are grateful to live on campus and contribute to the vibrant St. Andrew’s community.

Christopher Torino, The Episcopal Academy’s Assistant Head of School has nearly 30 years of experience in independent schools, having served as an English teacher, department head, baseball coach, dormitory head, dean of faculty, head of school, and trustee. He has led and participated in many school initiatives and innovations, including, most recently, one at Episcopal focused on the future of college counseling, student wellbeing and enrollment management. He earned a B.A. in English from Amherst College, an M.A. in English from the University of Louisville, and an Ed.M. from Harvard University.

Dana Weeks is the Head of School at Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia, a coeducational Quaker school serving approximately 1,150 students from early childhood through 12th grade. Since 2013, Dana has led the 179-year old institution through a new era guided by a bold strategic vision, including cultivating a stronger, more diverse enrollment and launching an ambitious five-year campaign, Picture This: A Campaign for Learning in Community.

Recently, Dana served on Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker’s transition team, and as a member of an E.E. Ford Task Force composed of Heads of School from across the country co-developed Thriving in a World of Pluralistic Contention: A Framework for Schools. She is the current Clerk of the Friends School League, and Vice Chair of the Board and Finance Chair of Global Online Academy. She also sits on the board of The Friends Collaborative, and serves on the Nominating and Governance Board of the Friends Council On Education. 

Before GFS, Dana worked at Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn, NY, as faculty, and as Head of the High School. She holds a B.S. in Chemistry Management and Philosophy from the University of Scranton, and an M.A. in Philosophy from Villanova University. She also completed additional graduate work at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University.

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After more than 100 conversations with Heads about the independent school business model, the results are in. 

Uncover the critical challenges facing today's independent schools and discover how schools are effectively redefining the model. 

This session will delve into case studies of schools, analyzing their paths to success and offering actionable insights. 

Essential for trustees and school leaders, this workshop offers a critical examination of current hurdles, identifies opportunities to reimagine the business model, and provides a hopeful outlook for the future of independent schools.

About the Presenter

Peter Baron is a dedicated and seasoned advocate for independent schools. His journey began with a personal transformational experience as a boarding student, which profoundly shaped his future and set him on a path of over 20 years of service to schools.

Peter is the founder of MoonshotOS, a professional learning community empowering leaders to reimagine the independent school business model.

He served as the Chief Member Relations Officer for the Enrollment Management Association, directing EMA's marketing and communications, member recruitment and retention, outreach functions,  leadership training programs, research, and other related strategic initiatives. With a career in association management, product development, sales, relationship development, marketing, and entrepreneurship and hosting more than 300 podcasts focused on leadership and independent school growth, Peter's success has been built on listening to schools' and families' needs—rooted in a deep commitment to the transformational experience that independent schools can offer students.

Peter has been recognized throughout his career for his strategic, compassionate, proactive, analytical, and highly collaborative approach. He has showcased his expertise at various conferences, from NAIS to EMA and numerous state and regional associations. Peter was a trustee for Wolfeboro Camp School, Historic Neighborhoods, and Emerald City Football Club. He graduated from Brewster Academy, Skidmore College (BA), and Tufts University (MAT).