26-27 Assistant/Associate Head Cohort

The role of Assistant or Associate Head is unlike any other in a school. You sit at the intersection of strategy and execution, supporting the vision of your Head while leading your own team. The path isn't always clear. And it can be hard to find others who truly understand what you're navigating.

The Assistant and Associate Heads Leadership Cohort, offered through ISAS in partnership with Carpenter Leadership Consulting, is designed specifically for you. This is a group coaching experience for Assistant and Associate Heads at ISAS member schools. A space to develop your leadership, deepen peer relationships, and find greater clarity in your role.

Eight 90-minute sessions. One topic each month. A cohort of like-minded leaders doing the same work you are. Capacity is limited to 15 participants.

This is not a lecture series or a class. There are no outside readings, no projects, no homework. What you will find is a structured space to reflect on your leadership and learn from others who are living it alongside you.

FAQs
1) Is this a series of talks, workshops, or more of a class?
It's a group coaching experience. Each month has a topic. Participants reflect, share, and learn from one another. This is a collaborative learning experience not a lecture or a course.

2) Is there work outside of the 90 minutes?
No. No readings, no assignments, no homework. The work happens inside the session.

3) Is there independent or group work?
There are no projects. Participants engage in self-reflection as part of each session, and the whole group learns together based on that month's topic.

4) The Assistant/Associate Head of School role looks different at every school. Will this actually apply to me?
Yes! And that's exactly why this cohort exists. Rather than focusing on the day-to-day tasks of the job, this program focuses on the leadership of the role: what it means to lead as an AHOS, and how to do it well in your specific context. One recent participant put it this way: "I now have a full notebook of ways I can better lead, and a group of people I know I can call at any time.”