| dc.description.abstract | Given the rapid change across the globe – technological, political, environmental, economic, etc. – many independent schools, which rely almost exclusively on tuition and private donations for revenue, are in challenging long-term financial positions. While sustainability is a challenge for most nonprofits (Bowman, 2011), the rate of tuition increases and a diminishing pool of reliable donors are particularly alarming for private educational institutions (Soghoian, 2012; NAIS, 2020). Most recently, this uncertainty has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with political unrest, climate change, and economic recessions all threatening stability as well. The field of futures thinking (FT), which is a process of exploratory thinking that employs an innovative mindset by using a range of techniques (DPMC, 2021), may prove revelatory for heads of school and school boards as they consider directions for the organizations they serve.
Research on FT in K-12 independent schools is fairly sparse, as is the intersection of FT and educational leadership. Even so, valuable FT ideas can be extracted from scholarly literature across various industries, such as environmental science – where concerns like climate change are pressing (Coulter, Serrao-Neumann, & Coiacetto, 2019), transportation (Banister & Hickman, 2013), nursing (Freed & McLaughlin, 2011), and even real estate (Toivonen, 2021). Furthermore, while FT research has not penetrated the sphere of education deeply (Gidley & Hampson, The Evolution of Futures in School Education, 2005), a sufficient foundation warrants further exploration toward the goal of creating more sustainable independent schools.
Our project takes a mixed-methods approach through the use of qualitative and quantitative data for the purpose of better understanding when, how, and to what end independent school leaders adopt FT mindsets and methodologies. A closed-ended survey was sent to 900 heads of school and board chairs, representing more than 1,800 schools in total. More than 500 leaders responded. Using this data, nine heads of school who self-reported the use of FT practices at their school were identified and interviewed. An additional interview was conducted with John Gulla, executive director of the Edward E. Ford Foundation and former independent school head. From this information we provide NAIS and its member schools key recommendations as they continue forward into a deeper understanding of FT for the purpose of preparing their organizations. | en_US |
