News

FA Host to National Small Schools Conference

Leaders of small schools from across the United States and from Canada will be at Falmouth Academy for the fourth annual National Small Schools Conference. Nearly 50 small-school leaders will attend the June 21-23 conference, which includes keynote speakers, sessions that focus on a variety of topics from strategic programming to dealing with legal issues, and time for participants to talk informally in a relaxed setting.

Jake Dresden, a senior search consultant with Carney Sandoe and a former head of Concord Academy, Spence and The Trinity School in New York City, is the Tuesday afternoon speaker. His topic is: “Running a small school can be fun: small schools and leadership.” Wednesday afternoon Janet Rapelye, Dean of admission at Princeton University and former dean of admission at Wellesley College, will speak.

At the beginning of the conference, NSSC participants will choose other topics for discussion.

Small-school leaders also have the chance to tour the Marine Biological Laboratory’s specimen tanks and join a collecting trip on Vineyard Sound with Rob Reynolds of Zephyr Education Foundation.

“This is the only conference to focus on small-school issues, and it has been a great success,” said Falmouth Academy headmaster David C. Faus, who created the NSSC with David Provost, William Wharton and Siri Akal Khalsa, heads of the Nantucket New School, The Commonwealth School and Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall, respectively. 

“Because small schools have goals and situations quite different from large schools, their leaders benefit from this chance to talk together, and many educators return each year,” continued Mr. Faus, who added, “Of course, Falmouth in June is a nice draw. Participants have free time to enjoy Falmouth beaches, bikeways, restaurants and stores.”