Heads of School Conference 2026

February 8-10, 2026, Williamsburg Lodge, Williamsburg

This program centers on collaboration and growth to support your leadership journey, developed around the theme of Leading and Listening. Anticipate engaging learning with national experts and inspiring collaboration with your VAIS colleagues.

The keynote speaker is award-winning author, speaker, and leadership coach Bradley James Davies. This year’s program also includes activities for spouses/significant others; regional dinners; and many opportunities for formal and informal development. At this conference, you will explore ways to:

Lead your people and your school from a perspective of listening
Onboard faculty, staff and administrators with a strategic mindset
Practice strategies to foster psychological safety within your community

Download the 2026 Heads of School Program

Register for Heads of School Conference 2026

FEATURING Bradley James Davies,

Author, Speaker & Leadership Coach

Bradley James Davies Bradley James Davies is an award-winning, best-selling author, speaker, and coach with over 25 years of corporate and nonprofit leadership experience. Davies is also the founder of Falkor, a leadership and life consultancy dedicated to helping clients lead better, live better, and love better. As an ICF-certified (PCC) leadership coach trained at Georgetown University, Davies clients span all sectors, from technology and entertainment to government and education, and all levels of leadership, from rising stars to c-suite veterans. A strategic listening expert and dedicated leadership wellness practitioner, Davies speaks and facilitates workshops on “Next Level Listening,” “Next Level Leadership,” and “Next Level Wellness.” Davies’ first book, School Leadership from A to Z: How to Lead Well Without Losing Your Way, is about the ups, downs, and all-arounds of school life and leadership.

OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN

WORKSHOP: Beyond the Offer Letter: Strategic Faculty Onboarding with Meera Shah, Trey Education

Every Head knows that while it’s getting harder to hire and retain faculty, it’s still important to ensure that our schools are staffed with teachers who are mission-aligned, with conditions in place for them to thrive both short- and long-term. The session explores early key levers in that effort: effective hiring, onboarding, and mentoring of new faculty. Participants will leave with fresh insight, peer perspectives, and concrete next steps for examining the onboarding experience at their school—not as an HR checklist, but as a powerful strategic lever. Whether you’re looking to tighten your systems, deepen your culture, or increase return on your hiring investments, this session will offer a compelling entry point to what’s possible when onboarding is done well.

WORKSHOP: Scripted Group: Learn by Playing with Dr. John Sullivan, Dr. Todd Patten, and Brent Roe-Hall, Scripted Group

Ever look around your leadership table and wonder, “Why is this still so hard?” You’ve hired well, led with care, and implemented smart solutions—but something still isn’t clicking. In this session, Dr. John E. Sullivan invites Heads of School to take a deeper look at what might be missing in their teams: the invisible but essential foundation of psychological safety. Backed by insights from Google’s Project Aristotle and Forbes’ investigation on learning [dis]comfort zones, this session will make the case that great teams don’t avoid discomfort—they’re built to grow through it. This engaging presentation will help you see your current frustrations with fresh clarity and equip you to build teams where trust, candor, playfulness, and performance thrive. Together, we will make progress toward healthy teams because we are willing to look at the problems of connection, comfort, and face.

KEYNOTE: Next Level Listening: How to Listen Like Your School Depends On It. Because It Does with Bradley James Davies

A recent survey of Fortune 500 companies reveals a startling truth. When asked how they would rate themselves as a listener compared to others in their workplace, 75% of employees self-identified as either above or well above average listeners. However, when asked to rate their colleagues, only 12% chose above or well above average. The truth is that the vast majority of us are lying to ourselves about our listening skills. We think we’re pretty darn good at it, but those closest to us don’t necessarily agree. What if only 12% of students felt like their teachers were good listeners? What if only 12% of children believed their parents were good listeners? What if only 12% of teachers felt like their school leaders were good listeners? What if only 12% of your board members or your leadership team believed that you, their Head of School, listened well?

The survey data reveals that our listening skills are a major blind spot. And the consequences couldn’t be more critical, both at school and at home. That’s the bad news. The good news is that listening is a superpower life and leadership skill that can be improved upon quickly, yielding an immediate positive impact on our personal and professional lives. In this hands-on, lighthearted deep dive on the art and science of listening, participants will learn and practice strategies and approaches normally reserved for trained leadership coaches. Attendees will emerge equipped with a skill set strong enough to enrich, heal, and even transform any school, classroom, home, or relationship. To lead and cultivate communities where quality listening proves the norm, not the exception.

REGISTRATION:

Who?	Registration Fee:
VAIS Head of School	$895
Head & Spouse – Sunday Dinner	$1090
Head & Spouse – Full Program	$1290

Registration/refund deadline: January 8

VAIS has set aside a room block at The Williamsburg Lodge. You can use this LINK or call this number (800-261-9530) to make room reservations. The room block closes on January 6, 2025.

Please email Darcie TeVault with any questions.

Register for Heads of School Conference 2026

Event Sponsors

Click HERE to learn more about VAIS sponsorship opportunities.