The National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES) is pleased to announce the publication of a pivotal new study, An Investigation of Support Resources for Heads of Color to Promote Well-Being, Persistence, and Retention, authored by Dr. Carrie M. Grimes of Peabody College at Vanderbilt University. This report explores the experiences of Heads of Color in independent schools, with a particular focus on Episcopal education, to identify factors that support or hinder their success.
Generously funded by the Good Samaritan Foundation, this study addresses the urgent needs of Heads of Color in independent schools—an increasingly critical issue as the demand for experienced school leaders rises, average tenures shorten, and the challenge of diversifying leadership persists, even as school communities become more racially diverse.
Utilizing a mixed-methods research approach, including qualitative interviews with Heads of Color, the study identifies key resources that foster a sense of support—ultimately contributing to the well-being, persistence, and retention of these leaders within their school communities.
The report offers several key recommendations to NAES, school trustees, and governing boards, and it particularly highlights the positive role of Episcopal identity in the retention of Heads of Color.
“This report offers a clear and actionable framework, both for NAES and for our member schools,” said the Rev. David A. Madison, D.Min., NAES Executive Director. “Though there is still much work to do, we are encouraged by the positive impact that NAES and the larger Episcopal schools community are having on leaders of color.”
NAES members can access both an executive summary and the full report in the NAES resource library.
The National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES) is an independently incorporated, voluntary membership organization that supports, serves, and advocates for the vital work and ministry of those who serve approximately 800 Episcopal schools and early childhood education programs throughout the Episcopal Church, as well as school establishment efforts. Chartered in 1965, with historic roots dating to the 1930s, NAES is the only pre-collegiate educational association that is both national in scope and Episcopal in character. The Association advances Episcopal education and strengthens Episcopal schools through essential services, resources, conferences, and networking opportunities on Episcopal school identity, leadership, and governance, and on the spiritual and professional development of school leaders.