In Book VI of Plato’s Republic, we encounter the famous metaphor of the ship of state. Here Socrates likens the state, and its governance, to that of a ship. There is the captain, a skilled navigator prone to gazing at the stars (in the absence of modern technology, navigators traditionally had to keep their eyes on the stars for direction); there are the sailors, most of whom think they know more about steering the ship than they really do, basing their authority on their knowledge of particular aspects of the ship rather than the ship as a whole; and there is the ship owner, a well-meaning but easily impressionable person who knows little about what it takes to chart the course of the ship.
Read More » It was my good fortune to begin my ministry as Head Chaplain at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School at the same time as the school hired its first full-time Director of Counseling. Though he and I did not know each other prior to the 2012-2013 school year, we quickly realized that we could do more together to support the community members than if we attempted to “stay in our own lanes.”
Read More » Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) people have been experiencing renewed violence and discrimination across the United States. NAES has compiled resources that directly address AAPI bias as well as introduce students to the rich cultural landscape of Asian Pacific Islander (API) Americans.
Read More » A high degree of control over what is taught, how it is taught, and when it is taught continue to be key characteristics of independent schools, the community within which virtually all Episcopal schools operate. The best schools are also collaborative organizations focused on continuous improvement and cutting-edge practices.
Read More » Episcopal early childhood programs come in all shapes and sizes, from a small, half-day program with one classroom and two teachers to preschools with more than two hundred students and forty employees. But whether large or small, rural or urban, they face similar challenges. NAES here offers seven practices that we believe will strengthen any Episcopal preschool that exists in relationship to an Episcopal parish or cathedral.
Read More » Episcopal Identity and DEI work should go hand in hand, together 24/7 and every day of the school year. Taking time to develop a relationship between the person(s) responsible for maintaining our Episcopal identity AND the person(s) responsible for ensuring we are equitable and inclusive is the only way towards justice.
Read More » Early childhood programs constitute the single largest sector of Episcopal schools. While all schools have had to adapt to operating in a COVID-19 world, the challenges the virus has presented to preschools and childcare programs have been unique. Episcopal school early childhood leaders have been meeting weekly on Zoom since March. Here are the major takeaways from those conversations.
Read More » Over the last 6 months, our world has shifted; even though in reality it is always moving. When things become stagnant, they reek of death. We live a dynamic day to day experience filled with constant whirling, movement and transition. How do we balance ourselves in this tumult? What can we grasp and hold on to for security? Searching the Gospel of John we find a solid path.
Read More » What have been called the “dual pandemics” of COVID-19 and racism have shifted everything—from how and where learning takes place, to what is taught and why. School leaders have spent endless hours over multiple months to plan for the school year, amidst an ever-changing landscape of uncertainty and difficult judgment calls, without respite.
Read More » Gianna Floyd. At the delicate and golden age of six years old, she has been robbed of a most universal gift: her father. She has so many milestones yet ahead of her: graduations, first love, first heartbreak, school performances, awards. Her father will not be there for any of them--simply because a white man saw his blackness as a threat and deemed him not worthy of breathing. The effects on Gianna's spirit, psyche, and well-being are endless. She does not deserve the recurring pain of her father's perpetual absence.
