Welcome To ISCA –
Your Board Chair Community
ISCA Celebrates 50 Years of supporting board chairs, strengthening schools
Serving as Board Chair can sometimes feel like a leadership role of one.
You’re leading your fellow trustees, partnering closely with your Head of School, navigating sensitive issues, and helping your board make decisions that matter deeply to your school. And there are some challenges that only another Board Chair truly understands.
That’s why having the right community around you matters.
When you join ISCA, you become part of a nationwide community of Board Chairs who understand the role because they are living it, too. It’s a place to ask questions, exchange ideas, learn from one another’s experiences, and gain perspective when you need it most.
But your ISCA community extends beyond your peers.
Throughout the year, ISCA brings leading voices and experts in independent school governance, leadership, finance, legal issues, strategy, and other emerging challenges directly to our members. Through webinars and programs designed specifically for Board Chairs, you have opportunities to learn from people with deep expertise—and consider what their insights mean for you, your board, and your school.
Add timely governance resources, practical tools, peer groups, and opportunities to connect with Chairs across the country, and ISCA becomes something every Board Chair should have:
A community to turn to. Experts to learn from. Resources to rely on.
ISCA is a 501(c)3 and our mission for the last 50 years has been to empower independent school board chairs to lead with excellence. ISCA fuels governance success by providing practical resources, professional development opportunities, experienced support, and extensive peer networking.
Hear from our board President, Michael Patrick, as we celebrate ISCA’s 50th Anniversary milestone.
Our initiatives include:
ISCA’s New Resource:
Governance in Partnership: A Framework for Fiduciary Leadership in Independent Schools
Critical, timely information.
Like our Weekly Chair Post on document retention and destruction policies…
Read this sample Weekly Chair Post
Free webinars.
Attend live or browse our library of power hours on topics like innovative strategic planning and fiscal sustainability.
View one of our webinars!
Board Chair Peer Groups.
Connect with other board chairs you share experiences with: 1st year board chairs, Chairs of small schools, Chairs with new HOS, Chairs of boarding schools
24/7 online forums.
ISCA members handle challenges and shape the future. Post your questions and answer others. Together, we can do more.
Learn more about our programs
Upcoming Events & Webinars
ISCA Board Chair Peer Groups
The Future Ready Board: Putting AI to Work on the Board’s Own Agenda
Building the Board’s Annual Work Plan
Stewardship Before Crisis: Preserving Financial Agency
Strengthening the Chair/Head Partnership: Intentional Practices That Matter
What Our Members Are Saying…
” Such an excellent organization and an incredibly important resource for board members and chairs. Thank you for all that you do.”
“I’m so glad I joined ISCA. It’s been immeasurably helpful in providing me with information and a sounding board as I transition into my first year as board chair”
“Thank you so much for all the great programming you make available for us!”
“Even if you just read the weekly posts and the email forum, [ISCA] is such a valuable resource. The webinars and the conference are so informative, and being a member is a reminder that there are many other chairs who have the same questions that you do!”