Leadership Fellows Program

Oct 23, 2026 6:00PM—Oct 25, 2026 12:00PM

Location

Upham Hotel in Santa Barbara

Cost $5,600 members; $8,400 non-members

Categories Hybrid, In-Person, Leadership, Ongoing Program, School Leaders

Leadership Fellows Program

RETREAT: October 23 - 25, 2026 at The Upham Hotel

SESSION 1: December 11, 2026 | 10:00am - 12:00pm | Virtual

SESSION 2: January 8, 2027 | 10:30am - 3:30pm | Bay School of San Francisco

COACHING SESSION: Virtual

SESSION 3: March 12, 2027 | 10:00am - 12:00pm | Virtual

SESSION 4: May 7, 2027 | 10:30am - 3:30pm | Southern CA Location TBD

APPLY NOW

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The job of an independent school leader can be complicated and rewarding—and on some days, it’s pretty darn tough. Often working directly with many constituent groups, school leaders require a myriad of interpersonal and professional skills in order to lead, to collaborate effectively, and to have impact. With an ever-more complicated world landscape, it’s essential to not only be an effective leader but also make the work joyful and sustainable by better knowing oneself and the needs of the position.

This Fellowship for experienced educators from throughout California supports the unique demands of independent school leaders—the only program of its kind in the state! Facilitated by two Heads of School (one former and one current), the Leadership Fellows Program offers time for personal reflection on one’s leadership journey, practical knowledge and skill development specifically targeted to independent school leadership, as well as supportive professional connections.

The program opens with a two-day retreat in Santa Barbara designed to allow the cohort to connect and reflect as well as engage in sessions designed to hone leadership capacities. Other sessions include case studies, problem-based discussions, career planning and strategy, and activities that will challenge participants to reflect on their roles and encourage the development of their leadership skills.

Goals:

To provide experienced pre K-12 leaders with the knowledge, skills, and resources important for senior-level leadership
To provide time and space to “see oneself” clearly and reflect on where each person is–uniquely–in their leadership journey
To address topics such as leadership EQ, communication, team building, systems thinking, strategic planning, and organizational health
To develop and strengthen relationships and networks of support among school leaders

RETREAT IN
SANTA BARBARA

The program opens with a two-day retreat in Santa Barbara designed to allow the cohort to connect and reflect.

IN-PERSON
SESSIONS

We will come together as a statewide cohort for two in-person day-long sessions, one in Northern and one in Southern California.

VIRTUAL
CHECK-INS

We will come reconnect twice virtually to stay in touch throughout the school year in-between our chances to be together in-person.

SCHOOL
VISITS

Each participant will have the opportunity to visit a colleague's school.

INDIVIDUAL
COACHING

Each participant will have the opportunity to participate in a virtual 1-1 coaching session with either Phil or Nisa.

AUDIENCE

Individuals who are or aspire to be senior leaders and/or heads of school. Preferably, participants will have five years of experience in a leadership capacity in academic roles (academic deans, division directors, or deans of curriculum/teaching and learning, DEI) or non-academic ones (admissions, development, communications, or finance).

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CAIS

CATDC and CAIS are proud to continue their partnership in support of skilled, responsive leadership. We are delighted to offer the member rate to CAIS schools who may not yet be members of CATDC for the upcoming 10th anniversary cohort.

Testimonials

Leadership fellows is honestly the best kept secret in terms of professional development for headship. I was privileged to be a part of the second cohort of this group and the relationships formed there and the coaching I received are why I am able to confidently serve as a head of school now. I continue to lean on those connections and feel fully supported even now – I can’t speak highly enough of this opportunity and encourage everyone interested in serving as a head to make the commitment!

I had no idea how much I would learn from my cohort group, and how bonded we would become during this process. The role playing was incredibly helpful, and all the guest speakers brought excellent (and differing) perspectives to the conversation.

I loved that the group was coming from different types of schools (sizes, grades, etc.). Building those bonds is what is the most important to me! The program leaders are both invested and extremely knowledgeable.

I appreciated knowing that not everyone in the program wants to be a director, that there are other ways to lead. Also, It was reaffirming to hear that other schools are having the same issues as mine, and seeing perspectives from other departments was extremely helpful and opened my eyes to some other job opportunities.

FACILITATORS

Nisa Frank has proudly served as the Head of School at Prospect Sierra, a TK-8 school in El Cerrito, Ca., for seven years, bringing a wealth of experience in progressive leadership and institutional equity. Prior to her current role, Nisa served as the Head of Lower School at The Hamlin School, an all-girls K-8 school in San Francisco. A Bay Area native, she returned in 2014, grounded in over a decade of work in New York City. Her work includes transformative teaching and administrative roles at Bank Street School for Children, The Town School, and Packer Collegiate Institute. She holds advanced degrees from Bank Street College of Education and the Klingenstein Program at Teachers College, Columbia University.

In addition to her school leadership, Nisa serves on the boards of the California Teacher Development Collaborative and The College Preparatory School. Driven by the belief that education is the purest form of activism, she focuses her work on creating vehicles for social change and broadening access to independent education.

In addition to being a loyal Warriors fan, Nisa is also the mother of an active 3-year-old and enjoys spending time with her family and friends who have deep roots in the East Bay Area.

Phil Gutierrez, as of July 1, 2026, is the Executive Director of the California Association of Independent Schools. From 2021 to 2026, he was the Head of School at Marin Primary & Middle School in Larkspur, CA and the Head of School at Mid-Peninsula High School in Menlo Park, CA from 2017 to 2021. Prior to headship, Phil worked at The Branson School in Ross, CA for 22 years, first as an English teacher and then in a variety of administrative roles, including class dean, Director of Admission, and Assistant Head of School for Advancement and External Affairs.

Phil has served on a number of boards, including CATDC (where he served as board chair), CAIS, Live Oak School, and Mark Day School. He was also on the faculty of the NAIS School Leadership Institute in Washington DC from 2014 to 2025. Phil holds his B.A. in English, with a minor in Spanish, from U.C. Berkeley and his M.A. from Stanford. He and his wife, Robbie, are parents of two adult children. Phil loves to play the guitar, read, and entertain the family's black Labrador retriever.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Enrollment in this program is limited and by application only. Requirements for consideration of admission to this program include:

Application submission: Priority applications are due June 1, with our first round of participants announced June 15. If there is still space left in the program, a second round of applications will be due on September 18, with our full cohort announced on October 2. Please find our application form here.
A $500 program deposit to be submitted via Eventbrite (click here), refunded if you are not accepted.

EARN GRADUATE LEVEL CREDITS

CATDC is partnering with Courses4Teachers to offer University of the Pacific graduate-level professional development semester units/credits for your participation in Leadership Fellows!

SCHOLARSHIPS

Thanks to the Janet McGarvey Fund, CATDC is offering a limited number of scholarships to participants in our Leadership Fellows Program.

Eligibility: CATDC’s Leadership Fellows Scholarships are intended for individuals who otherwise would not be able to participate in the program due to limitations in professional development funds at their school sites. In addition to demonstrated financial need on the part of their school, we will prioritize scholarships for individuals who bring diversity to the program in terms of experience and regional representation. We are also asking schools to make some contribution to the registration costs. See more details below.

Please apply for a scholarship if your school does not have the resources to pay a full registration fee, and ensure you can attend if accepted and granted funding.

Scholarships will be given to offset registration costs.

In order for your application to be considered, this statement of finance form must be completed by your Head of School or Business Office.

Scholarship applications and statements of finance will be due June 1, and recipients will be notified by June 15.

Cancellation Policy

Life happens. We understand that there will be times when you cannot attend a workshop that you have registered and paid for. We strive to be as helpful and flexible as possible when things out of your control happen. Please visit our FAQ page for detailed information about our cancellation policy and answers to frequently asked questions about enrollment and membership.