Authors and contributors
Two authors shaped the volume, with the Forward contributed by the leaders of AISH and WASC. The 34 contributors below provided the leadership stories, case studies, quotations, reflections and expert strategies the book is built on.
Vice President — International Schools at WASC and a Partner Consultant with VisionNext. More than three decades in international education, including over 25 years in school leadership: ten years as Director of The International School Yangon, and previously Cayman International School, Qatar Academy Doha, and Escuela Campo Alegre in Caracas. Past President of the Association for the Advancement of International Education.
WASC · VisionNextAn international educator, author, and consultant with more than 30 years of experience across schools in Asia and the Middle East, and a Partner Consultant with VisionNext. Adjunct Professor at SUNY Buffalo State University. Author of Inside-Out, on how the experiences created inside a school shape its reputation, and Which Shoe Am I?, on professional growth for educators.
VisionNext ConsultingCo-CEO of the Academy for International School Heads. She taught high school mathematics in Canada for a decade before a 21-year international career across Egypt, Costa Rica, Syria, and Jordan as teacher, curriculum chair, principal, and deputy head, then as Head of School in Cameroon and Ghana. She has served on the boards of ECIS, as Treasurer, and AISH, and is a certified Leadership and Performance Coach.
Academy for International School HeadsSenior Vice President, International Schools for WASC, based in Singapore. She began teaching world languages in Scotland before moving into international education in Belgium, and has since served as Department Chair, High School Principal, and Head of School. Past President of EARCOS, with more than fourteen years in accreditation services. MA St Andrews, M.Ed Sheffield, Ed.D Durham.
Western Association of Schools and CollegesContributors
Professional insight into crisis communication, and the importance of community trust and consistent messaging when circumstances change quickly.
Navigating difficult personnel and organizational decisions when financial circumstances changed significantly, and the human consequences of workforce decisions.
Leading an international school through the period of uncertainty following September 11, and the emotional demands placed on leaders when a community's safety is uncertain.
How students and adults can experience the same crisis very differently, and the importance of safety, stability, belonging, and emotional support.
Contributions across preparedness, decision-making, personnel, and supporting a community through uncertainty, and how decisions are experienced by the people inside the school.
Leading a school community through a prolonged institutional crisis, and the importance of purpose, connection, and sustaining hope when there is no immediate return to normal.
Leading in a complex environment where uncertainty affected both the school and the wider community, beyond the school's direct control.
Specialist safeguarding expertise, reinforcing that a school's responsibility to protect students remains constant even when normal systems and environments are disrupted.
Professional expertise in governance, organizational readiness, and the structures that help boards and school leaders work together under pressure.
The governance perspective during crisis, and the relationship between a Board Chair and Head of School when decisions are difficult or time-sensitive.
Extensive firsthand leadership experience across preparedness, governance, decision-making, communication, personnel, and operational response in multiple international settings.
Specialist thinking on crisis preparedness and the critical early stages of response, and establishing systems and protocols before they are needed.
Expertise in leadership development and collaborative decision-making, and how structured processes help teams work through complexity when there is no perfect solution.
Specialist expertise in financial resilience, staffing, and reduction-in-force decision-making when a crisis changes enrollment, revenue, or staffing needs.
Specialist expertise in evacuation planning and operational readiness, and why evacuation must be understood as a process rather than a destination or a written plan.
Firsthand experience of leadership during major disruption, including the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and how a school can create opportunities to serve the wider community.
Remaining within a school community during significant disruption and what it meant to lead from within the community, including leadership presence and personal resilience.
Leading through prolonged disruption including infrastructure challenges and extended power outages, and the value of frequent communication and reassurance.
The values that guide leadership when difficult decisions have real consequences for people's lives — respect, transparency, compassion, integrity, and courage.
Specialist insight into collective care and communication during crisis, and the practices that help communities remain connected under pressure.
Leading through significant civil unrest, from the immediate demands of crisis through to personal resilience, enrollment loss, financial pressure, and longer-term recovery.
Decision-making when leaders do not have all the information they would want, and the tension between transparency and responsibility.
An HR perspective on crisis leadership grounded in trust, and the difference it makes when people know their leaders are present and ready to support.
Specialist expertise in technology and digital continuity, and maintaining secure communication and access to critical systems when infrastructure is disrupted.
With Dr. David Willows, thinking on institutional alignment and the gap between what a school intends to provide and what its community actually experiences.
Leading through the Mandalay earthquake and the continuing uncertainty of aftershocks, and the importance of presence, listening, and keeping a community connected.
Preparedness, uncertainty, and the realities of leading a school community when external events directly affect daily life.
Leading in a complex international context, and the value of preparation and situational awareness when circumstances develop differently from what was anticipated.
The operational and financial realities schools face during a crisis, and the balance between long-term sustainability and the consequences for employees and families.
Firsthand leadership experience from periods of significant disruption, plus the 50-Point Institutional Alignment Checklist adapted from her Inside-Out work.
Maintaining academic continuity during significant disruption, and the practical challenges of sustaining student learning when campus access is interrupted.
Maintaining access to learning and technology during disruption, and how schools respond when students have different levels of connectivity and access.
Specialist expertise in school risk and business continuity planning, and the contribution “The Plan Nobody Tested” — preparedness depends on more than a written plan.
With Ms. Suzette Parlevliet, thinking on institutional alignment and the experience of the school community through its relationships, communication, and systems.