Let’s face it. We’ve all needed one another this past year. Boarding school staff, faculty, and leaders shared their fears, challenges, and small victories; offered generous advice to one another; and created spaces for important, pressing, sometimes difficult, but always fruitful exchanges. We’re grateful to have been your partners on the journey.
Like so many of your schools, TABS has emerged from these past two years a different organization. We’ve paired the lessons of the pandemic with those we gleaned from extensive member research to shape a new vision for serving schools. A more detailed roadmap is in the works, and we’ll be sharing more details about that soon.
For now, please peruse some of the key themes guiding our future priorities—and the concrete improvements to membership we’ve instituted. Please let us know if you have suggestions or ideas!
TABS is one community. As NABI sunsets and we emerge from the shadow of a pandemic, the TABS membership should reflect that unity. The Association is returning to a unified membership with one set of benefits and one dues structure.
TABS must have an expansive view but a clear purpose. We aim to create exceptional value for boarding schools and their leaders through best-in-class Professional Learning, Enrollment & Recruitment Assistance, and actionable Research & Insights.
TABS programs must deliver unambiguous value to the Association’s core audiences, with rich offerings for Heads and Assistant Heads of School, Residential & Student Life Leaders and Practitioners, and Admission and Marketing Professionals. Secondary audiences for TABS’s next chapter include DEI Directors, Advancement Professionals, Institutional Researchers, and Trustees.
Speed matters. When the issues are urgent, TABS must be nimble in our response. We’ll sustain a robust schedule of timely and topical virtual learning, and conduct relevant flash surveys to collect and disseminate key information rapidly.
The Association finds its roots in shared principles. TABS should reflect and demonstrate support for Justice, Inclusivity, and Belonging. As a first step, TABS is initiating an audit of our organization and our strategic initiatives to embed these principles more deeply throughout our work.
Throughout the past year, boarding schools cooperated with unprecedented openness. TABS will expand the opportunities for members to connect with and learn from one another, standing up online community spaces and regular discussion forums. We’ll also continue to convene the membership, in-person and virtually, around key educational and strategic questions, sourcing subject matter experts when it’s beneficial.
There is an ongoing need for schools to define and promote the advantages of an immersive, residential education, one that prepares young people exceptionally well for life. TABS will help its members make the case for boarding school. The Association will move to a worldwide student recruitment approach, with programming, platforms, tools, guidance, and data-driven insights to support schools’ recruitment and enrollment work, at home and abroad.
The residential and student life functions in schools should be elevated. TABS will be at the center of that effort. The Association plans to introduce a new learning credential for professionals in the space.
More specifically, beginning in 2021-22, the following benefits, for the first time, will be included in membership and in your dues:
Robust Programs and Welcoming Spaces to Elevate You, Your Team and Your School
All-School/All-Staff Pass to
TABS Virtual Annual Conference
One Pass to TABS In-Person Annual Conference for a Staff Member in a Role Focused on Residential or Student Life
One Pass to New Heads Symposium at Annual Conference (for new Heads of School only)
Introductory Virtual Training for all Staff on Sexual Misconduct Prevention & Response
Year-round Member Rates to In-person Workshops, Seminars, and Symposia
Resource Aggregation on Best Practices
Webinars from Subject Matter Experts including Recordings & Materials Archive
Online Forums and Discussion Groups defined by Administrative Role
Tools and Guidance to Help You Connect with Prospective Families across the Globe
Your School Profile on BoardingSchools.com and TABSconnectED, with 24/7/365 Editing Privileges
Full Inclusion in TABS Worldwide Recruitment Platform
Member Pricing for International and Domestic In-Person Recruitment Events
Rotating Opportunity to Participate in Head of School
Family Webinar Series
Individualized Consultations on Student Recruitment Strategy, Digital Marketing, and Other Topics
Digital Brand-Building and Consumer-Marketing on Behalf of the Boarding School Category
Fresh Insights to Help
Bolster Your Leadership
Biennial Brand Benchmark Study
Annual Data Collection Analysis of Enrollment Trends
Frequent Flash Surveys with Published Results
Periodic TABS Reports: Research on the Pressing Topics of the Day
Career Center: Post a Job or Search a Job. Basic Listings are Complimentary
Pathways Forward: The Boarding School Newsletter with Alerts, Insights and Resources
Advocacy regarding regulatory or legal threats to the sector
KeepingTABS Blog
Targeted discounts, some exclusive to TABS members
Eligibility to Enroll in TABS Insurance TuitionNet Program (currently available to U.S. schools)
The 2022-2023 dues for TABS membership are based on the number of boarding students enrolled in your school on opening day of the school year during which your application is submitted.
The fee is $45.24 per boarding student. The minimum dues amount is $4,155 and the maximum is $12,475.
Dues for schools located outside the United States are paid in US dollars.