OUR HISTORY

The Heads Network began as National Association of Principals of Schools for Girls (NAPSG) and was closely allied with the work of the Association of Collegiate Alumnae. NAPSG held its first annual meeting in 1920–the very same year of the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution giving women the right to vote. The empowerment of women in America was reaching a crescendo after a successful 72-year struggle to affirm women’s right to vote.

Education had long been a field that recognized and embraced the value of women as professionals in the workplace, and NAPSG looked to continue the development and support of leaders of girls’ schools as a national network of heads of schools. The areas of administration, academics, as well as the larger issues of standards and ideals for school and life were especially important in schools for girls. Connecting these heads of schools with college admissions representatives also emerged as an important avenue to the continued education and success of young women, along with ongoing discussion about College Entrance Board examinations and a foreign exchange program for teachers.

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NAPSG's mission was to further the professional growth of its members by providing a forum in which issues pertinent to the education of girls and young women were presented and discussed. School heads and other representatives of member schools and colleges met to address issues ranging from curricular and administrative policies to moral education and the role of women in a complex and changing world.

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The Heads Network Today

The NAPSG Council held a retreat to vision the organization going forward in November 2012. The results of the meeting led to a name change, a revised mission, and a list of core tenets. In February 2013, NAPSG became The Heads Network.

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The Heads Network speaks to its mission of advancing girls and women in leadership in independent schools in several significant ways, including the two-day Annual Conference in late January/early February. Additionally, for nearly 40 years, The Heads Network has sponsored the Women’s Leadership Seminar to inspire and equip future women leaders. Held twice each year, over 1500 women have participated in Seminar and are now heads and senior independent school leaders in the United States and internationally. Of utmost value is an opportunity to collaborate with fellow members and talk freely in an association that features diversity and connectedness.

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In 2020, the association celebrated its 100th Anniversary. A new strategic plan was adopted in 2021, and the 2021-2022 academic year found the association expanding its programming to include webinars on topics pertinent to its member schools. The Heads Network remains a strong, focused association whose mission and programs continue to be relevant and important. Its rich past has laid the foundation to take it boldly forward, supporting and inspiring its members as it continues to promote women as independent school leaders.