Connection and Inspiration: Alma Partners at the AWSNA & NSSC Conferences
Summer is a time to seek connection and inspiration. In late June, Alma Partners found both as we sponsored and presented at the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) Conference hosted by Toronto Waldorf School and the National Small Schools Conference (NSSC) hosted by the Crefeld School in Philadelphia.
A Call to Teach and Lead Differently
Dr. Linda Williams’ keynote address to the 2025 AWSNA Conference outlined aspects of what’s needed to teach and lead today. Dr. Williams talked about “three Rs”: (self) regulation, relationship, and resilience, and gave three exhortations to a rapt audience:
1) Do our own inner work
2) Build communities: intergenerational, interdisciplinary communities that help us all develop courage for what’s ahead
3) Find your fire
Addressing teachers, Dr. Williams encouraged her listeners to offer students examples of ways they can make a difference in the world, saying, “Teach with stories that have a turning point, where each of us has a part to play in communities of care. Teach so children can pause, reflect, and ask their own questions.”
Dr. Williams (she/her) is a co-founder of Alma Partners, and a long-time member of the Detroit Waldorf School family before she retired from full-time teaching in June 2024.
Leadership and Governance
Dr. Stephen Sagarin’s keynote on Waldorf governance used a striking metaphor: he likened the body of Rudolf Steiner’s work to a house and said that Steiner’s scant guidance on leadership amounts to no more than a “sweater in a closet”. His message reminded listeners that there is no fixed manual for school governance. Instead, Waldorf leaders today have the freedom and responsibility to innovate governance structures that reflect the needs of their communities.
Steve shared:
“If all of Rudolf Steiner’s work—about 6000 lectures and several books—were the size of a house, his educational work would be the size of a large closet in that house, and his few words on leadership and governance would be a sweater in the closet. If all of Rudolf Steiner’s work were the size of a refrigerator, his educational work would be the size of a crisper drawer, and his few words on leadership and governance would be a carrot in that drawer.
He gave about 300 lectures on education, and he wrote one slim book on teaching and learning. And, within all that work, there are phrases, sentences, and a few short paragraphs on school leadership, administration, and governance. Given this paucity, and given the history of Waldorf schools over the past 100 years or so, we should acknowledge at the outset that there’s a lot of room for creativity and freedom in school leadership. We can put on the sweater, munch on the carrot, and walk freely around the house.”
From Inspiration to Action
Alma Partners’ Co-Founder, Vicki Larson, attended the 2025 AWSNA Conference, meeting new people and seeing longtime friends at the Alma Partners table; listening to brilliant, insightful tales from Baba the Storyteller; and connecting with other vendors. Special thanks for great connections to Heidi and Eric from Informed Adolescence, Tekonwanyahé:sen Stacy Hill and Chandra from HAWI, Maria from the Anthroposophic Health Association, Cathy from the Center for Biography and Social Art, and Theo from Wheelhouse Web Solutions.
Two inspiring workshops at the conference were Pathfinding in Uncertainty, led by John Bloom and Leah Walker, and Emergent Strategy, led by Daniel Baker from Pasadena Waldorf School and based on the book of the same name by adrienne maree brown.
Highlights from the two workshops included:
An exercise in John and Leah’s workshop where participants reflected on who opened doors for us in our lives, and whom we now have the power to open doors for;
Space in Daniel’s workshop to look at the principles of emergent strategy and their resonances in the work of Octavia Butler’s Parable series and the field of biomimicry, and time to discuss how we are working with emergent strategy principles in our schools and organizations.
Helping Schools Build Capacity
At this year’s National Small Schools Conference (NSSC) in Philadelphia, Alex Borders led a workshop entitled Fractional Director Services: A Cost-Smart Way to Build Capacity.
In an economy where every dollar and every hour counts, fractional leadership is a sustainable way for small schools to compete, thrive, and grow. Alma Partners is already helping schools move from survival mode to strategic growth, proving that with the right support, small can be strong.
With fractional leadership making news and an uncertain economy on everyone’s mind, Alex’s presentation was timely, focusing on the need for small schools to do more with less. Alex shared some of the key challenges small schools face, which surely sound familiar to you: limited staff capacity, the need for integration across departments, turnover in key roles, and limited budgets. Outlining the differences between fractional services and outsourcing or consulting, Alex explained that fractional directors are embedded partners with strategic mandates, who own outcomes and help teams deliver on tasks.
Learn more about Fractional Advancement Services provided by Alma Partners.
