Operational Excellence (OpEx) for Education™ Pilot — A Learning Opportunity for Independent School Leadership Teams

Operational Excellence (OpEx) for Education™ Pilot — A Learning Opportunity for Independent School Leadership Teams

On June 15, 2026, PAIS is joining PAISBOA and NJAIS to bring the Operational Excellence (OpEx) for Education™  to Radnor, Pennsylvania. This is a one-day, hands-on learning experience for school leadership teams — Heads of School, Assistant Heads of Schools, Business Officials/CFOs — built around a proven framework for how schools can operate more efficiently, sustainably, and with greater clarity. OpEx will help you find the capacity that's already there inside your systems and processes.

Here's what a day together looks like:

• A practical introduction to the Operational Excellence framework, developed and field-tested in the UK by the Centre for Education Operational Excellence) -- note, the organization has re-branded, although ISBL remains one of the sub-brands 

• A foundational understanding of operational excellence — where it lives in your school and where it doesn't yet
• Practical tools to identify inefficiencies and reclaim hidden capacity
• A shared language your team can use to make better decisions together
• The beginning of a pathway: Associate Level is the first of three certifications, with Lead and Strategic levels to follow if you find that it benefits your school

• A natural onramp to an operations tool that could streamline communications with your board, reduce accreditation self-study work and improve efficiency.

• ISBL certification upon completion

Seats are limited to 30 participants, and we expect them to fill quickly. Schools interested in the June launch should complete the reservation form.  We strongly encourage school teams to register together  - a leadership team in the room at the same time makes the learning land differently.  Registration opens April 1. 

If you have questions, reach out to Liz Hofreuter at lhofreuter@paispa.org directly to talk through whether this is the right opportunity for your school.

PAIS, PAISBOA, and NJAIS Announce June Launch of Operational Excellence (OpEx) for Education™ Pilot — A Learning Opportunity for Independent School Leadership Teams

PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools (PAIS), the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools (NJAIS) and PAISBOA are launching a collaborative pilot of the Operational Excellence (OpEx) for Education™ – Associate Level Workshop.

The OpEx for Education™ pilot, delivered in partnership with the Institute of School Business Leadership (ISBL), is designed to bring Heads of School and School Business Officials/CFOs into one shared learning experience. Pilot participation is limited to 30 leaders, and we strongly encourage school teams to attend together.

Why This, Why Now

Our schools exist to advance learning. So do we. We are all learning organizations. When we discovered a proven framework that could help school leadership teams work smarter, strengthen operations, and free up capacity for the work that matters most, we knew it belonged in our shared community. The OpEx pilot brings that framework to our schools through a disciplined, collaborative learning experience designed to generate measurable gains. We cannot continue to add more to anyone's plate. We see this opportunity as a way of helping schools build systems that sustain their mission over the long term.

The OpEx framework gives school leadership teams practical tools to:

• Identify operational inefficiencies and hidden capacity drains
  
  
• Strengthen financial sustainability and internal controls
  
  
• Reclaim time and resources through measurable process improvements
  
  
• Align business operations with strategic and accreditation goals
  
  
• Move from reactive crisis management to sustainable, systems-level practice
  
  

Grounded in Accreditation

This isn't another initiative layered on top of everything else. OpEx is being thoughtfully aligned with accreditation processes to serve as a structured, value-added component of self-study and operational maturity. Pilot participants will help shape how that integration evolves, making this a genuine moment of co-creation between our associations and our schools.

Just as accreditation requires schools to reflect on areas of strength and growth, the tools we bring to that process should do the same. OpEx gives us a disciplined, evidence-based way to make that real.

What Leaders Are Saying

"Independent schools are under increasing pressure — financially and operationally," said Elizabeth Hofreuter, Executive Director of PAIS. "This pilot is about learning together. By bringing Heads of School and business leaders into the same room, we're creating space to build sustainable models and generate real capacity gains.” Kevin Ruth, Executive Director of NJAIS adds, “Inquiry and innovation are inseparable partners for the future of independent schools, and our associations’ partnership around OpEx is meant to reflect that.”

"Operational challenges often show up as isolated symptoms, but the underlying issues are structural," added Aggie Malter, President and CEO of PAISBOA. "This pilot gives schools a clear, disciplined framework to step back and make informed decisions that support long-term sustainability. When leadership teams learn together, the potential for meaningful change increases dramatically."

What Comes Next

Developed in the United Kingdom after research revealed significant opportunity for operational maturity across education systems, the OpEx framework has demonstrated substantial impact internationally, with participating organizations reporting measurable efficiency gains and improved operational clarity within the first year.

The June Associate Level workshop is the first of three certifications in the OpEx pathway. Lead and Strategic level sessions are tentatively scheduled for late July and early October, allowing participating schools to build momentum and apply learning between sessions.

Media Contacts: Elizabeth Hofreuter, Executive Director, PAIS; Aggie Malter, President & CEO, PAISBOA; Kevin J. Ruth, Executive Director, NJAIS