Association for the Advancement of International Education - AAIE

The Spring 2026 edition of InterEd is here.

International education isn't standing still, and this issue shows it. Across the edition, schools and leaders explore how to redefine learning, leading, and belonging in complex and shifting times.

Inside you'll find honest accounts of rethinking assessment and student agency, research on how leaders move from firefighting crises to finding creative energy in ambiguity, and practical work on building school cultures where teachers and students truly belong. Different contexts, different questions, but one thread runs through all of it: progress comes from asking better questions and keeping people at the center.
Our thanks to the authors and contributors who shaped this issue, and to Editor in Chief Dr. Medico and Managing Editor Plaza-Ponte for their thoughtful curation and steady leadership. To our reviewers: thank you.

Read the full edition at https://www.aaie.org/news-and-publications/intered

Thank you to all the Heads of School who joined us for our final AAIE Global Heads of School Conversation of the 2025–26 school year.

These monthly gatherings continue to demonstrate the value of having a trusted space where leaders can connect, share perspectives, and engage in candid dialogue with peers from around the world. We are grateful for the insights, experiences, and thoughtful contributions that make this community so meaningful.

As we conclude another year of conversations, we thank you for your participation and commitment to supporting one another through the opportunities and challenges of school leadership.

We look forward to reconnecting in September, when our Heads of School Conversations resume on the first Thursday of the month for the 2026–27 school year.

Until then, we wish our global community a restful and rewarding summer.

Not yet a member? Join here:
https://buff.ly/8UxHw1H

AAIE Global Heads of School Conversation! We invite all Heads of current AAIE member schools to join us this Thursday for our final Heads of School Conversation of the 2025–26 school year.

These monthly online conversations are exclusively for Heads, School Directors, and Superintendents of current AAIE member schools, providing a trusted space to connect, share perspectives, and engage in candid dialogue with peers from around the world.

Thursday, June 4, 2026
8:00 AM & 4:00 PM EST

We look forward to closing out the year together and continuing the conversation in September!

We will resume these conversations on the first Thursday in September and continue meeting on the first Thursday of each month throughout the 2026–27 school year.

Please watch for an email invitation with details and calendar information. If you have questions, please contact [email protected].

Learn more about AAIE CONVERSATIONS at https://www.aaie.org/events/conversations

Not yet a member? Join here:
https://buff.ly/vj75UhA

Some of the best leadership thinking doesn't happen in a boardroom. It happens in a circle of colleagues who've earned each other's trust, one conversation at a time.

That's what AAIE Masterminds is. Since 2020, this program has given international school leaders space to bring forward the dilemmas that keep them up at night, and to hear back from peers across the globe who genuinely understand.

Masterminds 9.0 kicks off this fall with facilitators Homa Tavangar, Kathleen Naglee, and Tim Carr. Two cohorts of 12, two timezone options, meeting monthly for eight months. Spots fill. If this speaks to you, now's a good time to secure yours.

🔗 Learn more and register: https://www.aaie.org/leadership-learning/masterminds-cohorts

Thank you to everyone who joined AAIE for our recent conversation, Decisions Under Pressure. We are especially grateful to Debbie Downes (Director of Global School Initiatives at ICMEC) and Tico Oms (Founder of Oms Leadership Coaching) for leading such a thoughtful and timely discussion on leadership, decision-making, and the importance of creating conditions where honest dialogue can thrive - even under pressure.

The conversation highlighted the complexity of leadership in international schools and the value of keeping the right voices in the room when decisions matter most.

Thank you to our global community of leaders for contributing your perspectives, reflections, and experiences to this important exchange.

Explore all upcoming AAIE conversations: https://www.aaie.org/events/conversations
Not yet a member? Join here:
https://buff.ly/8UxHw1H

When pressure rises, candor often disappears. In moments of crisis or uncertainty, leadership teams can default to hierarchy - where authority moves up, information moves down, and the people closest to the problem stop speaking up. Yet these are the moments when the quality of decision-making matters most.

Join AAIE, Debbie Downes (Director of Global School Initiatives at ICMEC), and Tico Oms (Founder of Oms Leadership Coaching) for an important, timely, and practical online conversation: Decisions Under Pressure.

From safeguarding concerns to political crises, enrollment pressures, and DEI challenges, this session is designed for leaders navigating complex realities in international schools.

Thursday, May 28, 2026, at 08:00 AM EST

Learn more about AAIE CONVERSATIONS at https://www.aaie.org/events/conversations

Not yet a member? Join here:
https://buff.ly/vj75UhA

Thank you to everyone who joined this week’s AAIE conversation, Creating a Culture of Giving: Insights for Heads of Schools.

We are especially grateful to Rosanna Moore and Derval Costello from CCS Fundraising, and Mark Pingitore, Director of The American School of Barcelona, for sharing their expertise, experiences, and practical strategies for building sustainable cultures of giving within international schools.

The conversation highlighted the importance of mission-aligned fundraising, visible leadership, thoughtful relationship-building, and long-term planning in creating meaningful support for schools and students alike.

We appreciate the openness, insight, and thoughtful engagement from all who participated in this important discussion.

Explore all upcoming AAIE conversations: https://www.aaie.org/events/conversations

Not yet a member? Join here: https://buff.ly/8UxHw1H