There's a quiet assumption in education that "excellence" is something handed down and defined elsewhere, then applied to schools like a stamp of approval. The schools that lead don't operate that way. They know exactly who they are, and they build toward a standard that's theirs, rather than waiting to be told they've met somebody else's. 

​

This session interrogates who really gets to decide what "excellence" means for a school, bringing together British, American and IB perspectives on setting standards. It explores what it means for a school to define its own educational identity rather than wait to be told it's excellent, considers the vision and courage required to build toward a standard that's uniquely a school's own, and challenges leaders to know exactly who they are and refuse to become anything else. 

​

Key discussion points include: 

• Interrogating who really gets to decide what "excellence" means for a school 

• Bringing together British, American and IB perspectives on setting standards 

• What it means for a school to define its own educational identity 

• The vision and courage required to build toward a standard that's uniquely a school's own 

• Challenging leaders to know exactly who they are and refuse to become anything else