Strategic Vision 2026+ Planning

Progress & Milestones

Having successfully completed our Strategic Vision 2020-2025, work is well underway on the planning process for the future. CAIS has engaged a firm called Living Strategy to create the inclusive and comprehensive process for this vision planning cycle. Watch this space for more details to come regarding community involvement in the process, milestones, and details of the long-term plan ensuring a thriving future for CAIS.

Overview of Opportunities for Parent Involvement in Strategy Making

The Strategic Vision process includes a number opportunities for parents to participate in the strategy making process, such as: a crowdsourcing survey for research (see Survey Report below), parent focus groups (see Input Sessions below) with the consultants, participation on a 30-40 person Strategic Planning Task Force made up of representatives from key stakeholder groups (see Task Force below), and the opportunity to preview and provide feedback to a draft plan before it goes to the Board of Trustees for consideration and approval.

October 2025 – Strategic Planning Task Force Begins

In order to ensure an inclusive and representative process, we solicited a number of parent volunteers to serve on a Task Force. The Task Force will work with the input from stakeholder groups, do additional research as required, discuss ideas, and make recommendations to the Board of Trustees. The Task Force meets in-person monthly, for 90 minutes after school.  The Task Force comprises members who are representative of our parent population and are able to make the necessary time commitments. We asked families, faculty and staff to nominate parents whom they believe would bring value to this process. Many thanks to the members below who were selected to volunteer:

Strategic Vision Task Force Members 2025-2026

Sherilyn Adams (Trustee, parent of alum)
Steve Bajc (Director of Finance & Operations, MS parent)
Amelia Bell (LS teacher)
Joshua Brinn (MS teacher, LS parent)
Hinnie Chan (ECC, LS parent)
Elaine Chang (Director of Admission, LS parent)
Darlene Chiu-Bryant (Trustee)
Tony Dorie (LS, MS parent)
Ruiting Feng (ECC teacher)
Edgar Ho (MS parent, parent of alum)
Andrew Hsiao (ECC, LS parent)
Bryant Jenkins (Trustee, LS parent, parent of alum)
Linda Jiang (ECC, LS parent)
Kim Kaz (Director of Strategic Initiatives, ECC parent)
Melissa Kwon (ECC, LS parent)
Brian Lam (LS parent)
Ariel Lee (ECC parent)
Noelle Lee (ECC parent)
Lily Lin (Trustee, LS parent)
Ben Lui (Trustee, MS parent, parent of alum)
Claudia Michon (ECC parent)
Wei Qian (LS Director, LS parent)
Elisabeth Radravu (ECC teacher)
Jonathan Rosen (LS, MS art teacher)
Sophia Rutkin (Director of Summer Programs)
Emily Shepherd (LS science teacher)
Wei Song (LS teacher)
Chichi Su (LS teacher)
Ya-Ju Tsai (ECC teacher)
Nyah Wang (LS Chinese language support)
Ben Wen (LS parent, parent of alum)
Ron Yu (LS parent, parent of alum)
Sisi Zheng (MS teacher)

October 2025 – Progress Resources

September/October 2025 — Community Input Sessions

As shared at the Info Sessions before each Back to School Night, we hosted three Community Input Sessions the week of September 29. During these sessions, we gathered input on what parents and community members would like to see the Board of Trustees prioritize in our next strategic plan as we think together about:

next steps to enhance our educational programs & offerings
continued opportunities to optimize use of our new campus
ways to ensure the forever future of CAIS in our forever home

Each session gave the same opportunity for input with Q&A.

Evening Input Session on Zoom

Mon., 9/29
7:00-8:30 p.m.
See CAIS Notices 9/16 for Zoom link

Afternoon Input Session at CAIS

Tues., 9/30
4:00-5:30 p.m.

Lower School Library (2nd floor, Room 222)

Morning Input Session at CAIS

Wed., 10/1
8:45-10:15 a.m.

Lower School Library
(2nd floor, Room 222)

September 2025 — Strategic Vision Info Sessions

A half hour prior to each of the Back to School Night events (see schedule below) Head of School Jeff Bissell and consultants Lana Guernsey and Gilbert Wai from Living Strategy shared brief presentations on the Strategic Vision work that began this past spring, touching on the themes that emerged from the community surveys and explaining how the work will progress this year and what opportunities there will be for families participation. There was time for Q&A as well. The content will be the same at all three sessions and families were welcome to join any of the three. Click on the graphic above right to view the slide deck presented at the Info Sessions:

Strategic Vision –
Preschool Info Session

Date: September 4

Time: 4:30-5:00 p.m. (immediately prior to Preschool BTSN)

Location: K-5th Grade Library (second floor)

Strategic Vision –
K-5th Grade Info Session

Date: September 11

Time: 5:00-5:30 p.m. (immediately prior to K-5th BTSN)

Location: Hong Yen Chang Learning Center (third floor)

Strategic Vision –
Middle School Info Session

Date: September 16

Time: 5:30-6:00 p.m. (immediately prior to Middle School BTSN)

Location: K-5th Grade Library (second floor)

August 2025 — Faculty Staff Strategic Vision Session at Launch Week

Before the start of school Lana Guernsey and Gilbert Wai led faculty and staff through a lively, hands-on exercise to envision the CAIS of the Future. In addition to building camaraderie, the activities tapped into colleagues’ creativity to brainstorm how the school can “Become its Best Self!” See a slideshow of some of the fun below:

April 2025 — Initial Planning Survey Shared

A brief survey has been sent to CAIS trustees, faculty/staff, and families to identify areas for research and exploration next year during the planning process. Trustees, faculty/staff and current families are asked to check their email for the link to complete the survey by April 30, 2025.