The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) is a nonprofit membership association that provides services to more than 2,000 schools and associations of schools in the United States and abroad, including more than 1,600 independent private K-12 schools in the U.S.
Debra P. Wilson began her tenure as the ninth president of NAIS on August 7, 2023. Wilson served as president of the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) from 2019-2023, and previously spent 19 years at NAIS, first as assistant director of regulatory affairs and later as general counsel.
The NAIS board of trustees addresses its fiduciary, strategic, and generative duties, led by the officers and the Executive Committee.
Each NAIS Annual Report represents the association's top accomplishments throughout a calendar year. It also provides examples of the ways in which NAIS is serving its members and providing leadership in the independent school community.
As the largest association of independent schools, NAIS co-creates the future of education by uniting and empowering our community.
On March 1, 1962, delegates from the Independent Schools Education Board (ISEB) and the National Council of Independent Schools (NCIS) voted to establish an entity with the name National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS).
Read a sampling of recent media articles featuring independent schools.
At NAIS, we’re passionate about education and the work that we do to advance it. Our employees and their well-being are among our highest priorities and without them we would not be able to create a solid foundation of support for our membership and the students that we serve.