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What is the National Association of Episcopal Schools?

The National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES) is a professional membership association that serves the people who work in and lead Episcopal schools. Its stated mission is to serve those who serve Episcopal schools, supporting excellence through association. In practice, that means it functions as a hub for professional development, peer networking, shared resources and national data for a specific network of religiously affiliated schools.

What it offers

• Events and conferences: Its Biennial Conference is described as a national gathering of Episcopal school friends and leaders. The 2026 edition is listed for November 18–20, 2026, at the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles, CA.
• Research and benchmarks: The Early Childhood Education Report 2026 is presented as national insights and operational benchmarks for Episcopal early childhood programs.
• Role-based resources: Learning Pathways is a resource library of webinars, events, publications and tools organized around a person's specific role in the school community.
• Community and networking: The NAES Online Community is positioned for members to ask questions, share successes and connect with colleagues; there is also a Chaplain Mentoring Program pairing new Episcopal school chaplains with experienced mentors.
• Practical tools: A downloadable Cycle of Prayer for Episcopal Schools, an explanatory pamphlet on Episcopal school identity and its four pillars, a career center for job seekers and employers, and a blog on leadership, governance, Episcopal identity and community life.

Who it is for Heads of school, chaplains, administrators, teachers and early childhood program leaders in Episcopal schools. It is most directly useful to people already inside that network or schools considering joining it; families looking for a school would get more from an individual school's own site.

A quick way to decide if it is relevant

Next step: if you work at an Episcopal school, start with the Learning Pathways library to find material matched to your role, then check whether your school already holds membership before creating an account. If you are exploring what Episcopal identity means for a school, the "About Episcopal Schools" pamphlet is the most direct starting point. You can find these at National Association of Episcopal Schools.

How can my school join or renew membership with NAES?

The National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES) handles membership directly through its website, and the main entry point is the "Join or Renew Membership" section on its home page. From there, a school can learn why membership matters and start the process.

How to begin

• Go to National Association of Episcopal Schools and look for "Join or Renew Membership."
• Expect to create or sign in to an NAES account; the Online Community uses the same account.
• The site frames membership as institutional support for your staff, students, and mission, so the decision is usually made by a head of school or business office rather than an individual teacher.

What membership connects you to

• The NAES Online Community, where members ask questions and share successes with colleagues.
• Learning Pathways, a resource library of webinars, events, publications, and tools organized by role.
• The Career Center, where member schools post open positions.
• Programs such as the Chaplain Mentoring Program and the Biennial Conference.

Who this suits

A practical next step: before renewing, check which staff would actually use the Online Community and Learning Pathways, since those are the recurring benefits between conferences. If you are weighing membership for the first time, start with the "Why Join NAES?" page and the Early Childhood Education Report if you run a preschool program.

What are the four pillars of Episcopal identity?

The four pillars of Episcopal identity are the core markers NAES uses to explain what makes a school distinctively Episcopal: worship, community, religious formation, and leadership — in NAES's framing, a school that prays together, builds an inclusive community, forms students in faith and ethics, and equips them for service and leadership.

The association presents these in its pamphlet About Episcopal Schools, described as a double-sided, full-color piece that explains the meaning of being an Episcopal school and highlights the four pillars. The National Association of Episcopal Schools is the natural starting point for the full wording, since the pillars are an NAES framework rather than a single school's invention.

Reading the pillars in practice

• Worship — regular chapel and prayer life, including the shared Cycle of Prayer that Episcopal schools use week by week.
• Community — an intentionally inclusive school culture that welcomes people of different faiths and backgrounds.
• Religious formation — teaching scripture, ethics, and the Episcopal tradition rather than assuming students arrive with it.
• Leadership — preparing students to serve and lead, often expressed through service and mentoring programs.

A useful next step

If you are evaluating a school, ask an admissions officer or chaplain to point to concrete examples of each pillar — a chapel schedule, a service requirement, a religion curriculum outline. The pillars are best judged by what a school actually does, not by the labels alone.

How do I register for the NAES Biennial Conference 2026?

Registration for the NAES Biennial Conference 2026 runs through the association's own site: go to National Association of Episcopal Schools and use the Register Now or REGISTER NOW link on the homepage conference item. The page lists the event as November 18–20, 2026, at the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles, California.

If you are registering on behalf of a school, have your NAES account details ready before you start. The same site routes members through an account for its Online Community and career center, so signing in first usually avoids re-entering your details. If you are not yet a member, the homepage also offers a Join or Renew Membership path; whether member pricing applies to conference registration is something to confirm with NAES directly.

A quick way to decide your next step

• You only need one seat: follow the homepage Register Now link and complete the form as an individual.
• You are bringing a team: check whether the registration flow lets you add multiple attendees before you pay, and note who on your staff needs a separate account.
• Your school is not a member yet: compare the cost of joining against the non-member registration rate, since membership also covers the Online Community, Learning Pathways resources, and the career center.

For anything not stated on the page, such as registration fees, deadlines, cancellation terms, or group rates, contact NAES through the details on their site rather than assuming. If you are still weighing attendance, the conference is described as a national gathering of Episcopal school leaders and friends, which makes it most useful for heads, chaplains, trustees, and administrators who want peer connections rather than a purely classroom-focused training.

What mentoring is available for new Episcopal school chaplains?

NAES runs a Chaplain Mentoring Program that pairs new Episcopal school chaplains with an experienced mentor for one-on-one work, conducted both in person and by video chat. It is listed among the association's featured offerings on its home page, alongside the Online Community, the Career Center, and role-based Learning Pathways.

National Association of Episcopal Schools

Who it suits

• A first- or early-career chaplain who is settling into chapel planning, pastoral care, and the Episcopal identity of a school.
• A chaplain who is the only person in that role on campus and has no nearby peer to think things through with.
• Someone whose head of school will release time and travel budget for an in-person meeting, since the format mixes in-person and video sessions.

How to judge whether it fits

Ask three questions before applying: how often mentor and mentee meet, whether the mentor is matched by school type (day vs. boarding, early childhood vs. secondary), and what the mentor's own role is, since a seasoned chaplain's perspective differs from an administrator's. If a formal pairing is not available in a given year, the NAES Online Community is the lower-commitment alternative for raising specific questions to colleagues nationally.

Practical next step

Read the program page and note the application or inquiry route, then speak with your head of school about covering the in-person component before you commit.

Where can I find job openings at Episcopal schools?

The NAES Career Center is the place to start: it lists open positions at Episcopal schools around the country and lets member schools post openings to reach prospective employees. You can browse it from the association's site at National Association of Episcopal Schools.

How to use it well

• Check the Career Center first, then cross-check individual school websites, since some schools post only on their own employment pages.
• If you are hiring, NAES membership is what allows your school to post a job there; non-members should look at the membership information before assuming access.
• Broaden your search with the school directories and diocesan education offices in the regions where you want to work, because not every opening reaches a national board.

A practical scenario

A teacher moving to a new city should treat the Career Center as a shortlist generator, not the whole market: scan it weekly, note the schools that fit, then visit each school's own site for the full posting, salary context and application instructions.