Head of School's Weekly Letter - January 16, 2026 - Accreditation Self-Study

Dear Families,

At Brookwood, we believe that strong schools make time to pause, reflect, and ask honest questions about who they are and how they are serving their students. This year, we are in the midst of that kind of work as part of our ongoing accreditation process with the Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE), the regional accrediting body for independent schools across New England.

AISNE accreditation is a ten-year cycle, with a formal re-accreditation and a mid-cycle review along the way. Our next major accreditation visit will take place in October 2026, but a significant and meaningful portion of this work happens well in advance of that visit through a comprehensive self-study. This year-long process invites us to examine Brookwood’s work through fourteen standards that span all aspects of school life: from mission and governance to teaching and learning, student experience, and operational sustainability.

Every employee at Brookwood has been involved in this work, serving on committees that reflect on our practices, review evidence, and consider both what we do well and where we have opportunities to grow. I have been deeply impressed by the thoughtfulness, care, and professionalism with which our faculty and staff have engaged in this process. It is both reassuring and validating to slow down and take a clear-eyed look at the daily work of the school, not as an exercise in self-congratulation, but as a commitment to continuous improvement.

Accreditation is, at its heart, an act of reflection. It gives us the space to affirm what makes Brookwood strong, distinctive, and effective, while also sharpening our thinking about how we can continue to evolve in a changing educational landscape. Most importantly, it keeps students at the center of our work, reminding us that excellence in education is never static, but something we must continually tend.

I am grateful to our faculty and staff for the care they are bringing to this process, and to our community for the trust you place in us as we do this work thoughtfully and well. I look forward to sharing more as our self-study continues and as we move into the next phases of accreditation in the year ahead, including thoughtful ways for parent perspectives to help shape parts of this work. 

Warmly,
Jon