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The Educators AI Playbook LIVE!

Exclusive in-person event for school leaders in New York.

Friday 10 April 2026 | United Nations International School, New York, USA

The AI landscape is moving too fast for traditional planning cycles. To thrive, schools must move beyond the headlines and build a responsible, sustainable AI strategy today. The Educators AI Playbook Live takes our monthly one hour webinars to a whole new level. This is a one-day immersive conference designed to equip independent school professionals with the insights, tools, and connections to navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape.

 

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What is the AI Educators Playbook?

The AI Educators Playbook began as a monthly, one-hour digital briefing for school leaders and educators. Hosted by Mark Orchison (CEO, 9ine) and Dan Fitzpatrick (The AI Educator), these sessions provide a concise run-through of the month’s most critical AI updates, legislative changes, and tool breakthroughs. While our webinars focus on actionable strategies for safe integration, they are designed to help schools keep pace with a landscape moving too fast for traditional planning cycles

Evolution: From Webinar to "Live" Intensive

The AI Educators Playbook LIVE takes that foundational knowledge and scales it into a one-day immersive conference. We are moving beyond the "digest" format to provide a high-impact orientation that shifts your mindset from simply keeping up to leading forward.

 

Why attend? We've brought together the right people, to have the right conversation about AI in Independent Schools. And...

Vision to Velocity

Move past "AI paralysis" to practical action. Balance abstract innovation with the realities of school impact and accreditation.

Future-Proof Accreditation

Engage directly with leaders from CAIS, NAIS, WASC, and more to define what "good" AI looks like in the eyes of accreditors.

The Human Advantage

Turn AI into a "trusted teammate." Automate administrative burdens to reclaim time for what matters: mentorship and connection.

Your Practical Toolkit

Build, don’t just listen. Walk away with systemic roadmaps, vendor evaluation guides, and burnout-reduction workflows.

Global Peer Network

Join a community of forward-thinking leaders. Share honest reflections and build a sustainable support network for the future.

Premier supporting partner

Veracross 2026

Supporting partners
toddle-logo HMC_DarkBlue_Logo-1 CAIS_Horizontal_4C N JAIS_Elaboration_Dark Blue & Warm Pink icaisa-logo-footer-1 (3) ATLIS NEW UNIS GLOBE LOGO UBLUE

Speaker line up
Dan Fitzpatrick

Dan Fitzpatrick

The AI Educator

Dan Fitzpatrick is a global authority on AI in education, dedicated to moving systems from uncertainty to ethical action. He has shaped national AI guidance for the UK, Dubai, and Kazakhstan, advising governments and regulators on learner safety and long-term capability. A bestselling author and weekly Forbes contributor, Dan is a frequent commentator for CNN, BBC, and Sky News. Through initiatives like the Edufuturists Awards, he bridges the gap between high-level policy and the classroom, helping leaders worldwide embed sustainable AI strategies across governance and curriculum.

Sabba Q

Dr. Sabba Quidwai

CEO - Designing Schools

Sabba Quidwai is a futurist, CEO of Designing Schools, and a lecturer at the University of California, Irvine. A former Apple education executive and high school teacher, she has researched the intersection of AI and learning since 2014. Sabba helps visionary leaders design human-centered, technology-driven systems by blending research-backed strategy with design thinking. Through her book, documentary, and global keynotes, she champions a "culture of empathy," helping organizations build AI teams that enhance human potential rather than bypass it.  

Mark Orchison

Mark Orchison

CEO & Founder - 9ine

Mark is the CEO of 9ine, a leading provider of AI, technology, cyber and privacy services to schools. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Mark is a highly respected thought leader in the field of technology, cyber, privacy and safeguarding in K-12 education. He has helped schools of all sizes to navigate the rapidly changing digital and regulatory landscape and capitalise on new opportunities.

Christina _ ATLIS

Christina Lewellen

President and CEO of ATLIS

Experienced CEO known for dynamic leadership in strategic planning, operational enhancements, and revenue expansion. Adept in driving transformational change, fostering team development, and delivering exceptional member-centric solutions. Proven track record in achieving organizational growth and optimising bottom-line performance.

Barry Groves - WASC

Barry Groves

President & CEO - WASC

Dr. Barry Groves oversees the accreditation of over 5,500 schools globally, championing high standards and institutional integrity. A Stanford-educated leader with over seven years at the helm, he focuses on the future of accreditation by fostering innovation, equity, and evidence-based practices. Through strategic collaboration with 15,000 peer volunteers, he empowers academic leaders to drive sustainable growth and excellence across the education sector.

Cameron Staples

Cameron Staples

President/CEO - NEASC

Cameron Staples oversees the accreditation of over 2,100 schools across 85 countries. An attorney and former Connecticut State Representative, he brings deep legislative expertise to the sector, having chaired the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI) to advise the US Secretary of Education. At NEASC, he leads a global network of 8,000 volunteers, focusing on strategic partnerships and the role of accreditation in institutional improvement.

Kevin J Ruth

Kevin J Ruth

Executive Director, NJAIS

Dr. Kevin J. Ruth is a sophisticated educational leader and Executive Director of NJAIS with nearly three decades of experience across the K-20 spectrum. A former CEO of ECIS and President of Moreland University, he has consulted for schools in over 40 countries and contributed to the OECD Future of Education and Skills 2030 project. A polyglot and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Kevin leverages his expertise as a Certified Merger & Acquisitions Advisor® and Stanford Certified Project Manager® to drive innovation and strategic growth in global education.

Rick Branson

Rick Branson

Executive Director at CAIS

Since 2019, I have served as executive director of the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) serving 90+ diverse schools: boarding, day, single gender, religiously affiliated, Montessori, Waldorf, and schools that serve students with specialized learning profiles. I work with a fantastic team of Nancy Dickson, Joan Edwards, Christina Dixcy, and Kristen Cowell as well as thoughtful and strategic members of the CAIS Board.

Debra Wilson (1)

Debra Wilson

President - NAIS

Debra P. Wilson is the ninth president of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), where she leads the organization’s mission to support and advocate for independent school communities. With a career spanning nearly two decades as NAIS general counsel and a tenure as president of the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS), she is a recognized expert in school governance, legal advisories, and financial sustainability. A co-author of the NAIS Trustee Handbook, Wilson serves on several boards, including the Enrollment Management Association and the International Council Advancing Independent School Accreditation. She holds a B.A. from Sewanee and a J.D. from the University of South Carolina.

Samantha (Brenner) Lieberman

Samantha Lieberman

Google for Education -  North America K-12 Manager

Samantha Lieberman has extensive experience in educational leadership and management, with significant roles at Google and the NYC Department of Education. As the North America K-12 Field Manager at Google for Education, Samantha led a team focused on public school districts in the US and previously managed relationships with major school districts in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region. Prior to Google, Samantha held various positions at Quartet Health, contributing to strategic initiatives in healthcare technology, and served as Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives at the NYC Department of Education, where responsibilities included governance and partnership development.

Naria Santa Lucia General Manager, Microsoft Elevate

Naria Santa Lucia

General Manager, Microsoft Elevate

Currently, as general manager for skills for social impact at Microsoft Philanthropies, Naria leads Microsoft’s global philanthropic strategy, grant investments and partnerships in digital and AI skills, computer science, and community engagement. With the goal of increasing access to digital and AI skills for users, developers, and organizational leaders, Naria’s team works in partnership with governments, industry, educational institutions, and civil society around the world to help millions of people thrive in the AI economy.

Agenda

 

Welcome to The Educators AI Playbook: The Strategy Intensive

Mark Orchison, Founder & CEO, 9ine
Dan Fitzpatrick, The AI Educator

The day begins with a high-impact orientation designed to shift your mindset from "keeping up" to "leading forward". In this opening session, Mark and Dan will set the stage for the intensive by bridging the gap between the rapid evolution of AI and the practicalities of school AI leadership.

Permission To Move Forward: Overcoming AI Decision Paralysis

Dan Fitzpatrick, The AI Educator

This keynote is the official permission slip to stop waiting and start leading. Drawing on his experience advising governments and education systems internationally, leading education adviser and author Dan Fitzpatrick dismantles the "fear of getting it wrong" that paralyses institutions and replaces it with pragmatic and tested frameworks for action.

Your Human Advantage: Turning AI Tools into Trusted Teammates

Sabba Quidwai, Designing Schools

A former high school educator and education executive at Apple, Quidwai has been researching the future of learning and artificial intelligence (AI) since 2014. Her book and documentary, Designing Schools, explore how design thinking helps people lead through change with confidence and creativity. Quidwai believes cultures of innovation begin with cultures of empathy, where people feel seen, heard, and empowered to grow.  

Her signature message? Innovation begins with empathy.

Visualising the near-Future AI Integrated School

Debra Wilson, President, National Association of Independent Schools

Dan Fitzpatrick, The AI Educator

Sabba Quidwai, Designing Schools

Schools today are at a critical "inflection point". While AI tools are being rapidly adopted to improve efficiency, true transformation is often stalled by "AI Decision Paralysis", a fear of dismantling 100-year-old assumptions about curriculum and assessment. Is it that for AI to move from a peripheral tool to a foundational pillar, the systems in which schools operate must fundamentally shift?

This panel brings together leading voices to move beyond the "efficiency hype" and visualize a school environment designed for the AI age. 

Coffee & Veracross Showcase

Grab a coffee and join us at the Veracross Showcase for a high-impact, 10-minute briefing on the latest features launching across the entire Veracross platform.

The Future of AI & Accreditation Hosted by Christina Lewellen, ATLIS

Barry Groves, President & CEO, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
Cameron Staples, President & CEO, New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Rick Branson, Executive Director, Connecticut Association Independent Schools
Kevin Ruth, Executive Director, New Jersey Association of Independent Schools

As Artificial Intelligence rapidly moves from a "future tech" to a foundational element of the K-12 classroom, accreditation bodies face a pivotal challenge: how do we measure "quality" in an AI-driven environment? While AI offers transformative benefits—from personalized learning and SEND support to significant reductions in teacher workload—it also introduces complex risks regarding data privacy, algorithmic bias, and academic integrity.

This panel brings together executive leaders from North America’s leading accreditation commissions to discuss the evolution of accreditation in the age of AI.

The Strategy Buffet: 20-Minute Power Sessions. Grab a sandwich and fuel your strategy.

Our Lunch and Learn series is designed for delegates who want to maximize every minute. We are running five themed "micro-sessions" simultaneously across closely linked rooms. Each session lasts 20 minutes and repeats once, giving you just enough time to grab lunch and rotate through two distinct deep-dives.

The Five Learning Zones

  1. The Keynote Hotseat: Q&A with Dan & Sabba Hosted by Don Humpton, Veracross | Speakers: Dan Fitzpatrick & Sabba Quidwai Go beyond the stage for a raw, unscripted dialogue. Bring your "impossible" questions about systemic change, human-centered leadership, and the pragmatics of the AI "permission slip."
  2. The Vetting Vault: Solving the AI Vendor Problem Speaker: Julia Pidduck, 9ine Is that "AI-powered" tool actually safe or just clever marketing? Get a rapid-fire framework for vetting EdTech vendors, focusing on data privacy, algorithmic transparency, and 9ine's assessment standards.
  3. From Policy to Pedagogy: Building a Teacher-First AI Roadmap Speaker: Lloyd Mitchell, Director of Operations and IT, The Unquowa School Move from AI-apprehension to integration. Explore a candid "teacher-first" rollout strategy and learn how a 24/7 AI "Homework Helper" bot is reshaping assessment and student confidence.
  4. Beyond the Answer Key: Evolving Education through AI-Supported Literacy Speaker: Glenn Ames, Assistant Head of School, Rectory School Transform AI from a "shortcut" to a sophisticated scaffold. Learn practical strategies for using AI as a pedagogical sparring partner to support inquiry, high-level historical analysis, and tangible student growth.
  5. Student Perspectives on AI Speaker: Mark Dilworth, Tech Director, Country Day School Toronto What concerns do students have about using AI at school? Discuss how to approach student engagement and prepare them for their future academic and work lives in the age of AI.

The AI Strategy Workshop: Turing Trials

Mark Orchison

Step into the role of an expert strategist on the school’s "Crisis Council" to navigate real-world AI scenarios. In this high-stakes card game, you and your team will encounter evolving AI challenges, from facial recognition complaints to AI-generated grading disputes, and to decide, will you mitigate the risk or embrace the unknown? Collaborate across unique roles to identify hidden dangers, debate ethical safeguards, and make the strategic decisions that will define the future of your school operations.

Building Together: How AI Companies and Educators Can Shape What Comes Next

Samantha Lieberman, North America K-12 Manager, Google for Education

Naria Santa Lucia, General Manager, Microsoft Elevate

In this unique session, we’re moving past the product demos for a candid conversation about the future of learning. Google and Microsoft join us not as vendors, but as partners seeking your input to shape the next generation of educational tools.

We’ll strip away the marketing gloss to discuss:

  • The Big Picture: Their "North Star" visions for AI in the classroom.
  • The Honest Truth: Where these giants agree, and where the sector actually needs more disagreement to move forward.
  • The Educator’s Voice: How, where and when educators’ feedback is being used to evolve and develop their tools

Coffee & Go

Grab refreshments and head to the breakout zone of your choice.

The Five Breakout Zones: From Vision to Velocity

  1. Mitigating Burnout and Promoting Wellness with AI Tools Speaker: Christina Lewellen, Executive Director, ATLIS Cut through the noise of overwhelming tools. Explore teacher-driven AI strategies that boost efficiency, streamline lesson planning, and provide feedback. Walk away with an educator-focused toolkit to reduce burnout while keeping you securely in control.
  2. Turing Trials: Student Version Speaker: Emma Cradock, 9ine You’ve played the leadership game—now learn to play the student version. Join this interactive session and take home a pack of cards to introduce the game back at your school.
  3. Beyond Building a Second Brain: Creating Your AI-Powered Thinking Team Speaker: Dan Fitzpatrick, The AI Educator Stop juggling and start orchestrating. Learn how to build a team of specialized AI thinking partners tuned to different dimensions of your work—from strategic planning to content creation—that actively think alongside you, rather than just storing information.
  4. Shaping Tools, Restoring Humanity: AI, Automation, and the Human Work of Schools Speaker: Pascal Vallet, Junior School Principal, UNIS New York Explore the "Humanity Paradox." Discover how automating repetitive tasks with intentional, philosophy-driven AI workflows can restore your focus to relationships, human judgment, and the core care-driven work of school communities.
  5. Navigating the AI Frontier: Leading AI Responsibly Overcome the challenges of managing AI within existing resource constraints. Gain a framework for establishing a "Diamond Formation" governance structure and walk away with actionable resources—including a readiness toolkit and policy templates—to confidently kickstart your school's AI strategy.

Wrap & Go: From Playbook to Practice

The day concludes with a rapid-fire consolidation of the strategy, insights, and conversations held over the day.

Networking and close

Feel free to stay for some networking, conversation and reflection of the day.
 

Ticket options

Secure your place alongside fellow leaders from across New York and North America. We are offering an Early Bird rate, exclusively available to members of ICAISA, ATLIS, WASC, NEASC, CAIS, and NJAIS, as well as current clients of 9ine, Veracross, and Toddle.

Important Notice:

  • Eligibility: Please only purchase a ticket if you are a verified member or client of these organisations; all affiliations will be checked during registration.
  • Cancellations: Ineligible bookings will be cancelled.
School hallway photo rounded edges

Catch up on our series so far
The Educators AI Playbook Webinar Series

Educators AI Playbook #1

Gemini Updates, AI for Inclusion & Compliance Risks. Featuring Paddy McGrath.

The Educators AI Playbook Webinar Series

Educators AI Playbook #2

Educators AI Playbook #2: Design Thinking, Agency & Avoiding AI Overwhelm. Featuring Dr. Sabba Quidwai.

The Educators AI Playbook Webinar Series

Educators AI Playbook #3

Educators AI Playbook #3: AI Decision Paralysis & Strategic Leadership (feat. Dr. Mike Lubelfeld)

Tickets

Early Bird

$195pp

Buy tickets

Limited Availability: Registration is open exclusively to schools associated with ICAISA, ATLIS, WASC, NEASC, CAIS, or NJAIS , and current clients of 9ine, Veracross, and Toddle.

General Admission

$270pp

Buy tickets

For all schools that aren't eligible for Early Bird, or where limited availability early bird tickets are sold out.

Corporate Partner Access

Vendors and commercial organisations

$695pp

Buy tickets