19. Behind the Scenes at ISS: An Interview with Dana Specker Watts and Nadine Richards

 International Schools Services is an organization that provides, well, services for international schools. You may be familiar with their recruiting fairs, but ISS offers so much more than that. These two ladies helped us learn more about ISS. 

Nadine Richards is ISS’s Director of Leadership Searches. Previously, she served as a Teacher as well as in a variety of leadership roles in the USA and UAE. Nadine co-designed an Aspiring Leaders of Color Mentoring Program. Nadine co-chairs the Diversity Collaborative’s Advocacy Committee and has served as a member of the Excelle Executive, an empowering group of women executives in school leadership. She holds several degrees, advanced certifications, and licensures.

Dr. Dana Specker Watts is the Learning, Research, and Outreach Director for International Schools Services. She has lived and worked in Hong Kong, India, and Thailand. She served as the founding Executive Director of WLead and as the Director of Innovation at 21st Century Learning International. Dana is a strong research professional with a PhD in educational leadership and administration. Dana’s current research focuses on empowering women and increasing diversity in leadership through professional learning.

The guiding question for the episode is, “What is happening in the world of school services and recruitment?”

Dana and Nadine discussed a few of the ISS programs, including 

• Building Partnerships
• Equity and Diversity Support and Outreach
• Finances and School Management
• Guiding Schools in Leadership Searches
• Decisional, Human, and Social Capital
• Leadership Growth
• Professional Development
• Recruiting and Coaching of Teacher and Administrative Candidates
• Starting Schools
• Wellness Program Development

This episode was recorded on December 13, 2022.  

Dana’s Contact Information: 

• LinkedIn: Dana Specker Watts
• Twitter @teachwatts

Nadine’s Contact Information:

• Instagram @nadine_inspires
• LinkedIn Nadine Richards
• Twitter @naywheels

Resources Mentioned in the Episode: 

Association of International Educators - Leaders of Color (AIELOC) BIPOC Mentoring Program
Dana’s Dissertation
ISS E

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Music: YouTube. (2022). Acoustic Guitar | Folk | No copyright | 2022❤️. YouTube. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOEmg_6i7jA.