Mark Anderson Elected Board President of PAIS

PAIS is a voluntary member association dedicated to servicing its members’ independent schools in Pennsylvania and Delaware and providing accreditations. It services approximately 113 independent schools and 40,000 students. PAIS is committed to improving the schools of its members through offering utilities such as days of professional development for their faculty, analyses and updates of local legislation affecting private schools, and promoting their schools on a local and national scale. The vision of PAIS, according to their website, is to “provide services pertinent to independent education, which meet the need of its members.”

Sanford was accredited by PAIS in 2013, and Anderson joined its board in 2014. Though Sanford resides in Delaware, the Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools (ADVIS) does not provide accreditation services like PAIS does. The accreditation service that PAIS provides works as “a stamp of approval,” signifying that Sanford has exceeded all requirements of an excellent independent school. The organization states that they determine this based on the school’s “organization and administration, program, personnel, health and safety, and physical plant.”

In Anderson’s new role as president of the board of trustees, he will work closely with the executive director of PAIS, Linda L. Phelps, by helping her run the organization as smoothly and efficiently as possible. He will also oversee the activities of the board and help them execute their duties well. Anderson commented that this new role as president of the board will allow him to walk in the shoes of Sanford’s board of trustees. Just as Sanford’s board of trustees assists Anderson in the management, efficiency, and improvement of Sanford, Anderson will now have the task of assisting Ms. Phelps and her team in the productive and finely-tuned running of PAIS. He hopes this will be an opportunity for him to learn from this role reversal in a way that will positively impact Sanford.

Congratulations to Mark Anderson on his new leadership position!