

Learn practical strategies to handle emerging trends and leadership challenges in private schools.
No matter if you’re a School Head, Admission Director, Development Director, Board member, or any other private school administrator—Ideas & Perspectives, ISM’s premier private school publication, has strategic solutions for the pervasive problems you face.
- Tuition not keeping pace with your expenses? In I&P, explore how to use strategic financial planning to create your budget and appropriately adjust your tuition.
- Enrollment dropping off? Discover how to implement the right admission and enrollment management strategies that engage your community—and fill your classrooms.
- Trouble retaining teachers? Learn how you can best support your teachers using ISM’s Comprehensive Faculty Development framework. Your faculty members will become more enthusiastic about their roles—which ultimately improves student outcomes.
- Fundraising campaigns not as successful as you’d hoped? Implement ISM’s practical advice and guidance to build a thriving annual fund, construct an effective capital campaign, and secure major donors—no matter your community size or location.
- Not sure how to provide professional development—for you and your staff? Learn ways to develop and fund a successful professional development strategy. You can improve teacher-centered satisfaction and growth, which in turn strengthens student-centered learning.
- Problematic schedule? You can master the challenges of scheduling with the help of ISM’s practical advice, based on our experience with hundreds of schools and our time-tested theories.
- And so much more.
I&P has shared targeted research, up-to-date insight, and sound theory with school leaders since 1975. More than 8,500 private school decision-makers find the answers to their schools’ administrative and governance matters in our advisory letter. We give you the strategic answers you need.
As an ISM Silver or Gold member, you not only receive issues online and in print 10 times a year, but you have access to more than 600 articles in our web archive. Need help? It’s at your fingertips! Learn more and sign up for ISM's membership here.
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See the articles from our latest issue of Ideas & Perspectives.
Why the DEIJB Director Reports to the School Head
Volume 47 No. 8 // October 1, 2022
While school leaders’ management styles differ, one major question for any School Head is how to designate their direct reports and articulate what those relationships signify in terms of their school’s mission.
Login to see the full articleThe Importance of Implementing an Equitable Financial Aid Timeline
Volume 47 No. 8 // October 1, 2022
For many families, financial aid is one of the most critical determinants in whether they enroll or re-enroll their child in your school. While some families may find the financial aid application process stressful, waiting to learn if they will receive an award can be downright excruciating.
Login to see the full articleYour Net Promoter Score: Turning Passives Into Promoters to Boost Word-of-Mouth Marketing
Volume 47 No. 8 // October 1, 2022
Word-of-mouth marketing has long been the primary way new families find private-independent schools. Even with the explosion of internet searches, social media, and digital advertising, this tenet continues to hold fast.
Login to see the full articleThe DEIJB Director as an Influencer Position
Volume 47 No. 7 // September 1, 2022
Strategic diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging (DEIJB) objectives are as iterative as they are systemic. A school’s DEIJB initiatives evolve with the political times and with the school community ethos.
Login to see the full articleBoard Executive Sessions: A Governance Recommendation
Volume 47 No. 7 // September 1, 2022
A significant aspect of an effective Board is the ability to have robust and substantial conversations that lead to wise decisions. Many Boards use a process called Executive Session to safeguard the confidentiality of a Board discussion.
Login to see the full articleThe Pandemic’s Disruption: The Changing Labor Market
Volume 47 No. 7 // September 1, 2022
Early in the pandemic, the ISM consulting team asked a critical question: Will the pandemic be an event to simply endure, or will it forever change the marketplace for private schools? It is now clear the pandemic is a disruptor, and school leaders, executives, and Trustees must be prepared for significant changes.
Login to see the full articleEnrollment Forecasting for the Coming School Year
Volume 47 No. 7 // September 1, 2022
You, as Business Manager of your PK–12 school, are in the initial stages of putting together the first draft of your operating budget for the coming year, which will be Year Three of your current strategic financial plan. Line 1A of your strategic financial spreadsheet (not shown in this article)&nb...
Login to see the full articleBuilding Trust Between Division Heads and Teachers
Volume 47 No. 6 // June 1, 2022
As a Division Head, you understand trust is a critical component of effective working relationships. In fact, trusting relationships in schools have been shown to increase faculty cooperation, enhance school climate, and improve student outcomes.
Login to see the full articleThe Strategic Board’s Role in Admission and Marketing Communications
Volume 47 No. 6 // June 1, 2022
As Board Chair, you understand that, because your school is funded primarily through tuition, enrollment is among the most essential factors in determining your institution’s financial strength and stability. You also are aware that a strategic Board’s primary purpose is to make decisions today that will ensure the viability of the school for the next generation of students.
Login to see the full articleEffectively Recruit and Keep Your Development Volunteers
Volume 47 No. 6 // June 1, 2022
As Development Director, you know private schools thrive on the relationships built among teachers, students, parents, administrators, and alumni. Those relationships determine the success of the student experience and the faculty culture, provide confidence in the school’s value for parents, and ke...
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