The traditional classroom is a single teacher, occupying a third of the physical space at the front of a classroom at a “board” (i.e., chalk, dry-erase, electronic) while delivering the curriculum to a “small classroom” of students. Observations and interviews with students across the nation confirm that this method still predominantly describes most classrooms in middle and upper schools.

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.

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.

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...

Your efforts to improve diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging (DEIJB) will be successful if you start and end with oversight of the Board. There is no better stakeholder in a school with which to begin this process because effective DEIJB policy and practice are predicated on transparency and accountability from leadership.

The relationship between the School Head and the Board of Trustees is critical to a private school’s health. Key components to assure effective Board-Head relationships are annual performance goals and the Board’s written evaluation of the Head’s performance.

Planning for retirement is not a difficult concept to understand, but it requires discipline over one’s entire career. Consider the retirement benefit as a strategic difference-maker at your school and establish policies to position your school to attract and retain talent.

Schools need leading indicators of enrollment demand for myriad reasons, not the least of which is to plan and prepare for the admission cycle. ISM has helped thousands of schools conduct surveys to understand what parents, students, and teachers think about their schools.

Imagine you’re a Board Chair, leading a Board retreat marked by robust future-focused conversations—Trustees engaged in substantive debate, creatively exploring a unique challenge. During this retreat, Trustees are problem finders, not problem solvers. They are tasked with exploring topics in creative ways and challenged to embrace discomfort.

One of the most significant challenges private schools face is competition for the attention of their constituents. Between advertisements, social media, text messaging, and emails, we are exposed to thousands of messages each day.