Make a Merit-Based Pay System Work for Your School

School Heads // November 8, 2010

Schools nationwide are starting to question the way they hire and evaluate faculty. Seniority is becoming less important, which could be terrible news for teachers that use their tenure—not their teaching skills—as leverage. Today, more and more schools are not necessarily looking for teachers with the most experience, but teachers that can prove their commitment to the students, the mission of the school, and their positive contributions to the overall faculty culture.

Read More

Wellness Programs in Private-Independent Schools

Business and Operations // October 27, 2010

Perhaps the two most obvious risk management benefits of implementing a wellness program are improved health of faculty and staff and, over time, the potential for reduced cost of health care (premiums paid by the school) since these are influenced by claims submitted by the school.

Read More

New Student Addiction—Caffeine Drinks

Private School News // October 26, 2010

Many of us rely on caffeine to pick us up in the morning—perhaps even again in the afternoon—and don’t stop to think that it could be bad for our bodies. Don’t worry. Caffeine in moderation (about 18oz a day) is perfectly fine for the average person. When it becomes scary is when it is combined with alcohol.

Read More

Student Sport Injuries on the Rise

Private School News // October 26, 2010

Overuse sport injuries are on the rise for high school students. Whereas it used to be students would play several different sports over the course of a school year, now they’re concentrating their energies on their sport of choice and increasing their risks for injury.

Read More

Buying Recycled Computers Can Stretch Your Budget

Private School News // October 26, 2010

Technology moves at a speed seemingly far faster than most of us can keep up with. As soon as you purchase a new computer and walk out of the store (or take it off the delivery truck) it’s obsolete. And, when you’re looking to replace all the computers in your classrooms so they can handle new server upgrades (have you heard Microsoft is finally releasing a new operating system—whooo-hooo!) it can make a huge dent in your already tight budget. Well, cheers to Eastern Lancaster County School District for thinking green—and smart.

Read More

A Fresh Look At Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (Editorial Blog)

Private School News // October 26, 2010

From time to time I go to lunch with our HR Consultant, Michael Brisciana, just to catch up with what’s new on the Association tour, in the consulting world of ISM, and in life. Nothing fancy. Just your basic colleague lunch that is always a welcome break from my typical eat-at-the-desk routine. The last time we ventured into the square together, Michael mentioned Maslow’s hierarchy of needs model. At the time, I couldn’t recall ever hearing anything about it, but after he handed me a printed article later that day, I started to remember the long lectures and opinionated conversations from my required college psychology courses years ago. A few days later, Michael e-mailed me an article by Chip Conley that took Maslow’s theory and applied it to the business world. For about a month now, I have played around with different ideas on how to relay this information to you—our ISM’s e-Letter readers. Well, after several rough drafts that ended up in my recycle bin in tightly balled wads of paper, I think I’ve finally found a way to translate the information—I’m just going to write what I personally have taken away from this. This is certainly not going to be hard-hitting journalism or profound ISM theory, but if I can get this approved by the powers higher than me, I think you’re in for an interesting read.

Read More

Is Paid Maternity Leave Illegal?

Business and Operations // October 25, 2010

We’ve received several questions recently concerning maternity leave policies. On the one hand, some have questioned whether such policies violate anti-discrimination laws. On the other hand, other schools have wondered how to coordinate paid maternity leave with their existing short-term disability (STD) insurance policies. We’ll try to address both issues here.

Read More

Bullying Isn't the Only Factor in Teen Suicides

Advancement // October 25, 2010

“Keep in mind 33,000 of our fellow Americans are dead this year from suicide. Very few of them were bullied,” said Thomas Joiner, a clinical psychologist and Florida State University suicide researcher. As part of the Admission Office, your duties may also involve communicating with parents. What could a parent care about more than the safety of their child? With a few recent suicide stories circulating in the news, chances are at least one parent has voiced their concerns about your school’s bullying policies, and many have thought about it. But, besides including your school’s policy in the next parent newsletter, what more can you share with them? Well, read on.

Read More

Ask Michael

Business and Operations // October 25, 2010

Q: We’ve required all employees to “sign in” and “sign out” of the building at different points over the years, but never consistently. What are the pro’s and con’s of doing so? And does this have anything to do with what hours we pay non-exempt employees for?

Read More

Reminding Parents of the Greatness of Your School

Advancement // October 25, 2010

You might not be thinking about conducting exit surveys this early in the school year, or about losing students to other campuses in the area. The school year has just started after all, and why would parents make a change now? Fair enough. But, have you ever considered asking your parents how satisfied they are with your school and their child’s development? Surveying parents now about your school’s unique features is one of the most proactive steps you can take. Why? Simply stated, because you can never have too much data! Before we begin, let us first confirm ISM’s theory on parent surveys. ISM believes that surveys should always be conducted by a third party to ensure you get the highest response rate possible because the respondents’ anonymity is protected. (We have several survey resource options you can select from.) However, we understand some schools like to handle surveying themselves. Although we warn against it, the following article has been written to help you understand some of key elements in creating effective surveys.

Read More