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See articles for School Heads, Business & Operations, Advancement, Academic Leadership, and Trustees, in addition to Private School News.
Can Evaluation Really Drive Faculty (and Student) Performance?
Academic Leadership // February 22, 2012
In many schools (and most other organizations, as well), performance evaluations are considered a waste of time or a meaningless bureaucratic exercise. What if evaluations could be used to actually increase performance—to help “average” teachers become excellent, and excellent teachers become even more outstanding?
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Sexting Risks and Texting Acronyms Every Parent Should Know
Advancement // February 22, 2012
Links may contain subject matter some consider provocative. Please view at your discretion. Most parents have given in to their teens' pleas for a cell phone. And, as school administrators know, cell phones are capable of much more than making phone calls.
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Keep Your School Accessible
Board of Trustees // February 21, 2012
Private schools annually wrestle with complex financial issues that center on the question of tuition. Board members often find themselves asking, “How can we keep our school affordable?” ISM believes this is the wrong question to ask.
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21st Century Bus Safety
Business and Operations // February 20, 2012
As Business Manager, your job duties may also include those of Risk Manager and Facilities Manager. And with those responsibilities comes the never-ending duty of ensuring student safety at all times—on and off campus.
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Green Corner
Business and Operations // February 20, 2012
Greening Your Office Space Originally published on sierraclub.org Maximize computer efficiency Computers in the business sector unnecessarily waste $1 billion worth of electricity a year.
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An A.P.P.L.E. Rewards a Teacher…Thanks to In-Kind Donations!
Advancement // February 16, 2012
People frequently find themselves holding onto tickets for events that they can’t use for some reason—extras from season passes, illness, time conflict, etc. These could be for theater, sporting events, concerts, art exhibits. The list goes on. Well, The Bush School in Seattle, WA, has a program that puts those extras to good use—as a warm “thank you” to their teachers for all they do for their students and the school.
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Ask the Expert
Advancement // February 16, 2012
From time to time, we pitch a question culled from the ISM Advancement Listserv to our experts. This month, Michael Christopher, Assistant Headmaster—School Advancement, at Lausanne Collegiate School (TN) is at the plate.
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When (Not If) a Crisis Happens, Will You Be Ready?
School Heads // February 6, 2012
A crisis at a school is in the news more often than any of us is comfortable with. There has been a shooting. An administrator has been arrested. A nearby factory has had a toxic spill. Or a serious cheating scandal has erupted. These types of events—and numerous more—could put your school in a crisis that could have long-term consequences.
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Students, Accidents, and Your School’s Liability
Business and Operations // February 1, 2012
Accidental injuries to students participating in school-related activities—both sport and non-sport related—are certainly nothing new. However, with increasing coverage “gaps” in the form of co-pays and higher deductibles found in more and more traditional health plans, out- of-pocket losses are on the rise. So too, unfortunately, is the increase in the number of “3rd-party (parent) lawsuits holding schools more and more responsible for their actions. Accordingly, schools need to be increasingly aware of their liability in this area. .
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Winter Hazards
Business and Operations // February 1, 2012
Most of the country is celebrating a mild winter. However, snow, ice, and extreme cold has still made an appearance—a risky appearance—in northern states. For those cold-loving outdoorsmen at heart, this is a great time of year to get outdoors and kick up some snow. With any extreme weather, there are risks and safety precautions to be aware of.
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