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See articles for School Heads, Business & Operations, Advancement, Academic Leadership, and Trustees, in addition to Private School News.
FAST Answers to Financial Aid Questions
Private School News // October 30, 2015
Q: Okay, last month you explained how financial aid awards should be “mission appropriate.” I think I understand that, but could you talk a little more about what makes awards strategic?
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School Spotlight: U of D Jesuit Student Creates “Stroller” for Paraplegic Mother
Private School News // October 30, 2015
In an online universe populated by news media that seems to thrive on negative stories about violence and hate, it's refreshing to stumble across a gem that restores some faith in the future of our species. This month’s School Spotlight features one such story coming from the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy—and a budding engineer who helped make a mother’s dream come true. (Primary image credit to Jacquelyn Gray/Bustle)
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LinkedIn for Administrators, Part Three: The Lawsuit Connection
Private School News // October 30, 2015
Did you receive an email from LinkedIn on October 2nd about a class action lawsuit? Most emails listing you as a possible claimant in a multi-million dollar settlement are phishing scams—but believe it or not, this one is real. Here’s what happened and what this means for LinkedIn.
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Ask ISM's Health Care Reform Specialist
Business and Operations // October 27, 2015
Q: Our health insurance company just sent us a rebate check. What in the world am I supposed to do with it?
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Martian Lessons for Earthbound Business Managers
Business and Operations // October 27, 2015
Several ISM team members are fans of Andrew Weir’s novel, The Martian, which follows a botanist-astronaut’s struggle to survive after finding himself stranded on Mars. (The protagonist, Mark Watney, is basically MacGyver in a spacesuit.) We don’t want to give away too many spoilers, but his struggle in space offers lessons for Business Managers back here on Earth—if you know where to look.
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Five Free Project Management Tools
Business and Operations // October 27, 2015
Free. It’s a beautiful four-letter word, no? There are dozens of free apps out there that claim to help you improve your performance, but you'll still be investing time (if not your money) to test which ones work for you. For your increased efficiency and organization, we've collected five vetted management software tools that offer useful, enjoyable user experiences in their free form—before asking users to commit to a subscription or purchase.
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Eight Ways to Celebrate International Education Week 2015
School Heads // October 20, 2015
What is your school doing the week of November 16-20? Hopefully, you’re all preparing to participate in International Education Week (IEW). 2015 marks the fifteenth anniversary for this joint initiative begun in 2000 as a collaboration between the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education. Join schools around the world, and have your students and faculty try out these easy ways to celebrate cultural and educational exchange!
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Fielding Parent Complaints
Academic Leadership // October 15, 2015
It happens to every Division Head at some point. A father flags you down in the parking lot for a “quick chat,” or leaves you a voicemail on your office machine, or shoots you an email with his child’s name in the subject line. Within moments of the interaction, it becomes obvious that the parent needs to vent about his child—and he expects you to do something about it—immediately. How do you handle this?
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Teaching Your Parents: The Underlining Message in the Common Core Check Story
Academic Leadership // October 15, 2015
Have you heard about the “Common Core check”? If you missed it, here’s the summary: A father became frustrated by some new methods of teaching math which rendered him unable to help his second-grader with assigned homework. To mock the new teaching system, he wrote a check using the new teaching methods to protest what he saw as “change for the sake of change.” His photo of the check went viral, being shared across social media and news outlets, as a symbol of the new curriculum that many other parents found mysterious and confusing.
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Remedies for a ‘Fractured’ Board
Board of Trustees // October 13, 2015
When a Board’s internal problems keep it from moving forward in its responsibilities to the school, the Board President and Trustee leadership must act. The various forms of a “fractured” Board are often caused by members who bring their own agendas, have a bureaucratic mind-set, or focus on their own children’s issues rather than on the best interests of all students. As the Board President, ask yourself and your Board-leadership colleagues the following series of questions. These will help you identify the problem areas that cause a fractured Board, and offer remedies to keep your school moving forward.
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