Editorial by ISM Staff Writer My mother always taught me that it’s rude to ask a lady’s age. Nowadays, it goes beyond impoliteness: Age is a legally protected, non-discriminatory class, just like gender or race. But laws don’t stop the spread of generational stereotypes, young or old. It’s high-past time for someone to take a stand against the (often negative) stereotypes older people tend to believe about my peers and me. I’ve decided—for this article, at least—for that person to be me, a bonafide Generation Y young adult in the workforce.

Tuition remission for faculty and staff means so many things to so many private-independent schools. To some, it’s a way to promote the school’s mission of inclusion. To others, it’s a perk, a way to find and retain wonderful staff and faculty. Even more people remember their own education or a friend whose schooling was supported through programs like this and wish to continue the tradition. ISM theory, as we’ve written in The Tuition Book and discussed during podcasts, states that it’s possible to accomplish your mission of caring and trust without offering hugely expensive (and potentially unnecessary) discounts. Don’t believe it? Let’s tackle some common arguments in favor of tuition remission and outline some ways to keep the program’s positives.

Why do people work for private-independent schools? They want to support their school’s mission, of course, which could deal with everything from religion to academic abilities to unique educational experiences, but one thing is certain: We guarantee that no one works at your school merely “for the money.”

The winter holidays have come and gone, but there’s no reason we can’t continue celebrating the new year with a renewed commitment to personal development! More so than many offices in a private-independent school, the Development Office must maintain a presence in the community and in the other divisions of the school. With that balance in mind, we have collected a few books for your consideration and perusal.

The school year’s halfway done, but turning over a new leaf doesn’t need to wait until next New Year’s. Grab your wallet and prep your library card, because we’ve put together a list of some must-read books for your professional development resolutions for 2014.

Winter has settled in with a vengeance in the Northern Hemisphere, heralded by the recent “Polar Vortex.” While the temperatures have slowly risen back to seasonal averages, the question of how to handle outdoor recess in the face of extreme cold has been raised on our Lower School Head/Division Head e-List. There are no national regulations beyond the common-sense meter, but when you’re bracing for wind chills that make the world feel colder than Mars, you know it’s time to set some ground rules for future arctic blasts.

As we head into enrollment season for Student Accident coverages, we’ve come across some interesting statistics for sports-related injuries. What parents and your school administrators don’t want to hear is that the Journal of Pediatrics published a study reporting a 92% increase in pediatric visits to hospital emergency rooms for sports-related traumatic brain injuries between 2002 and 2011. What you and your families will want to know is that the severity of these cases appears to be decreasing.

We’ve made it past the holiday season and straight into the time of the year when the flu bug is what’s being shared. It’s a big change from just a month ago when everything was merry and bright! In fact, if you’re one of the unfortunate ones on the flu bug's list, merry and bright is the exact opposite of what you’re feeling. If you’re lucky enough to have so far avoided catching what everyone else seems to be wrestling with, chances are you’re surrounded by sneezing, sniffling, and coughing co-workers. Wearing a facemask and inflating a plastic bubble around your desk may help to keep those nasty germs at bay, but there are other ways you can protect yourself—and your unaffected faculty, staff, and students.

Q: If a family sues our school, is there any coverage under our D&O policy?

ISM has long recommended that a school’s mission statement be short, memorable, and distinctive—distinguishing the school from its public and private competition. The mission statement should be as much a marketing and public relations tool as a guide to internal decision-making. However, there is one other key, complementary document that helps define your school—a statement of philosophy.