We ran across this New York Times story of a teacher, a 33-year veteran in a Massachusetts public middle school, who is a portrait of excellence in teaching. Ron Adams, teaches seventh-grade English in a school where half the children qualify for subsidized lunches and many live in housing projects. He dislikes standardized testing, and does not do very much prep for the required exams. Yet, his students fare much better than state averages. Adams teaches social consciousness—his first assignment each year is to write a letter to someone who has the power to fix a problem that upsets each child—to help them learn to take action. He also leads the school’s Save the World Club.

Q: I need to let an employee go, and I’m wondering if it is better if I fire her or let her resign. Would it help her with unemployment benefits if I do one instead of the other?

How many of us have a teenager who must be dragged out of bed to get to school by 7:30 a.m.? That’s the typical start time for most public high schools; private high schools typically start a bit later, around 8 a.m. Research shows teen body clocks don’t mesh with the school day. However, realigning school start times is a tough sell.

During the holiday season, there is great focus on gift-giving—often accompanied by the adage, “It’s the thought that counts.” Taking this as our theme, we wanted to share a few thoughts about one of the best gifts you can give your school community—the gift of simplicity.

In a recently broadcast episode of Law & Order: UK, a teen accused a man of a crime—it appeared he was a repetitive offender. As she sat in the witness box, the defense attorney challenged her. ”Five minutes minutes after this allegedly happened, you posted it on Facebook. Why did you not call the police?”

When a Board’s internal problems keep it from moving forward in its responsibilities to the school, the Board President and Executive Committee must act.

As a Board member, part of your due diligence includes risk management at your school and making sure you have insurance to cover employment practices liability. While the School Head and Management Team ensure that policies and procedures are in place and implemented, the Board is ultimately responsible for any legal costs that may incur if a case is brought against the school.

December always produces acts of generosity, charity drives, and feel-good stories. The big so far this season that exploded virally is the photo of NYPD Officer Lawrence Primo giving a new pair of boots to a homeless, barefoot man on the street. (Posted to the NYPD Facebook page by the tourist who captured it on her cell phone produced 1.6 million views and 275,000 likes)

Professional development, learning opportunities, training—whatever the name, it is designed to keep your school and your school community moving forward. For your administrators, your faculty, and your staff, attending workshops and seminars provides professional and personal growth, the opportunity to network with their private-independent school peers, and hopefully fresh ideas and perspectives that will enrich your students’ experience. And, of course, professional development should help strengthen your school’s viability overall.

In last month's issue, we talked about open houses. This month, we want to share some creative ideas that we found on the ISM Admission e-list. The holiday season always generates a lot of service projects to help those in need, troops overseas, the elderly, shut-ins, and others who may not be able to be with their families, or have the means to fully care for themselves or their families, etc.