The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many hardships for schools and families. However, a small silver lining of this time has been the moments of reflection it has afforded. When the pandemic drastically changed the very basics of education delivery, everything was upended. Now, nine months later, teachers and leaders can reflect on what does and does not work in schools today. As we share the silver linings we’ve discovered, we encourage you and your team to reflect on your own experiences to plan for the future.

School leaders continue to be tested in these uncertain, unprecedented times. As COVID-19 cases rise around the world, you are probably facing tough decisions every day. It’s important to understand how to consider all angles and come to the best conclusions. We recently published five barriers that can impact decision-making. Today we’ll cover methodologies you can use to think through issues at hand and make sound decisions that support your students and school.

Hosting a community-building event in the wake of COVID-19 may seem like an impossible task. But in our current environment, building a community is more important than ever. Here are five ideas for your next virtual community-building event.

Once you have published your Guide to Giving and Getting Involved and have identified your school’s volunteer needs, it is time to develop job descriptions for each position. Well-crafted job descriptions help you match the required work with qualified individuals. You also have a reliable estimate of the time, resources needed to be successful, and a set of metrics you can use to celebrate your volunteers’ success. Include the following points when creating your job descriptions.

We’re back to answer more questions we’ve received from teachers and academic administrators about the pandemic’s impact on teaching and learning. Many want to know what has changed since the pandemic began and where private schools are going from here.

The truth is, millennials will soon join (and in some lower school parent groups, even overtake) baby boomers and Generation X as the essential target audience for your school's enrollment—if they haven't already taken over this position. As the millennial generation continues to grow, you must adapt your enrollment strategies to appeal to this generation.

With all the time and effort your team puts into various marketing efforts—including emails, content marketing, social media marketing, print, partnerships, and more—you want to ensure your methods are effective. A great way to evaluate everything you share is through a marketing communications audit. A few weeks ago, we shared the four steps to conduct a successful marketing communications audit. Today we’re going to explore certain elements to ensure your audit is effective.

Like it or not, parents pay tuition to send their children to private schools—and often have high expectations for that expense. They want to feel cared for by the school—confident that their children will be better positioned for future education and job opportunities because they chose a private-independent school. This requires a focused mindset where faculty and staff have the skills and tools to support parents and students in every interaction. Creating a culture of customer service focus and effort starts with your school’s Leadership Team.

We worked with over 1,000 teachers in the summer of 2020 to help them strengthen their approach when it comes to distance or hybrid learning. Teachers continue to crave the same support, even in distance or hybrid learning environments. Here’s what our teachers shared about administrator actions that did (and did not) work to help them in their job roles.

Your strategically focused Board of Trustees is key to making your development programs effective and sustainable. When your Board centers on decision-making that is future-focused and viability-motivated, your school prospers—inspiring your donors and prospects to commit philanthropic dollars to your school. Your Board and Development Committee must work together to ensure the proper management of donors and prospects. Here's more about fostering the strategic role of an effective Development Committee.