Your role as School Head is to lead by example, inspire enthusiasm among faculty and staff, and ultimately enrich the student experience. The job requires patience, hard work, and dedication. It also requires thoughtful planning to create and maintain a positive relationship with Board members.

Families and parents today are busier than ever. As the hustle and bustle of the holidays arrive and families add more to their plates, offering holiday childcare can be an added value to current students and a differentiator for prospective families.

“There is no system in the world or any school in the country that is better than its teachers. Teachers are the lifeblood of the success of schools.” –Sir Ken Robinson. This quote from Sir Ken Robinson, New York Times bestselling author, TED speaker, and education advisor, has found continued support with the results of a new study.

The holidays are in full swing and gift giving may be top-of-mind for many in your school. Administrators, teachers, and families give and receive gifts at this time of year, so it’s in your best interest to establish policies and procedures that define acceptable gifts, amounts that can be spent, and more.

As changes occur, a private school often “slides” from the original intent of its mission statement. When was the last time your Board reviewed your school's mission to ensure that it is still going in the right direction?

The School Head is the sole employee of the Board. A reasonable contractual agreement encourages moderation, compromise, and perspective for this professional relationship. Far from denying mutual trust, a contract confirms it.

One role of an academic administrator is to help educators maximize their teaching time in the classroom. We therefore recommend that every team review the amount of actual teaching days allotted in your school year calendar.

Many schools have incorporated community service into their mission to show their students how to become global citizens with hearts for helping others. An integral part of delivering this value is an ongoing focus on service learning.

Millennials first entered the workforce about 10 years ago and abruptly changed office dynamics. Their standards and values are so different from boomers and Gen Xers that they didn’t just cause small ripples through common work processes—large adjustments have become necessary to remain competitive.

When it comes to your school’s mission and the value you offer to families, you can’t be all things to all people. Many schools fall into the trap of trying to offer the best programs, the smallest class sizes, and the most accomplished graduates—all for a lower price than the competition. In our experience, this simply cannot be done. We instead encourage schools to choose their competitive marketplace position and keep every strategic decision in line with this stance.