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.

Small schools face an unique set of challenges when it comes to major gifts. With a modest staff and possibly smaller network within the community, it can seem like a daunting task to run a major gifts program. However, we’ve found that many of the challenges small schools believe they face are based in perception, not reality.

We often refer to the Characteristics of Professional Excellence: A list of specific behaviors, values, and attitudes that every school must create to illustrate how its faculty acts to meet the school’s mission and helps mold its intended graduates. ISM has developed a broad list of Characteristics of Professional Excellence that includes 35 items we believe should help guide private-independent school educators’ actions and behaviors.

All School Heads face the same dichotomy when it comes to the Board: You are the Board’s sole employee and are expected to receive direction from its members. Yet, you are the person in the school each day. Board meetings are times when the whole Board comes together. Each meeting is the perfect time to help influence the Board’s operations and demonstrate your skill as a leader. Preparing effectively for each Board meeting is essential.