In a previous issue of The Source for Trustees, we discussed the caveats of private school vouchers. Further research supports ISM’s position—that private schools should not look to government vouchers to balance their budgets or address enrollment issues.

Last issue, we discussed public service announcements (PSAs) that were ineffective by modern standards for various reasons, including unclear calls-to-action and inaccurate scare tactics that irreverent teenagers were more likely to mock than to heed. Therefore, we thought we’d take some time in this issue to talk about the ways in which schools can help their student body achieve change.

The United States presidential election has certainly heated up in the last month, and it doesn’t seem to be calming down any time soon. Chances are, the current political climate will still be as hot a topic in August as it is now. Considering how inflammatory rhetoric can seep into classrooms, we thought it best to take a moment to prepare for potentially difficult conversations with students without taking advantage of young minds’ malleability to leverage personal political opinions.

Action minutes are a good habit to get into not only for Board sessions, but for all kinds of meetings—committee, management, faculty. Effective action minutes serve as a “to do” list. They define the task and who will carry it out, set a deadline, and include any pertinent suggestions for strategy—without stifling the individual’s or committee’s initiative. Consider the impact an action minute has in the following situations.

A family at the Montessori Children’s House of Durham (NC) had enrolled their daughter for first and second grade, but wavered on having her attend third grade. The parents were concerned about class size and the teacher time students received. The family eventually re-enrolled the girl, signing a tuition agreement that required the family to pay $12,610 in tuition for the upcoming school year.

On April 21, a 16-year-old lost her life after a fight (allegedly over a boy) in the girls’ bathroom of a public school in Wilmington, Delaware. Rev. Sandra Ben of Pray Ground Community Church told the Delaware News Journal, “We know [violence] is happening in the streets. But now we are talking about violence happening in a place that normally should be a safe haven.” In light of this tragic incident resulting in a student’s death, take measures to ensure your students’ continued safety on your school campus—and not all of them require money to be spent on facilities or security guards.

School-provided lunches are notorious for their unappealing presentation and tasteless “mystery meat”—at least, at most public schools. Up the ante on your school’s lunch program by increasing meal quality through smart investments that ultimately save your school’s bottom line while encouraging students to eat in the cafeteria.

Q. I am new to this school. On our calendar, I have a reminder to “file IRS Form 720 by July 31.” My understanding is that Form 720 is a quarterly return that the school does not file—why would I file it in July?

As your school approaches the home stretch of the academic year, evaluations of teacher (and administrator) performances become a high priority before school breaks for the summer session. Some School Heads may approach these meetings with dread, especially if there are low-performers within your ranks. However, an end-of-year evaluation doesn’t necessarily need to be scary—particularly when approached from the coaching model of evaluation.

At private schools and other nonprofit organizations with Development Offices, there can be an expectation—written or understood—that a Development Director must raise a certain amount of money above his or her salary to be considered “good” or “worth the school’s investment.” This logic is toxic and encourages a flawed approach to fundraising that can fundamentally interfere with your ability to fulfill your job.