Community Corner
Community Corner

Stay current with the latest private-independent school news.

What are the latest trends impacting private-independent school enrollment? How can you be the most effective in your role as an administrator? How can you help your school meet its mission and best serve your students?

Sign up to receive Community Corner, a free newsletter from ISM.

We cover such topics as how to communicate with your constituencies, work with your fellow school leaders, leverage new technology trends, utilize recommended reading and resources, implement new strategies—all to better serve your school's mission. 

Join more than 30,000 private-independent school administrators and have Community Corner delivered right to your inbox.

Search

See articles for School Heads, Business & Operations, Advancement, Academic Leadership, and Trustees, in addition to Private School News.

Health Care Reform Deadline: October 1, 2013

Private School News // August 28, 2013

Just as the new school year gets into swing and your desk is flooded with a fresh stack of paperwork, the October 1 Health Care Reform deadline zeros in on your to-do list as well. On the positive side, this deadline shouldn’t be additional paperwork that you need to sort, file, and complete. However, it is something you need to address with your faculty and staff—so, yes, there is some paperwork that needs to be distributed as employees return.

Read More

Renewing Your Health Insurance Policies Early

Private School News // August 8, 2013

New health care reform deadlines are nearing. While some schools are well prepared, others are still scrambling to understand how the changes will impact them. It’s true, the changes will effect schools somewhat differently than they will effect large companies. These differences are not clearly outlined on available government documents. If you’re not keeping up with latest news or don’t have a broker on top of the evolving definitions of what is considered full time and part time in the education world, you could be lost.

Read More

Twitter Tips

Private School News // August 8, 2013

Social media isn’t just for the young. It’s for everyone. It’s a resource for keeping in touch with friends and colleagues, news, and of course, trending topics. Twitter is one of the social giants—growing daily—that is exceptionally good at all of the mentioned. If you’ve felt a void with losing your RSS feeds, Twitter is a great compromise with its daily trending topics and constant evolving conversations. If you’ve neglected your account or only dabbled here and there finding yourself frustrated with the unique lingo, we encourage you to take some time this summer and explore the platform some more.

Read More

Summer of Professional Development

Private School News // August 8, 2013

Joining ISM a few years ago, I was immediately tossed into learning our theory. As any great organization will do, ISM wanted me to completely understand its mission and theory, and sample firsthand the concerns and mindset of its audience.

Read More

Gearing Up for Your Next Financial Aid Season

Business and Operations // July 1, 2013

The financial aid season is winding down, if not over for the 2013-2014 school year. You might be left wondering if your Financial Aid Committee made the best decisions possible. If you’re questioning the decisions made and the ease of transition of your financial aid software’s formula to your records and accounting software, then this summer might be a good time to shop around.

Read More

Ask Michael

Business and Operations // July 1, 2013

Q: Two years ago, we promoted someone who had been an excellent teacher into a Division Head role. Unfortunately, he has struggled mightily in the role—he seems unhappy, and the faculty is quite upset with what feels like a state of paralysis in the division. He’s supporting a large family, so I know it would be hard for him to give up the substantial raise that went along with the promotion. What should we do?

Read More

Green Corner: Tips for a Cool Summer

Business and Operations // July 1, 2013

It’s summertime! In honor of the season, we want to leave our readers with some healthy tips for enjoying the great outdoors. No matter what region you live in, these green living tips from WebMD will help you stay safe while exploring and relaxing outdoors, save money on your cooling expenses, and make a dent in your carbon footprint.

Read More

Summertime Reflections: Knowing What to Do Next

Business and Operations // July 1, 2013

As spring has turned to summer, we hope that you are enjoying a more leisurely pace—one that permits both renewal and reflection. The relative calmness of summer often allows one to sit back and ponder developments that have occurred in the past year, and to look forward to what might be on the horizon come September. It is in this reflective frame of mind that we would like to share a few thoughts on ways to improve your HR practices once school is back in session in the fall—most particularly, through the use of very brief surveys.

Read More

Preparing for the Health Care Reform Changes

Business and Operations // July 1, 2013

A recent study by Aflac reveals that Americans aren’t prepared for the Health Care Reforms created by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. As many organizations and companies are choosing consumer-driven health plans, and the responsibility for health decisions requires more patient accountability, workers are being put at risk of making costly mistakes without a financial back-up plan.

Read More

It’s Summertime, Summertime, Sum-sum-summertime!

School Heads // June 28, 2013

As most of you wrap up the school year and get ready for some down time (maybe some professional development with ISM?), we thought you’d might like a little roundup of interesting tips, stories, and products we’ve run across.

Read More