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?

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

Financial Aid Award Notifications

Advancement // February 27, 2013

Financial aid applications are rolling in. Formulas are being tested. Your committee is working in overdrive, reviewing and organizing applicants. Decisions are being made. Final decisions are being made. Now, it’s time to send out notifications to those receiving financial aid, and to those not qualifying.

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D&O Q&A

Business and Operations // February 27, 2013

Q: I have a good idea what type of claims employees can bring against schools (for wrongful termination, harassment, and the like). What type of claims do you see parents bringing against schools? Do Directors & Officers (D&O) policies generally cover these claims?

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Green Corner: Where Does Your City Rank With GHG? Emissions

Business and Operations // February 27, 2013

Attention science lovers: The EPA recently released a report on 2012 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions from large facilities around the nation. It is important to note that this report does not reflect total US GHG emissions, but yet demonstrates findings based on reporting facilities.

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Zero Tolerance and Young Children: What’s the Common-Sense Answer?

Academic Leadership // February 20, 2013

Since the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school in Connecticut, school administrators and parents are on edge. The tragedy has thrust gun control and school security issues to the forefront of the national conversation, and zero-tolerance policies are once again in the news.

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A Lincoln Teaching Tool, Courtesy of Hollywood

Academic Leadership // February 20, 2013

Daniel Day Lewis’s striking portrayal of Abraham Lincoln as he works the political maze to pass the 13th amendment to outlaw slavery and involuntary servitude in the film Lincoln will be coming to all public and private school middle and high schools as soon as the DVD hits stores.

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Ask Michael

Business and Operations // February 18, 2013

Q: I’m the Business Manager/HR person for a midsize school (50 employees). I’d like to automate our HR record-keeping functions, and I’ve started to look into what our payroll provider offers. Is there a software program or vendor that you would recommend?

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Examples, Examples, Examples

Business and Operations // February 18, 2013

In the 12 months since we released the new ISM Evaluation and Growth Cycle model, we’ve been asked to compare this to other approaches that schools currently use. We’re happy to address one particular theme concerning evaluation rubrics.

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Rebuilding Working Relationships

Business and Operations // February 18, 2013

Looking at the calendar (and observing the cold, gray weather here in the Northeast), we know that we’ve reached the winter doldrums—the time of year when measures of enthusiasm, engagement and morale bottom out in schools (and most other organizations, for that matter). Part of the collateral damage often involves a fraying of working relationships between groups as well as individuals.

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Engaging Your Facebook Fans

Advancement // February 14, 2013

If your school has a Facebook presence, but you’d like to see more wall banter, why not have some fun? Facebook isn’t just for posting cat pictures! Give your Facebook fans something to comment on, just for the sake of commenting. After all, engagement it what it’s all about, and it’s a painless way to engage your alumni.

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