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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.
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From the HR Blogosphere
Business and Operations // February 27, 2012
Blogs, forums, chat rooms, listservs—the list goes on and on. These can be valuable resources for finding alternative opinions and information about almost anything. From HR concerns to just needing a quick laugh to fuel the rest of your day, blogs can remind you that you're not alone in the all-too-often chaotic world of private-independent education. This month’s selections expand on our “Jeremy Lin and Connectors” theme, focusing on coaching, mentoring, and collaborating.
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Ask Michael
Business and Operations // February 27, 2012
Q: I attended an educator’s workshop the other day where they told me that all schools had to offer FMLA (Family Medical Leave), even if the school has fewer than 50 employees? Is this true?
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What Jeremy Lin Can Teach Us About Leadership
Business and Operations // February 27, 2012
One of the biggest stories in the sports world in recent weeks has been the emergence of Jeremy Lin. Among a plethora of “lessons” available in Lin’s story, one has to do with the value of “connectors”—those people (in both sports and all other organizations) who somehow “connect” the people and change the game—and the atmosphere—in important ways.
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Design All of Your Employee Systems Around “Characteristics” (The Zappos Example)
Business and Operations // February 27, 2012
During the past decade, the shoe/retail goods Web site, www.zappos.com has become world famous and grown into a multi-billion dollar organization by emphasizing an extraordinary customer experience—chiefly delivered by front-line employees who are deeply imbued with the organization’s mission, culture, and values. These employees are hired based on mission-appropriate “characteristics” (i.e., performance traits) that they possess. Then, at every point of their career with Zappos, these traits – which form the basis of the Zappos culture—are continually emphasized, encouraged, supported, trained, and rewarded.
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Rethinking Exam Periods for Optimal Assessment
Academic Leadership // February 22, 2012
Learning in the 21st century should be student-centered. Prescribed exam periods, de riguer in the 20th century learning model, are schedule-centered. They force students to perform in a “do-or-die” situation, whether or not they have adequately covered the material. Naturally, student stress levels shoot up in this high-stakes environment. Even worse, many schools schedule exam periods after break periods. Just when students should be using the time to rest and recharge, they are expected to work even more to do well on the exams that are to come.
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Pinterest—A Visual Solution To Social Sharing
Advancement // February 22, 2012
There’s a new social network in town and its popularity is rapidly spreading across the Internet—Pinterest.
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Can Evaluation Really Drive Faculty (and Student) Performance?
Academic Leadership // February 22, 2012
In many schools (and most other organizations, as well), performance evaluations are considered a waste of time or a meaningless bureaucratic exercise. What if evaluations could be used to actually increase performance—to help “average” teachers become excellent, and excellent teachers become even more outstanding?
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Sexting Risks and Texting Acronyms Every Parent Should Know
Advancement // February 22, 2012
Links may contain subject matter some consider provocative. Please view at your discretion. Most parents have given in to their teens' pleas for a cell phone. And, as school administrators know, cell phones are capable of much more than making phone calls.
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Keep Your School Accessible
Board of Trustees // February 21, 2012
Private schools annually wrestle with complex financial issues that center on the question of tuition. Board members often find themselves asking, “How can we keep our school affordable?” ISM believes this is the wrong question to ask.
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21st Century Bus Safety
Business and Operations // February 20, 2012
As Business Manager, your job duties may also include those of Risk Manager and Facilities Manager. And with those responsibilities comes the never-ending duty of ensuring student safety at all times—on and off campus.
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