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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?
Check out Community Corner, a free blog 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.
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See articles for School Heads, Business & Operations, Advancement, Academic Leadership, and Trustees, in addition to Private School News.
Green Corner
Business and Operations // February 20, 2012
Greening Your Office Space Originally published on sierraclub.org Maximize computer efficiency Computers in the business sector unnecessarily waste $1 billion worth of electricity a year.
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An A.P.P.L.E. Rewards a Teacher…Thanks to In-Kind Donations!
Advancement // February 16, 2012
People frequently find themselves holding onto tickets for events that they can’t use for some reason—extras from season passes, illness, time conflict, etc. These could be for theater, sporting events, concerts, art exhibits. The list goes on. Well, The Bush School in Seattle, WA, has a program that puts those extras to good use—as a warm “thank you” to their teachers for all they do for their students and the school.
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Ask the Expert
Advancement // February 16, 2012
From time to time, we pitch a question culled from the ISM Advancement Listserv to our experts. This month, Michael Christopher, Assistant Headmaster—School Advancement, at Lausanne Collegiate School (TN) is at the plate.
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When (Not If) a Crisis Happens, Will You Be Ready?
School Heads // February 6, 2012
A crisis at a school is in the news more often than any of us is comfortable with. There has been a shooting. An administrator has been arrested. A nearby factory has had a toxic spill. Or a serious cheating scandal has erupted. These types of events—and numerous more—could put your school in a crisis that could have long-term consequences.
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Students, Accidents, and Your School’s Liability
Business and Operations // February 1, 2012
Accidental injuries to students participating in school-related activities—both sport and non-sport related—are certainly nothing new. However, with increasing coverage “gaps” in the form of co-pays and higher deductibles found in more and more traditional health plans, out- of-pocket losses are on the rise. So too, unfortunately, is the increase in the number of “3rd-party (parent) lawsuits holding schools more and more responsible for their actions. Accordingly, schools need to be increasingly aware of their liability in this area. .
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Winter Hazards
Business and Operations // February 1, 2012
Most of the country is celebrating a mild winter. However, snow, ice, and extreme cold has still made an appearance—a risky appearance—in northern states. For those cold-loving outdoorsmen at heart, this is a great time of year to get outdoors and kick up some snow. With any extreme weather, there are risks and safety precautions to be aware of.
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Exams: Should They Stay or Should They Go?
Academic Leadership // January 31, 2012
Midterms and finals are engrained in the educational system for middle and upper schoolers. Usually, they are held during a prescribed time period when no other learning goes on. The exam period is stressful for the student—a “do or die” situation. And the exam period is inconsistent with the 21st century school structure.
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The Teacher Evaluation Stalemate in New York
Academic Leadership // January 31, 2012
There’s a ruckus being raised in New York over teacher evaluations, an impasse between the state and the teacher unions. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg are both frustrated that a more robust evaluation system with consequences including firing is being held up by the unions over issues including an appeals process and the role of test scores.
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From Neuroscience: Why Gaming Engages Students
Academic Leadership // January 31, 2012
Dr. Paul Howard-Jones told attendees at the Learning Without Frontiers Conference in London last week that video gaming engages kids because gaming stimulates the reward system in the brain to produce dopamine, “which helps orient our attention and enhances the making of connections between neurons, the physical basis for learning,” the New York Times reported.
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Comparative Indicators of Education in the United States and Other G-8 Countries
Board of Trustees // January 24, 2012
The National Center for Education Statistics publishes a biennial series of compendia describing key education outcomes and contexts of education in the Group of Eight (G-8) countries—Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The 2011 report is organized into six topical areas: population and school enrollment, academic performance, contexts for learning, expenditures for education, and educational attainment and income.
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