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?

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.

Distorted Body Perspectives Affecting Kids as Young as 5 (Editorial)

Private School News // December 9, 2009

Females have a reputation for struggling with self-acceptance. We're (I'm compelled to include myself in this) always competing with some imaginary beauty princess to be thinner, have shinier hair, wear the latest trends (and look better than those chic models in them, too!), and smile white, pearly smiles of cheer 24/7.  

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Hey Kid, Get Off the Couch!

Private School News // December 9, 2009

"I used to walk a mile uphill in the snow every winter to school." Remember hearing your grandparents tell you that story when you were small? That was their way of encouraging you to be more ambitious, thicken your skin, and to get your rumps up and outside! If they thought you had it comfy, wow, what would they think about today's generation?

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Super-Sized Students

Private School News // December 9, 2009

Columbia University and the University of California conducted a survey of millions of schoolchildren and found that they were more likely to be obese when their school campus was located within a block of a fast-food restaurant. Students whose school was a quarter of a mile or more away were not as likely.

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Fairness Stops Lawsuits

Business and Operations // December 9, 2009

OK, that's a bold statement to make, and of course fairness can't always protect your school from legal issues—there's much more to lawsuit prevention then simply being fair. Interestingly enough however, employees who believe they been treated fairly—even if treatment was negative—are less likely to sue or bring charges.

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A Hundred Thousand Teachers Are Missing

Private School News // December 9, 2009

As many as 100,000 of last year's teachers won't be joining students this fall as they return to the classroom, reports the National Education Association.

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Fast Growing Trend of Charges Filed With the EEOC

Business and Operations // December 9, 2009

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), reports an increase of 13 percent in religious discrimination charges. Charges filed are at an all-time record high, and they've been growing steadily for the past five years.

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Pesticides on Your Floors?

Private School News // December 9, 2009

Recently, scientists at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development conducted a study, the first of its kind, to generate national data on pesticide residue in homes. They collected their data by observing residents' pesticide use along with other housing factors. They concluded that "measurable" levels of contamination were found in residential homes.

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A Google Technology Update

Private School News // December 9, 2009

Google is about to do it again—introduce another product that changes our perception of e-mail and online networking—Google Wave. People are already talking about what it could mean for the education world—and they're talking good stuff. Google Wave, if it functions as Google intends, will unveil a new way people communicate and work together. By combining e-mail and instant messaging, it will allow people to include richly formatted text, photos, and videos into both forms of messaging, having broad implications for how students develop and use collaborative skills.

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