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See articles for School Heads, Business & Operations, Advancement, Academic Leadership, and Trustees, in addition to Private School News.
LinkedIn for Administrators, Part One: Spruce Up Your Profile
Private School News // July 10, 2015
Not so long ago, we wrote about why Business Officers should be active on LinkedIn. Then it occurred to us: Every private-independent school administrator should be using LinkedIn, especially since it’s expanded beyond a simple job search site. Today, we’re going to talk about one of the most basic—and most important—aspects to your professional persona on LinkedIn: Your personal profile.
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Three Podcasts for School Heads
School Heads // July 9, 2015
What’s playing over your headphones lately? Music, or a favorite morning talk show? You could use your spare time as a way to find out what’s going on with your peers and learn new techniques through podcasts! Podcasts are pre-recorded radio shows you can download to your phone, music player, or computer. This month, we’ve found three we think School Heads will appreciate.
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Three Podcasts for Division Heads
Academic Leadership // July 8, 2015
What’s playing over your headphones lately? Music, or a favorite morning talk show? You could use your spare time as a way to find out what’s going on with your peers and learn new techniques through podcasts! Podcasts are pre-recorded radio shows you can download to your phone, music player, or computer. This month, we’ve found three we think Division Heads will appreciate.
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Cognitive Scientist Says Erasers Are “Instruments of the Devil”
Academic Leadership // July 8, 2015
Encouraging students to be confident in their abilities—even while they make mistakes—must be one of the most herculean feats teachers are asked to accomplish. Some cognitive scientists, however, believe the key to solving this conundrum is to ban the eraser.
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Redefining Loyalty
Business and Operations // July 7, 2015
When it comes evaluating employees, or, even reenrolling vested families, often loyalty is taken into consideration. The longer their tenure, the more vested they are, the more irreplaceable they are. If an employee stays onboard, he/she must live and breathe the mission and vision of your school, right? If a family reenrolls, they must believe in the culture of your school, right? Not necessarily.
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Ask ISM’s Risk Manager
Business and Operations // July 7, 2015
Q: We have employees who are not paid over summer break and who are not actively working with us during that time. If they work on average less than 30 hours per week because of the break, do we have to offer them health insurance?
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Classroom Apps, Technology, and Privacy Concerns
Board of Trustees // June 22, 2015
As classroom technology becomes more prevalent, especially with teachers using computer apps to track student performance, student privacy issues also become a concern. Teachers are now integrating interactive whiteboards, tablets or electronic readers, and even handheld devices like smart phones in their lesson plans. This does not come without risks, however. Providers of online educational services and apps can “harvest” personal student information (email addresses, phone numbers, and numerous other data points) that can be used for marketing and analysis, or even shared and used inappropriately.
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Acquiring Enough Land, Part One
Board of Trustees // June 22, 2015
To maintain the trust, your Board must ensure the school can fulfill its mission and meet its goals without having land values and the lack of space limit program or planning decisions—not just now, but 100 years in the future! If your school does not have a land-acquisition plan. Now is the time to develop one. Acquiring land now that you may need in the future is of strategic importance to your school. With this in mind, you must (1) determine your school’s needs, and (2) take action if necessary. In this article, we will discuss how to ascertain your school’s needs. In the next issue, we will discuss how to move forward if you decide more land is required.
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Ask ISM's Health Care Reform Specialist
Business and Operations // June 19, 2015
Q: How should we be tracking the hours for coaches? Do we have to include substitute teachers as part time employees? We are thinking of hiring an intern and paying a stipend. Do we have to offer the intern health insurance? Do we count Summer Camp employees? How do we keep track of Part-time employee hours?
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Standing Desks Combat Student Obesity, Inactivity
Business and Operations // June 19, 2015
2014 was a landmark year for American couch potatoes, according to the Physical Activity Council’s 2015 Participation Report. Researchers saw the highest level of inactivity out of the last six years. While school-aged children seemed to be the most active of any age group surveyed, about 20% of students indicated a lack of substantial, committed physical activity. One proposed solution to student inactivity—at least in part—is a radical new classroom arrangement featuring “standing desks.”
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