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- Problematic schedule? You can master the challenges of scheduling with the help of ISM’s practical advice, based on our experience with hundreds of schools and our time-tested theories.
- And so much more.
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See the articles from our latest issue of Ideas & Perspectives.
The 21st Century School: Students
Volume 35 No. 5 // April 1, 2010
The 20th Century School treats learning in the same way an automobile manufacturer treats making cars. Every student (worker) is assigned particular times (clocking in) and places (workstations) where his/her teachers (supervisors) deliver common curricula (assembly lines) to meet commonly agreed standards (quality control). Teachers who attempt to make the “system” more humane and effective for students are in danger of stunting their careers and being considered troublemakers. Vaunted ideals of life-long learning, independence, and creativity so prized in students (at least in theory), are not as valued in teachers for whom conformity is a critical norm.
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Influencing Upward: Advice for the Head’s Direct Reports
Volume 35 No. 5 // April 1, 2010
In thinking about your relationship as a direct report to your School Head, an essential career skill involves understanding how to influence upward. Whether you’ve known your Head for a long or short time, and however you came to your position, delivering the mission of the school to the students requires an effective relationship between you and the School Head. Reflecting on how you can effectively carry out your responsibilities is worthwhile. (From the Head’s point of view, this article may be helpful as you consider how to coach your direct reports—whether they are new to the business of management/leadership or experienced in their roles—so that they know your expectations.)
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Scheduling and the Harried Teen
Volume 35 No. 4 // March 15, 2010
As the administrator in charge of the high school schedule, you have a moral responsibility. The schedule is not a neutral instrument, but one that dictates and sanctions the lives of children. Think about the way in which your students are living in your school—particularly the driven students.
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Terminating At-Will or Under Contract: Fairness and Due Process Are What Count
Volume 35 No. 4 // March 15, 2010
“We’re in an at-will state. We can let someone go at any time for any reason.” “We simply didn’t renew their contract. We don’t need to give a reason.” While these refrains—heard from school administrators on a regular basis—are both true as far as they go, they don’t tell the whole story regarding the risks of dismissing an employee at a private-independent school.
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Family Satisfaction and Retention in the Current Economic Climate: 2010
Volume 35 No. 4 // March 15, 2010
ISM recently conducted its second annual nationwide survey of parents of children attending private-independent schools. Again this year, the survey was designed to address school concerns about the current economic situation and the effect it might have on re-enrollment. A total of 11,385 people responded; last year, there were 13,291 responses.
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The 21st Century School: Curriculum and Technology
Volume 35 No. 3 // February 18, 2010
The 20th century curriculum paradigm was dominated by the power (and needs) of publishers who took a considerable amount of time to develop textbooks and drove a profitable mass market in educationally acceptable knowledge. The 21st century curriculum paradigm is far more anarchic, with “textbook” knowledge being accessible and created through “social production”2 (collaborative work with open platforms) and largely available for free.
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‘Priority’ Students: The Unpleasant Side of ‘Demand in Excess of Supply’
Volume 35 No. 3 // February 18, 2010
One of second-tier markers of the ISM Stability Markers® is “demand in excess of supply.” While it would be desirable for every grade to be described this way, ISM has always viewed this Marker as critical when it describes the situation at the school’s traditional “entry” grades (e.g., pre-kindergarten, sixth, ninth)—the first grade of the school and the grade(s) where it expands, either through attrition or by design, the number of seats available for new students.
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The Growing Importance of Technology in Parent Communications
Volume 35 No. 3 // February 18, 2010
ISM conducted a survey of private-independent school parents from 37 schools, and 7,986 families responded. One of the survey questions concerned satisfaction with the use of technology at their schools. The survey results indicated that: 77.59% of the respondents were satisfied or very satisfied with their school’s “use of technology in the classroom”; and 81.38% of the respondents were satisfied or very satisfied with their school’s Web site.
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When Is a Volunteer Not a Volunteer
Volume 35 No. 2 // February 2, 2010
Mrs. Smith, who has been the Administrative Assistant for the School Head for the last 10 years, is overseeing the sign-in table on “Parents Night” for the ninth year. Once again, she will not be paid for this activity. It began innocently in 2001, when the school was much smaller, and she said, “I can help out tonight.” Since then, there has developed an expectation by the Head and the faculty that she will continue to “volunteer” each year for the event.
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Faculty and Staff Use of Social Media: Sample Policy
Volume 35 No. 1 // January 7, 2010
Social media—including sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, blogs, and other online discussion forums—has extended its reach into many areas of modern life, including (or especially) the lives of students, as well as teachers and administrators. While the origins of these services are social in nature (i.e., not job-related), they have evolved to the point where certain uses of these outlets may impact the reputation and well-being of your school and its members (for example, if they inadvertently serve as a conduit facilitating inappropriate relationships between students and faculty/staff). Due to this possibility, the use of social media resources becomes part of the school’s appropriate purview with respect to employees.
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