Community Corner

Community Corner
Community Corner

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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?

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See articles for School Heads, Business & Operations, Advancement, Academic Leadership, and Trustees, in addition to Private School News.

Perspectives from the HR Blogosphere

Business and Operations // October 20, 2011

Blogs, forums, chat rooms, listservs—the list goes on and on. These are valuable resources to find 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 help remind you you're not alone in the all to often chaotic world of private-independent education.

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Ask Michael

Business and Operations // October 18, 2011

Q: We offer faculty 10-month contracts (August 15–June 14). As a practical matter, though, we often ask faculty to stay a few days after the end of the contract in June to wrap things up after students have left for the summer, as well as having them come in for a few days over the summer for various reasons. I’ve heard a few faculty grumble about “not getting paid for this.” How can we address this?

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Rethinking Faculty Performance Evaluations

Business and Operations // October 18, 2011

School has been in session for almost two months now—leaves are changing colors; faculty, staff, and students have settled into the routines of the academic year; and you’re feeling that you can take a breather for a moment or two before budget season gets into full gear. You lean back and think … "now is the perfect time to rethink our faculty evaluation process.”

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Learn To Relax Now To Avoid Future Long-Term Disability

Business and Operations // October 11, 2011

Stress, even mild stress, can have an impact on your health, and if the title of this article caused you to swallow hard, you’re already at your limit. A study published online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health tracked more than 17,000 working adults up to the age of 64 in Sweden for about six years. During the monitoring period, 649 people started receiving disability benefits—203 for a mental health issue, and the remainder for physical health concerns. They concluded that those with higher levels of stress were up to 70% more likely to be rewarded long-term benefits.

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Green Corner

Business and Operations // October 11, 2011

Green Your Back to School Routine This article was originally published on theenvironmentalblog.org With all the craze involved in getting back to school…be it elementary school, middle school, high school, or college, it never hurts to take a different approach with the new school year. Greening your back to school routine is simple and can save you some money, too. Let’s go over some tips that will help benefit the environment and your wallet:

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Reducing Student Risk With Up-To-Date Medical Records

Business and Operations // October 11, 2011

Having updated student medical records is one of the easiest ways to protect your students. Counselors, teachers, and administrators should be aware of a student's health condition in case of an emergency or sudden illness.

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21st Century Development: It’s All About Engagement

Advancement // October 10, 2011

Steve Denning, author of The Leader’s Guide to Radical Management, writes in his blog that 20th century management focuses “achieving a finite goal of delivering goods and services, to make money.” In the 21st century, the focus of management is “the infinite goal of delighting customers” and by meeting that goal, the company will make money. Making money is not the goal, but it is the result of meeting the goal.

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Build Your Resource Library With Recommendations From Our Heads

School Heads // October 4, 2011

Plumstead Christian School (PA) Head Patrick Fitzpatrick posted on the ISM Just for Heads listserv that he was building a resource library to encourage faculty development and asked for recommendations. “In your opinion, what are must-have books that will directly benefit my faculty with an increased ‘teaching toolbox,’ ideas that will inspire, stories to encourage, etc.”

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Healthier School Lunches

Private School News // September 30, 2011

Three years ago, Jamie Oliver shocked America when his TV show Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution revealed the truth behind a typical school lunch in West Virginia.

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