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See articles for School Heads, Business & Operations, Advancement, Academic Leadership, and Trustees, in addition to Private School News.
Watergate Maxim of “It’s Not the Crime, It’s the Cover-Up” Comes Back to Life in Rising Level of Retaliation Claims
Business and Operations // March 24, 2011
The Watergate scandal taught us that a bad idea (a burglary) can be made infinitely worse by doing something else stupid (covering it up) in response. The modern-day equivalent is seen in the issue of retaliation—where the bad thing is an illegal act (such as employment discrimination) and the “made worse” part is retaliation (such as in firing the person who raised the issue, or the person who gave “testimony” in the investigation, etc.). This would seem to be obvious—but statistics (and recent legal cases) tell us otherwise.
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Sir Ken Robinson: Education is Not Fast Food
Academic Leadership // March 24, 2011
Addressing the 2010 TED Conference, Sir Ken Robinson said that education for the 21st century needs to move away from the standardized to the personalized—away from McDonald’s to the Zagat. Robinson delivered a funny and refreshing look at education today, and how it needs to change.
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Ask Michael
Business and Operations // March 24, 2011
Q: We have some non-exempt employees who are misclassified as exempt. Is summer the best time to make the change? What communication method do you suggest? Is there better language than the DOL’s “primary duties do not include using discretion and independent judgment in matters of significance” (which will offend those employees who think their status is being downgraded)?
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Ask the Development Expert
Advancement // March 22, 2011
Q: How do you count divorced families? As one household or two? Meaning, if one gave and the other did not, do you have a 50% parent participation or 100%?
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Fund Raising. Development. Advancement. What Does it All Mean?
Advancement // March 22, 2011
As Development Director, you hear all these words describing your function. What’s the difference?
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A Word to the Wise: In Cyberspace Doesn’t Mean Free to Use
Advancement // March 22, 2011
The copywriters at Webcopyplus blew it. And they admitted it. They searched for an image for a tourism piece and found what they were looking for in Google images. Then they downloaded the image and used it, assuming that since the image did not have a copyright notice it was “public domain” and this free to use.
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1:1 Laptops in the Classroom—Where Are We Now?
School Heads // March 15, 2011
For more than a decade now, we have heard the battle cry: “Give every student a laptop to improve learning, engagement, test scores, graduation rates…” you name it. And many schools and school districts have adopted 1:1 laptop programs, giving students a tool to explore and have access to the wider world beyond their own community. Indeed, access to the world of information and instant communication via the Internet is one of the key pieces in the 21st Century School concept. But where are we, for real? What has happened in the classrooms that have adopted a 1:1 laptop program?
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Bedbug “Epidemic” Means Schools Have to Be Ready
School Heads // March 15, 2011
There have been plenty of stories about bedbugs in the last couple of years. These nasty little creatures, that are very difficult to eradicate, have been found in all 50 states, according the National Pest Management Association. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently held its second national bedbug summit.
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Student Dress Code Policies: Infringing Upon Religious Rights
Advancement // March 7, 2011
Clayton High School started the school year facing a lawsuit. Ariana Iacono, forced to take out her nose ring while in school, fought back against what she claimed was an infringement on her First Amendment right to exercise her religion.
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Newly Improved Online Software from ISM Changing the Face of Financial Aid Application Process
Private School News // March 4, 2011
Financial aid administrators at private-independent schools will have an easier time than ever making precise and appropriate aid awards in the coming year, thanks to FAST® v3-powered by ISM.
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