Teach the Teachers: Four Flexible Professional Development Ideas for Summer

Academic Leadership // July 7, 2016

Professional development for teachers is often scheduled at this time of year, with the idea that since class is out, teachers have more time to devote to educational intensives. That’s not always the case—67% of teachers in New Jersey had some form of summer gig in 2015, according to one informal survey, and only a third of teachers reserve time from second jobs and family obligations for ongoing education. With that in mind, we rounded up this list of creative, low-stress—and flexible—professional development ideas to pass to your teachers to keep their minds sharp and their spirits high for the Fall 2016 semester.

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2016 Summer Reading List for Division Heads

Academic Leadership // July 7, 2016

We hope your summer is as sunny and joyous as it has been here at the ISM headquarters, where we’re in the middle of hosting our Summer Institute workshop series in Wilmington, Delaware. Even if you haven’t been able to join in the professional development opportunities with your peers, we don’t want you to let this relatively calm period of the school year slip past without investing in yourself. So, we asked our Consultants to assemble this list of go-to books, and here’s what they recommend.

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Highlights From the 2016 Annual Report on Philanthropy

Advancement // July 6, 2016

Every year, the Giving USA Foundation publishes one of the most highly regarded reports on philanthropic giving in the United States, offering organizations of all sizes and missions a benchmark set of data against which to evaluate their own advancement efforts. While every school’s Development Office faces unique challenges in donor cultivation, the Annual Report on Philanthropy offers interesting food for thought when considering the broader giving landscape.

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2016 Summer Reading List for Development Directors

Advancement // July 6, 2016

We wish everyone at the Development Office and your entire school a sun-filled summer full of relaxation—and professional development. Sure, the classrooms might be empty of students (for now), but your work is rarely done. The temporary breather offers you some time to catch up on that list of books you promised yourself you’d get to this year—and we’ve got a few suggestions for you to tackle while catching some rays.

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Senior Year Gap: Potential Benefits and Disadvantages

Private School News // July 5, 2016

The seemingly logical next step for many newly graduated high school students would be entering higher education in time for their freshman fall semester. However, not every student is prepared to take that immediate jump into heavier study commitments—or mature enough to appreciate the investment a college education entails. Enter “gap years:” an extended break between the end of high school schooling and entry into college. Such breaks are becoming more popular in the United States. In fact, even Malia Obama, eldest daughter of President Obama, is taking a year to discover her professional passions before attending Harvard University. Time away from the classroom could have a profound impact on students’ academic careers—good or bad. Let’s take a look at some of the positive and negative points of gap years.

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Boston Senior Draws Charcoal Portraits of Classmates “to Embrace Diversity”

Private School News // July 5, 2016

It’s been a rough year for the Boston Latin School (BLS). Considered one of the top public schools in the greater Boston area, BLS is currently under federal investigation for allegations of racism unveiled by the student-created #BlackatBLS social media campaign. Surrounded by the racial tension, graduate Phillip Sossou decided to do something about it. So, he drew 411 charcoal portraits—one for each member of the graduating class.

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2016 Summer Reading List for Private-Independent School Administrators

Private School News // July 5, 2016

It’s Professional Development Season! Our Summer Institute workshops are heating up, and other ISM leaders are preparing for Advancement Academy and the Business and Operations Academy. Still, we know many readers won’t have the opportunity to join us on the East Coast for in-person education and networking. In the interest of including you in the professional development festivities, The Source asked the ISM Consultants for book recommendations for your personal edification this summer.

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2016 Summer Reading List for School Heads

School Heads // July 1, 2016

While this time of the year is great to recover mentally and physically from the rigors of the regular school year, there’s little rest for the weary—especially School Heads. To help you rejuvenate and inspire your mind this summer, we asked ISM Consultants for their recommended summer reads. Consider this your all-you-can-read professional development buffet!

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Private School Principals Have More Control Than Public School Principals, Working Paper Shows

School Heads // July 1, 2016

The American saying "Too many cooks spoil the broth" may be more than folk wisdom, if a new study is to be believed. In an attempt to understand why private schools are commonly considered to be superior to their public school peers, researchers evaluated how autonomous school principals were in several key governance areas. Private school principals and Heads apparently wield greater power when compared to that of their public school counterparts, who seemingly cope with an oligarchy of administrators interfering with decisions.

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Planning Your Annual Summer Board Retreat

Board of Trustees // June 30, 2016

Your Board of Trustees experiences little “down time,” constantly dealing with challenging issues, from Head evaluation and donor cultivation to crisis management and policy setting. The Board can easily lose sight of its primary responsibility—to uphold the essential character and integrity of the school, and to ensure that your school remains viable to serve the children of today’s students. The annual summer Board retreat provides time for a devoted effort for planning. To make your current process more effective, ask and answer the following nine key questions to guide your thinking.

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