Viral “I Wish My Teacher Knew” Exercise Builds Trust, Community

Private School News // May 6, 2015

How do you build a rapport with students? Fairness, kindness, and constancy all build a young person’s trust in the adults he or she works with. One third grade teacher in Denver, Colorado, decided to offer an empathetic ear to her students—and the results were nothing short of heartwarming.

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Defining “Normal”: Double-Edged Diversity Initiatives in Private Schools

Private School News // May 6, 2015

The death of Freddie Gray not only revitalized discussions of race relations in America, but also engendered the re-emergence of the “diversity dilemma” at private-independent schools around the country. Many schools work hard to promote diverse campuses, believing that a homogeneous community of staff and students will stagnate without infusions of fresh perspectives and diverse experiences. Still, diversity extends beyond race or income level. We found a TEDx talk given by education consultant Derrick Gay that brings a refreshing perspective to an old topic. Listen to his talk, and see if any of his experiences echo your own.

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A Beginner’s Guide to Newsletters

Advancement // May 5, 2015

Once upon a time, school newsletters were little more than Xeroxed to-do lists for parents, reminding them of upcoming deadlines and maybe including the next week’s lunch menu. Since then, newsletters have evolved quite a bit, becoming a powerful piece of emailed or web-hosted marketing—if they’re properly formatted. To get you started, we’ve got a list of the must-do’s (and must-don’t’s!) that every successful school newsletter editor should check off.

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Buzzfeed and the Admission Office: One Plagiarist’s Case Study

Advancement // May 5, 2015

As an Admission Officer, you’re asked to wear many different hats—one of them requires that you create original content for your various marketing initiatives. The demand for original content grows with each passing year, requiring dedication and consistent publishing. The temptation to “borrow” an idea or the turn of phrase from another article, thus saving you time to devote to other things, can be strong. Should you not cite or annotate properly, however, you could be held to the same standards as former Buzzfeed “viral politics” editor, Benny Johnson. Johnson’s case demonstrates that ignorance will not protect you or your school should you unwittingly copy someone else’s ideas. Understanding the many forms of plagiarism—and how to properly cite your sources—is crucial as you implement any content-creation strategy. We’ll go over how, exactly, Johnson plagiarized his content, and how you can still adopt online resources for your content without crossing the line from resource to plagiarist.

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Ask ISM’s Risk Manager

Business and Operations // May 1, 2015

Q: Our School Head received your recent flyer about student accident coverage and asked me to look into this insurance for our school. She believes by covering our students we’re meeting our due diligence as a school. I’m sorry, but I’m struggling with this rationale. Our students should be covered under their parent’s policies, right?

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Our Favorite New Health Apps: Some Old, Some New

Business and Operations // May 1, 2015

Last year, we published an article highlighting a few of our favorite health apps. This year, we’re taking another look at some of the hottest health apps to hit the app store. Instead of sorting through 97,000, this time around we’re weeding through more than 100,000! A lot has happened—and been developed— these past 12 months. But, with summer right around the corner, the time for flash fitness is upon us. No more excuses—find an app that’s right for you and set yourself up for a 30-day challenge.

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Returning To School Life After Substance Abuse Treatment

Business and Operations // May 1, 2015

For HR Managers, only part of their job is complete once employees enter substance rehabilitation treatment. You may have had to encourage a faculty or staff member to enter treatment—this could have even been a last chance at saving the person’s life and career. But, after treatment, there is still a great deal of HR effort that must go into helping that person transition back into the daily flow of your school.

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?To Permit or to Ban: Revisiting Cellphone Policies, Part One

School Heads // April 23, 2015

Cellphones have evolved in the past decade from comparatively crude communication devices little better than walkie-talkies to miniature computers more powerful than the machines that put two men on the moon in 1969. With great power, however, comes great responsibility. While schools that historically banned the devices experiment with classroom use, certain critics claim that the disadvantages outweigh the benefits. This month, we’ll take a look at some of the arguments in favor of allowing students to use their personal cellphones during school hours.

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Atrocious Tattoos and “Unnatural” Hair Colors: Dress Code Policy Particulars

School Heads // April 23, 2015

Can dress codes go too far? Recent viral stories of ridiculous-looking tattoos and one UK student’s banishment from school grounds over an “unnatural” hair color have revived conversations about how much influence dress codes can have on a community. Today, we’ll take a look at the potential impact that detailed dress codes can have in a private-independent school.

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Reaching Realistic Deadlines

Business and Operations // April 22, 2015

Deadlines are to your school what cogs are to a watch: both keep the overall machine ticking and running regularly. They’re necessary for everything to work seamlessly. Many thrive in an environment that sets clear, constant expectations through deadlines, but some may feel like they can’t keep up as due dates whiz by. If you or your office has trouble reaching its deadlines, try these steps.

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