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See articles for School Heads, Business & Operations, Advancement, Academic Leadership, and Trustees, in addition to Private School News.
Forget Swine Flu—It's Senioritis!
Academic Leadership // December 10, 2009
No doubt you've noticed there's an infectious disease spreading among your upper division's graduates-to-be—the dreaded "senioritis". Characterized by high spirits, low motivation, and short attention spans, the condition has rarely proved fatal. However, the consequences this year may be more serious. In fact, students whose academic standing drops may face having a college acceptance withdrawn.
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Ask Michael
Business and Operations // December 10, 2009
Q: Sadly, we recently had to let a few employees go due to the economy (i.e, enrollment has declined for next year). This was a hard decision, and to make sure we did things the right way, we hired both an attorney and an HR consultant to guide us through the process. We don't want to have to have to pay for more legal advice, but we've just recently been alerted to several blog posts from one of former employees which slanders our mission and misrepresents the grounds for our decision. What are our options?
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Some Private-independent Schools Are Rising Above the Recession
Business and Operations // December 10, 2009
If you were to look at the recent headlines for private-independent schools across the country, you might find yourself perplexed, curious, wondering why seemingly every other article contradicts its predecessor. Nationally, cities are reporting different statistical finds—stirring up different projections. However, with report findings of an increased interest in financial aid, it seems that private-independent schools are still being heavily considered and incorporated within family budgets—rising above the recession fears in some regions of the U.S.
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The Battle for Private-Independent Admissions
Advancement // December 10, 2009
Current data-driven findings speculate private-independent schools will rise above this recession as they have in the past. Past statistics show private school enrollment numbers don't change, and most have sustained their enrollment, tuition, and fund-raising levels despite the shaky market and families' financial conerns. Students might not be wearing new athletic uniforms, and campuses may not be expanding their facilities, but most private schools stay strong.
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Ask Michael
Business and Operations // December 10, 2009
Q: How can I encourage obese employees to lose weight, without offending anyone?
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Your School Water Fountains Could Be Affecting Student SAT Scores
Business and Operations // December 10, 2009
Over the last few months, USA Today has published several articles pertaining to pollution around American schools. The most recent study released addressed the concentration of lead in students' blood in relation to SAT scores.
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Virtual Students Speak Up
Advancement // December 10, 2009
At the North American Council for Online Learning in October, virtual school students spoke up about what they feel are the biggest rewards of learning from home. And their opinions made the news! eSchool News wrote an article on the responses from attendees. Here is what was reported:
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Ask Michael
Business and Operations // December 10, 2009
Q: Due to the budget cuts, we need to reduce our benefits costs for this year. We know that there are some benefits that employees don't use very often. Is it a good idea to "survey" employees on which benefits plans they would prefer to keep?
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The D.L. on Those Itchy Mites Disrupting Your Classroom
Business and Operations // December 10, 2009
Head lice and scabies are two constant pests for schools and daycares. Because children play in close range of one another, often touching, and are more likely to share clothing and toys, they're more likely to attract these mites.
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What Does Your Body Language Tell Others?
Advancement // December 10, 2009
A recent study in Psychological Science reveals that nonverbal cues can give away a person's socioeconomic status (SES). Just what is SES? It can be determined by several factors such as wealth, occupation, and schools attended, and influences our daily lives in both introverted and extroverted ways. Someone with an upper SES may dine on sushi and gourmet cheeses, be a member of a country club, and/or flaunt the cars they drive. These are the extroverted signs. The introverted signs that were just recently studied, are the nonverbal, body language cues that different SES classes posses.
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