Stay current with the latest private-independent school news.
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?
Sign up to receive Community Corner, a free newsletter from ISM.
We cover such topics as how to communicate with your constituencies, work with your fellow school leaders, leverage new technology trends, utilize recommended reading and resources, implement new strategies—all to better serve your school's mission.
Join more than 30,000 private-independent school administrators and have Community Corner delivered right to your inbox.
Search
See articles for School Heads, Business & Operations, Advancement, Academic Leadership, and Trustees, in addition to Private School News.
Four Commencement Speeches for the Ages
School Heads // May 24, 2016
Congratulations to your graduating students, School Heads! There’s just one more step you must take with them before they embark on their bright futures—getting them through commencement ceremonies. To lighten your mood during this hectic season, we’ve found what we think are some of the most entertaining, profound, or downright unbelievable commencement speeches delivered by high school students to their peers.
Read More
Playground Safety Tips
Business and Operations // May 20, 2016
Nicer weather translates into a busier playground, which means there’s never been a better time to take a walk around your campus with your Facilities Manager to look for risks and inspiration for possible upgrades. Here are a few tips from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Public Safety Handbook to help you keep your school’s playground risk-free this spring and summer.
Read More
Caution! Damaging Email Scams in Every Inbox
Business and Operations // May 20, 2016
“You’ve got mail!” If you’re over thirty, you’ll remember booting up the computer and feeling a frisson of excitement when your system announced the arrival of email. It didn’t take long, however, for that excitement to be dampened by caution. Hackers quickly figured out ways to invade our privacy, capture personal information, and freeze our systems—which was so often delivered by the very same communication vehicle that made us smile: email.
Read More
How to Prepare for a Financial Crisis
Board of Trustees // May 16, 2016
Considering our fragile national economy, it’s prudent to include a financial contingency plan for your school’s worst-case scenario in your strategic planning documents. While each school’s particular situation determines the plan’s specific details, there are common characteristics each private school should include. As Board President, charge an ad hoc committee to craft your plan. ISM suggests the following example for inclusion in your document.
Read More
School Choice Programs in Private Schools
Board of Trustees // May 16, 2016
In a previous issue of The Source for Trustees, we discussed the caveats of private school vouchers. Further research supports ISM’s position—that private schools should not look to government vouchers to balance their budgets or address enrollment issues.
Read More
Effective Initiatives That Help Keep Your Students Off Drugs
Academic Leadership // May 12, 2016
Last issue, we discussed public service announcements (PSAs) that were ineffective by modern standards for various reasons, including unclear calls-to-action and inaccurate scare tactics that irreverent teenagers were more likely to mock than to heed. Therefore, we thought we’d take some time in this issue to talk about the ways in which schools can help their student body achieve change.
Read More
Six Bipartisan Ways to Address the US Presidential Election at School
Academic Leadership // May 12, 2016
The United States presidential election has certainly heated up in the last month, and it doesn’t seem to be calming down any time soon. Chances are, the current political climate will still be as hot a topic in August as it is now. Considering how inflammatory rhetoric can seep into classrooms, we thought it best to take a moment to prepare for potentially difficult conversations with students without taking advantage of young minds’ malleability to leverage personal political opinions.
Read More
How to Write Great Action Minutes
Board of Trustees // May 9, 2016
Action minutes are a good habit to get into not only for Board sessions, but for all kinds of meetings—committee, management, faculty. Effective action minutes serve as a “to do” list. They define the task and who will carry it out, set a deadline, and include any pertinent suggestions for strategy—without stifling the individual’s or committee’s initiative. Consider the impact an action minute has in the following situations.
Read More
What the Contract Said
Board of Trustees // May 9, 2016
A family at the Montessori Children’s House of Durham (NC) had enrolled their daughter for first and second grade, but wavered on having her attend third grade. The parents were concerned about class size and the teacher time students received. The family eventually re-enrolled the girl, signing a tuition agreement that required the family to pay $12,610 in tuition for the upcoming school year.
Read More
Keeping Your School Safe: Security Issues in Light of Tragedy
Business and Operations // May 6, 2016
On April 21, a 16-year-old lost her life after a fight (allegedly over a boy) in the girls’ bathroom of a public school in Wilmington, Delaware. Rev. Sandra Ben of Pray Ground Community Church told the Delaware News Journal, “We know [violence] is happening in the streets. But now we are talking about violence happening in a place that normally should be a safe haven.” In light of this tragic incident resulting in a student’s death, take measures to ensure your students’ continued safety on your school campus—and not all of them require money to be spent on facilities or security guards.
Read More