Heads of School

Heads of School
Heads of School

Every decision Heads of School make must support their school’s mission—while doing what’s best for their students, parents, teachers, staff members, and community. ISM Consultant have been a trusted source of knowledge for almost 50 years.

See below for examples of sessions our Consultants have presented on related to this topic.

 

Penny Abrahams, IAP-L
Senior Consultant

The Strategic Partnership: How Finance and Advancement Allow for Vision Fulfillment
Alignment between your finance and advancement team is essential to fulfilling your school’s vision. Join Phil Higginson and Penny Abrahams for a three-hour session that will provide attendees with a 30,000-foot overview of strategic planning. During the session, attendees will break into groups and work together to develop strategic plan financial solutions.

What to Do When a Crisis Goes Social
In this session, we will explore how to identify and strengthen the weak spots in your school's crisis communication plan, with a special focus on the challenges posed by social media. We will examine the key elements of managing your school's reputation online and understand how to respond to crises unfolding on these platforms effectively. This session will also provide you with practical strategies and real-world examples, equipping you with the skills to handle and mitigate social media crises confidently.

 


Casey Bell, Ed.D., IAP-L
ISM Consultant

Parents Gone Wild: Managing Parent Expectations and Bad Behavior
The expectations of private-independent school parents are higher than ever. In fact, many parents now have a “transactional” mentality when it comes to their relationship with your school, administrators, and teachers. Parent expectations are higher than ever and when those expectations are not met, the response is often not in alignment with many of our community values. In this session, we will discuss ways to begin to set expectations at the beginning of the admission process and identify opportunities for you to bring practical application back to your school.

 


Michael Christopher, IAP-L
ISM Consultant

Fraught or Fruitful: The Complex Relationship Between Business and Development
Boards, School Heads, CFOs, and Development officers all want the same thing: to create long-term financial sustainability for their schools. Despite this common goal, Business and Development offices often work at cross purposes, which results in missed opportunities and problematic staff relationships. This interactive session will explore the benefits of Business and Development working together with the Board and School Head to maximize soft income success for your school.

 


Terry Moore, BCP-E
ISM Senior Executive Consultant and Editor-in-Chief of Ideas & Perspectives

Faculty Compensation: Beginning to Manage the Teacher Shortage
In this workshop, you will learn about the developing teacher shortage and how to help your school prepare for a tight labor market. We’ll explore what faculty are looking for in teaching jobs and ISM’s latest recommendations for creating a compensation strategy based on teacher expectations.

 


Bryan Smyth, Ph.D.
ISM Senior Consultant and Director of Research

The State of Student Well-Being in 2023: Research Findings and Recommendations
In this presentation, Dr. Bryan Smyth—ISM Senior Consultant and Director of Research—will introduce a comprehensive profile of student well-being, convey ISM’s research findings regarding the well-being of private school students, and offer important recommendations for schools for the future.

 


Scott Wilson
ISM Consultant and Executive Coach

The Highly Functioning Leadership Team
One of the primary components of a successful independent school headship is building an effective Leadership Team. Scott Wilson—ISM Consultant, Executive Coach, and long-time School Head—will explore the importance, the realities (challenges), and the nuances of developing a strong Leadership Team. Whether you’re an aspiring or established School Head, join this presentation to discover how to nurture and inspire the members of your administrative staff, both as individual professionals and as a cohesive and aligned team.