In the process of preparing to teach a couple of professional development workshops for ISM, I got to thinking about the students who have gotten the most out of their experiences — and why.
What has been the difference for those with tangible, measurable results versus those who check in, check out, and don’t move the needle when they get back to their schools?
Five Things Every Head and Trustee Needs to Know about Marketing
Independent schools face an increasingly competitive landscape, where shifts in demographics, technology, and family expectations pose challenges to traditional admission and marketing approaches. Heads and trustees play a critical role in ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of their schools, yet many are unsure of how to support admission, enrollment management, and marketing communications in strategic ways.
Your Survey Is Complete — Now What? Part 2: Analyzing Your Results
Your surveys are complete, and the data is ready to review — where do you start? The volume of information can feel overwhelming, and data misinterpreted or misused can be more detrimental than no data at all. Missteps can lead to divisiveness among faculty, misguided decision-making, and even public relations challenges with legal ramifications.
“I Don’t Have Time for that Webinar!” and Other Obstacles to Professional Growth
Private school professionals are encouraged — even expected — to pursue professional development regularly. But do you ever feel like you’re not seizing those opportunities as often as you should? You're not alone.
Creating a Culture of Giving and Getting Involved: Research Report
As a private school development director, you have two primary responsibilities: meet your goals for raising funds and play your part in achieving the aims of the school’s strategic plan and strategic financial plan.
To measure whether your development operation reflects industry-recommended practices and is positioned to meet your goals, ISM suggests examining four factors:
Creating a Roadmap for Auxiliary Program Success
Are you a new director or school leader looking to formalize and expand your auxiliary programs department? Discover how to build strong partnerships with key stakeholders and position your auxiliary programs as a vital contributor to your school’s success.
Navigating AI Media: Policies, Education, and Protection for K-12 Schools
In a rapidly evolving digital world, artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the media landscape, presenting both opportunities and challenges for private-independent schools. From deepfakes to sophisticated video and photo manipulation, the implications of these technologies are vast, and the risks are significant.
Join our expert panel as they delve into what schools need to know to safeguard their communities and uphold their values. Bring your questions and gain actionable insights to navigate the complexities of AI and digital media effectively.
Five Things Heads Need to Know About Retiring Well
For individuals who have dedicated their lives to education and leading schools, the thought of retirement can be filled with conflicting thoughts and emotions, especially when their careers have been successful and gratifying. Still, we all know successful heads who stayed too long … who, like aging athletes, tried to extend their tenures beyond their prime years.
How do you know when to step away? How do you know the right time to hand the leadership reins to a worthy successor?
From Vision to Reality: Implementing Your Strategic Plan
If you, as board chair or school head, have completed the process of creating a strategic plan and a strategic financial plan, you have experienced an exciting and possibly transformative event for your school. You have set forth dreams for your students, and the actions to realize those dreams, in documents that will guide institutional growth and sustainability for the next several years.
Contemporary Athletic Programs and Mission Alignment
Many private-independent schools, especially those with upper schools, struggle with the place of athletic programs within the overall scope of their educational missions. Schools reflect the reality that sports exert a pervasive influence in American culture.
Few school leaders dispute the educational and personal benefits of athletic participation — in particular, that student-athletes learn discipline, time management, teamwork, and sportsmanship. However, the ever-increasing professionalization in youth sports can compete with the educational mission at some schools.