In a previous article, we listed observable behaviors that collectively form an action premise from which each Headship develops. In this article, we consider the senior administrator position—those who report directly to the Head and collectively form the Leadership Team.
The essential expectations list is one of two criteria for administrator evaluation. The other criteria are objectives created from the annual administrative agenda. This agenda’s objectives change each year as the strategic needs of the school continue to evolve, as articulated through the Board’s strategic plan/strategic financial plan. The essential expectations, on the other hand, are a constant reflecting the observable behaviors that the School Head expects each member the Leadership Team to exhibit and the Head evaluates.
The Toxic Teacher: Identification
For you as a School Head, Human Resources Director, or an academic administrator, toxic teachers can be a puzzling phenomenon. Teachers, at the beginning of their careers, are typically:
full of hope;
excited about changing the world one child at a time;
interested in—or even obsessive about—their subject material; and
prone to moving every conversation (even those outside the school) to “what happened at school today.”
3 Ways to Use Tech to Empower Gen Z for Success
The World Economic Forum estimates that 65% of children entering primary school today will ultimately end up working in completely new job types that don’t yet exist. There’s no doubt that technology is driving this staggering evolution and it will continue to play an integral role in the lives of future generations. It’s our job as educators and administrators to best prepare students for a quickly changing job market, starting with the intersection of technology and education.
What Role Do Fidget Spinners Play in the Classroom?
“Fidget spinners have descended on my classroom. Last week, two students had them. This week, everyone had one!” Sound familiar? One of the hot toys this spring was the fidget spinner, a circular device with a bearing in the middle that allows users to spin it around their fingers. But what role does it play in the classroom?
How Do You Know If Your Schedule Is Toxic?
Your mission describes the rich program your school offers, as well as the outcome you intend for every student. It is why parents chose to enroll their children in your school.
You deliver that mission through your schedule. As an academic leader in your school, you understand the importance of having a schedule that “works.” But what if it doesn’t?
Student Mental Health and Your Advisory Program
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, one in five children has or has had a diagnosable mental health disorder. This may include not only autism, bipolar disorder, and ADHD, but also anxiety, social phobia, depression, and other less-apparent conditions. Unfortunately, many students have not been diagnosed and suffer in silence.
Your International Student Program, Part Two
In the first article in this two-part series, we provided a review of the Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) and Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). In Part Two, we take a look at the enrollment process, admission, on-boarding, and other important areas of potential risk attendant to your International Program.
International enrollment application processes can be more time-consuming than domestic applications. Increase your application fee, if needed, to cover the human resource hours and the postage costs of managing your international pool.1 Many reputable third-party brokers or commissioned based recruiters (as SEVIS classifies them) are available to assist with identifying mission-appropriate international enrollments, the cost of which is typically passed on to either the school or applying family, or both.
How Parents of Disabled Children Can Maximize IEP Meetings
Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings are the most important conversations parents can have with faculty and staff. These mandatory meetings for families with disabled children outline their child’s educational future in regard to how your curriculum impacts their growth.
The True Benefits of Preschool
Perhaps your school has a preschool, or is thinking about adding one. Perhaps you see preschool as a doorway into full enrollment at your school. But is it worth it? In short, does it meet the needs of your families, your students, and your school’s mission?
Academic leaders, parents, and researchers believe a quality preschool program improves skills like simple math and phonics, and prepares children for the social and emotional behaviors as they enter kindergarten and elementary school. For example, a study in Virginia last year, including more than 20,000 students in a government-funded preschool program, indicated that children in the system showed great improvements in alphabet recognition. But do the benefits of preschool extend into student experience in later schooling?
The Department Chair’s Role in Supporting Multiyear Strategic Goals
ISM recommends six-year strategic and strategic financial plans that are completely redone every four years (so Years Five and Six are never implemented, but serve as guideposts for the subsequent six-year plan). Many schools also have an accompanying Strategic Academic Plan aligned with the strategic plan and strategic financial plan, resourced through the annual budget.