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.
Collaboration, Data Insights, and Great Creative to Achieve Enrollment Goals
In every independent school, marketing and admissions teams must withstand ever-shifting pressures that make it more difficult to achieve institutional goals and objectives. The Chinese American International School (CAIS), located in the highly competitive San Francisco market, faced the task of growing in an already saturated field. Strategic collaboration was the key to increasing enrollment.
Demystifying AI for Private-Independent School Marketing
School marketers are increasingly overwhelmed by rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI). Many aren’t sure how to leverage its potential, misapplying the technology or worrying about losing the personal touch in their messaging. Concerns about AI’s practicality, ethics, and effectiveness often lead to hesitation, creating missed marketing opportunities.
How to Successfully, Consistently, and Productively Engage With Donors
Donors are vital for securing your school’s stability and success, and your relationships with them must be conducted with care and understanding. The ISM Donor Cycle — interpreted for and tailored to private-independent schools — models a strategic approach to moving a donor into a closer relationship with your school.