The words “strategic” and “academic” are not comfortable partners. Academics is, by definition, an operations responsibility and rightly the province of the School Head. Strategic implies the Board is involved and has a hand in direction and planning. Still, since 2014, schools have been thinking divergently about academics and asked ISM to assist with and partner in developing strategic academic plans, and the demand for this is growing.
Placing the words “strategic” and “academic” in juxtaposition could suggest that ISM’s long-held position about separating strategic and operations is compromised. In the 20th century, that would indeed have been true. Then, academics was a fairly straightforward pursuit that required schools to choose between textbooks printed in Ontario, Texas, and California and ensure that teachers were competent to use them in the classroom. The word itself had a limited reach, being typically applied to the disciplines of math, English, social studies, and science, with foreign language included as a suspicious addition. The arts were clearly not academic, and athletics were not connected to academic pursuits although there was obeisance paid to the scholar-athlete (the two words appearing in opposition to each other). In this world, teachers were polite to one another, but rarely worked together outside their silos—whether by grade or discipline. Budgets were based on last year’s expenditures. Curriculum review was incremental. Students were usually the object, not the subject, of the sentence. Rocking the boat was considered both unnecessary and opposed to tradition.
Fielding Parent Complaints
It happens to every Division Head at some point. A father flags you down in the parking lot for a “quick chat,” or leaves you a voicemail on your office machine, or shoots you an email with his child’s name in the subject line. Within moments of the interaction, it becomes obvious that the parent needs to vent about his child—and he expects you to do something about it—immediately. How do you handle this?
Teaching Your Parents: The Underlining Message in the Common Core Check Story
Have you heard about the “Common Core check”? If you missed it, here’s the summary: A father became frustrated by some new methods of teaching math which rendered him unable to help his second-grader with assigned homework. To mock the new teaching system, he wrote a check using the new teaching methods to protest what he saw as “change for the sake of change.” His photo of the check went viral, being shared across social media and news outlets, as a symbol of the new curriculum that many other parents found mysterious and confusing.
Responsible Survey Data Communication
The data a school collects is often seen as primarily the domain of the Administrative Team, whose members use the data to inform decisions and drive change. When schools collect data through surveys, however, there are other interested constituents to consider. Communication before, during, and after conducting surveys is essential and must be handled carefully.
Preparing for Your Senior Class Representative Meeting
Every year, the senior class appoints several notable (and hopefully responsible) representatives to organize their final year of high school. These representatives will approach you, the Division Head, to discuss potential privileges for your eldest students to enjoy. You should attend this meeting prepared to endow those students with certain responsibilities, as well as senior-student privileges.
Advice for New Division Heads
Another September rolls around, bringing with it new students—and new Division Heads! Welcome! Knowing that many of you new folks might have first-day jitters, we asked our ISM Consultants if they had any words of wisdom to share. So without further ado, here’s our advice for new—or new-to-school—Division Heads.
Highlight Your Faculty’s Out-of-School Achievements
As parents seek validation for selecting your school for their children, the quality of your faculty is a major gauge—and one of your strongest competitive advantages. How are you highlighting your teachers’ achievements, both inside and outside the walls of your school?
A private-independent school is often described as a “community of learners,” and a main tenet of a school’s mission is to instill a love of lifelong learning. One of the best demonstrators of these tenets is that faculty members spend time improving themselves—professionally and otherwise—outside the classroom. Plan now to highlight your teachers’ individual accomplishments
Three Podcasts for Division Heads
What’s playing over your headphones lately? Music, or a favorite morning talk show? You could use your spare time as a way to find out what’s going on with your peers and learn new techniques through podcasts! Podcasts are pre-recorded radio shows you can download to your phone, music player, or computer. This month, we’ve found three we think Division Heads will appreciate.
Cognitive Scientist Says Erasers Are “Instruments of the Devil”
Encouraging students to be confident in their abilities—even while they make mistakes—must be one of the most herculean feats teachers are asked to accomplish. Some cognitive scientists, however, believe the key to solving this conundrum is to ban the eraser.
Preparing Your School’s Families for New Teachers
When teachers leave at the end of your school year and new faculty members are hired, parents often become concerned. Their primary concern is the loss of known and valued educators and role models. Many parents were familiar and comfortable with the departing teachers. Until new teachers are hired, parents and students experience a real void.
As School Head or Division Head, inform parents that turnover in the faculty is not only expected, but often healthy for the school. Parents should not be unduly concerned. Educate your parents so they will understand what steps your school takes in hiring new teachers and how this process can benefit their children.