ISM last wrote about the motivations that parents and children have for entering and staying at a school in 1994. The original research was done over 30 years ago—it doesn’t seem to have changed in essence, although some nuances are becoming evident. Every year, we interview hundreds of parents and students face-to-face and almost always ask them questions about their motivation to attend a school, their motivation for staying, and what has the most impact on them. Our 2010 parent survey (with an n = 14,207) shows that 42.13% of our parents earn over $175,000 annually; 35.8% earn between $75,000 and $125,000; and 14.06% earn less than $75,000. Across all socio-economic bands, the answers to those questions are strikingly similar and can almost be scripted.

When a new student behaves poorly or seems unable to compete academically with peers, faculty members often ask the questions, “Why did we accept her?” and “Who let him in?” Teachers who do not play a role in admission or miscomprehend the process often view the entry process as a “numbers game.”

ISM recommends schools invest annually between 1.5% to 2.0% of their total operations budget in the professional development of their faculty (Stability Marker No. 8). Schools use this investment as one strategy in creating a strong faculty culture that translates to a demonstrable improvement in student performance. In addition, ISM research indicates that linking your faculty evaluation system with ongoing professional development is the key to retaining and recruiting teachers.

Researchers predict that both public and private schools across the nation will continue to experience a shortage of teachers. To combat this problem, you may wish to expand your pool of teaching candidates and new administrators to include former military and corporate employees. This article discusses how to smooth the way for these skilled individuals as they enter your school environment.

Parents should use direct, research-based elements (high quality teachers, low student-to-teacher ratio, student achievement, etc.) when choosing a private-independent school. But, their selection process also focuses on your school’s competitive advantage. As the Marketing Director, you face the challenge of validating the successes of the school’s programs in comparison with other schools.

As Head of School, you are aware that your senior administrative staff members tend to give little thought to themselves. As a group, they comprise a selfless lot, devoting untold hours to providing services to your students and to your faculty, parents, and alumni. You may have in the past encountered difficulty in persuading them to attend appropriately to their professional growth and development.