Surf any online forum to see how quickly differences of opinion give way to name-calling and insults. What’s worse, most of us try to avoid hard conversations and stick to our own little groups where we talk but don’t really listen to others. Yet, school leaders are tasked with helping young people understand the world around them, develop viewpoints, and engage in thoughtful conversations about controversial topics.
Originally published November 10, 1975
The leader of the Board of Trustees and the leader of the school are partners. One cannot function without the understanding, guidance, and respect of the other. It is, in fact, a marriage. And like other marriages, it is subject to ups and downs, honeymoons and divorces. Obviously, if two fine and able people are involved, then the welfare of the school is critically dependent on a “successful marriage.”
ISM often finds that private-independent schools underfund professional development, unaware of its importance and thus downplaying it in their budgets. Your Board and senior leaders must allocate enough funding to professional development for all school employees. The difference could be a vibrant school culture instead of a school where staff and faculty are simply going through the motions.
Your school may look to recruit an attorney for Board membership. During Board meetings, a lawyer can answer common legal questions and offer insight and cautionary advice on potential problems. This individual can also serve as your school’s official legal counsel—but that is often an unwise decision.
In 2020, ISM published a series of articles suggesting that the merging of independent schools was likely in many marketplaces. As the COVID pandemic has receded, this is no longer likely—it is reality.
As a School Head, you juggle many priorities each day. Amid the demands of academic excellence, Board and staff management, and administrative duties, the pressing issue of student well-being also requires attention.
Numerous studies have documented the declining state of student well-being. Drawing on those, host Scott Wilson and researcher, Dr. Bryan Smyth, will explore more deeply the realities and nuances of declining student well-being in our schools and, importantly, the underlying factors contributing to this worrisome trend.
Are you knee-deep in the annual scheduling process for your school? Now is a great time to assess what is and isn’t working.
Join Carrie Nelson, ISM ScheduLogic Manager, and James Collins, ISM Director of Sales, as they discuss ways to evaluate the effectiveness of your current scheduling methods. Whether you’re wrestling with communication breakdowns, software limitations, or logistical challenges, they’ll help you pinpoint areas causing unnecessary stress and frustration.
Meetings are necessary for moving any organization or institution forward—they are the way business gets done. But they can also be real killers of time and effectiveness. If you are responsible for meetings, whether as Board Chair, School Head, Division Head, or operations lead, it is important to make your meetings matter. Doing so not only helps your school operate more efficiently but also enhances each team member’s sense of responsibility and contributes to improved morale.
The late educator Zig Engelmann (1931–2019) had a motto that he promoted tirelessly: “If the learner hasn’t learned, the teacher hasn’t taught.” According to Engelmann, this “operating principle” offended many because it placed all the responsibility for education on teachers. Of course, the statement is simplistic—it’s a motto, not a fully-fledged philosophy or plan. But in the end, most teachers and school administrators will probably agree: Teachers have a responsibility to engage students and to tailor their instruction so that students can be successful.
Decisive, steady, collegial, and empathetic leadership is essential as independent school leaders face increasingly complex uncertainties in the independent school market. These complexities can be compounded when we work with multigenerational faculty expectations and parents seeking a “return on investment,” and as we gain a better understanding of neurodivergence in our students.