Summer Program: The Third Semester—Three Administrative Considerations

In this series on summer program, we have provided examples and insights into Semester 3 (S3) as an inevitable expansion of a school’s program to year-round. In this final article, we look at some administrative considerations for S3 leadership, facilities, and upper school curriculum.

The Authenticity of Student Evaluations

How much weight should student evaluations of their teachers carry? On the one hand, students are with their instructors nearly every day. Their engagement and education is directly impacted by how well their teachers perform, and so perhaps may deserve to be heard within the broader evaluation framework. However, new research suggests that students—even adult students!—may not have the emotional maturity or perspective to offer “authentic” reviews of their teachers.

To Permit or to Ban: Revisiting Cellphone Policies, Part Two

In our last issue, we discussed the advantages of using cellphones during school hours. Proponents of the new policy say that cellphones provide increased educational opportunities for students—academically, personally, and emotionally—and improved lines of communication between students, parents, and administrators. Still, many detractors decry the new practice as disruptive and counter to educational goals. So this month, we’ll examine some of the argued points against personal cellphones use during school hours.

4 Ways to Reach Your Parents

Getting in touch with parents during a crisis—or even for regular updates or reminders!—can feel like you’re back in the 1800s, praying that your Pony Express courier hasn’t been trampled by stampeding bison herds. Thankfully, messages have come a long way in the past 200 years. We’ve borrowed some app suggestions from The Guardian and discovered more to give you a few dynamite tools to upgrade your parent communications.

Atrocious Tattoos and “Unnatural” Hair Colors: Dress Code Policy Particulars

Can dress codes go too far? Recent viral stories of ridiculous-looking tattoos and one UK student’s banishment from school grounds over an “unnatural” hair color have revived conversations about how much influence dress codes can have on a community. Today, we’ll take a look at the potential impact that detailed dress codes can have in a private-independent school.

?To Permit or to Ban: Revisiting Cellphone Policies, Part One

Cellphones have evolved in the past decade from comparatively crude communication devices little better than walkie-talkies to miniature computers more powerful than the machines that put two men on the moon in 1969. With great power, however, comes great responsibility. While schools that historically banned the devices experiment with classroom use, certain critics claim that the disadvantages outweigh the benefits. This month, we’ll take a look at some of the arguments in favor of allowing students to use their personal cellphones during school hours.

Summer Program: The Third ‘Semester’—Lower and Middle School

In the upper school, planning the summer program as the third semester (S3) provides a way to develop the curriculum more profoundly.1 In the middle and lower schools, it is slowly going to transition to an intentional process that builds on traditional fun and challenge. Those programs of sports, arts, and general and specific interest camps will continue to be a viable model as schools meet the marketplace need for child care during the summer break. However, schools more proactive in their approaches might see this move to S3 as an opportunity to challenge their paradigms. There will be two changes that impact what schools do—intentionality and innovation.

The Absolute Worst Interview Questions—And What to Ask Instead

Any lawyer can tell you which interview questions to avoid due to liability concerns, but some legally permissible questions still make applicants’ teeth grind when asked. Many of these questions seem like smart things to ask, but rarely give you any added insight into the applicant as a future employee. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up the top five worst interview questions to ask an applicant—and what you should ask instead.

Leading the Leaders

School Heads often find themselves in the position of “leading leaders”—that is, guiding people who are used to having the final say in their areas of expertise. A team of leaders understands the importance of getting things done and hammering out logistics. With them, you pit the best of the best against the problems your school faces. That same team can also devolve into a mosh pit of powerful personalities, all needing the last word. Whether your team becomes a league of private school superheroes or a catfight depends largely on how you frame and guide your leaders.