What would you, as the Head of School, do if your Business Manager were unable to perform her job responsibilities – especially those that are critical (e.g., preparing your school’s IRS Form 990), confidential (e.g., processing the payroll), or mandatory (e.g., completing a required state report)? Who would assume the day-to-day operation of the Development Office if the Development Director fell gravely ill? If the Upper School Head suddenly resigns, who will submit names of students for membership in the National Honor Society or Cum Laude – and when is the deadline?
The New Stability Markers: Next-Level Placement and Success
The following article comprises a supplementary recommendation regarding next-level placement and success. One of the least used – yet potentially most effective – approaches to determining your school’s overall success is tracking your students’ next-level placement and accomplishments. From this, your school can develop a database from which to strengthen its marketing impact. The two-step process involves:
– deriving a graduate-outcome descriptors list from your mission statement, and
– creating and using a short survey of your young alumni based upon that descriptors list.
Filling Your Shoes … Defining Your Assistant Head's Role
The term "assistant" logically denotes "aide." Your Assistant Head can take the pressure off you by tackling some of the many—and growing—demands on your time. Unfortunately, the role of the Assistant Head is often somewhat nebulous which hampers success.
11 Tips for Summer Recruiting: Prep Your Campus!
Your campus may seem quiet during the summer months, when your students and faculty are away; however, your Admission Office is probably looking to fill those last few seats for the fall. That means summer admission and campus visits. If you have a summer program, your campus will have some activity, but it's not what goes on during the school year. Here are some tips to prepare your campus for summer visits that will give your prospective families an idea of what they will experience when school is in session!
The Headship: Are You Leading Yet?
William Johnson, CEO of the $10 billion food company H. J. Heinz, is quoted in Newsweek as follows: “I started out under the assumption that what got me to the position of CEO would work when I became CEO, and that is running the business and execution. That’s not my job as CEO. My job is to lead the people and manage the process. It took me a couple of years to learn that, and [when I did] I stepped back from the operations of the company and really began to focus on leadership, on having the right people in the right place, and on making sure people were properly motivated, incentivized, and directed.”1
What the Head Must Know About the Business Manager’s Work Environment
ISM recently surveyed Business Managers about their salaries and their work environments. We randomly selected 627 Business Managers from our I&P subscribers; 417 responded.The preceding issue of I&P focused on results from the survey concerning salaries for this position. This article discusses responsibilities, workload, and priorities – and how you, the Head of School, can best support your school’s Business Manager.
Full Steam Ahead! The Game Changer for 21st Century Schools
In the Spring 2010 edition of Independent School, NAIS writes persuasively and interestingly in the article, "A Game-Changing Model for Financially Sustainable Schools." ISM has written a commentary that agrees that the "game changer" will be seen within the finances of schools; however, ISM argues that finances are the wrong focus for understanding what the change is.
Ask the Expert
Q:: Why is it so hard for my faculty to get on board with 21st Century technology?
Just a Cool New Gadget? Some Thoughts on the iPad
Just a big iPod Touch. Just a big iPhone. Just a big gaming device. And that name. You are probably hearing all these things about the latest release from Apple, the iPad—the company's new e-tablet. But just walk into an Apple retail store (if you can manage to get in—even at the height of the recession, the place was always mobbed), wait your turn, and then belly up to one of the dozen or more iPads on display.
Maximize Your Return on Investment: ‘Market’ Your Commitment to Professional Development
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.