When the conversation about renewal of the School Head’s contract approaches, recognize that the two main components of this negotiation—performance evaluation (including setting the objectives for the next year) and the compensation package—need equal consideration. This article focuses on the compensation element of the negotiation process, when the Head has performed well and contract renewal is desired by all.

At any given moment, the Board may be operating highly effectively. The same is true of the School Head and Management Team. The problem, however, is always how to sustain high-level leadership over time. As changes occur, when the Board President finally rotates off, or the Head accepts an appointment elsewhere, or a new facility is proposed or a program added, what will ensure that the direction and vitality of the school is not lost?

In Part One of this two-part series, eight critical ingredients and six steps were offered as a foundation on which to build management and leadership education and training systems for your Academic Administrators. Part Two provides a recommended sequence of School Head decisions and actions. The implicit opportunity, both for organizational enhancement and for individual professional growth, is enormous in its potential impact throughout your school. Moreover, its results are cost-effective.

Support personnel may seem invisible in a school. These employees—personnel who are not administrators or faculty—may not appear to be as highly valued, nor as integral as the faculty to the school’s mission and to the education of children. Their roles are largely indirect. But this in no way diminishes their importance in your school’s culture. Take steps to build the faculty/support staff relationship, with the ultimate objective of improving opportunities for students in your school.

Within our schools, there is little systematic training for members of the Academic Administrative Team (those leaders of the faculty who report directly to the School Head) and other levels of academic leadership (e.g., grade-level coordinators). Why does that matter?

ISM defines culture as “the pattern of customs, ideas, and assumptions driving your staff’s collective set of professional attitudes and behaviors.” What happens in and between the departments of admission, parent relations, development, and business has strong impact on the capacity of the school to effectively recruit students, develop relationships, and enhance finances necessary for programmatic excellence over time. Operations Administrators (those who report to the Head but are not Academic Administrators, e.g., the Development Director, Admission Director, Director of Parent Relations, and Business Manager) are leaders of these functions and must direct their energies in an optimum direction.

The main means of enhancing your advisory program will be through the advisers themselves. Formal solicitation of their assessment of the program provides evaluative data while confirming the high value you place on this program.

Salary alone is not enough to attract and retain a quality faculty. When looking for jobs today, teachers have expectations about benefits. While health coverage is the most costly of all the benefits your school may offer, it is critical for the recruitment and retention of valued faculty.

As you develop or enhance your disaster plan, take time to review your insurance policy with your agent to ensure that your school is adequately covered, beyond your basic flood and fire insurance, for any type of disaster or emergency situation. Coverage in the following areas is often far less than recommended, or may even be excluded, in typical policies. To determine if your risk factors are high in any of these areas, discuss them with your agent and consider increasing your coverage or adding riders if necessary.

It’s hard enough to get people to agree to change something they’ve been doing for a long time. It’s even worse when—instead of saving time, money, and energy—a plan you, as School Head, had anticipated would truly enhance your school begins to turn into what looks like a nightmare. Those who were originally opposed say, “I told you so!” The doubters begin to head for the “winning” side. Those who were with you begin to hedge their bets. Even your greatest ally wants to have a “deep” conversation with you.