Q.: We’ve had a problem with some teachers exceeding their allowed sick days. We’re considering making teachers pay for the cost of a substitute when this happens, as we understand other schools have a policy like that. Is this advisable?

It’s a bit ugly out there. Or it’s still ugly out there. According to a new survey conducted by Campbell Rinker for Dunham+Company, 78% of donors will either not give or be more choosy about their donations, thanks to the economy.

While the students at your school get all their new books for the year, we thought we’d ask ISM’s development consultants what books are essentials for their bookshelves. Here are a few they suggest:

When Martha Hagedorn-Krass wrote a thank you letter to President Clinton after his appearance at the Association of Fundraising Professionals March conference, her intent was to show appreciation for his comments on “green” energy projects at the Empire State Building and the Chicago Merchandise Mart. Hagedor-Krass, who is executive director of the Ronald McDonald House of Topeka Kansas, told the former president about the house’s current fundraising campaign to install new 80-to 95-percent energy efficient systems.

Concussions are a very real danger that students who play contact sports—particularly football—and their parents must consider. And they must take concussions seriously. The September 2010 suicide of a Virginia high school football player Austin Trenum a few days after he may have suffered a concussion during a game fueled the discussion of the possible link between concussion and suicide. Just months before, Owen Thomas, a University of Pennsylvania football player, killed himself. An autopsy of his brain showed early signs of a trauma-induced brain disease that has been found in NFL players—more than 20—who are deceased. The disease is called chronic traumatic encephalopathy and is linked to depression and lack of impulse control.

Sonia Brown, a 14-year old freshman in Yakima, WA, was the one to review her school progress with her parents…rather than the adults who teach her.

Congratulations—you’ve been promoted to Division Head! Once the euphoria has subsided a bit and you have a chance to reflect on your new responsibilities, you may find yourself wondering, “So, what exactly do I do now?” There’s no doubt that there will be a thousand possible initiatives to launch, “fires” to put out, and helpful guidance and direction to offer to your faculty and staff. Given all the possibilities, what is the best use of your time? Even if you are not new to your position, this question weighs heavy on your mind.

Exercising your mind is as important as exercising your body. You might think that, since work keeps you going a million miles an hour five days a week, that you’re getting all the mental fitness you need. But, that’s not the trick to exercising your mind. The real trick to keeping your mind focused and healthy is to learn something new every day.

Brace yourself, English teachers, OMG, LOL, and Tweet are now acceptable words according to the Merriam-Webster and Oxford dictionaries.

It’s a new school year and a fresh start to tackling one of any organization's largest issues—communication. Communication concerns seem to never find absolute resolution. There are always news tactics and policies that seem to assist in keeping the channels of communication open for a bit, but as time passes there it is again—communication troubles popping up on employee evaluation forms, in suggestion boxes, and on the tails of the gossip comet.