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What are the latest trends impacting private-independent school enrollment? How can you be the most effective in your role as an administrator? How can you help your school meet its mission and best serve your students?
Check out Community Corner, a free blog from ISM.
We cover such topics as how to communicate with your constituencies, work with your fellow school leaders, leverage new technology trends, utilize recommended reading and resources, implement new strategies—all to better serve your school's mission.
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See articles for School Heads, Business & Operations, Advancement, Academic Leadership, and Trustees, in addition to Private School News.
Wait Pools: Not All About the First in Line
Advancement // January 22, 2013
Admission at your school is either fixed date, rolling, or a combination of the two. Whatever your method, you are going to be sending each applicant a letter of acceptance, a deferral until some criteria is completed, a regret, or placement into the waiting pool of candidates.
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Parent Lawsuits
Business and Operations // January 22, 2013
Part of your job as Risk Manager (or Business Manager, or School Head) is to protect your school from lawsuits—and there are so many ways your school can be the center of a lawsuit.
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Staying Creative in a Routine Role
Advancement // January 22, 2013
As Admission Officer, your position requires you to always be thinking outside of the box. You’re constantly looking for new ways to connect with potential families, to virally spread your school’s mission, and keep your current families engaged. Perhaps your role includes managing social media, or working parallel with the Development Office on its mission, or both, plus any number of other possible work combinations.
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The Skinny on the “Crowd”
Advancement // January 14, 2013
In 5 Things That Will Change the Way Nonprofits Work in 2103, the Chronicle of Philanthropy listed “crowdfunding” first. “Tools like Catapult, Gofundme, Indiegog, and Kickstarter have made it easy to issue appeals for financial support. Increasingly, nonprofit workers may need to demonstrate savvy when it comes to using such ‘crowdfunding’ networks.”
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Re-recruiting Your Donors at Small Events
Advancement // January 14, 2013
When it comes down to it, your school depends on current families returning year after year. The first grade you offer should be the only grade where, in effect, you are recruiting an entire class. After that year, you are filling available seats. Logically, your school needs to actively re-recruit your current families to maintain full enrollment.
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Green Corner: The Truth About LED Lights
Business and Operations // December 27, 2012
Light Emitting Diode (LED) light technology has been around since the 70s in most electronics such as alarm clocks, VCRs, and microwaves. Although it’s been known that LED lighting is more cost effective, low luminosity and high cost of manufacturing has kept it from becoming a main source for home lighting.
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Newtown School and Your School
Business and Operations // December 27, 2012
Most of us continue to attempt to “get our heads around” what happened at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. As we grieve for the children lost, the families, the community, and for the general “innocence lost” for all, we wonder if any good can come of this.
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After a Tragedy
Business and Operations // December 27, 2012
The shootings in Newtown, CT, have certainly shaken us all. Schools are taking a step back and wondering how they would react if such a tragedy affected their campus. On the ISM e-Lists, schools are chatting about crisis and evacuation plans, and how to communicate the events with students, while sending prayers and blessings to the victims.
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Knowing When You Need to Let Someone Go
Business and Operations // December 27, 2012
You’ve had a wonderful holiday break—lots of quality time with family and friends, special meals and celebrations, and even a little quiet time to reflect on the events of the year. You feel very content and relaxed—except for one thought that’s nagging at you. “I’ve really got to do something about Dolores (or Bob).” The thought makes you anxious and sad at the same time, and you push it from your mind (at least for the moment). But eventually, you know you need to deal with the issue. Here are a few thoughts to help you start down the path that you know in your heart of hearts is necessary for all concerned.
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