Senior Year Gap: Potential Benefits and Disadvantages

Private School News // July 5, 2016

The seemingly logical next step for many newly graduated high school students would be entering higher education in time for their freshman fall semester. However, not every student is prepared to take that immediate jump into heavier study commitments—or mature enough to appreciate the investment a college education entails. Enter “gap years:” an extended break between the end of high school schooling and entry into college. Such breaks are becoming more popular in the United States. In fact, even Malia Obama, eldest daughter of President Obama, is taking a year to discover her professional passions before attending Harvard University. Time away from the classroom could have a profound impact on students’ academic careers—good or bad. Let’s take a look at some of the positive and negative points of gap years.

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Boston Senior Draws Charcoal Portraits of Classmates “to Embrace Diversity”

Private School News // July 5, 2016

It’s been a rough year for the Boston Latin School (BLS). Considered one of the top public schools in the greater Boston area, BLS is currently under federal investigation for allegations of racism unveiled by the student-created #BlackatBLS social media campaign. Surrounded by the racial tension, graduate Phillip Sossou decided to do something about it. So, he drew 411 charcoal portraits—one for each member of the graduating class.

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2016 Summer Reading List for Private-Independent School Administrators

Private School News // July 5, 2016

It’s Professional Development Season! Our Summer Institute workshops are heating up, and other ISM leaders are preparing for Advancement Academy and the Business and Operations Academy. Still, we know many readers won’t have the opportunity to join us on the East Coast for in-person education and networking. In the interest of including you in the professional development festivities, The Source asked the ISM Consultants for book recommendations for your personal edification this summer.

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2016 Summer Reading List for School Heads

School Heads // July 1, 2016

While this time of the year is great to recover mentally and physically from the rigors of the regular school year, there’s little rest for the weary—especially School Heads. To help you rejuvenate and inspire your mind this summer, we asked ISM Consultants for their recommended summer reads. Consider this your all-you-can-read professional development buffet!

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Private School Principals Have More Control Than Public School Principals, Working Paper Shows

School Heads // July 1, 2016

The American saying "Too many cooks spoil the broth" may be more than folk wisdom, if a new study is to be believed. In an attempt to understand why private schools are commonly considered to be superior to their public school peers, researchers evaluated how autonomous school principals were in several key governance areas. Private school principals and Heads apparently wield greater power when compared to that of their public school counterparts, who seemingly cope with an oligarchy of administrators interfering with decisions.

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Planning Your Annual Summer Board Retreat

Board of Trustees // June 30, 2016

Your Board of Trustees experiences little “down time,” constantly dealing with challenging issues, from Head evaluation and donor cultivation to crisis management and policy setting. The Board can easily lose sight of its primary responsibility—to uphold the essential character and integrity of the school, and to ensure that your school remains viable to serve the children of today’s students. The annual summer Board retreat provides time for a devoted effort for planning. To make your current process more effective, ask and answer the following nine key questions to guide your thinking.

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2016 Summer Reading Recommendations for Business Managers

Business and Operations // June 29, 2016

We hope your summer thus far has been both productive and comparatively relaxing. Relative quiet on campus means more opportunities to complete projects and prepare for September. Finally, you have the time to squeeze in a few helpful books on your reading list—and our Consultants have some suggestions to add to your “to be read” stack.

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The New—and Official!—Overtime Regulations for Private Schools

Business and Operations // June 29, 2016

We’ve been expecting this particular overtime rule adjustment for over a year now. Finally, on May 18, President Obama published the final rule and officially increased the new minimum salary requirement. While the minimum has been lowered from a previously suggested $50,000+ annual pay to $47,476, this increase is still over twice the current effective minimum threshold to qualify as overtime-exempt. This change goes into effect on December 1, and could profoundly impact your employees’ compensation. Here, then, are four basic questions from private-independent schools on how the new rule might affect the school community—as a supplement to advice from your school’s legal counsel, of course!

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Ask ISM's Health Care Reform Specialist

Business and Operations // June 29, 2016

Q: As I start new employee packages, what documents does the Affordable Care Act require that I include?

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“Fair” Admission Practices: Opportunity Versus Outcome

Advancement // June 28, 2016

When it comes to correcting inequality in the United States—for education and beyond—there are two philosophies: Fairness of opportunity and fairness of outcome. Private school Admission Offices often adopt one or the other mindsets, if the school’s mission calls for increased diversity within the student community. While either strategy is “fair” to applicants in its way, both have hidden flaws that may undermine your efforts for developing a more diverse student pool.

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