7 Ways to Host the Best “Accepted Student Day” Ever!

Advancement // February 10, 2016

While your Admission Office is busy determining who will receive a coveted invitation to attend your school in the 2016-2017 academic year, it’s time to start thinking about how you will convince those accepted students to attend your school. Accepted Student Days are a great way to continue to court those families you’ve determined are mission-appropriate by welcoming them to your campus for a special, accepted-students-only reception, encouraging them to build relationships with current families and faculty. Make your Accepted Student Day an unforgettable event and a wonderful recruitment tool with these seven tips.

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Two (More) Reasons Why Families Leave Your School

Advancement // February 10, 2016

In our last Source issue, we discussed two root causes why parents may choose to withdraw their children from your school: safety concerns and “financial reasons.” This month, we’d like to take a look at two more reasons why re-enrollment is a top priority for your Admission Office this spring. While these aren’t the only problems to watch out for and address during your re-recruitment, they’re certainly common enough to warrant special attention as you continue to court your currently enrolled families for the 2016-2017 academic year.

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10 Compliant Midyear Hiring Practices

Business and Operations // February 4, 2016

Midyear hiring emergencies happen, well, at any time. An employee may need to leave with little or no time to prepare a replacement. To minimize the amount of downtime your school experiences during one of the busiest times of the year while mitigating potential risk of lawsuits, make sure your search aligns with these best hiring practices.

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Ask ISM's Health Care Reform Specialist

Business and Operations // February 4, 2016

Q: We give our employees who do not take our health insurance an additional $100 a month. I am now told that this will go against us when we talk about the cost of health insurance. Why am I being penalized for this policy?

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Facilities: More Than a Line Item

Business and Operations // February 4, 2016

Having dedicated faculty is one of the biggest—ISM research indicates that it’s the biggest—indicator of student success and satisfaction. But little learning can be done in facilities that aren’t conducive to learning, as the Detroit Public Schools have found out. After recent teacher “sick outs” shutting down dozens of schools to protest lack of support and resources, news exposés have revealed serious health and safety threats to students due to deteriorating buildings.

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Managing Bias on Campus

Business and Operations // February 3, 2016

Being biased is a natural part of being human. Our experiences, culture, and lifestyles have shaped our conscious and subconscious biases. However, when it affects decision-making and disrupts your school’s culture, it becomes problematic—possibly, legally problematic. Schools especially are driven to cultivate an environment of diversity and difference. As empowering as diversity can be, these natural biases can also make your school vulnerable to biased situations without proper guidance, nurturing, and education/HR training.

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?Burnt Out Parents. Burnt Out Employees.

Business and Operations // February 3, 2016

Schools don’t allow for much faculty and staff flextime. Your students need your faculty and staff to be there when they’re on campus, and planned events must happen when they’re scheduled. Managing employees from a local coffee shop just isn’t possible. Yet, according to a survey done by Bright Horizons Family Solutions, 98% of parents say they are burnt out—and it’s affecting their views on their careers.

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The Questionable Necessity of Snow Day Make Ups

Academic Leadership // February 2, 2016

After Winter Storm Jonas paralyzed much of the East Coast on January 23, school cancellations for slippery roads, power loss, and facilities damage were rampant. Remembering the storm-tossed winter of 2013-2014, during which the United States saw a “polar vortex” causing double-digits of school days missed, the question of snow days arises once again—and whether they need to be “made up” at all.

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The Midyear Scramble for Teachers

Academic Leadership // February 2, 2016

The prospect of needing to hire teachers in the middle of the school year provokes monstrous headaches for most Division Heads. No matter how solid your faculty community is in September, circumstances can change at any moment. Medical leave, unexpected departures, and necessary firings all affect your school’s ability to keep your students taught by the best instructors available—and the pool of teachers available to jump into your school in the middle of the year is significantly smaller than that for September starters. Still, there are some unconventional and creative ways to accommodate your immediate need for qualified applicants without skipping steps to properly vet your incoming teachers. Here are four ways in which you can lessen your midyear hiring headache.

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College Expectations and Your Strategic Academic Plan

Board of Trustees // January 22, 2016

The recent PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools indicates shifting attitudes concerning the value of higher education. According to the survey, fewer than half of the parent respondents (48%) considered college education as “very important.”

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