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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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FAST Answers to Financial Aid Questions
Private School News // September 24, 2015
Q: I’ve often heard ISM say that financial aid awards should be “mission appropriate.” While the idea “feels” right, I’m having a hard time visualizing what it looks like in the real world. Can you explain?
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LinkedIn for Administrators, Part Two: Your Activity Wall
Private School News // September 24, 2015
In the first addition of our LinkedIn article series, we discussed how to make the most out of your profile by sprucing up your Summary and Experience sections. This month, we’re going to walk you through one of the most intimidating-yet-enriching parts of this professional media behemoth: The Activity Wall.
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Sexual Misconduct on Campus Part III: Best Practices, Professional Development and Policy
Business and Operations // September 23, 2015
As an organization dedicated to enriching student lives, it’s essential that protection be at the forefront of all school decisions. Updating your school’s policies and procedures to ensure your risks are minimal is vital to the future of your institution. In our final part of our series on addressing sexual misconduct, we'll walk you through the steps for clarifying and communicating your school’s sexual misconduct process.
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Ask ISM's Risk Manager
Business and Operations // September 23, 2015
Q: Our school has been having some issues with “compliments” versus “harassment”. Some of our female faculty and staff members are not comfortable with comments directed towards them from one of our senior faculty members. I have talked to him, and he seems to believe he’s just being friendly and complimenting his colleagues. I’m not sure what more I can do at this point, but I know I must get this situation—situations, actually—under control. Any advice?
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A New Trend In Health Insurance
Business and Operations // September 23, 2015
Health care has seen almost as many changes over the last eight years as technology. With so many changing laws, Business Officers and HR Managers have struggled to stay compliant. But you know this—you’re one of the mighty benefit specialists on your school’s administration team. That said, there are options to how you design and administer your health benefits, despite the legislative hurdles. Fighting inflating costs by jumping health providers and brokers each year doesn’t have to be part of your routine. What you do need is a basic understanding of the three key health care plan designs, so you can choose a policy that best reflects your school’s mission and culture—and budget. .
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Ask ISM's Health Care Reform Specialist
Business and Operations // September 18, 2015
Q: We are a small school with 20 employees, and we fund a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) for employees on our health insurance plan to help pay for the deductible. I was told that we have to file reporting forms because of this arrangement. Based on our size, I thought we were not required to report. Did I receive bad information?
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The Case for Vacations
Business and Operations // September 18, 2015
The beginning of the school year often means a temporary respite for Business Managers. The school’s last audit recently wrapped up, and the next audit is in the beginning stages of preparation. The current budget has (mostly) been worked out, and next year’s will start in November. Now might be the perfect time for you to take a break from the Business Office for an extended breather—your schedule won’t get any clearer for the foreseeable future, and vacations have definitive health and professional benefits you can’t get holed up in your office.
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Acquiring Enough Land, Part Two
Board of Trustees // September 15, 2015
In the last issue, we wrote about how to determine your school’s needs before developing a land-acquisition plan. In this month’s edition of The Source for Trustees, we’ll discuss how to take action on your plan.
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Student College and Career Readiness
Board of Trustees // September 15, 2015
Most private-independent high schools are college-preparatory, and they take great pride in the success of their alumni in higher education and beyond. But, as in all schools, your faculty and staff are always concerned that they are effectively preparing their students for college.
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Conversations With New Families: Retention Starts With You
School Heads // September 14, 2015
Retention efforts for your school’s families start on Day One, and as School Head, you have a unique opportunity to reinforce your school’s appreciation of their contribution to the broader community. September, then, is the time to reach out to your new families as the “figurehead” of the school and make them feel personally welcome in their new educational community.
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