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Written by Robert Kennedy

Here are a dozen or so boys' schools' public thoughts about themselves and their missions.

Written by Robert Kennedy

Most small schools do not have room in their budget for a full-time marketing person. So marketing tasks such as they are are rolled into somebody else's portfolio. This article is aimed at those incredibly multi-faceted professionals who have to juggle dozens of deadlines every day and still do a superlative job.

 

What kinds of resources do you need to help you market your school effectively? Let's begin with consultants, books, blogs and affinity groups. We shall look at each resource and see how it fits into your school's budget and your schedule.

 

Having an expert review your marketing strategy is like going to the doctor.  It will cost you some money, perhaps even a lot of money, but you will have the benefit of years of professional experience and expertise when the consultant makes her recommendations. As a rule, hiring a consultant is not going to be as expensive as hiring an additional member of staff. You contract for specific services up front so you know in advance what will be done and how much it will cost.

 

How do you determine which organization to hire? As with any other decision, do your due diligence. Send RFPs (Requests for Proposal) to at least 3 firms. Interview each one via phone, or better yet, Skype. In most cases you won't need anybody to come on site to do the work you need done, so cast your net widely.

 

There are dozens of books devoted to marketing non-profits and schools. If your school is...

Written by Robert Kennedy

My late father-in-law, Dr. James Garnett Lyne, used to refer to what he called 'mass mediocrity' whenever he discussed education. Like me he was a product of a public school education. Neither of our parents could afford a private school education.

What did he mean by 'mass mediocrity'? He was referring to what he feared would be the result of a general lowering of standards in our schools. He argued that the less qualified teachers were, the less they were paid and the less demanding high school curricula were, the more we as a society would descend into 'mass mediocrity'. Dr. Lyne has been gone for 45 years. Yet his prescient words still haunt me. You see, back then, I had no clue what he was talking about. None. That scholarly father-in-law of mine was given to many well-reasoned pronouncements. I figured that this was just one more and filed it away in my memory bank.

In my own daily life and work I am well aware of what high school graduates - both public and private school graduates - bring to the table. The lack of basic business communications skills is appalling. And I don't think that Twitter and texting is the reason. I remain convinced until somebody can show me otherwise that most high school students are simply not taught how to write business communications. They might have had one short lesson on that skill in English class in middle school. That's it.

The inability to work hard...

Written by Robert Kennedy

 I thought it might be instructive to gather a dozen or so girls' schools' public thoughts about themselves and their missions. The words which I have quoted can be found on each school's web site. Hopefully if you are thinking about sending your daughter to an all girls' school, you will be inspired to explore the opportunities available to you in these fine educational environments committed to educating your daughters to be all they can be.

From Nightingale-Bamford School, New York, New York

 

"Founded by two bold, visionary entrepreneurs in the same year that women won the right to vote, the Nightingale-Bamford School has helped generations of girls to become strong, independent, confident women. We offer a rigorous, college-preparatory education from Kindergarten through grade 12 in a caring and attentive school community."

From Saint Mary's School, Raleigh, North Carolina

 

"Saint Mary’s School has developed curriculum and employed strategies that capitalize on the strengths of girls on their journey to college and life. Girls’ schools support a culture, climate and community that together generate high levels of personal and academic self-confidence and a can-do attitude. Research shows that girls in single-gender environments move on to advanced courses more often than do girls in co-educational classes. They earn better grades and report that they have greater confidence in themselves and feel more positive about their learning environment."

From Miss Porter's School, Farmington, Connecticut

 

"Our Mission: Miss Porter's School educates young women to become informed, bold, resourceful and ethical global citizens. We...

Written by Robert Kennedy

If you have children in private school, then you are most likely looking at three months, perhaps even longer, which you must fill with activities of one kind or another during the long summer break. Let's look at some of your options for making summer a special time for both you and your children..

Many schools will offer summer sessions. Depending on its resources a school may offer all day sessions or just a long morning session running from 9 until 1. If the school has had a summer session for several years, it probably has worked out most of the kinks. But keep an eye out for the quality of each activity. Is the school merely providing glorified babysitting or are the activities well-planned, well-organized and well-supervised by qualified personnel?

 

The advantage of sending a young child to a summer session at her school is that she knows just about everybody anyway. Even more important for your wee one is that the daily routine is similar to what she is already comfortable with. My biggest concern with summer sessions is the planning. Weather doesn't cooperate every day, so that refreshing time in the pool can't always be counted on. What's planned for those rainy days?

 

The safety of your youngster is paramount every day. But in the summer there tend to be more outdoors activities on the schedule. Are situations like bee stings and sun burns something the school is equipped to deal with? Is there a nurse...

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