Administrative

Here you'll find information on the administrative side of running a private school. We'll cover strategic plan development, state regulations, human resources and school safety. Learn more about the obstacles of taking over a struggling school, get tips on hiring a headmaster, and receive expert advice on dealing with bad press.

View the most popular articles in Administrative:

Secrets to Becoming a Great School

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Secrets to Becoming a Great School
Discover the essential ingredients that drive academic success and cultivate a thriving school community.

Every school can become a great school. All it takes is great communication, solid academics, inspiring teachers, enthusiastic parents, and a supportive board. Some schools have solid academics and inspiring teachers but don't get the word out about their teachers and what's being taught. In other words, they lack great communication. Some schools have visionary leaders but lack the support of their board of trustees. You need all five attributes present to be a great school. Let's look at them in detail.

Great Communication

Thirty years ago, most schools published an expensive printed catalog that looked like one of those expensive coffee table books. Indeed, that was how it was intended to be used. When parents had their friends over, and your school's beautiful, eye-catching catalog was spotted, the conversation invariably turned to St. Swithin's, how great that school was, and how much their children enjoyed going there. Many schools still produce those lavish catalogs and they can and do serve a purpose. Truthfully, they have mostly gone the way of the buggy whip.

The other old-fashioned way of communicating was by writing a letter or sending a thank you note. Catalogs and letters have been replaced by email, texting and messaging via apps like WhatsApp and Viber, as well as social media such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Nowadays, we all expect communications to be instantaneous. We have to get our news and information at warp speed. Of course, letters still have their place for

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On Being An Effective Leader

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On Being An Effective Leader
From managing unexpected challenges to fostering resilience among faculty and students, this piece delves into the essential strategies that educational leaders can employ to steer their institutions through turbulent times. Discover valuable insights and practical advice that can make a significant difference in the face of adversity.

The wave of anti-semitism crashing over the United States in the fourth quarter of 2023 seems to me to have been inevitable. I will leave it to far more qualified writers than I to explore the causes and effects of such a vast disturbance. However, I recommend that you take time to read source materials and understand the issues involved.

However, I want to remind the heads of private day and boarding schools that they can and should learn three critical lessons from what we all are experiencing. The chief officer of any institution must be a listener, a learner, and a leader.

Listen

Overwhelming expressions of opinion don't come out of nowhere. It's like you and I putting a pot of water on the stove and turning the dial to high. You know the pot could and will boil, but you can continue your business until then. Right? Wrong! Before you know it, the pot is boiling uncontrollably all over the place. Don't ignore issues you hear about on your campus. It doesn't matter whether it's the cleaning crew, your physics teacher, or a member of the board of trustees. Every voice is important, and you must listen carefully to each and every one.

Read articles such as Dr. Susan Whitbourne's 10 Qualities of Great Listeners. Understand her very clear advice:

  • Listening is a basic social skill, but it takes practice to do well.
  • Listening and perceived partner responsiveness form a positive
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Securing Your School

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Securing Your School
With the rise of school shootings and other violent incidents, it is essential to have a comprehensive plan in place to protect everyone on your school campus.

Ensuring the safety and security of students and faculty members in schools is a top priority for educators, parents, and community members alike. With the rise of school shootings and other violent incidents, it is essential to have a comprehensive plan in place to protect everyone on your school campus. In this article, we will comprehensively analyze the key factors that impact school security, including planning by a professional security firm, cost, how to implement recommendations, buy-in from stakeholders, and the importance of considering the impact on students and staff when making decisions.

Hire a professional security firm.

Planning by a professional security firm is a critical component of school security. These firms have the expertise and experience to identify potential risks and develop effective mitigation strategies. In addition, they can thoroughly assess the school's physical environment, including the building layout, access points, and existing security measures. Your board andThis information can then develop a customized security plan that addresses the unique needs of the school. However, the cost of hiring a professional security firm can be a significant barrier for many schools. The expenses associated with a comprehensive security plan can be substantial, and the school must weigh the benefits of increased security against the financial constraints of the budget. This tradeoff can be challenging, but ensuring that the school is adequately protected is vital while being mindful of the available financial resources.

Effective implementation is vital.

Implementing the recommendations made by a security firm

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School Security: It Could Never Happen Here Or Could It?

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School Security: It Could Never Happen Here Or Could It?
School shootings and other emergency situations won't happen in your school, right? Who knows! Better to put in place the steps necessary to protect the school community than to be caught unprepared.

We see the never-ending reporting about school shootings. They occur in places we may have visited. We may even have friends and relatives whose lives have been impacted by this violence that seems endemic in our society. But that could never happen in our children's school, or could it?

Safety is at the top of the list of concerns for parents and students. Harassment, bullying, and COVID are all still concerns, but shootings have unnerved people in every age group and walk of life. It seems as though no public place is safe anymore.

Preparing for emergencies is an ongoing process—even if a school (public or nonpublic) is at a high state of readiness for an emergency, there will still be a need for continued security, safety, and emergency management. Source: REMSTA (Readiness & Emergency Management for Schools)

Prevention

Preventing incidents from happening requires action from you and your children's school. You are partners in keeping young people safe.

The Parent's Obligation

  • Understand the measures your school has put in place to prevent incidents from occurring.
  • Discuss these measures regularly with your children.
  • Teach your children to be situationally aware.
  • Keep your lines of communication open and relaxed, so your children will tell you about anything and everything.
  • Keep your phone charged with the school's emergency alert application configured to notify you anytime.
  • Monitor your local weather conditions as emergencies can include severe storms, tornadoes, and flash floods.
  • Teach your children how to call 911 for help.
  • Teach your children how
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Planning For Future Growth

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Planning For Future Growth
This article will help small schools understand the process that large schools with ample resources to hire consultants and strategic planners use to plan their future growth.

Planning for the future growth of your school in these uncertain times is a challenging exercise. The object of this essay is to give you some guidelines to help you and your trusted advisors plan for the next five years. I am writing this for small schools to help you understand the process that large schools with ample resources to hire consultants and strategic planners use to plan their future growth.

Include the following components in your Plan For Future Growth should have

  1. Develop an overview of what you want to achieve.
  2. Investigate the competition.
  3. Examine your organization.
  4. Develop an implementation plan.
  5. Develop a marketing strategy.
  6. Outline the risks your school faces.
  7. Hold information sessions with members of your school community.
  8. Track your progress towards your objectives.

Overview

Keep your overview brief yet comprehensive. It should explain the goals of your Plan for Future Growth. For example, if your area is experiencing rapid growth, refer to that as the underlying reason for building your Plan for Future Growth. Then write something like, "Anytown has had an influx of new families at a rate exceeding national averages. As a result, we aim to prepare for the demand for private school seats by adding one class to each grade over the next five years."

Include the important points of your Plan. The overview is a summary, not a detailed list of the things you wish to accomplish.

Investigate your competition.

First of all, know who your competition is. Use Private School Review to search for

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Secrets to Becoming a Great School
Secrets to Becoming a Great School
Discover the essential ingredients that drive academic success and cultivate a thriving school community.
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Running a Private School