The ISM Members-Only Podcast

Lead by Listening—Insights From Black@ Instagram Accounts

Learn from the experiences of BIPOC students, families, and alumni at independent schools.
How can your school make meaningful change through data-informed leadership? How might you and your team advance your equity work in the current climate of anti-CRT backlash?
Join Dr. Nicole Furlonge, Professor and Director of the Klingenstein Center in New York, and Dr. Kenny Graves, Upper School Assistant Principal for Academic Life and Director of Studies at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York, as they share findings from their analysis of Black@ social media accounts. They will discuss the experiences of BIPOC students in predominantly white independent and international schools so you can best support them in yours.

Hiring During the Great Resignation

Discover the one change your school should make to successfully navigate today’s hiring challenges.
In light of the current teacher and talent crisis in schools, relying on previous hiring strategies may not yield ideal candidates like they once did. However, attracting passionate and mission-appropriate faculty members can be achieved through just one change to your hiring approach.
Hear from ISM Consultant Shannan Schuster about the importance of prioritizing a candidate’s enthusiasm and mission-aligned characteristics, rather than education or years of experience. Broadening your school’s hiring criteria will not only expand your pool of applicants, but also allow your team to discover individuals who will exemplify your school’s specific mission and values.

Drive Your School’s Marketing Communications Strategy for the Greatest Impact

Discover how to create a strategic marketing communications plan to direct your efforts and provide a road map to success.
The roles of the Marketing Communications Office are increasingly vital to ensure the success of your school’s ability to recruit new students, re-recruit current families, and support a culture of philanthropy. But with marketing communications responsibilities ever-growing, it can be challenging to keep pace or gain momentum on strategic to-do-list items.
Learn how to guide your school’s marketing communications strategy—no matter your team’s size or structure—so you can set a path forward to help your school reach its enrollment and fundraising goals.

The Six Key Emotionally Intelligent Leadership Styles

See how a scientific approach to emotions empowers leaders.
As recruiting and retaining faculty becomes more competitive, you and your fellow school leaders must work to cultivate a positive work environment for your teachers and staff. When you focus on your school’s climate, the climate becomes a difference-maker that’s critical to maintaining an attractive and sustainable work environment.
Join Dr. Carrie Grimes, Assistant Professor at Vanderbilt University, Tennessee, as she explains the science of emotion to help you understand how your emotions, particularly as a leader, directly drive the climate within your school. Learn how to positively influence your school’s environment by activating specific emotionally intelligent tools and practices to shift the leadership mindset and behaviors of all your personnel.

Supercharge the Leadership Division of Your Annual Fund

Successfully engage and work with your leadership donors to achieve your fundraising goals.
Leadership gifts from your donors are integral to your annual fund’s success. But how do you identify these individuals, bring them closer to your school, and encourage them to give?
In this episode, we’ll explore exactly how to target, engage, and partner with your leadership donors, analyzing your fundraising history to understand your unique constituents. Gain tools and strategies to ensure they remain fully engaged to support the annual fund.

The State of the 2022–23 Private School Market

What does ISM anticipate over the next few years for private-independent schools? Join us to find out.
You and your fellow school leaders are probably asking:
How will the current financial climate impact independent schools, now and in the next few years?
What trends do we see related to private school employment?
What’s on the horizon?
Join us to explore The State of the 2022–23 Private School Market with ISM’s Director of Research, Dr. Bryan Smyth. He’ll share our findings and predictions, based on research and insight gleaned from school leaders like you.

Five Steps to Create Effective Mentor Programs

Learn how to support and retain your teachers with a meaningful mentor program.
Boost your school’s recruitment and retention capabilities by implementing or reassessing your mentor program. For new teachers, mentorship provides the necessary support and goal-setting guidance. For your current teachers, mentorship encourages continued growth and makes them more likely to remain at your school.
Join us to discuss five steps you must take for developing a successful mentor program, whether it’s formal or informal, that you can apply to your school’s specific needs.

Five Factors for Cultivating a Healthy Classroom Climate

Learn how to foster an inclusive, safe, and positive classroom space to promote student learning and well-being.
A classroom’s emotional climate significantly impacts students’ academic achievement. If you struggle with classroom management, unmotivated students, or lessons that just don’t go well, the problem might have something to do with climate.
In this webinar, Jennifer Gonzalez, founder of Cult of Pedagogy, will examine five factors that affect classroom climate and offer specific ways you can make improvements in each area.

School Heads & Business Officers: Data-Enabled Strategies to Grow Enrollment

Discover how you, as a Head or Business Officer, can help your school use data science and research to shape a compelling school value proposition that increases enrollment.
Documenting your school's value proposition and marketing efforts are typically viewed as marketing and enrollment management’s responsibilities. However, School Heads and Business Officers also have vital roles to play.
Join us to discover exciting new analytical, research, and financial management techniques available to actually shape your school’s value proposition. Explore the role of the School Head and Chief Financial Officer in this vital activity with the guidance of Dr. Harry Bloom of Measuring Success and Dr. Thomas Kardish, President of Salesianum School, Delaware.

Four Data-Enabled Strategies to Increase Public School Family Enrollment

Explore how your school can use data science and research to maximize its growth potential among public school families.
For most independent schools—maybe even yours—the public school market represents the greatest growth potential. In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic provided tangible evidence that the private school value proposition can lead to enrollment inroads among public school families.
However, these gains may not be sustainable when normal public school operations resume—particularly during times of economic weakness.
Learn how independent schools operating in the most competitive public school markets can employ data science and research to generate sustainable enrollment growth. Dr. Harry Bloom of Measuring Success and Brooke Arthur, Director of Strategy and Marketing Communication at New Canaan Country School, Connecticut, will share tips and tricks for success in this ever-changing economic climate.