Sustainability

According to the National Association of Independent Schools, independent schools in the 21st century face significant challenges to ensure their sustainability in five broad areas: finance, student demographics, curriculum, global perspective and environmental sustainability.  I can help schools develop:

• a vision, mission and plan to establish a “green” focus and to use resources efficiently, create a healthy campus environment, establish a nutritional food program and school garden, and strengthen the ecological curriculum
• the organizational structure and discipline to implement long-range financial planning
• admissions and marketing strategies to ensure that enrollment and retention goals are met
• a process to define how best to educate 21st century learners
• the framework for creating and enhancing a global perspective in the curriculum that fosters understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures

Strategic Planning

Having led the strategic planning process at Head-Royce five times, I helped the School to achieve significant growth and improvement in every area from diversity to the academic program and from the physical plant to capital campaigns.  As the chair of a dozen school accreditation teams, I also helped  facilitate the change process at other schools throughout California and Hawaii.  I am available to assist schools in strategic planning by providing:

• presentations on the issues facing education today
• design of the strategic planning process
• support and guidance for the school’s planning process

Governance

The partnership between boards of trustees and school heads is vital to any school’s success.  Having worked on many boards and served the Board at Head-Royce for 26 years, I can assist schools in nurturing

• a board culture that is policy focused, effective, and based on principles of good practice
• a strong board-head alliance based on strategic planning and mutual goal setting to advance the school’s mission

Leadership Mentoring

The work of school heads is increasingly complex, and often heads work in relative isolation as they cope with myriad demands from the communities they serve.  Having mentored nine  eventual schools heads and supported many “rising stars,” I can offer to heads confidential support for their leadership, on an as-needed or on-going basis.  This includes:             

• nurturing leadership styles
• assessment of organizational culture

School Management

In recent years schools have understood the importance of moving from “good to great,” yet creating a culture of continuous self-improvement takes significant effort and discipline.  I can provide assistance to schools in fostering high quality leadership, effective personnel practices, and information-based decision-making by:

• helping design systems that enable schools to “benchmark” academic excellence
• assessing current practice in areas ranging from admissions and development to hiring and evaluation
• encouraging the use of best practices