CEO Notebook

CEO Notebook  

  • Risk Management
  • | Safety and Security

A School Where “P” Means Protection

Presence, process and protocols: Best practices from a head of school who is also a certified school safety manager.
4 min read

CEO Notebook  

  • Leadership

I Escaped! Three Takeaways for the Coming School Year

You don’t need all the answers. Discover hidden talents in failure. And don’t forget to debrief.
3 min read

CEO Notebook  

  • Facilities
  • | Technology

Prepping Your School for Project-Based Learning

Creating student-centered learning spaces doesn't have to break the bank.
3 min read

CEO Notebook  

  • Change Management
  • | Culture
  • | Facilities

The End of the Faculty-Owned Classroom: a Win-Win for Teachers and Schools?

There's lots to like in shared classrooms and faculty co-working spaces.
4 min read

CEO Notebook  

  • Boards and Trustees
  • | Leadership

When CFOs Succeed to the Top Spot

What qualities and experiences make CFOs strong candidates for an organization’s top leadership position?
3 min read

CEO Notebook  

  • Culture
  • | Leadership

The Foundations of Trust Among Independent School Leaders

The key is to create moments in which you can build that trust, not to wait passively for them to happen.
4 min read

CEO Notebook  

  • Budget
  • | Planning

Thriving with a Chronic Condition

Goodbye, William Baumol. And hello, economic reality. It’s time to acknowledge that you’ve been there all along, and you’ll likely outlive us all.
2 min read

CEO Notebook  

  • Facilities

Bricks and Mortar in the New World Order of PreK-12 Education

Our schools’ physical plants must support our value propositions in demonstrable ways that align with the investments we ask families to make.
2 min read

CEO Notebook  

  • Enrollment
  • | Tuition

What Is “Affordability” for Independent Schools?

If we increased tuition next year by 2 percent instead of 2.5 percent, would we be “affordable” then? I have my doubts.
4 min read

CEO Notebook  

  • Leadership

Unleashing the Exceptional

The future is now, and "simple improvement" is not nearly enough.
3 min read

CEO Notebook  

  • Culture
  • | Planning

When Does a Retreat Help Your School Advance?

“Why do we call it a ‘retreat’ if our purpose is to move forward?”
4 min read

CEO Notebook  

  • Culture
  • | Leadership

Schooled by an Introvert

How do introverts lead in a world that conflates extroverted behavior with leadership? 
4 min read

CEO Notebook  

  • Culture
  • | Leadership

Three Things I Learned from Sir Ken Robinson

Learning is a cultural process, says 2017 NBOA Annual Meeting keynote speaker Sir Ken Robinson. 
3 min read

CEO Notebook  

  • Budget
  • | Technology

Going All-In for Technology ROI

Is your school making the most of its technology budget? How do you know if faculty, students and staff are fully utilizing new resources?
3 min read

CEO Notebook  

  • Leadership

Announcing the 2017 NBOA Award Recipients

This year's award recipients — Frank Aloise and Dana Tufts — have merged schools, counseled peers and served as exceptional leaders. 
3 min read

CEO Notebook  

  • Human Resources
  • | Leadership

Your Strengths Are Your Best Investment

Consider making your New Year's resolution to develop more of who you already are — in other words, to play to your strengths.
2 min read

CEO Notebook  

  • Compliance
  • | Enrollment

President Trump’s Potential Impact on the Business of Independent Schools

Whatever our personal feelings about the presidential election, we in the independent school community can unite in a shared understanding of the potential impact on independent schools.
3 min read

CEO Notebook  

  • Admission
  • | Financial Aid

Four New Rules for Access and Affordability

Where are independent schools with regard to access and affordability? At the SSS Financial Aid Conference in Philadelphia last week, a panel of four other independent school leaders joined me in discussing this dif
2 min read

CEO Notebook  

  • Admission
  • | Facilities

Five Critical Factors for Your School's Future

Independent school leaders often ask me for advice regarding what they should be thinking about to help ensure a financially healthy future. It's a tough and important question, with an answer that's difficult to distill
3 min read

CEO Notebook  

  • Communication
  • | Financial Aid

Who's Not Open to Your Open House?

Recently, an NBOA staff member heard about an independent school that noted many visitors to its website, particularly the tuition page, clicked away and never returned. The school took steps to raise the profile of its
3 min read