Nationwide, the Great Recession arrived as independent schools entered various stages of strategic planning, building projects, fund-raising drives, enrollment efforts, and programmatic reforms--and all schools needed to consider how best to proceed. In order to understand the actual effects of the economic downturn, the authors undertook a…

Bob Newsome was thrilled to land the job as head of Whitecastle Country Day--a small K-12 school with a solid reputation in the area. He worked hard to learn as much as possible about the school in advance of his start date. He spent time with faculty and staff, and made an effort to overlap frequently with Andrew Reynolds, the long-serving,…

All of those who work in independent schools have read a variety of material regarding strategies to improve their financial model. But as the author sees it, in the current economic conditions, there are really only two possible solutions for improving financial structures. They can no longer rely on their traditional strategy of increasing…

Independent schools are increasingly placing significant priority on community service and understand the important messages about social and personal responsibility that these programs convey to students, along with the invaluable hands-on, real-world experience that they get in community service work. And while student community service is…

The author believes that there are four basic ways to handle rising costs in private schools: increase enrollment, increase faculty/student ratios, raise tuition, and increase fund-raising efforts. He briefly discusses each of these options. (KC)

Discusses the history of the public and private school systems in the United States, their financial development, and the current controversy over whether private school students should come under the umbrella of financial aid being requested congressionally for parents earning up to $30,000 a year. (RK)

What happens to fine public school systems when equalization causes expenditures to be cut back to some level that is determined outside the community? Offers a case study from the two-school New Trier High School district on Chicago's suburban North Shore. (Author/RK)

Thousands of low-income minority students now hold secondary school diplomas from NAIS member institutions. Discusses the learning experiences and attitudes of these students, who are recruited, placed, and supported by an organization called A Better Chance, Inc. (Author/RK)

About ten years ago the author made a statement that was incorrectly interpreted as predicting the demise of independent schools. Here he corrects that misinterpretation, checks his prediction against 10 years' passage of time, and makes some practical suggestions for the survival of the independent school. (Author/RK)

Let's concentrate on staying in business today and tomorrow, and forget about 1986. (Author)

Discussing the role of independent schools in education today, this article touches on problems facing independent schools, their steady growth, finance sources, and changes in structure, climate, teacher roles, and curriculum. (DS)

The erosion of broad-based support for public schools has reached the federal government. Cuts in educational finance are expected in the Reagan Administration's budget, despite the successes of several federal education programs. A greater commitment to private and public education is essential. (SB)

Comparisons between Japanese and American education show that Japanese students are better behaved and more conforming and do better on international math and science tests. Japanese education is more egalitarian in approach and funding, but its emphasis on examinations for getting into universities often puts great pressure on students. (RW)

Explains how and why one K-8 private school for girls instituted a day care program. Discusses the advantages (increased enrollment in the regular program) and the problems (less time for thorough cleaning of facilities, difficulty of billing parents, difficulty of finding substitute teachers). (AN)

Discusses the 45-year life of the Andover Evening Study Program offered by Phillips Academy and the city of Andover, the resulting school community relationship, and the efforts to combat inflation. (AN)