March is a frenetic time of year for educators, and I'm not just talking about college basketball's version of March Madness™ with Cinderella upset stories and incessant variations of the tune, "One Shining Moment."  Picking the winners on your Tournament Challenge bracket isn't the real madness that is driving your school crazy. It's far worse than that!

Consider the following statement when thinking about your next board retreat:

"If my school board would _______ we would be 100% more effective.”

The purpose of asking the board to set apart time for a retreat is to reset. It’s a time where the board is setting aside time to rejuvenate and set clear objectives. You need to make sure you’re pursuing a board retreat plan that will allow you to set goals for the whole organization as well as to collect feedback on existing objectives.

Most of the donations to your school will be made because someone asked for them, and if you get personal with your fundraising messages you will raise more money. Schools who customize their communications are more likely to:

1. Retain donors for longer periods of time
2. Generate more loyalty
3. Create higher levels of donor satisfaction. 

The Florida Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists enthusiastically celebrated the groundbreaking of a new school in Greater Tampa, serving the Wesley Chapel community and beyond. The early childhood through 12th grade school, which will be ready to open for the 2018-2019 school year, will be one of the most advanced schools in the United States.

Last weekend we had the privilege of hosting a private Innovation Workshop for Steve Druggan, Frank Aloise, and the leadership of Springside Chestnut Hill Academy (SCH). 

This nationally-recognized school has many valuable distinctives, with a long history of excellence in single-sex education on a beautiful sprawling campus in Philadelphia. Having persevered through leadership changes over the last two years, SCH is well-prepared for a new season of growth. 

Three consecutive days this week we taught our BUILDING FACULTY ENGAGEMENT Workshop on three different campuses. Talented, energized, and engaged educators change the world, which is why we do what we do at School Growth and it's why we designed this unique professional development experience.

Gallup has conducted numerous research studies on the factors that influence school quality, and faculty engagement has consistently been the most reliable and important predictor. An engaged teacher is defined as one who is, "involved with, enthusiastic about, and committed to their work." That is, they are emotionally and energetically invested in the mission, culture, and strategies of the school. 

An unengaged teacher, on the other hand, is content with just working for a paycheck. In performing her/his duties, this person is less likely to seek out opportunities for professional growth and improving the team. She/he doesn't feel emotionally connected to the leadership and community of the school, which causes a loss of energy across the school culture rather than positively contributing to it. 

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Sometimes the biggest threat to your leadership and career is you.

• If you lose your love for your personal mission--which hopefully aligns extremely well with your school's mission--your productivity will decline, impacting the entire community.
• If you fail to adapt to new opportunities for growth because of tradition or fear, you will yield leadership to your competitors.

Two facts about school enrollment:

1. Administrators and marketing may attract families to enroll, but teachers, coaches, and staff are the reason they will stay (return or re-enroll).
2. Enrollment season for next school year started on the first day of this school year.

If you want to maximize enrollment,
go above and beyond to serve your families

Engagement: Top Predictor of Organizational Success

The term “engagement” is used deliberately - an engaged employee is someone who is deeply invested in the mission, with a mental, emotional, and even spiritual attachment to it. Here are some important points about engagement: