SchoolAdvancement

A few summers ago, I read “The Challenger Sale,” by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson.  It’s based on the premise that the most successful professionals are not those that serve their customers, but who challenge their customers to think differently.  As a former teacher, I totally agree. Why? It’s how teachers get the most from their […]

I usually recommend books when the holiday shopping season gets underway so those who enjoy reading can pick them up as gifts for themselves, or can share the suggestions with others when their asked for gift ideas. One that has had a profound influence on me (in addition to other titles like “Essentialism: The Disciplined […]

Some of the hundreds of the faith-based and private schools I visit each year invariably tell me, “We’re in trouble,” which usually means financial difficulties may cause them to merge with another school or close their doors. When closure happens, it leaves many “holes” – in the lives of the students who have made friends […]

It’s no secret that in faith-based schools, there have been many discussions about the school’s “nature.”  Is it a business, or is it a ministry?  Some writers and school leaders have claimed that in Christian and Catholic schools, there should be no argument, since it’s both a business AND a school.  There should be no […]

Before starting back into articles that deal with systems thinking, a contact at a school recently asked why I call my approach to systems thinking “Tetrahedronics.”  I thought it would be helpful to explain where this idea came from, as it also explains why SchoolAdvancement’s logo is essentially a tetrahedron. A tetrahedron is commonly known […]

Several years ago, I attended a regional meeting of schools that are members of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), and picked up a brochure that described the 5 Essential Elements of an Effective Christian School.  I post them here not just to encourage you to evaluate your faith-based school against these benchmarks, but […]

There is a famous quotation attributed to Albert Einstein that goes, “We cannot solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”  While that makes sense when you think about it, if you think a little longer, that becomes a very frightening thought.  Usually, to solve a problem, we try to “do” something that’s […]

Irony: Recent research proves that music education improves the brain’s preparedness for all education because it makes both sides of the brain work together.  Learning to play a musical instrument further enhances brain activity, creating neural pathways across the corpus collosum, the bundle of neurons that connect both halves of the brain.  It’s been said […]

What is the purpose of a school? The answers span the gamut, from learning for learning’s sake, providing the education necessary for an individual to be employable, to, in the case of Christian school, raising up disciples to continue to build the Kingdom of God.  Since one of the reasons for education today is to […]

If you have a computer, you have a filing system – whether you know it or not. If you’re a “spatial” person, you may keep many of your files on your Desktop – not the top of your desk, but the “homescreen” on your computer – remembering where they’re placed, so that you can retrieve […]