exploring on its own, it is my view that the real question in Pat Basset's blog
is the issue of whether leadership has been duly exercised by change and
innovation . Peter Gow responded very eloquently to that point.
Michael Nill, Head
Brooklyn Friends School
In a message dated 1/11/2010 9:29:04 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
DavidWithrow@harfordday.org writes:
Well said, Jason!
A forum for independent school educators <ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU> writes:
>A number of non-profits I have worked for have bonus compensation tied to
performance
>and I am sure if you look at for profit education management companies
like Edison
>Learning (which runs some Philly schools) you will see them there too.
In my experience
>the value of these types of incentives are ambiguous. I have seen them
motivate and
>stifle. The execution of these kinds of systems in non-profits is very
tricky and open
>to abuse with overly loose or strict goals. More often then not I would
see them
>eroding the discretion of the Head in relation to the board.
>
>I think that Fred is right to look at compensation and creativity but I
believe the are
>symptoms of a larger forces. Throughout the early 90's to mid-2000's
many established
>schools made some significant changes. At least in the Washington, DC
area it seems
>that the majority of schools undertook major programs of expansion. This
echoed
>year-over-year increases in school age children and an increase in
available students to
>fill slots. Most schools also sought ways to attract students that went
beyond pedagogy
>(echoing the trend from higher ed). Many invested in IT facilities,
others with
>expanded sports and rec facilities all of which had costs that were not
off-set by
>increased numbers of students and often had to be made up by increased
debt, fund
>raising, and tuition.
>
>As financial responsibility increases (especially if it is debt or
fundraising) so does
>the salary of the CEO/President/Head, regardless of market sector. It
also tends to
>make organizations more conservative because the risk of financial
failure is higher.
>This gets worse when revenue is projected to drop (as we see the number
of school age
>children dipping through at least 2012). I believe the DC area has seen
the financial
>failure of one school a year (on average) since 2005. This will make it
far easier for
>a number of smaller, less encumbered schools to jump in in 2018-ish when
the
>demographics are on the up-tick and we can start the cycle again.
>
>_J
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