Mike Vachow
Head's Report
The head's report on the board agenda holds enormous potential for heads to build political capital.
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Mike Vachow
Mar 29, 20233 min read
Firsthand
Very few jobs in an independent school can accommodate alternative work schedules.
150 views1 comment
Mike Vachow
Feb 28, 20233 min read
The Strategic Planning Conundrum
What constitutes strategy in schools is unique to the enterprise.
146 views0 comments
Mike Vachow
Jan 31, 20233 min read
No One There
On the human voice in reading and writing
60 views0 comments
Mike Vachow
Dec 24, 20223 min read
The Year in Review: 2022
A brief review of the top story lines for independent schools in 2022.
187 views0 comments
Mike Vachow
Nov 29, 20222 min read
Simple Gifts
A list of simple gifts heads can give themselves during winter break to boost second semester initiatives.
303 views0 comments
Mike Vachow
Nov 2, 20223 min read
Break a Leg
Shared experiences, shared challenge are the return path to joy in the schoolhouse. Performing arts people know this.
83 views0 comments
Mike Vachow
Sep 30, 20223 min read
Boomerang Carrot
To retain students and faculty, independent schools should remove uncertainty when and wherever possible.
303 views0 comments
Mike Vachow
Sep 2, 20224 min read
Work
"Quiet quitting" might work in some occupations. Education is not one of them.
142 views0 comments
Mike Vachow
Aug 20, 20223 min read
The Year of the Faculty
Teacher retention and recruitment should be at the center of heads' thinking all year.
608 views0 comments
Mike Vachow
Jun 22, 20223 min read
Need-Order-Get
Audrey Watters, an essential critic of educational technology, leaves the conversation.
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Mike Vachow
May 16, 20222 min read
Communication and Recruitment
A lasting change from the pandemic: schools will need dedicated communication and recruitment leaders.
267 views0 comments
Mike Vachow
May 2, 20222 min read
Tighten Up
Next fall, schools will focus on re-integrating the structures they relaxed in the course of the pandemic.
91 views0 comments
Mike Vachow
Apr 14, 20224 min read
Reader's Notes: Community, Culture, Discernment
More than ever, schools should be countercultural.
179 views0 comments
Mike Vachow
Apr 1, 20222 min read
Top 5 Reasons Why Now is the Time for Strategic Planning
It's a great time for independent schools to consider reviving or creating a strategic plan.
183 views0 comments
Mike Vachow
Feb 25, 20223 min read
Using Consultants
Some counsel on hiring independent school consultants. . . from a consultant.
270 views0 comments
Mike Vachow
Feb 24, 20224 min read
Hiring as Networking
A year-round networking approach to hiring is important in any season, crucial in the sellers' market that the pandemic has created.
200 views0 comments
Mike Vachow
Jan 25, 20223 min read
The "Alternative" Candidate
Independent school leaders should expand their definition of ideal candidates for positions in their schools.
258 views0 comments
Mike Vachow
Jan 18, 20224 min read
Handle with Care
Independent school headship was enormously complex before the pandemic. Boards must plan more carefully for the support that heads need.
165 views0 comments
Mike Vachow
Dec 30, 20212 min read
Roundup 2021
Here are the recurring topics and themes in my writing on independent schools this year.
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