Even though our New Years started off with our Junior Hockey team losing out on the opportunity to win their seventh consecutive Gold Medal, it was an inspiring game to watch (and their second place finish to the USA). The good news of course is that our Vancouver Canucks Hockey Team is on a winning streak; and of course our Olympics are going to start in less than 40 days (with even more hockey!).
I wanted to thank many of you who’ve ordered our Toolkits (“Strategic Planning” and “Starting A School”) from our secure Online Store. Last year it was a 50/50 split between the two Toolkits. What pleases me is that over the three years that I’ve had them available online, I’ve only had one return. Those who’ve invested in the Toolkits have praised them for their practical use and application to their needs.
Many of you recognize the value that a strategic plan can have for your school or non-profit, and contact our firm about how to develop a plan for your organization. You realize that your community continues to shift and forces are impacting your school, your students, and staff, and you need a practical plan that can maximize your school’s strengths, foresee your threats, reduce your weaknesses, and take advantage of future opportunities.
A well developed strategic plan can steer your school through challenging times. Our planning approach results in the development of strategies that energize your community, which they will buy into, and can be implemented right away with action plans to support school improvement.
BENEFITS OF A STRATEGIC PLAN
The time devoted to the planning process varies from organization to organization and depends on the resources available to devote to the process. Whether you decide to devote only a two-day retreat to the process or engage in a twelve-month process, your organization will begin to realize the benefits from the start.
Some of the fundamental benefits to the planning process and the development of the final plan include:
Articulates a uniform, shared Mission and Purpose: When the underlying mission of the organization, its basic purpose, is brought into question. Any thought of changing the basic mission of an organization unquestionably calls for strategic planning.
Organizational Uncertainties and Crisis Management: Non-profit organizations often have to deal with changing circumstances around them and make adjustments less critical than a fundamental mission change. Although the purpose may stay the same, the environment is changing, calling for modifications in how the organization does things to achieve the mission.
Creates a Framework and Direction that Guides Decision Making: Boards, CEO’s, and staff need a comprehensive and understandable basis for day-to-day decision making and yearly operational plans/budgets. Decisions in governance and management are more reliable when made deliberately, with full examination of possible future consequences, within the framework of a set of priorities, in accordance with the organization’s levels of authority, boundaries, and channels.
Foundation for Fundraising: A successful fundraising program rests on both a realistic determination of funding needs and a persuasive statement of why people should contribute financial support. Strategic planning is requisite, especially for organizations that are embarking on a major capital campaign for bricks and mortar or endowments. Comprehensive planning is one of the key marks of readiness to undertake the commitment that such campaigns require – major donors are expecting and looking for this.
Allocates Resources-to-Opportunities: All organizations must shepherd their resources and constantly be vigilant in expending their income and assigning their personnel. Board members have a fiduciary role in financial responsibility. Strategic planning enables boards to enact logical resource allocation over longer periods of several budget cycles, and yearly strategic financial plans. This in turn creates a level of trust in their community, since the board is transparent in where the organization’s resources are invested.
Tool to Monitor Performance and Achievement: Criteria against which to measure and evaluate how well an organization and/or individuals are doing are established through strategic planning. There is no way to tell whether an organization is achieving its purposes unless somewhere those purposes are clearly stated and measured.
Organizational Effectiveness and Commitment: Non-profits function as a team boards, executives, and staff. The process of planning puts a spotlight on team effectiveness. Particularly revealing is the focus it puts on board leadership; measuring board commitment and fulfillment, and belief in the mission (not just today’s problems), board support and oversight of staff; and any micromanagement or blurring of boundaries or channels. Planning can strengthen the organizations fabric, becoming the adhesive of an emerging team effort.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
I’ve included below some additional information to help you determine what to do next with your current and future planning process:
If you would like to find out more about our Strategic Planning consulting services, or learn more about how we can help provide your organization helpful solutions, please email HEG at info@halladayeducationgroup.com or call directly at 604-868-002 to discuss your situation in more detail.
To Your success
Doug Halladay
President Halladay Education Group
P: 604.868.0002 / F: 868.472.8737 / Email: info@halladayeducationgroup.com
www.HalladayEducationGroup.com
We’re settling into classic Vancouver weather – rain! However, I’m on a positive roll as our Vancouver Canucks hockey team is on a 3 game winning streak (though they’re still 1 point out of the playoffs and 1/3 through the season). As a family, we’re wrapping up our 2 kid’s school week before the holiday break with our son’s school performance on Thursday and our daughter’s choral performance on Friday at a beautiful downtown church.
Though our firm is working with clients in Central America, Shanghai, Cairo, and Saudi Arabia, we’re slowing things down next week as we spend time with our family and enjoy Vancouver’s holiday sites.
HEG is a consortium of internationally recognized educators and business professionals with first-hand experience in starting and operating private schools in the four corners of the globe. We’ve helped public and private schools, major corporations, and institutions maximize their organization’s performance and achieve their vision of starting their own for- or non-profit private school; be it one school or part of a planned land development project in a new city.
Our web site receives over 200 hits a day from clients seeking advice on starting a school, and each time we share with them the sequence of steps that need to taken in consideration to start a sustainable school. Today I want to continue that conversation and share with you tips on developing your own private school.
New York Daily News: The Regents Board also wants to provide more funding for charter schools, link teacher evaluations to student test scores and allow private management …
Gulf Daily News: I HAVE a daughter who is four years old and she has been attending a private nursery in Bahrain since April 2008. As you may know, the private schools ...
San Diego Union Tribune: By Bruce Lieberman Pacific Ridge, a private school, is building a new environmentally friendly high school with aggressive energy efficiency standards…
Starting a school can be challenging and you never have a 2nd chance to make a 1st impression. That’s why you need a turn-key firm with experience starting schools in the USA, Canada, and Internationally
We can lead the development of your school’s Strategic Plan, which will build consensus, motivate donors, and define critical priorities for your Board and Administration for school improvement. No school should be without one.
Do you want your school to have the best board possible? Great schools have great boards (can you afford not to have one?). Our full-day governance workshop (in combination with our unique online self-assessment survey) fine-tunes your board’s performance and annual priorities.
A school review is critical to knowing if you’re heading in the right direction. As a board member, are you sure your school is doing the best it can? Get the whole picture now with our “In-Depth School Performance Review and Action Plan.”
HEG and our certified Brokerage Associates assist buyers/sellers with the purchase and sale of for-profit Private K-12 Schools, Post Secondary Institutions, and Career Colleges in Canada, US, and Internationally. HEG and our Licensed Brokers are experienced in acquisitions, mergers, and advising established schools.
I’ve the pleasure of chatting with 5-7 groups a week about their plans to start a private school. And they come in all types, locations, and sizes. People always ask me if HEG and our team have ever started a school with a XXX programs in XXX location. In many cases we have, but more than likely we’ve not developed that specific educational program in that location or country. And truth be told, it doesn’t really matter what your location or unique educational program is. Agreed, our team has developed and led private K-12 schools and post secondary institutions in all 4 corners of the world and for a variety of programs (special needs, single gender, equestrian, boarding, international, ESL, preparatory, K-12, high school, allied health, technology, and more), yet there still may be a program or location we’ve not worked with.
However, with our experience in starting schools, HEG is well suited and experienced to lead the development of your private school from the ground up and the subsequent operation and management of your institution upon opening. By utilizing our quality controls and in-depth experience developing world-class schools, we ensure proper planning, development, and operation of your institution, delivery of a first-class curriculum, and assurance that your school will provide sustainable returns to your investors and sound finances for your foundation.
We view the school formation process like building the foundation of your school ‑ establishing the fundamental building blocks of your school’s vision and philosophy before committing resources and capital to build the school. Our feasibility study and business plan are the backbone of the planning process for your founding team and/or investors. It illuminates the opportunity, program requirements, demand, timelines, facility needs, leadership, start-up costs, operational budget, ROI, and investment structure.
SCHOOL FORMATION PROCESS:
There no cut-and-dry sequence to developing your private school. However, there are a set of milestones you need to cover when starting your school, including:
Step 1: Develop the Purpose and Direction of your School
Determine the type of school your community needs and will support, as well as what you want you as parents want (e.g., K-7, 8-12, day, boarding, single gender, IB, Montessori, Preparatory). This will include your mission/vision statements, core values, and educational philosophy. Ask parents and community leaders for their opinions.
Step 2: Form a Steering Committee
Form a small working committee of capable, dedicated cohorts to set in motion the critical work you need to complete. Include parents and highly respected community stakeholders with financial, legal, management, and building experience to support the process. Ask for and get a commitment from each member as this is important work that’ll demand much of each member's time and energy.
Step 3: Incorporation & Tax Exemption
File incorporation papers with the appropriate Province or State agency. The lawyer on your Steering Committee should be deal with this. By establishing incorporation, it will limit liability in the case of lawsuits, present a stable image, extend the life of the school beyond the founders, and provide an insurable entity for the school. A 3rd party lawyer should always be consulted.
Step 4: Complete a Feasibility Study and Business Plan
This will be your blue print of how the school is going to operate over its first five years. This is your chance to lay out, step-by-step, the process for the sequential development of the school. You will determine the enrollment and financial projections, and prioritize the staffing, programs, facilities, in a methodical, measurable fashion, and the start-up costs and budget.
Step 5: Develop a Budget
Develop a five-year budget based on the demand of the Feasibility Plan. This is a comprehensive review of the projected revenues (AR) and expenses (AP). The financial person(s) on your Steering Committee should take responsibility for developing this important plan. As always project your assumptions conservatively and factor in a contingency should the financial reality change from the projections. You should also map out the school’s bookkeeping procedures (e.g., record keeping, check signing, disbursements, petty cash, bank accounts, record keeping, reconciling bank accounts, audit committee) and accounting cycles.
Step 6: Fundraising
You need to plan your fundraising case and campaign carefully so that you build momentum yet are able to keep pace with actual funding needs. Your business plan is important at this stage as it provides potential donors concrete evidence of your vision and where the donor can fit it. Of course, it will also drive your enrollment as parent’s see how their child fits in.
Step 7: Select the School Location & Resources
Locate a facility to accommodate the school (purchase or rent) or develop a building master plan if you will be building your own facility from the ground up. The Building Committee member(s) should spearhead this assignment. Check requirements of local social and health services, building and zoning, health record-keeping, class size, food service, fire code, building code, and teacher-student ratios, etc. You should also take into consideration the learning resources, furniture, computers, etc. needed for start-up. In addition, you will need to begin thinking about the outdoor environment and natural habitat. Rental space for the classroom is frequently obtained from schools, churches, park buildings, community centers, apartment complexes, private school buildings, nursery schools, and estate mansions.
Step 8: Hire Key Staff Members
Through a search process you select your Head of School and your Business Manager (or sub-contract a local accountant to deal with AP / AR). Conduct your search as widely as possible. Write job descriptions, benefits, and pay scales for your staff and subsequent faculty and administrative positions. You will be looking for self-starters who enjoy building something from scratch. Your Head will drive the enrollment campaign, marketing and promotions, and the initial decisions of classroom-based resources and staffing.
Step 9: Marketing
At this stage you need to begin to aggressively market for students. Members of the Steering Committee and Head need to devise a Marketing Plan to promote the new school. This may include: public meetings, newspaper ads and inserts, mail drops, radio, community TV, and coffee sessions. You will also need to design your brochure, communication materials (e.g., business cards, letterhead), web site, and set up a mailing list to keep interested parents and donors in touch with your progress.
Step 10: Open Your Doors
Open the school office and phones, and have the Head of School begin admissions interviews and tours of your facilities. Acquire insurance protection against business interruption, liability, boiler malfunction, building casualties, etc.
Step 11: Select Faculty & Support Staff
It’s critical to attract capable faculty; in the end it’s the staff that’ll make or break the school – reputations can be formed so quickly in a new school environment. To attract great staff you need to ensure that they buy into the vision and have a competitive compensation package. Also, you need to develop the Staff Handbook, contracts, and structure for personnel files. While it’s still a year from the school opening, line up as many faculty and senior leadership positions as you can.
Step 12: Orient & Train Faculty
Have faculty in place and get your school ready for opening. The first year at a new school requires endless meetings and planning sessions for the academic staff. Get your teachers on the job no later than August 1 in order to be prepared for opening day.
Step 13: Opening Day
Welcome your students and parents! Begin your traditions. Explore membership in national, provincial, and state private school associations! Start off with a bang. Have dignitaries there to cut the ribbon, have a family BBQ; make it special.
If you'd like to read the overview for each of our school formation services, please click here.
To find out more about our firm’s school formation services, or learn more about how we can help provide you solutions, please email HEG at info@halladayeducationgroup.com to discuss your needs in more detail.
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4. ONLINE STORE
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Here are 2 popular Toolkits to help you to either start your own school or develop your own strategic plan, step-by-step.
Learn how to develop your own Strategic Plan with step-by-step instructions contained in our detailed Workbook and Manual, along with $500 worth of bonus CD’s. It’s all here to help you develop your own plan.
Are you still struggling with starting your school? Four experienced school leaders share how they started their own school from the ground up. You’ll also receive our bonus CD on developing your strategic plan.
I’m sitting here at the Air Canada lounge at LAX waiting to fly home to Vancouver. I’ve had an incredibly productive 3 days here in LA working with a Private Investment Banking firm from S.E. Asia and a US-Based University to finalize our plans to develop US International Offshore Universities in S.E. Asia. As we move forward with this unique approach, I will share more details with you. We are planning on a limited roll-out for 2010, so if your investment group is interested in this highly profitable approach, please contact me for further details.
On a personal note, I had a great dinner last night in L.A.’s China Town with an LA-based Post Secondary Accreditation specialist, who joked with me about my less than consistent production of HEG’s Inner Circle eNewsletters (and he’s right). Well, needless to say, I’m here now ensuring that my commitment to writing my eNewsletter will return to at least once a week. I thank all of you who have signed up for my eNewsletter and your positive comments.
I’m looking forward to getting back home to my family in preparation for my children’s final week of school and all of their Christmas festivities at their schools. I understand that my wife has brought home a X-Mas tree in my absence. We’re staying home during the holidays then we’re off to Belize in the New Year (can anyone recommend great resorts there?).
On this festive note, please refer to the link below and type in any Christmas song and see what the little puppets do. Also, type in any non-Christmas song (I typed in Happy Birthday) and you'll get a kick out of the response. One of the funniest I typed in was Jingle Bell Rock... they forget the words half way through. Best wishes for a happy holiday season. Click here
HEG has been deluged with requests to develop strategic plans for new and established public and private schools, and non-profit groups (which we do exceptionally well). Today I want to share additional thoughts in the eNewsletter on strategic planning and its value to your organization.
While much of the national debate over performance incentives for teachers has centered on bonuses based on student test scores, a new book suggests that such incentives come in all shapes and sizes, and offers some new research on little-studied aspects of those strategies...
Starting a school can be challenging and you never have a 2nd chance to make a 1st impression. That’s why you need a turn-key firm with experience starting schools in the USA, Canada, and Internationally.
We can lead the development of your school’s Strategic Plan, which will build consensus, motivate donors, and define critical priorities for your Board and Administration for school improvement. No school should be without one.
Do you want your school to have the best board possible? Great schools have great boards (can you afford not to have one?). Our full-day governance workshop (in combination with our unique online self-assessment survey) fine-tunes your board’s performance and annual priorities.
A school review is critical to knowing if you’re heading in the right direction. As a board member, are you sure your school is doing the best it can? Get the whole picture now with our “In-Depth School Performance Review and Action Plan.”
HEG and our certified Brokerage Associates assist buyers/sellers with the purchase and sale of for-profit Private K-12 Schools, Post Secondary Institutions, and Career Colleges in Canada, US, and Internationally. HEG and our Licensed Brokers are experienced in acquisitions, mergers, and advising established schools.
3. TIPS ON STRATEGIC PLANNING
As a leader of your new or established school or non-profit, what is the best plan of action for determining a thriving future for the organization under your influence? Today I want to help you better understand the value of a strategic plan, find success in obtaining board support in conducting your plan, engaging your stakeholders in the process, and overseeing the various stages of the planning process.
A strategic plan will provide your organization with a compass and roadmap for success. The specific content of a strategic plan is different for each school; with different approaches and steps. However, successful organizations have a plan to determine their future.
A non-profit is most effective when the different pieces of the organization are aligned by a shared vision, mission, strategies, and goals. Simply working hard will not do it anymore. You want your organization to move from being reactive (solving today’s problems) to being proactive (eliminating problems in the future).
"It’s a management tool designed to improve the effectiveness of an organization, providing a framework that enables you to focus your energy, coordinating efforts of your members to work towards the same goals, and to assess your response to changing factors and adjust accordingly."
A plan helps you decide what the purpose of your organization is (mission), where it wants to be (vision), how to get there (goals/action plan), and how you know you’ve gotten there (monitor/evaluate/adjust).
Strategic planning in general has two approaches:
Staff Driven Planning: Key staff and board members develop plan without much external input or extensive research over a short time frame.
Participatory Planning: Extensive, time-consuming process in which considerable research is conducted in advance, and key stakeholders come together to develop the plan, which includes ongoing mechanisms for ongoing performance evaluation.
I prefer the 2nd choice, since it engages your community, develops buy-in, and utilizes their combined brainpower. However, this process takes longer and needs a capable facilitator to bring it together.
In its simplest form, here is a ten-step strategic planning process:
Plan to plan. Assess the readiness of your organization for planning, define the scope, participants, costs, timing, etc.
Assess the external environment: clients, economic factors, social issues and trends, etc.
Assess the internal environment – forces shaping the organization from within.
Re/define the mission statement (purpose).
Re/define the vision statement (direction).
Agree on the guiding core values (principles).
Identify the issues holding you back by developing strategies to fulfill the mission toward the vision.
Develop goals and objectives to support the strategies.
Develop an action plan (tactics) to implement the goals.
Monitor and evaluate progress and revise/update as needed.
To find out more about our firm’s strategic planning services, or learn more about how we can help provide you solutions, please email HEG at info@halladayeducationgroup.com to discuss your needs in more detail.
4. ONLINE STORE
Here are 2 popular Toolkits to help you to either start your own school or develop your own strategic plan, step-by-step.
Learn how to develop your own Strategic Plan with step-by-step instructions contained in our detailed Workbook and Manual, along with $500 worth of bonus CD’s. It’s all here to help you develop your own plan.
Are you still struggling with starting your school? Four experienced school leaders share how they started their own school from the ground up. You’ll also receive our bonus CD on developing your strategic plan. Click here for more details: http://bit.ly/2hjUAn
