A Legacy That Makes A Difference

Hi Inner Circle Member:

I just got back from my trip to San Francisco and Napa (without my luggage!). The weather was fantastic with blue skies and temperatures of up to 75 F. Back home in Vancouver they had a brief snowfall!! I lucked out at the car rental agency and was upgraded to a Mustang convertible, which allowed me to get a tan driving to my meetings. ;-)

While down in the Bay area I had the opportunity to meet with two unique education groups, The New Technology Foundation (NTF) and Wingspan Partnerships. Their websites are:

>> www.newtechfoundation.org

>> http://www.wingspanpartnerships.org

NTF is a foundation whose mission specializes in helping public schools and non-profits put together technology-based schools that focus on skills for the 21st century and project-based learning.

Wingspan Partnership’s mission is to narrow the education gap by developing and supporting partnerships between public and private schools. Jacqueline Smethurst and David Drinkwater are committed to enhancing the lives and learning of students and offer guidance and financial support for schools, with a special emphasis on bringing resources to underserved communities through school-to-school partnerships.

I met with Jacqueline in beautiful and historic downtown Napa and chatted with her about her new organization. Jacqueline is an experienced and thoughtful former Head of School and recently applied her vision of school partnerships at Sage Hills School in Newport Beach. In our conversations it got me thinking about the new schools I help start and their mission, as well as schools I develop strategic plans for. Most schools focus on the learner as their primary focus and touch on service as part of their educational philosophy. But what if schools expanded their mission and vision to develop learners that had a lasting impact on their community?

Last week I talked about what goes into a great mission statement. Today in my eNewsletter I am going to talk about how your school, new or established, should develop a mission that creates a lasting legacy that impacts your community for generations.

Enjoy the eNewsletter,

Doug Halladay

President and Founder
Halladay Education Group Inc.

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In This Issue

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1. In The News

2. Services That Your School Needs

3. A Legacy That Makes A Difference

4. Products To Invest In To Start And Lead Your School

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1. In The News

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Frustrated Neighbors Say School Big Enough

For two decades, some north Capitol Hill neighbours have grudgingly accepted the presence of a nearby private elementary school, putting up with playground noise that disrupts their...

Consultants Help Modernize Arab Schools

Education Week News - Bethesda, MD, USA

The UAE has also begun a pilot project to start charter schools in its capital city, Abu Dhabi. “It is absolutely wise to appoint well-known experts from ...

Harvard Rearcher: Education Key to Longevity

Voice of America – USA

She says one important factor in people's health is the amount of education they have. In her most recent paper, Meara looked at data from the United States...

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2. Services That Your School Needs

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>>> (A) STARTING YOUR OWN SCHOOL

Starting a school can be very challenging and you never have a 2nd chance to make a first impression. This is why you need a firm that has experience starting schools in USA and Canada. Our services include:

1. One-Day Comprehensive Overview Session and Report

2. Formal Feasibility Study

3. Detailed Business Plan Development

4. Full Turn-Key School Formation Services From Start To Finish

6. Ongoing Consulting Services and Retainer

7. Ongoing Management and Operations Services

If you would like more information about my services and range of fees related to help start your school, please call me at 1-604-868-0002, email me at info@halladayeducationgroup.com, or click on the following link to download my brochure outlining services and fees:

http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/File/Overview_School_Formation_Fees_Services.pdf

>>> (B) Strategic Planning

Do you want a plan to improve your school? Then you need a Strategic Plan. I can develop a comprehensive Plan that will build consensus, motivate donors, and define critical priorities and strategies for your Board and Administration to improve your school.

Click on the following link to download my brochure on our Strategic Planning process, or call me at 1-604-868-0002, or email me at info@halladayeducationgroup.com Click on the following link to download my firm’s brochure outlining Strategic Planning services:

http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/File/heg_strategic_planning_services-1.pdf

>>> (C) BOARD GOVERNANCE WORKSHOPS

Do you want your school or non-profit to have better leadership? If so, my full-day governance workshop and online survey helps your trustees to fine-tune their performance and refocus their mandate. Please email me at info@halladayeducationgroup.com or call us at 604-868-0002 to find out more about how we can help you. Click on the following link to download my brochure

http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/File/Board%20Governance%20Workshop%20%26%20Fax%20Back%20Form.pdf

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3. A Legacy That Makes A Difference

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Last week I talked about your school’s vision and mission statements. Your vision statement answers the question where will your school be in five year and your mission statement explains the purpose of your school. The mission should evolve from your guiding core values. By seeking the why as it emerges from core values a school can define its points of distinction and better communicate the experience it offers.

An effective mission statement should answer the following questions:

1. What function does the organization perform (need)?

2. Who does the organization primarily perform for?

3. How does the organization plan to go about its business?

The first question is critical – what function does your school perform? Yes, it is about providing a quality education, but it can be much more. It should inspire your students, parents, and staff to establish a lasting legacy in their local and global community. For example, Sage Hills School partnered with local public school students and staff to support student learning in low income areas. They wanted Sage Hill students and staff to feel empowered in making a continual difference in the lives of their community. Note, this is NOT just a once a year feel good experience, it is a long-term project with a scope and sequence.

Many of the nation’s most respected private schools were founded with a philosophy of contributing to the public good. Many schools involve students in community service. However, Wingspan Partnerships believes that educators have a role to play in education for all. “We believe that public purpose should be a central value in all schools, public as well as private, and that we all have a particular responsibility for the education of the underserved.”

What impact is your school making in your community? Have you embedded this into your mission statement and core values?

We can help re-define your mission statement or develop your entire strategic plan. For more information please or email us at info@halladayeducationgroup.com to discuss your needs or download our brochure at the following link:

http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/File/heg_strategic_planning_services-1.pdf

If you would like to comment on this eNewsletter story please insert at the bottom of this article.

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4. Products To Invest In To Start And Lead Your School

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Do you want effective tools to help start and manage your school? These 2 products will make a difference.

>> (A). STRATEGIC PLANNING TOOLKIT (#1 BEST SELLER)

Learn How To Develop Your Own Strategic Plan Like An Expert With This Easy To Follow, Step-By-Step, All-In-One Strategic Planning Toolkit and Manual. Get all the details here:

http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/products/stratgic_planning_toolkit.php

>> (B). WEBINAR SERIES – DISCOVER FROM EXPERTS HOW TO START A SCHOOL (#2 BEST SELLER)

Are you still struggling with starting your School, College, University, or Institute? You are not alone. I share with you how to start a school from the words of those who have been in the trenches and understand how to put a school together efficiently and cost effectively. These include:

1. Independent School Formation: The Critical First Steps

2. 9 Secrets To Starting A US Charter School

3. 8 Golden Rules of Starting a Junior School

4. Starting a Successful Private Senior School from the Ground Up

5. 10 Steps To A Winning Strategic Plan

6. The Whole Enchilada - All 5 Webinars at 40% Off

Get all the details here:

http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/products/webinaroverview.php

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To your success,

Douglas Halladay

President and Founder

Halladay Education Group Inc.

www.HalladayEducationGroup.com

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P.S. Do not forget to check out our secure Online Store for ways to invest in improving or starting your own school or non-profit. Here is the link:

--> http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/products/products.php

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Copyright © 2007 Halladay Education Group Inc – All Rights Reserved

How Effective Is Your Mission Statement?

Hi Inner Circle Member:

A quick note: I am going to be down in Napa, California next week (March 23-29). Please let me know by email or phone if you would like to set up a time/date to meet in person to chat about your needs. It is a fr-ee opportunity to meet with me to go over your project and a chance for some quick advice. You can contact me at:

info@halladayeducationgroup.com or +1-604-868-0002.

It seems to be movie time for me during Spring Break. Last Saturday I took my 8 year old son to see the new Dr. Seuss movie and last night my wife and I went to see No Country For Old Men (NCFOM). Although I can not claim any cinematic break through for Dr. Seuss, the digital art work was impressive. In terms of NCFOM, I am not quite sure about the ending, what happened to the money, and where the crazy killer, Anton Chigurh ended up. I am not normally a Tommy Lee Jones fan since I do not think he really acts…it is just him. But I thought his character was very believable. But Anton was certainly on a mission!

Speaking of mission (nice segway!), what shape is your mission statement in? Most start-up and establish schools and non profits put little thought in developing or utilizing their mission, yet it should be the backbone of your organization. How often do you revisit it? Does it answer the questions: (1) who you serve; (2) what you provide that is unique; and (3) how you provide it? A first-class mission statement makes decision making easier. It stops boards from heading off in another direction and helps you stay on course.

Today in my eNewsletter I am going to talk about what goes into a great mission statement

Enjoy the eNewsletter,

Doug Halladay
President and Founder
Halladay Education Group Inc.

www.HalladayEducationGroup.com

================================

In This Issue

================================

1. In The News

2. Services That Your School Needs

3. How Effective Is Your Mission Statement?

4. Products To Invest In To Start And Manage Your School

==================================

1. In The News

==================================

Boarding Schools Proposed for Chicago Public Schools

Kankakee Daily Journal - Kankakee, IL, USA

CHICAGO (AP) -- Chicago Public Schools officials are eying an ambitious plan to create public boarding schools they hope will help homeless children and ...

Study Says California Needs Sweeping Education Change

San Francisco Chronicle - CA, USA

Appearing at a news conference in Santa Monica on Friday to announce the long-delayed report, the governor agreed that education needs more money but...

Inland Catholic Schools See Empty Desks As Sign of Region's ...

Press-Enterprise - Riverside, CA, USA

The sharp decline in enrollment at Catholic schools comes as other types of private schools -- including both evangelical and secular ones -- are gaining ..

==================================

2. Services That Your School Needs

==================================

>>> (A) STARTING YOUR OWN SCHOOL

Starting a private school can be very challenging and you never have a 2nd chance to make a first impression. This is why you need a firm that has experience starting schools in USA and Canada. Our services are broken down into the following:

1. One-Day Comprehensive Overview Session

2. Formal Feasibility Study

3. Detailed Business Plan Development

4. Full Turn-Key School Formation Services From Start To Finish

6. Ongoing Consulting Services

7. Ongoing Management and Operations Services

If you would like more information about my services and range of fees related to help start your school, please call me at 1-604-868-0002, email me at info@halladayeducationgroup.com

>>> (B) Strategic Planning

Do you want a plan to improve your school? Then your School needs a Strategic Plan. I can facilitate the development of your comprehensive Plan that will build consensus and motivate support and define critical priorities and strategic for your Board and Administration to improve your school.

Click on the following link to download my brochure on our Strategic Planning process, or call me at 1-604-868-0002, or email me at info@halladayeducationgroup.com

>>> (C) BOARD GOVERNANCE WORKSHOPS

Do you want your private school or non-profit to be more successful in board governance? If so, my full-day governance workshop and online survey helps your trustees to fine-tune their performance and refocus their mandate. Please email me at info@halladayeducationgroup.com or call us at 604-868-0002 to find out more about how we can help you.

==================================

3. How Effective Is Your Mission Statement?

==================================

While a vision statement is directional and answers the question where will we be in five year, a mission statement is foundational and states the purpose of the school’s existence. It answers the question why do we do what we do. The school mission statement should emerge from core values and be enduring, with small adjustments along the way to make it congruent with school vision.

Unlike mission statements of the past, which often seem have everything in them but the kitchen sink, and fail to differentiate the school from neighboring competitors, today’s mission statement dwells less on the what schools do than the why they do it. By seeking the why as it emerges from core values a school can claim its points of distinction and better communicate the experience it offers as opposed to the product.

The mission is what is needed to be done now to attain the picture of the future. The vision involves the end result, while the mission is the means to get there.

An effective mission statement should answer the following questions. These questions characterize the business of the organization. This allows the organization to decide what it needs to do now to reach the end result, the vision. The mission is also very important since it serves as a guide for the goals, objectives, and action plans. This allows the school to plan for actions to be taken in the present in anticipation of needs, problems, resources, opportunities, and constraints in the future.

1. What function does the organization perform (need)?
2. Who does the organization primarily perform for?
3. How does the organization plan to go about its business?

Criteria for Evaluating the Mission Statement

1. It should be brief
2. It should be simply worded and easily understood
3. It should not be so universal that it could have been written for any school
4. It should be clear statement about what, who, and how the organization serves
5. It should have a primary focus on a single strategic thrust (vision)
6. It should reflect the distinctive competencies of the organization

The best mission statements are not flamboyant or inspiring, but rather narrowly focused...more like a laser beam than a spotlight. The more focused the mission, the better the performance is a good rule of thumb.

Your mission statement should also energize and inspire your school. Your organization has numerous stakeholders, often with conflicting interests and ideas. These can include board members, staff, customers, government agencies and the public. Great missions reflect all those interests but balance and inspire those stakeholders.

Your mission statement should be timeless and anticipate change. To accommodate change, your school should re-explain your mission to your stakeholders every three to five years. This will regain their understanding and commitment. But that does not mean organizations need to change their missions. That should only be done in truly exceptional cases.

A mission statement should stick in the memory. Stakeholders, especially external ones such as donors, rely on your mission statement to guide their actions. So, the statement should be something that can easily be remembered. That means it should be short and concrete.

We can help re-define your mission statement or develop your entire strategic plan. For more information please or email us at info@halladayeducationgroup.com to discuss your needs or download our brochure at the following link:

http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/File/heg_strategic_planning_services-1.pdf

If you would like to comment on this eNewsletter, please enter in the "comments" area at the end of the post.

================================

4. Products To Invest In To Start And Manage Your School

================================

Do you want effective tools to help start and manage your school? These 2 products can help.

(A). STRATEGIC PLANNING TOOLKIT (#1 BEST SELLER)

Learn How To Develop Your Own Strategic Plan Like The Pro's With This Easy To Follow, Step-By-Step, All-In-One Strategic Planning Toolkit. Get all the details here:

http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/products/stratgic_planning_toolkit.php

(B). WEBINAR SERIES – DISCOVER FROM EXPERTS HOW TO START A SCHOOL (#2 BEST SELLER)

Are you still struggling with starting your own for- or non-profit K-12 School, College, University, or Institute? You're not alone. I share with you how to start a school from the viewpoint of those who have been in the trenches and understand how to put a school together efficiently, and cost effectively. These include:

1. Independent School Formation: The Critical First Steps

2. 9 Secrets To Starting A US Charter School

3. 8 Golden Rules of Starting a Junior School

4. Starting a Successful Private Senior School from the Ground Up

5. 10 Steps To A Winning Strategic Plan

6. The Whole Enchilada - All 5 Webinars at 40% Off

Get all the details here:

http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/products/webinaroverview.php

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

To your success,

Douglas Halladay
President and Founder
Halladay Education Group Inc.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

P.S. Do not forget to check out our secure Online Store for ways to invest in improving or starting your own school or non-profit. Here is the link:

--> http://www.halladayeducationgroup.com/products/products.php

=======================================================

Copyright © 2007 Halladay Education Group Inc – All Rights Reserved