EMA's Impossible Questions Podcast

How do you authentically differentiate your school in a crowded marketplace? It's a complicated question and one many independent schools consider.

That's the topic of our conversation with Mark Devey, Head of School at Perkiomen School in Pennsburg, PA.

Are Independent Schools Selling a Product Today's Parents Want?

That's the topic of our conversation with Dr. Jennifer Zaccara and Dr. Greg Martin from Vermont Academy.

These are the topics in this special episode of EMA's Impossible Questions Podcast featuring an excerpt from our popular Learning Pass course Board Reports, Board Presentations, and Managing Up.

It's not always simple to measure your yield from inquiry to application to enroll, but you can do it.

How about measuring if you are achieving your school's mission?

That's the topic of our conversation with the Executive Director of Maret School's Center for Institutional Research in Independent Schools Eric Heilman.

Read his recent article on this topic here.

Have you been asked this question? Have you ever asked it? In this second part of a two-part series, we'll unpack what it's like to be asked this question if you're quite sure the answer is 'no'.

Have you been asked this question? Have you ever asked it? In this first part of a two-part series, we'll unpack what it's like to be asked this question if you think, just maybe, one day, the answer is 'yes.'

It's hard work running a school. On the one hand, you compete for students, teachers, and other resources. On the other hand, you want to collaborate with schools in your region. When should a school collaborate and when should it compete?

Featuring Debra Wilson, President of SAIS, and Darryl Ford, Head of School at William Penn Charter School.

The business model of independent schools is unsustainable. We charge a price that is lower than the cost and further discount that price using financial aid. Is financial aid as we know it broken?

Featuring Mark Mitchell, vice president at The National Association of Independent Schools.

Join us for a conversation with Jennifer Moss. Jennifer is the author of The Burnout Epidemic: The Rise of Chronic Stress and How We Can Fix It coming out on September 28. Jennifer is also a Harvard Business Review contributor and nationally syndicated radio columnist. She also sits on the Global Happiness Council—a small group of leading scientists and economists that support the UN's sustainable goals related to global well-being and the Annual Global Happiness Policy Report.

Moss has also worked in Silicon Valley, eventually joining Barack Obama's California social team during his historic presidential campaign.

Please join us for a conversation with Dr. Rodney Glasgow. Rodney is an educator, speaker, facilitator, and activist in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice. He has been a Chief Diversity Officer, Middle School Head, he founded The Glasgow Group, and he is currently the head of school at Sandy Springs Friends School in Maryland.

Let's say you work in admission and you're sitting with a black applicant. The campus tour is done and you've just concluded the interview and the student has one more question, "Are kids like me welcome here?" What do you say? In this episode, we'll consider ways to answer this critical question.