A school website can look polished on the surface while problems quietly build behind the scenes. In this episode, Tara shares how school marketers can run a quick technical checkup to see whether their website is truly healthy. From page speed to mobile performance and broken links, you’ll learn the small set of checks that reveal how your site is really performing.

Tara also explains which alerts are actually worth worrying about and which ones aren’t. Not every warning from Google or imperfect score requires immediate action, and understanding the difference can save schools a lot of unnecessary stress.

Episode Highlights

• The website speed benchmark Google recommends
• Why mobile performance matters as much as desktop
• How broken links impact search visibility and user experience
• A simple way to make sure your website forms are still working
• What an SSL security warning really means for visitors
• Accessibility basics school websites should start addressing

Links Mentioned In The Episode:

Design TLC Free DIY Website Checklist

In this episode of Mindful School Marketing, Aubrey and Tara sit down with Jason Craige Harris, a strategist, conflict mediator, and mindfulness teacher who works at the intersection of culture, leadership, and institutional life. Jason brings deep wisdom to the conversation about what it truly means to lead with steadiness in uncertain times.

From navigating school crises to making high-impact strategic decisions, Jason shares how resilient leadership begins with inner work. He explains why suppression is not the same as steadiness, why naming emotions actually changes brain chemistry, and how leaders can balance urgency with reflection in their schools.

If you’ve ever felt stretched thin as a school leader, marketer, or team member, this conversation offers both practical tools and grounding perspective.

In this special live episode of Mindful School Marketing, we recorded a panel discussion straight from the Small School Leaders Conference. Tara and Aubrey are joined by experienced independent school marketers who are in the work every day, navigating small teams, limited budgets, and constantly changing expectations.

We are joined by Lori Kriegel (Chief Communications Officer at Wooster School), Andrea Jenkins (Director of Enrollment Management and Marketing & Communications at St. Luke’s Episcopal School), and Barb Doyle (Director of Marketing and Communications at Renbrook School)

This conversation pulls back the curtain on what school marketing really looks like right now. From outsourcing decisions and content systems to AI, paid advertising, and faculty collaboration, this panel shares what’s working, what’s challenging, and how small school marketing teams are adapting in real time.

In this episode of Mindful School Marketing, we dig into one of the most complex and timely questions facing independent and private schools today: should your school participate in voucher or ESA programs. This conversation is especially relevant for school leaders navigating financial pressure, enrollment strategy, and mission alignment as school choice expands across the country.

We are joined by Steve Salvo, Head of School at St. Mary’s Episcopal Day School in Tampa, and Michael Christopher, consultant with Independent School Management (ISM). Together, they bring both a lived leadership perspective and a national consulting lens to help schools think clearly about what is at stake, what questions must be answered, and how to approach vouchers with intention rather than pressure.

In this episode of Mindful School Marketing, we’re joined again by leadership coach and consultant Rebecca Malotke-Meslin, founder of Pleasantly Aggressive Coaching and Consulting. Rebecca works with early and mid-career women leaders in schools and nonprofits who are often praised for doing everything but rarely supported in sustainable ways.

Together, we name what so many school leaders are quietly carrying: More responsibility with fewer resources, expanding roles without expanded pay, and the unspoken expectation that caring deeply means endlessly giving. Rebecca breaks down why this dynamic is so common in schools, how it leads to burnout and even physical illness, and what women leaders can do to protect their health, boundaries, and sense of worth without losing relationships or credibility.

As we wrap up the year, it’s just the two of us, Aubrey and Tara, reflecting on what we’ve learned from our guests and what’s ahead for schools in 2026. This year, so many of our conversations have come back to two big shifts: the rise of millennial parents as today’s primary decision makers and the growing role of AI in how families search for and evaluate schools.

In this episode, we’re sharing how these changes are transforming school marketing and admissions and what you can do to keep up. From phone call anxiety and value-driven messaging to AI-powered search results and website structure, we’re talking about what schools must adapt to stay relevant in a digital-first world.

In This Episode:

In this episode, we’re joined by Jesse Meadow, co-founder and Managing Director of Schoolcraft Digital, where he helps independent schools across the country plan and implement marketing strategies that truly connect with today’s parents.

Jesse shares how the idea of The Fourth Turning can help school leaders understand the times we’re in and lead with purpose. We explore what it means to run a school during a crisis era, how to communicate with clarity when everything feels uncertain, and how to ground your marketing in mission and trust.

In this episode, we sit down with David Madison, Executive Director of the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES). David shares how Episcopal schools define their identity and communicate their mission in ways that serve both their faith-based roots and their wider communities. He offers insights that every independent school leader can apply when clarifying values, strengthening culture, and building trust with families.

As school communicators, we know how complex it can be to navigate today’s conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion. In this episode, we sit down with Jan Abernathy, Chief Communications Officer at The Browning School and principal at Jan Abernathy Strategic Communications, to explore how schools can stay grounded in their mission while addressing sensitive topics in ways that truly build community.

Jan shares why language matters, how schools can balance different stakeholder perspectives, and why it’s crucial to not only “talk the talk” but also “walk the walk.” We dig into practical strategies for creating inclusive messaging that supports both students and families, and we also touch on how AI tools can help schools strengthen communications with greater awareness and clarity.

In This Episode, We Cover:

The microschool movement is gaining momentum worldwide, reshaping how families and educators think about learning. In this episode, we sit down with Whitney Retzer of the Microschools Network to explore how these intentionally small learning environments are redefining education. From pandemic-driven shifts to global innovation, Whitney shares what’s fueling their rapid growth and why so many families are drawn to them.

You’ll hear how microschools create community, flexibility, and a sense of belonging that traditional models often lack. Whitney also discusses how independent schools can collaborate with microschools, the challenges of visibility and marketing, and where this educational movement is headed next.