Establishing at the outset a philosophy of compensation for the salary delivery system, and for the benefits structure, is imperative. Most schools have limited knowledge or experience of effective benefit designs that provide flexibility for teachers and other staff based on their varying needs. Those needs vary by age, career stage and family status. Effective benefit systems take these differences into account, while controlling costs. In benefits management, schools are challenged by demands for medical coverage for families, for those who have retired but are under age 65, and for long-term care.
Many schools suffer from poor faculty morale that can affect student and parent morale.
Managing change and managing faculty effectively are skills that are developed over time. Some heads manage by making few or no decisions. Others manage by making too many decisions on their own too quickly. High turnover of boards leads to high turnover of heads of schools. That in turns leads to a power vacuum, often filled by the faculty who have the only institutional memory and may choose to exercise it in ways that most benefit the teaching staff.