Hershey Montessori School in Huntsburg Township has received provisional member status from Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS).
Hershey Montessori School in Huntsburg Township has received provisional member status from Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS).
This membership opens the door for continued growth and professional development opportunities for Hershey staff and is the first step toward becoming an ISACS-accredited school, said Deanna Meadows-Shrum, the school’s director of marketing and communications.
“The elaborate undertaking began in 2019 when Hershey’s ISACS Steering Committee began fulfilling requirements that included documenting evidence of compliance across 52 standards for membership including current policies and practices; mission, philosophy and goals; school community; programs, activities and student services; governance and administration, personnel; and residential programs,” Meadows-Shrum said. “With provisional membership approval, Hershey may now begin the process for full accreditation that will entail preparation of a full self-study report and a thorough onsite accreditation visit.”
The newly acquired ISACS status now provides Hershey Montessori school staff with a wide variety of professional development programs and conferences, including ISACS annual conference and Leadership Academy, in partnership with the Kellogg School of Management Center for Nonprofit Management.
Hershey staff also will have the opportunity to attend topic-specific workshops and convenient webinars.
“The impetus to pursue an ISACS accreditation stemmed from the opening of Hershey’s Upper School program five years ago, which added fresh vision and opportunity for continued growth and expansion of program offerings,” Meadows-Shrum explained.
