CASBO School Business Winter 2013

schoolbusiness california

California Association of School Business Officials

Propelling transformation Did funding crisis create an opportunity for innovation?

Converging on Common Core

Successful implementation of reforms requires collaboration

It’s complicated

Experts weigh in on education’s most evocative topics

Winter 2013

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contents

Volume 78 Number 4 Winter 2013

departments

9

Checking in Together we stand Molly McGee Hewitt

11

13

Introduction to this issue Scared into inaction

15

In focus CASBO member profile: Stan Mantooth

17

48

In focus CASBO associate member profile: Conrad Newberry Jr. Book club What Matters Most for School Leaders: 25 Reminders of What is Really Important

49

Career Rx For career success, you have to be in the RACE

51

Out & about Photos from CASBO events

54

Last words

cover story

30

Propelling transformation Did funding crisis create an opportunity for innovation?

Julie Phillips Randles

interview

19

15

Bottom line Time flies when you’re having fun!

Rich Buse

22

40

Leadership expert is renowned for groundbreaking work Ken Blanchard discusses leadership lessons, training, necessary skills Julie Phillips Randles

features

22

Converging on Common Core Successful implementation of reforms requires collaboration Linda A. Estep

40

It’s complicated Experts weigh in on education’s most evocative topics Tim Douglas

Winter 2013 | 5

ABOUT CASBO The California Association of School Business Officials is the premier resource for professional development and business best practices for California’s school business leaders. CASBO is dedicated to promoting

publisher

excellence and professionalism in all aspects of school

editor in chief

business. Founded in 1928, CASBO serves more

features editor

than 3,000 members by providing certifications and

contributors

training, promoting business best practices and

Molly McGee Hewitt Tatia Davenport Julie Phillips Randles Tim Douglas

creating opportunities for professional collaboration.

Linda A. Estep

CASBO members represent every facet of school

Julie Sturgeon

business management and operations. The association offers public school leaders an entire career’s worth of growth opportunities.

design/layout

Sharon Adlis

advertising art

Lori Mattas

casbo officers CASBO MISSION

president

As the recognized authority in California school business, CASBO is a member-driven association

president-elect

Vincent Christakos Hemet Unified School District

vice president

Leeann Errotabere Clovis Unified School District

immediate past president

Michael Johnston Clovis Unified School District

that promotes ethical values; develops exceptional leaders; advocates for, and supports the needs of members; and sets the standard for excellence through top-quality professional development and mentorship, meaningful collaboration and communication and unparalleled innovation.

advertising sales manager

CASBO BY DESIGN

Rich Buse Pajaro Valley Unified School District

For the past 15 years, CASBO has been dedicated to the organizational planning discipline as a method for guiding the association into a successful future.

CiCi Trino Association Outsource Services, Inc. 115 Spring Water Way Folsom, CA 95630 916.990.9999

In 2012, the association embarked on its fourth such plan, CASBO by Design. This living, breathing document will guide the association for the next five years. The process CASBO uses for long-term planning is grassroots in nature, invigorating in procedure and motivating in outcome.

CASBO has long been committed to organizational planning because the approach has consistently helped the association envision its future and determine the clear steps to get there. The road map that strategic planning provides has allowed

www.casbo.org

CASBO to remain focused on its unique mission, goals and objectives, and to respond effectively to a continually changing environment.

For more information on CASBO by Design, visit www.casbo.org, click on “About Us” and then select “CASBO by Design” from the drop-down menu.

California School Business (ISSN# 1935-0716) is published quarterly by the California Association of School Business Officials, 1001 K Street, 5th Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814. (916) 447-3783. Periodicals postage paid at Sacramento and at additional mailing office. Send address changes to the CASBO membership department at 1001 K Street, 5th Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814.

Articles published in California School Business are edited for style, content and space prior to publication. Views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent CASBO policies or positions. Endorsement by CASBO of products and services advertised in California School Business is not implied or expressed.

Copyright 2013 CASBO. All rights reserved. The contents of the publication may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the publisher.

Published December 2013

6 | California School Business

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checkingin

Together we stand AS WE APPROACH THE END OF 2013, I’ve been thinking about the people who have impacted my personal and professional life this year. Some are longtime friends and valued colleagues who have been a part of my journey for many years. They have watched my successes and challenges and offered a helping hand or shoulder to cry on. Others are new acquaintances who have entered my life and enriched and expanded my world view. I am grateful that my CASBO family is a part of this special group of trusted mentors. I work with exceptionally talented people and have the privilege of learning from our members and our staff.

This year, CASBO by Design, our new, five-year strategic plan, was officially launched. Thanks to over 100 member leaders, a plan to shape and enhance the organization is now being implemented. We sought out the good advice and direction of our members to design CASBO’s future. While it is a vigorous and exciting opportunity – together, we can make it happen.

Together is a great word for CASBO. We bring together a variety of disciplines, talents, skills and types of school business leaders and, united, we provide professional development, advocate at the state and national level, expand the leadership capacity of our members and work diligently to create a world-class association that enhances the image of our profession. We do it not as individuals. We do it together.

Together is also a word that defies the idea of a closed club or clique. Together means that a superintendent, a CBO, an assistant superintendent, a manager, a director, a coordinator and other professionals can come to a meeting and equally share ideas. We welcome all and, together, we pool our resources and talents to create solutions and identify opportunities. Together implies that we are stronger in unison than solo. Together means that when we face a challenge, we work collaboratively to find the answers.

This issue explores some of the significant issues impacting California public schools today. The cliché “we live in interesting times” is an understatement. For those of us who love black-and-white answers, 2013 has presented us with more than 50 shades of gray! We are navigating new territories and our success will depend on our nimbleness, flexibility and professionalism. It will also depend on the good advice of our trusted mentors and valued colleagues.

We welcome all and, together, we pool our resources and talents to create solutions and identify opportunities.

2014 will be defined as the year when Common Core State Standards (CCSS), the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAP) become a reality in our funding, staffing and operations.

Together will not be limited to school business officials uniting, it will include building alliances that bring the community and our instructional colleagues together with us. The idea of us and them will be history – it will be just US. Together.

Together we can accomplish the extraordinary.

Molly McGee Hewitt Executive Director

Winter 2013 | 9

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Scared into inaction

Change leaves many scrambling to find the comfort zone

By Julie Sturgeon

In financial matters, we tell the gal behind the Burger King cash register to keep the change when the coins don’t add up to much.

But when it comes to our careers, it’s not that easy to be cavalier about change. Even a penny’s worth makes a ripple, and when you start talking dimes, nickels and quarters, the sum often leaves us scrambling to find our comfort zone.

Currently, school business leaders face millions of dollars of change – from Common Core State Standards to the Affordable Healthcare Act, and from the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) to federal changes to child nutrition guidelines – and have lost their ability to move quickly.

While many of the changes are positive, the lack of clarity on next steps has left many CASBO members temporarily paralyzed. But Mother Nature can’t allow a vacuum, so waving your hand and saying “keep the change” isn’t an option.

Take a deep breath, do a few knee bends and side stretches if you please, and start working on these practices to release your mental limberness and become a pioneer to new concepts in California’s educational progress.

Nothing to fear but fear itself As you work through any change, what is the companion emotion holding you back? Garden variety fear, says an October 2013 survey by the management experts at the Robert Half Group. Anyone drawing a paycheck today has myriad nightmares that keep her awake in the wee hours: Fear of making a mistake tops the list (30 percent), followed by a fear of getting fired that’s so strong, no one wants to appear less dedicated or vital by taking a vacation (it’s estimated Americans left 70 percent of their vacation time unused in 2011). After that, people are afraid of dealing with difficult customers or clients; they are scared of conflict with their manager or disagreements with co-workers.

You could say we’re shaking in our boots. And all this shivering naturally creates stress, which shuts down the inventive part of our brains. But how do we address that? David K. Williams, a columnist at Forbes, likes the approach of relying more on principles and less on policy. Translated, that means let traits like respect, belief, trust, loyalty, courage, gratitude and commitment set the guidelines so staffers can make quick decisions to improve their own performance without manager oversight. “They can adapt to change on the fly. They can create their own solutions rather than worrying about the policies and procedures involved,” says Williams. In other words, take away the reasons they’re fearful of making a mistake.

Second, make sure you have an open communication loop – it’s usually the first thing to go in hard times, says Williams. “In a fearful environment, frontline employees are unwilling to share because they are afraid somebody will kill the messenger, and communication becomes shallow or disappears. Without a healthy feedback loop, the organization no longer knows where to focus its problem-solving efforts and will lose the innovative energy they gain,” he explains.

Put a bounce in your step Resiliency in professional circles is now being lumped with self-esteem and success issues, and it’s based on recognizing actual accomplishments, identifying and understanding how to use our strengths, and living a life filled with

expressions of our unique talents, says Nan Henderson, M.S.W., president of Resiliency In Action, a training company in Solvang, Calif.

Research shows everyone has the innate capability to bounce back. But the missing ingredient often lies in identifying personal patterns of doing exactly that. So Henderson asks you: “How have you done as well as you have to this point? What are the two or three biggest challenges (including crises or traumas) you have overcome in your life? What did you use to overcome them? What do you use every day to effectively cope with the typical stresses in your life? After you have your answers in hand, study the Personal Resiliency Builders – qualities researchers have identified as especially useful in overcoming adversity – and pick out which ones you use most commonly in any size crisis: h Relationships.

Sociability/ability to be a friend/ability to form positive relationships. h Humor.

Has a good sense of humor. h Inner Direction.

Bases choices/decisions on internal evaluation. h Perceptiveness.

Insightful understanding of people and situations. h Independence.

“Adaptive” distancing from unhealthy people and situations/autonomy. h Positive View of Personal Future.

Optimism; expects a positive future. h Flexibility.

Can adjust to change; can bend as necessary to positively cope with situations. h Love of Learning.

Capacity for and connection to learning. h Self-motivation.

Internal initiative and positive motivation from within. h Competence.

Is “good at something”/personal competence. h Self-Worth.

Feelings of self-worth and self-confidence. h Spirituality.

Personal faith in something greater. h Perseverance.

Keeps on despite difficulty; doesn’t give up. h Creativity.

Expresses self through artistic endeavor.

And there you have your starting map to find Oz. It will come in handy as you read this issue, which presents a few ideas on what some people are doing about the upheaval in education. In some places, it’s short on details because even the experts have a lot of uncertainty. Which means this is your time to break out of the inertia and make a difference.

Winter 2013 | 11

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bottomline

Time flies when you’re having fun!

It seems like i became the president of casbo just yesterday. The months

since the 2013 casbo Annual Conference

have flown by and, in just a few months,

the 2014 Annual Conference will be here.

to represent your needs and concerns.

Whether if we are in Sacramento or in Washington, casbo has a presence and is working on your behalf.

Additionally, the board of directors

Time is moving quickly and I’m amazed

made an extraordinary decision in Au-

c a s b o has always been a self-

that enables members to determine their

of the accomplishments so far.

motivated organization that evolves and changes based on our members needs and

desires. While we have always respected our traditions, we also recognize the need

to maintain forward momentum and to

embrace the future. Whether it is in the

gust. We adopted a new dues structure dues and their levels of participation. It opens the door for new members and

expands their choices and opportunities.

Instead of raising dues, we adopted a configuration that actually lowers dues!

Whether it is in the new features

leadership of our sections, the efforts of

planned for the 2014 Annual Conference

our committees or task forces, casbo has

conference theme of the casbo family

our professional councils or the work of never lacked for courage, commitment or dedication.

& California School Business Expo, our

reunion, our updated website, our new

also a fun and fast-paced couple of days

Time flies and we continue to be busy, but carpe diem means that we seize the opportunities before us.

friends and casbo associate members.

online learning programs, our partner-

means we relish our friends and families,

that next year, participation will double.

groups, our new alliances with industry

the most of what we have been given.

This summer, for the first time, over

130 of our member leaders came together

for Camp casbo. It was an opportunity

to sharpen our skills and to unite. It was that enabled us to connect as colleagues, A new tradition was born and we hope

We tried something new and it was a success.

Under another new initiative, casbo

ships with the Covey and Ken Blanchard

leaders, our expanded affinity programs or our enhanced programs and services,

casbo is continually becoming a better

has expanded its legislative advocacy to

association. Member-driven and mem-

have contracted with a firm to represent

You may have noticed that my signa-

include efforts at the federal level. We

ber-directed is our mantra.

and educate us on educational issues at

ture includes the Latin phrase carpe diem.

Washington, d.c., this fall as a member

day – have special meaning for me. I’ve

the national level. I was privileged to visit of a team composed of special educa-

tion and other association colleagues to

lobby for increased funding and support of special education. casbo was there

These words – which translate to seize the

learned that each day is an opportunity

value our profession and strive to make As your president, I want to seize every opportunity, every day, to help casbo members and friends.

Carpe diem!

Rich Buse

casbo President

and a gift. Time flies and we continue to be busy, but carpe diem means that

we seize the opportunities before us. It

Winter 2013 | 13

14 | California School Business

infocus

Stan Mantooth

From custodian to county superintendent, it’s all about the journey

Photography by Hope Harris

A

t age 19, Stan Mantooth got a glimpse

into the inner-workings of a school

district while he was employed as a

custodian with Los Angeles Unified.

He was hooked. Today, 43 years later, Mantooth is the Ventura County superintendent of schools, a role he says has allowed him to continue his journey as a life-long learner.

After his tenure as a custodian, Mantooth held a number of posts that eventually led him to the superintendent’s office, including working as a coordinator for the Las Virgenes Unified School District, assistant superintendent, administrative services, at the Oak Park Unified School District and associate superintendent, fiscal and administrative services, for the Ventura County Office of Education.

“From the start, I just loved the energy and the system that makes up a school site,” Mantooth says. “As a member of the support staff, I could observe the synergy of how everything worked together for the benefit of students.”

Today, as leader of a county office, he maintains that same passion and appreciates being able to serve a wider field by overseeing 20 districts. He’ll run for a second term as superintendent in 2014.

“I love what I do, and whatever contributions I can make to our kids makes me happy – and that’s what motivates me. I’m committed to this work and I feel blessed by all of the great opportunities I’ve had over the years.”

Mantooth is the incoming president of the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA), as well as being a member of the Association of California School Administrators and serving on several Ventura County boards and foundations.

For the past several years, he’s been back in the classroom teaching school finance and leadership at California State University, Channel Islands. He’s also been an instructor at Pepperdine University, the University of La Verne and California State University, Northridge. “It’s a great way to see emerging talent and the generational change we look forward to,” Mantooth says.

His connection to CASBO runs deep. In the 1980s, he was a member of the first CBO Certification cohort; his certification number is 009. He was also a recipient of the association’s Friends of Education Scholarship and used the funding to pursue his master’s degree in school business administration at Pepperdine. A few years later, now employed in a new school leadership position, he returned the favor by making a donation back to the program.

Mantooth says he’ll never let his CASBO membership lapse. “Over the decades, I’ve seen CASBO evolve, and participation in the organization provides exceptional value. It opens the doors to so many other connections and gives you a bigger picture of our industry. It provides the opportunity to learn about and influence issues across the educational spectrum.”

Winter 2013 | 15

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is now…

infocus

Conrad Newberry Jr.

He focuses his energies on aiding schools and casbo

Photography by Hope Harris

C

onrad Newberry Jr. spends his days collaborating with schools and cities to create sustainable energy projects that increase energy efficiency and reduce costs. In his spare time, he’s masterminding ways to raise additional scholarship funds to sendCASBO members to annual conference.

Newberry, regional operations director for Chevron Energy Solutions, has spent nearly his entire career working in the energy business. In addition to his 14 years with Chevron, he has more than 35 years of experience in the industry.

In his current role, Newberry manages the operations of Chevron Energy Solutions’ Brea office and works with public institutions to find new and responsible ways to improve performance and reduce the costs of utilities. He also aids customers in creating budgeting efficiencies and helping staff to be more effective, which helps their bottom line.

It’s the way his work connects him to school sites and students that motivates Newberry. “We tie our projects to classrooms, and that’s one of the most rewarding things about working with the schools,” Newberry says.

the CASBO AMC Scholarship Golf Tournament during the 2014 annual conference. He has previously served as Eastern Section liaison to the Associate Member Committee and volunteered on behalf of the Eastern Section golf tournament.

Whether the project revolves around lighting, solar energy, water or air conditioning systems, Newberry can connect students to related curriculum and can give them access to live data about their school’s energy use to help them learn about sustainability.

Last year’s statewide golf tournament raised $12,500 for CASBO conference scholarships.

This year, Newberry hopes to raise $15,000 to $20,000. “Members will be hearing from me soon about golfing in the tournament and serving as sponsors.”

After graduating from Cal Poly Pomona with his engineering degree, Newberry spent the first decade of his career at a desk. Today, he’s enjoying working with clients at their facilities and using his expertise to help design and manage construction projects.

Newberry has been involved in a number of organizations in his career, but says CASBO is the perfect fit. “I appreciate the camaraderie and CASBO membership helps me do my job better because it gives me insight into what’s going on under the surface with school districts. It helps me identify ways that my company can better serve schools,” Newberry says. “Joining CASBO was one of the best career decisions I’ve ever made. I plan to be involved with the association until I retire.”

Newberry turned up the energy on his CASBO involvement seven years ago when he volunteered to help at the annual conference registration desk.

He’s currently a member of the Associate Member Committee and, for the second year, is chairing

Winter 2013 | 17

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interview

Leadership expert is renowned for groundbreaking work

Ken Blanchard discusses leadership lessons, training, necessary skills

By Julie Phillips Randles

Ken Blanchard is the co-founder and chief spiritual officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies ®, a leadership development training and consulting firm that works with clients in more than 30 countries. The company, co-founded in 1979 by Blanchard as his wife, Margie, now employs more than 300 people.

A prominent author, speaker and business consultant, Blanchard is known

worldwide as an influential leadership expert and is respected for his groundbreaking work in the fields of leadership and management.

His best-selling book, “The One Minute Manager,” co-authored with Spencer

Johnson, has sold more than 18 million copies. His other books include “Raving Fans,” “Gung Ho,” “Whale Done,” “Leading at a Higher Level” and “Know Can Do.”

Blanchard has received many awards and honors for his contributions in the

fields of management, leadership and speaking. He received the “Council of Peers Award of Excellence” from the National Speakers Association, the group’s highest honor. He was inducted into the hrd Hall of Fame by Training magazine and Lake-

wood Conferences, and he received the Golden Gavel Award from Toastmasters International. Blanchard also received The Thought Leadership Award for his con-

tinued support of work-related learning and performance by isa – The Association of Learning Providers.

Blanchard is also a member of Amazon’s Hall of Fame as one of the top 25 best-

selling authors of all time.

Born in New Jersey and raised in New York, Blanchard received a master’s

degree from Colgate University and bachelor’s and doctoral degrees from Cornell

University. Blanchard is a visiting lecturer at Cornell and is a trustee emeritus of the university’s board of trustees. He is also a teacher for the University of San Diego’s masters of science in executive leadership program. The business school at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Ariz., bears his name.

Winter 2013 | 19

Ken Blanchard discusses leadership lessons, training, necessary skills

casbo has partnered with The Ken Blanchard Companies®

tweeting, leaders may begin to think it’s not important to

institutes based on The Ken Blanchard Companies Situational

To me, technological communication should be used as a follow-

to begin providing members and districts with leadership Leadership® II model in 2014.

Blanchard recently responded to a host of leadership ques-

tions from casbo.

What is the greatest leadership lesson you have ever learned?

Leadership is not about you – it’s about the people you’re attempting to influence. I learned that in seventh grade when I was elected president of my class. I came home excited to tell my father, who retired as a Navy admiral, about my new position.

He said, “Ken, congratulations. But now that you’re president,

don’t ever use your position. Great leaders are great because

develop a personal relationship with their people. That’s wrong. up to face-to-face or phone-to-phone meetings.

Other than ongoing professional development, what other activities, such as mentoring, perhaps, help build great leaders?

As Mark Miller and I wrote in our book “Great Leaders Grow,”

if you stop learning, you might as well lie down and let them throw dirt on you, because you’re dead. Be a participant observer in your own life, constantly looking for learning opportunities as they unfold before you.

people trust and respect them, not because they have power.”

You worked in education as an assistant dean at Ohio University.

What skills or traits do education leaders need that might differ from those required by their peers in the private sector?

Your title at The Ken Blanchard Companies® is chief spiritual officer. What’s the story behind that title?

I always tell my business friends who complain about how

I had lunch once with Max De Pree, the legendary chairman of

institution. The three largest populations – the alumni, the

office furniture manufacturer Herman Miller. I asked Max what

his job was at that great company. He said, “Ken, I have to be like a third-grade teacher and say our vision and values over and over and over again until people get it right, right, right.”

Since I didn’t like my title as chairman of our company, I

decided to call myself chief spiritual officer. Every day, I leave a morning message for our 300-plus people and I do three things.

First, I tell people who to pray for, or folks let me know who is

hard it is to lead that they ought to try to run an educational faculty and the students – don’t consider themselves part of

the line organization, yet they all have opinions about how you should lead.

You invented the business parable book genre when you wrote “The One Minute Manager.” Why is that style so popular with readers?

hurting among their family or friends. We have a lot of stories

When Spencer Johnson and I decided to write “The One Minute

people. Of all the things I’ve taught over the years, I think the

“Jonathan Livingston Seagull,” “The Little Prince,” and Og

from the last 15 years about the power of prayer. Second, I praise

most powerful is to catch people doing something right and to acknowledge them. Third, I leave an inspirational message about

something I’ve read or heard lately. For example, a colleague from New Zealand wrote me recently and said, “Our business

is really about teaching people the power of love, rather than the love of power.” That was worth passing along in my morning message the next day.

Are younger executives facing any unique challenges today?

If so, what are they and why?

I think the biggest challenge is that modes of communication

have changed. With everyone emailing, chatting, texting and

20 | California School Business

Manager,” we realized our favorite books were parables – Mandino’s “The Greatest Salesman in the World.” And Jesus

always taught by parable. What’s great about parables is that

people get into the story and don’t get sidetracked questioning the research and analyzing where you got the concept.

You’ve been called the “guru of servant leadership.” Tell us about what servant leadership looks like in the 21st century.

When I tell people about servant leadership, they often think I’m talking about the inmates running the prison, trying to

please everybody, or some religious movement. But they don’t understand that there are two parts to servant leadership.

The first part is vision/direction. Leadership is about going

somewhere. If people don’t know where you want to go, there’s very little chance of them getting there. This is the leadership

aspect of servant leadership. Responsibility for vision/direction lies with the hierarchy – even though you can involve others in its development.

The second part of servant leadership is implementation.

Once people are clear on where the organization is going, the

traditional hierarchy needs to philosophically be turned upside down. Now the leader’s energy is focused on helping everyone

live according to the vision and accomplish the goals. This is the

servant part of servant leadership. The combination of these two

aspects of leadership is the only way I know to get great results and human satisfaction at the same time. Servant leadership is

no different in the 21st century. I just returned from a trip to India where Mahatma Gandhi, a classic servant leader, is considered the founder of the country.

In our last issue, we included an article on modern leadership.

What would you say are the top three skills that modern leaders must have?

The first skill is the capacity to set a compelling vision that

tells people who you are (your purpose), where you are going

(your picture of the future) and what will guide your journey

(your values). The second skill, which is more of a personal characteristic than a skill, is humility. Some people think

humility is a weakness. But I think people with humility don’t

think less of themselves, they just think about themselves less.

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being served. The third skill is listening. I love the saying that if

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As a result, they are able to focus on serving others rather than God wanted us to speak more than listen, he would have given effective leadership is not about you, it’s about the people.

What leadership practices or traditions no longer serve us and why?

The concept that leadership is all about power and control no longer serves us well. People are too well-educated today to

be forced to leave their brains at home and spend all their time looking up the hierarchy for the next great idea. z z z

Julie Phillips Randles is a freelance writer based in Roseville, Calif.

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Winter 2013 | 21

22 | California School Business

feature

Converging on Common Core Successful implementation of reforms requires collaboration

By Linda A. Estep

With implementation of the Common Core State Standards (ccss) under way, leaders in multiple school business disciplines are sketching out action

plans and developing budgets to address one of the most significant reforms to public education in decades. While all that behind-the-scenes work is necessary, it

cannot be done in isolation – be it segregation by school discipline or by failing to connect ccss to concurrent reform measures.

The time to improve communication and collaboration among the business and

instructional sides of the house is now, the experts say. If such partnerships are not in the works in your school district, they need to be established – and fast.

Adopted in 2010 by the state Board of Education, Common Core is a set of stan-

dards for grades k-12 in two areas: English language arts and mathematics. The new

standards are designed to teach students real-world skills needed for college and career with an emphasis on greater depth into subjects, requiring students to write and analyze more, participate in interactive problem-solving and then demonstrate

their knowledge in tests administered online that require more than memorization and multiple-choice answers.

California joins 44 other states in adopting ccss, promoting equity among

students throughout the United States while also enabling states to collaborate on teaching materials, policies and comprehensive assessment systems to measure stu-

dent performance. ccss will require new assessments, mostly computer based, to ensure that state tests are aligned to the new standards. (The ccss were developed by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices.)

Winter 2013 | 23

Converging on Common Core All of that takes planning, communi-

cation and money.

A tangled web

standards – and districts will be held accountable for those goals both dur-

Perspective from outside

period.

organization that assists schools, districts

ing and after the lcff implementation

Pivot Learning Partners is a nonprofit

At the same time, current assess-

and charter schools in meeting the

As implementation of c c s s begins,

ments are being “transitioned out,”

are materializing on parallel tracks,

required to adopt evaluation rubrics for

additional education reform measures making interdisciplinary communication more necessary than ever before.

Jeff Vaca, casbo’s deputy executive

director of governmental relations, notes that ccss is inescapably linked to the

Local Control Funding Formula (lcff)

and the state Board of Education is not lcff until 2015. “So all these things are happening on parallel tracks, but districts

need to be thinking about what all of this

is going to look like when those tracks finally intersect,” Vaca says.

“If you’re a superintendent and you

challenges of local or state reform measures such as ccss. Megan Sweet, program director, education finance

reform, says business and curriculum

officials must be working hand in hand on such change. She concurs with Vaca that districts’ responses to the concurrent reforms must mesh.

“Business needs to know the plan

because the success of districts in achiev-

know you will be held accountable in

and how it aligns with the Local Control

in their Local Control Accountability

ress at the same time you have an entirely

overlaps. Curriculum and business need

ing the statewide lcff goals outlined Plans (lcap) will rely on new assess-

ments to measure student progress that

are aligned to the new Common Core

three to four years for measuring prog-

new system of assessments derived from ccss, that’s likely to generate a little anxiety,” Vaca continues.

Get the

BIG

Funding Formula. They will look for

to communicate with each other because

both will impact the central office. Goals need to be understood. There will need to

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be an understanding that there are price tags for every change resulting from the transition to ccss,” she says.

thinking about the range of options,” she says.

New technology is often cited as a

Sweet also offers new technology

need, but you also must consider con-

system requires it infrastructure that

requirements, Kubinec points out. “The

needs as an example. “The assessment

may involve improvements to current

technology and staff training. Districts also need to look at which costs are onetime, which will require investments

over several years. Each district rolls out Common Core differently,” she explains.

She also stresses the importance

of community engagement, letting the

stakeholders understand what is chang-

ing in instruction and testing. “There is a

nectivity, security and maintenance

more business and instruction depart-

ments talk to one another, the better they will be prepared for a successful imple-

mentation,” she stresses. “Is there much conversation going on now? Yes, in more places than not, but is it happening every-

where? No. I would hope over the course

of a year as we get ready for assessment the conversations will grow.”

Recognizing the costs of imple-

need to retrain families how to support

menting ccss in California, Gov. Jerry

changes the district is required to make

funding for Common Core implemen-

their students and understand what

(under Common Core.).” Sweet says districts should develop a series of messages

to various stakeholders explaining how Common Core and lcff resources will or can be used, while also soliciting input.

Talk among yourselves Jannelle Kubinec is director of national,

Brown provided $1.25 billion in one-time

tation in the 2013 Budget Act. School

districts are required to use these funds

The more business and instruction departments talk to one another, the better they will be prepared for a successful implementation.

for instructional materials, professional

development or technology related to ccss implementation. Districts are also

project director of the California Academ-

and must spend the funds over the next

ultimately recommended the adoption of

required to develop an expenditure plan two fiscal years.

“This is new money, so everyone

ic Content Standards Commission, which ccss to the state Board of Education.

“Implementation will take enormous

state and special projects for the

feels a dollar is due to them. The com-

effort and it will not be overnight,” Stickel

Program at WestEd, a nonprofit public

to see how there are many different ideas

many resources. It is everyone’s work.

Comprehensive School Assistance

research and development agency based in San Francisco. She also serves as

director of the California Comprehensive Center, a federally funded technical assistance center.

She helps educators “see what it

plexity of Common Core makes it easy of how the money should be spent,” Kubinec acknowledges. “Everything will not be bought at once.”

Follow the leaders

warns. “The effort must be sustained by

I’m an old curriculum person. I get that everyone needs to be on board. I’ve al-

ways had the good fortune of working with a lot of excellent business people

who are oriented to help. We have a huge initiative before us and we are ‘resource challenged,’” she says.

looks like building a budget to include

Kubinec identifies the Sacramento

ing resources and strategic planning,

in Common Core implementation,

fund Common Core. You don’t need to

Sue Stickel.

to bring your own skills to the partner-

Common Core,” and assists in identifyincluding plans used by others in this process.

“District (educators and business

County Office of Education as a leader spearheaded by Deputy Superintendent “We’ve worked quite a bit with other

personnel) need to be engaged in conver-

county offices,” Stickel says. Her experi-

instructional materials are available…

early days of study. In 2010, she served as

sation, learning what is involved, what

ence with Common Core began in the

“What is needed is a team culture to

do each other’s work, but you do need ship,” she adds. “The cbo has to know

what needs educators are trying to fill.

Business folks know where and how to get the best buy.”

Winter 2013 | 25

Converging on Common Core For example, new technology is a

Ventura County Office of Education,

can the new purchase be used to deliver

with the business side, especially when

probable need for many districts, but

instruction, as well as online student as-

sessment? “Business people can help you realize those purposes.”

is a strong proponent of partnering faced with important initiatives such as Common Core.

“Anytime cbo s can get a better idea

Stickel’s career includes work in

of the difference between the current

sistant superintendent of curriculum/

them understand the technology needs –

Elk Grove Unified School District as as-

professional development; instructor of education administration for Califor-

nia State University, Sacramento; and deputy superintendent of curriculum

and instruction for the state department of education.

The inside view Valerie Chrisman, associate super-

intendent, educational services, in the

standards and the new ones, it will help

and not just technology for tests, but for teaching, too. Common Core is different from what we have had before. The assignments are different, with fewer work-

sheets and more teamwork. The materials

These standards are different and have more potential to teach kids how to think.

we use now are dated. The cbo and

educators can figure out how to prepare for new adoptions by working together

Chrisman sees the business and edu-

now with an overall plan for purchases,

cational services divisions as partners to

she explains.

new instructional materials.

as well as professional development,”

strategize and prioritize the purchase of

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Winter 2013 | 27

Converging on Common Core “All districts will have new technol-

provement, including teacher training for

and teach it,” Chrisman adds. “A wise

have the Common Core Standards fully

ogy needs and training in how to use it district looks toward the long term. Professional development is not just train-

ing. It could mean release time or hiring

ccss. Those districts are on a timeline to

implemented in all classrooms by the end of the 2013-2014 school year.

he or she walks into a classroom in 2015

Association (ccsesa) and the Sacramento

tion is difficult, so the implementation

with ccss in place throughout the state.

“It will be much different,” she says.

Planning now for purchases will help to

“Instruction has been direct scripted, and

are available.”

and students understood the expecta-

make better decisions when adoptions

She believes that working as a team,

instructional and business divisions will determine base services in ccss

for all students, as well as what will be “improved and increased” to address

the needs of the unduplicated student

sub-groups (English learners, socio-

economically disadvantaged and foster youth) the Local Control Accountability Plan (lcap) requires.

Painting a picture Michelle Steagall is chief academic

officer for the California Office to Reform

that has served districts well. Teachers

tions, but (in 2015) there will be a release from structure and more engagement

– students talking with each other, learn-

ing through conversation. It will involve what we call productive struggle. Cur-

County Office of Education reported in the fall of 2013 that 80 percent of school

districts in the state have a formal plan

for Common Core implementation that includes curriculum development, staff professional development and design

of assessments used for instruction and integration of technology, according to EdSource.

For many closest to the planning

side of Common Core implementation,

finding different ways of arriving at the

an exciting time. “Education and busi-

‘right answer.’ Productive struggle means answer.”

The cbo s who engage in active part-

nership with curriculum personnel will see these dramatic engagement differ-

ences and know their input helped make that happen.

“This isn’t just about buying new

tablets or textbooks,” Steagall says.

Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland,

more potential to teach kids how to think.

Sacramento, San Francisco, Sanger and

Superintendents Educational Services

rently the emphasis is on arriving at the

Education (core), a consortium of 10 districts (Clovis, Fresno, Garden Grove,

Readiness survey A survey developed by California County

what a chief business officer will see if

plan is as important as any other aspect.

thinking and reasoning.”

Steagall verbally paints a picture for

facilitators and coaches. All teachers want to do the best job, but adjusting instruc-

Memorization will take a backseat to

“These standards are different and have

like Chrisman in the Ventura coe, it is

ness services need to look at each other as a new best friend,” she advises. “It’s

fun. We don’t speak the same language,

but success will only be as strong as the partnership you form. Think as one. It’s a different way of doing business.” z z z

Linda A. Estep is a freelance writer based in Fresno, Calif.

Santa Ana). She is a former associate

superintendent for curriculum and instruction in the Clovis Unified School District, as well as former superintendent at the Clay Joint Elementary School

District and the Chowchilla Elementary

School District. Her work today reaches over a million students in core districts.

In August 2013, eight of the member

districts, applying under the umbrella of core, received a waiver from penal-

ties under the No Child Left Behind Act,

which allows greater flexibility to use $110 million in Title I funds for school im-

28 | California School Business

Weigh in on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CASBO.ORG to share how your district is preparing for Common Core.

Winter 2013 | 29

30 | California School Business

cover

PROPELLING TRANSFORMATION Did funding crisis create an opportunity for innovation?

By Julie Phillips Randles

W

hen public school funding got dicey in Idaho,

With budget cuts of $40 million over three years

In California, did the same extraordinary financial stress on

Linda Clark had no alternative but to get creative.

districts in the last few years lead to brilliant, new ideas at the

in her 36,000- student district – and ever increas-

David Plank, executive director of Policy Analysis for Cali-

ing enrollment – Superintendent Clark of Joint School District No. 2 in Meridian, Idaho, pulled out all the stops and enlisted some creative tactics rarely tried in education.

central office? If so, are those ideas being replicated?

fornia Education (pace), says he’s heard more about attempts at

labor savings and general cost savings than revolutionary ideas.

“Innovation is hard. It runs against the grain in education

“Our biggest innovation has been financial survival in the

because parents are very conservative when it comes to their

the second lowest per-pupil funding in the nation, and yet our

reflect what they regard is standard best practice,” Plank notes.

midst of a terrible downturn,” Clark explains. “Our district has achievement is very high. We took a unique approach to shrink the whole system rather than to take a cleaver to programs.”

Sound familiar?

A half decade of tight budgets in California’s public schools certainly has led many of our school business leaders to develop

innovative strategies. Finding efficiencies and doing more with

less became part of a day’s work. After all, as the saying goes, crisis can lead to opportunity.

children. They want things to look and sound familiar and to

“We rarely see schools or districts adopting new practices.

The system is simply not set up to do that. What we don’t do is try things out, evaluate them, see what works or doesn’t work and then aim to replicate.”

In this absence of overwhelming evidence that something

works, school leaders are often hesitant to risk a new approach.

But the rewards lie with those risks.

A culture of innovation

So when opportunity born of crisis knocked, Clark an-

David N. Cook, director of innovation and partner engagement

started new programs and turned to technology, all in the name

as “any new approach to an existing problem.” It’s not just

swered with some amazing innovations. She revamped systems, of improving efficiency and cutting costs.

at the Kentucky Department of Education, defines innovation thinking differently or improving on what’s already in place, it’s

Winter 2013 | 31

PROPELLING TRANSFORMATION tossing out the old model and creating an entirely new approach.

Innovation is also not a synonym for technology. Technology can be a tool that supports innovation, but buying the latest gadget is not a substitute for authentic metamorphosis.

wish is a research-to-practice school site which means it

follows the literature and research on best practices for student achievement and commits to implementing them.

“We are fluid and we hold ourselves accountable for making

In corporate America, companies are accustomed to being

those adjustments when tradition isn’t really what’s good for

cation industry often thinks in terms of building on what was

that innovation allows for. Teachers tell me they’ve grown by

proactively innovative just to stay in business. While the edu-

done last year, a private corporation is more likely to rethink its core business model in the face of a sea change. And with the

Affordable Care Act, Common Core State Standards, the Local

Control Funding Formula and the Local Control Accountability Plan hitting districts simultaneously, the seas are certainly rough.

Research shows that fear is the single biggest enemy of in-

novation, so when it’s time for radical innovation, it’s also time for management to reduce fear of failure.

kids,” Draxton explains. “What I hear about most is the growth leaps and bounds in their first year at wish as compared to what they learned over 10 years at another site. They say innovating is hard, but the growth that comes with it really motivates.”

Innovation also requires a commitment to collaboration, a

challenge for school leaders who are hard-pressed to fit in yet another meeting. Clark swears by it.

“To superintendents, I say don’t isolate yourselves. You

have to actively seek others’ ideas and you have to share. The

It’s a matter of subscribing to a different mindset – one that values collaboration and actively seeks partnerships.

Leadership practices that discourage innovation must be

end result is bigger and better than what any one person can

ing risk, viewing failure as a learning opportunity, allowing

Superintendents also have to be willing to take on the role

replaced with ones that encourage innovation such as accept-

bring to the table,” she says.

sufficient time for innovative ideas to develop and encourag-

of guinea pig. For Clark, that means always being one of three

wrote Alan Kuyatt in the Journal of Strategic Leadership. “Manage-

device the organization is considering. When the district was

ing champions to help overcome resistance and find resources, ment needs to make the organization an ambidextrous operation

that can continue to improve the efficiency of current products and services with incremental innovation, while simultaneously

encouraging the discovery, adoption and implementation of radical innovations, without the fear of failure, to increase the

people at the district level who is testing any new system or looking into using tablets for teacher evaluations, Clark also

made sure that administrators were seen on campuses with the

device in their hands – sending the message that innovation was welcomed.

Being a member of the League of Innovative Schools has

organization’s ability to be competitive.”

also boosted Clark’s inclination to innovate. She’s involved her

cludes, innovation is a frequent topic in education circles, and yet

working committee looking at how technology can solve issues

As a recent report from New Schools Venture Fund con-

it remains murky and elusive in practice. It requires the creation of a culture of innovation. Easier said than done? You bet, but it’s not an impossible task, educators assure.

Shawna Draxton is the principal at Westside Innovative

School House (wish), a charter school in the Los Angeles Unified School District that has earned national accolades for stu-

district in some of the group’s research and is currently part of a on the operational side of the house. She recommends member-

ship in groups like the Educational Research and Development Institute and the District Management Council, organizations

that help districts leverage best management practices to improve student achievement and operational efficiency.

It’s a matter of subscribing to a different mindset – one that

dent achievement, support system structure and inclusionary

values collaboration and actively seeks partnerships.

tion, as her staff has, can be intimidating. On the flip side, “it can

tendent, my goal has always been to be on the leading edge, but

But you will experience that high faster if you establish the

and position us so that by the time it becomes a standard thing,

practices. She concedes that committing to a culture of innovaalso be exhilarating,” Draxton says. right mindset and approach first.

32 | California School Business

“As a principal, a director of curriculum and now a superin-

not the bleeding edge. I’ve been able to see what’s coming next we will have already done it,” Clark notes. “Many are willing

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Winter 2013 | 33

PROPELLING TRANSFORMATION to let external factors make decisions about education. We have to take the reins and position ourselves based on knowledge and good data to do the best for kids.”

Another road block to replication is the lack of forums for

educators to connect with one another to discuss innovations.

“There’s no opportunity to say ‘we have something that

you ought to try,’ despite a few fits and starts from programs like the What Works Clearinghouse and Investing in Innovation

Road blocks to replication If the good ideas are out there and being implemented at

individual districts, why aren’t they being shared? One hindrance to replication has been lack of data.

“How do we know what’s working and what’s not? This is

a big argument for pace. What we need to do in California is de-

(i3) grants,” Plank adds. “While some ideas, like professional learning communities, garner attention, they haven’t been in-

stitutionalized. Educators may encourage an idea, but there’s no formal system for determining what’s working and then sharing it.”

Principal Draxton hopes the road to replication will be made

sign policy and practice so we can learn from them,” Plank says.

easier through an institute approach coming to lausd. Called

worked. Others say not so much. Plank says we don’t really

designed to promote sharing of best practices from various

Take class-size reduction, for example. Some argue it

know because we made the change to smaller class sizes in one fell swoop.

“One district does something that seems to work for them,

but there’s no system in place to flag that innovation. So we don’t have a policy system that can identify and verify things are working well,” he describes.

Promising Practices Institutes, the program is a new initiative lausd sites. Charter and traditional school leaders are expected to attend an upcoming wish-sponsored session where they will tour the campus, which is co-located on the campus of a tradi-

tional school site, and will be trained in the practices that have worked well at wish.

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Along came Clark Idaho Superintendent Linda Clark is becoming accustomed to taking phone calls from folks across the country seeking information about the innovations she developed for her district.

She also recently served as a source for an EdWeek online chat on “Creating a Culture of Innovation.” Her ideas, born from necessity, are proving quite successful.

Here are a few of her most innovative: Centralized district office. When Clark became superintendent, the district’s offices were spread among 11 buildings at eight sites.

A bond measure to build a district office was not an option, but Clark did find an empty 350,000-square-foot warehouse. The district partnered with Idaho State University, which purchased one-third of the building, and remodeled it to include a second floor and a total of 500,000 square feet. Today, the site houses the district’s offices, a professional technical center, an International Baccalaureate high school and a training center that has created an income stream through community rental. Idaho State’s space features a digital learning academy, a library and a lunch room shared by the university and the district. A curricular partnership allows high school students to take dual-credit courses in pharmacy, nursing and emergency medical training though the university to earn college credits.

Magnet schools. A growing student population meant Clark’s district was putting a bond on the ballot every two years. The approach was unsustainable during the economic crisis, so Clark instituted a magnet school program with 16 “schools of choice” that focused topics like the arts, Chinese language immersion and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The district placed magnet schools on campuses with declining enrollment to entice students from rapidly growing areas. The approach added 200 to 250 students to the under-enrolled schools. “It was a way to manage growth without building a school every year, and it helped the underenrolled schools,” Clark says.

Online professional development. When funding cuts hit, teacher professional development was the first thing to go. Formerly inperson training was moved online to a special portal for teachers. They also periodically schedule after hours mini-expos throughout the district, where teachers gather to share best practices.

Automated time sheets. The district’s timecard system was a time and money suck. Staff manually signed in and out, and principals hand checked the cards at the end of each month. “We realized that if 2,500 employees are fudging by 15 or 30 minutes, that’s a lot of money, so we implemented an automated timecard system. In itself it’s not revolutionary, but it’s about looking at each practice and asking if it contributes to the goal,” Clark points out.

External audits. Bringing in another set of eyes to identify cost-saving opportunities led to changes in the special education and transportation departments. External auditors introduced the district to ways to cut costs in resource delivery to special needs students and recommended a tool for scheduling speech and occupational therapists that allowed the district to centralize scheduling and reduce staff. Routing updates and other small tweaks improved efficiency and reduced transportation costs. “We had done all we could do at the budget table. We needed somebody else to take a look,” she says.

J.P.R.

Winter 2013 | 35

PROPELLING TRANSFORMATION

About that data The good news? Blaming lack of data for derailing replication

may not be a viable argument in the near future. Rick Passavoy is the president and ceo of Transact, the company behind a

system that allows school districts to measure performance in several business strands and use data modeling to identify how

alterations to their processes could improve performance – and the bottom line.

Its ActPoint kpi Performance Management System gives

“Districts have been financially strangled for so long but

are now anticipating new funding. The tool can be used to find

the best return on investment for these new dollars that would impact student learning through the management side of the

district,” Passavoy says. “Where should I invest and what would be the return on that investment? That’s what the data would tell you.”

The moment to change

districts access to benchmarking and business intelligence tools

As education funding is restored, political pressure to rebuild the

anonymously input data in areas like finance, operations, main-

up. That, Plank points out, could undermine what is currently a

used to improve operational efficiency. Participating districts tenance, safety and security, transportation, food services infor-

mation systems and human resources, and then can compare their numbers to other districts.

system to where it was prior to The Great Recession will ramp great moment to try things.

“The big lift now for business officers and superintendents

is to resist the pressure to rebuild everything we had before.

The big lift now for business officers and superintendents is to resist the pressure to rebuild everything we had before.

“The idea behind it is having the capacity to know what

There’s no good reason to look back in that manner. In fact, this

See data from your district that lies outside of the median

Funding Formula, Common Core Standards and the Local Con-

the data is, and to then determine what to do with it,” he says.

and you might want to look into rearranging your systems. “If you are an outlier, you can take action,” Passavoy assures. Think of it as a nudge toward innovation.

A potential “matchmaking” option would allow districts

that recognize they have an issue in a particular area to reach out to a district with strong metrics. casbo could potentially

is a great opportunity to reset priorities with the Local Control trol Accountability Plan,” he adds.

“The problem is that we don’t have anything on the shelf

that says ‘this is what better would look like.’” z z z

Julie Phillips Randles is a freelance writer based in Roseville, Calif.

play a role in this feature, connecting members who are willing to discuss successful practices.

A data modeling feature further ups the innovation ante

as districts can use this modeling to find fixes for data that is

off the mark. Got a number that’s too high–cost per invoice, for example? Make adjustments to all the data points that

impact that figure to find out how to bring costs in line with the median.

It’s this feature that is the real differentiator in the key

performance indicator world because it eliminates the guess-

work element and allows users to do thoughtful, predictive modeling before selecting an improvement initiative. With

the ActPoint system, users can apply data to multiple levers to see which selection moves the numbers in the right direction.

The ability to model four or five scenarios points users to the optimum fix.

36 | California School Business

Tweet about an innovation instituted by your district at #CASBO.

Winter 2013 | 37

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38 | California School Business

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40 | California School Business

feature

It’s complicated Experts weigh in on education’s most evocative topics

By Tim Douglas

W

ith all due respect to the

changing demography of the student

the Local Control Funding Formula (lcff)

stantly being waged in

School Business Magazine consulted a

for a long time after that. Even though

various water wars con-

California – we’re all familiar with the quote: “Whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting”– education is currently

the topic du jour in all corners of the Golden State.

The daily debates run the gamut

from social issues to funding measures

body and transgender policies. California range of experts to weigh in on these topics and gather their opinions.

Meanwhile, during the course of so-

liciting input, csb discovered that today’s hot topics will be joined tomorrow by a new batch of controversy.

Looking ahead, Jeff Vaca, the deputy

to religious beliefs, and no one should

executive director of governmental rela-

microcosm of the general feeling about

School Business Officials, outlined the

be surprised. These discussions are a

California: it’s a complicated state with

an incredible breadth of cultures and views. Why should the topic of educa-

tion be any different, especially when it

tions for the California Association of

issues to watch next year and beyond.

Here’s what he had to say:

concerns our children?

Local Control Funding Formula implementation

seem to be online learning, school safety,

For many school districts and county

Currently, the most evocative topics

approaches to teacher evaluation, the

offices of education, implementation of

will remain topic A in 2014, and probably we’ve encouraged casbo members to

view the lcff as a historic opportunity to create new models of engagement with key stakeholders in their local

communities, the fact is that right now, there are a lot of unanswered questions about some very important issues, not the

least of which is the amount of funding Local Educational Agencies (lea s ) will

receive on an annual basis during the implementation period.

But no one said this was going to

be easy. As the state board has engaged groups representing local education agencies and children’s advocacy organi-

zations on what lcff regulations should look like, it’s become increasingly clear

that while everyone shares the same

Winter 2013 | 41

It’s complicated goals – closing achievement gaps and improving services and programs for our students with the greatest needs – there is

a vast diversity of opinion in how we get

of $10 billion. This will be a critical discussion at the state level in 2014.

there. From casbo’s point of view, we’d

Today’s topics

various options by which to demonstrate

horizon pose quite a challenge to elected

prefer regulations that present leas with

As Vaca points out, the issues on the

they are meeting the lcff’s statutory re-

officials and community leaders across

quirement to increase or improve services

for the targeted students. We’d also like

to see the regulations focus on achieving equity, in the form of improved achieve-

ment for all students, at the output stage.

Other organizations, particularly those

that focus on educational equity and

social justice issues, would prefer to see much greater restrictions on the use of

funds. This dialogue will continue for the foreseeable future.

CalSTRS unfunded liability

At some point, the Legislature will

need to address the long-term funding needs of the State Teachers’ Retirement

System Defined Benefit program. A Calstrs report released this year

the state, but today is already here and the current controversies need immediate attention.

increasing basis. Our biggest challenge is to make sure the laws we currently

have on the books that inhibit the use of appropriate online technology are modi-

fied to empower public school leaders to

make the best use of the opportunities.

Among those challenges are the limitations that exist across entire communities

for broadband connectivity. California

school leaders like Dr. Randy Ward in San Diego are at the forefront of reforms

Online learning is quite popular in universities, but what is its future in public schools?

Online learning Online learning is quite popular in universities, but what is its future in

public schools? Some experts wonder if there will be enough money to

adequately fund online learning. Others say there may not be enough resources

to the Federal E-Rate program that recog-

nize the importance of community-wide

broadband access and the need for an aggressive national strategy for broad-

band that possesses a strong education component.

to help impoverished students take full

Bob Blattner, principal at Blattner & Associates, consultant and lobbyist

about online learning.

Because online education offers the

involve some level of increase in both

Jack O’Connell, former state superintendent of public instruction

curriculum for everyone, it could be as

to the plan.

The early debate about online learning

modern public lending library system

pegged the shortfall at $64 billion, and whatever solution the Legislature enacts

is likely to be controversial in that it will employer and employee contributions

K-12 facilities bond

In his budget message this year, Gov. Jerry Brown expressed a desire to engage in a dialogue on the future of school facilities funding, and a consideration of the state’s role – and whether the

state should play a role – in the future of facilities funding. It’s now been years since a statewide education bond was

on the ballot, and some have estimated

the unmet facilities needs to be in excess

42 | California School Business

advantage. Here are some other opinions

was appropriately focused on achieving accountability and trying to discern between those who were trying to

advance teaching and learning and others who were more motivated by

profit. Online learning has more recently

been evolving into a crucial part of the strategies public schools leaders

are working to integrate into their instructional approach.

“Blended learning” is leveraging

online technology to raise student achievement in schools on an ever-

promise of increased access to an enriched

revolutionary as the development of the in the mid-19th century. Sure, there are

some hurdles: access to technology, the wait for digital natives to populate the

teaching force, and – with the diminution of face-to-face adult-student contact –

ensuring that kids don’t fall through the cracks either academically or socially.

But the benefits dwarf any challenges.

For instance, online education offers

an elusive cure for education’s case of “Baumol’s Cost Disease,” which posits that educators’ productivity increases

have lagged far behind workers in other

industries (agriculture, manufacturing)

even though their salaries have kept

pace. Consequently, the high costs of the education system that result can only be cured by reducing salaries (a

non-starter – in Sacramento, at least) or by increasing productivity. And online education could provide significantly increased efficiencies.

Teacher evaluation Los Angeles Unified School District established a new evaluation system for

teachers, but California’s labor board

says the district may have jumped the

gun. The board filed a complaint claiming that the nation’s second-largest school system didn’t properly consult with the teacher’s union.

The bottom line is that we’ll have issues with any bill that makes evaluation criteria subject to bargaining.

Regardless of how this particular

situation plays out, how should teachers be evaluated?

Jeff Vaca In the last two legislative sessions, we’ve

seen bills dealing with two separate, but

equally controversial issues pertaining to teachers: the dismissal process and

the evaluation process. The one thing that those bills have had in common is that none of them have been signed

into law. On the dismissal process, there was sb1530 in 2012, which was

supported by management and opposed

by labor. This year, there was ab375, supported by labor and opposed by

management. ab375 was vetoed by

the governor, but in his veto message

he stated there were worthwhile elements in it, and he encouraged the Legislature to continue to work with

stakeholders on a bill to streamline the dismissal process. Assemblymember

Joan Buchanan, the chair of the Assembly Education Committee, cares passionately

about both issues and is likely to address

both in legislation in next year’s session.

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Winter 2013 | 43

It’s complicated The challenge for any legislator

to the issue of inadequate resources.

issue that still requires leadership is in

legislation is to bridge that gap between

our system underfunded professional

after another since Newtown, there has

attempting to address these issues in

management and labor. Can a new teacher evaluation system be created that

does not expand the scope of collective bargaining, which was one of casbo’s

issues with ab5? The bottom line is that

we’ll have issues with any bill that makes

evaluation criteria subject to bargaining.

And on dismissal, we’re supportive of a

streamlined, fair process that protects the rights of teachers, but not at the expense of having a system that makes it more dif-

ficult to dismiss teachers who should not be in the classroom – which we felt was

Even back in the “good old days,”

development to a shocking extent – and then that pittance was “flexed” during the recession to keep the lights on in

our classrooms. k-12 education is still centered on the interaction between

student and teacher, and if we want to improve the product, we need to do a better job in hiring the best applicants

(and too few districts are state-of-the-art

in this regard), and then in helping every hire improve every year.

the case with ab375. We are genuinely

School safety

thorny issues and look forward to work-

has struck school districts across the

interested in finding a resolution to these

In the wake of horrific violence that

ing with Assemblymember Buchanan

nation, millions of California families say

and others to find a solution.

goodbye to their children every morning

How do we protect our children without taking their privileges?

Bob Blattner We have the capability even now to measure how individual teachers impact their students’ performance on standardized tests. The big question,

though, is whether or not these test scores

can really measure a “quality education.”

and hope they’re able to say hello some

eight hours later. Keeping kids safe is the most important job that school officials, teachers and educators have. How do we

protect our children without taking their privileges?

Moving away from No Child Left

Jack O’Connell

of the deeper content knowledge

that the rest of the nation should learn

Behind’s “drill and kill” to the acquisition

In California, we have really done a lot

embodied in the Common Core is

from. Congressman George Miller is

certainly a great step forward, and should eventually reduce resistance to linking high stakes consequences for teachers

to their students’ performance. But you

don’t fatten a steer by weighing it; our real challenge isn’t so much measuring

teacher performance as improving it.

And here, unfortunately, we return

44 | California School Business

working on federal legislation right

now that would require the kind of criminal background checks in schools

for the rest of the country that we’ve

been doing for several years now. We

have largely figured out how to make

our schools safer without making them feel like prisons. At the same time, an

the area of guns. Despite one tragedy not been the will in Congress to advance

sensible legislation regarding firearms used primarily as killing machines. This,

coupled with an urgent need to focus on student mental health services, are crucial

solutions for us to pursue. Perhaps

the most recent tragic school shooting involving the 13-year-old boy in Nevada will spur some action.

Bob Blattner As the parents of two public school students, there have been occasions

when my wife and I were disappointed in the education our sons were receiving,

and we could live with that. However, if we had for one moment believed

The accomplishments of California’s public schools are truly remarkable given the huge challenges we have and the diversity of our students.

that our kids weren’t safe, we would

according to the u.s. Census Bureau,

skilled educators have the insight and

I believe that the society at large is

racial demographic group in the United

socioeconomic challenges posed by a

have taken immediate action. And increasingly coming to acknowledge

this fundamental responsibility schools owe their students and parents and

staff; several of the districts I work

Asians were the fastest growth ethnic or

States during 2012, and California boasted the largest yearly growth in

Asian residents from July 2011 to July

2012. No doubt, this shift will have

with have student safety at the very

profound effects on California, from

I think that schools are doing a great

How will schools respond?

top of their mission statements. And job in this regard, establishing effective

politics to the economy to education.

emergency plans, training the on-site

Jack O’Connell

agencies, sharing best practices. Even the

dramatically delivered for students

adults, coordinating with other local

Our public schools in California

venerable Field Act and the big yellow

across every subgroup over the two terms

bus are all about the primacy of student safety, and that’s why I believe that schools present a safe haven even in the most unsettled communities. So I

think it’s important to keep the course we’re on, continually and incrementally

improving our safety measures, and avoiding temptation in the wake of tragedies, like Newtown, to pursue

costly and implausible solutions unlikely to make either students or staff safer.

Changing demographics According to a report released this past summer by the California Department of Finance, the number of Latinos has

matched the number of white non-

I served as state superintendent, but we

can do better. The declining per pupil investment and deep cuts to schools have had an adverse impact in the state’s ability to address the ever-increasing

diversity of our students. While we have

seen important improvements in closing the achievement gap, the problem will

persist if all our state leaders do not

remain committed to solving it. The

accomplishments of California’s public schools are truly remarkable given

the huge challenges we have and the diversity of our students. Without fully

addressing the achievement gap and mobility among subgroups in our public schools, we will not have the educated workforce and intellectual capital this

expertise and tenacity to overcome the diverse student population. But these

educators are facing two significant impediments. First, there isn’t enough

money to do what is needed; as we all

know, California serves the nation’s most diverse population with bottom-

of-the-barrel funding. As a result, even when we try to focus more money on

these high-needs students, as with the

lcff, we can only do so by starving the basic core program for the state as a whole, leaving an educational deficiency

in the middle of the school day for millions of students. Even if we had the resources, however, there’s the challenge

of spreading the requisite expertise and best practices across the state to every

one of the thousands of school sites and

then inside every one of the hundreds of thousands of classrooms. This daunting task is made even more difficult because of a decentralized system controlled by independently elected school boards

and, too often, collective bargaining agreements designed to protect adults

more than students. So there’s no magic

potion for success; just hard work and relentless persistence.

state needs to prosper.

Transgender policies

found that Latinos will become a

Bob Blattner

the School Success and Opportunity Act,

non-Hispanic population. Furthermore,

personally, that California’s most

Hispanic population for the first time in California. The same study also plurality next year, overtaking the white

I know, having worked with them

It is currently the law of the state, but which aims to reduce discrimination

against transgender students in grades

Winter 2013 | 45

It’s complicated k-12, is under tremendous fire. Opponents want to overturn the law, citing

privacy concerns for other students. The

law is meant to help students, but does it negatively impact others?

Bob Blattner A lot of schools are having difficulty

The issue strikes a bull’s eye right at some of our society’s most sensitive nerves – privacy and sexuality and gender.

addressing this new law for a couple of

assessment and accountability system,

but I don’t see the law being overturned

eye right at some of our society’s

And so the bandwidth really hasn’t

I have confidence that this balance can

reasons. First, the issue strikes a bull’s

most sensitive nerves – privacy and

sexuality and gender. Second, the law materialized rather suddenly, at a time when educators were preoc-

cupied with simultaneous sea changes in our entire funding system, in our

and our in our state’s entire curriculum. been available yet to implement this

law within the context of each community’s expectations and values.

Balancing the mores of local communities with the individual rights enumerated

in the legislation will be challenging,

under Gov. Brown’s administration, and be achieved by local administrators and school boards. z z z

Tim Douglas is a freelance writer based in Elk Grove, Calif.

CASBO poll Which contentious issue do you think will cause the most uproar in the education community in the coming year?

> Online learning > Teacher evaluation > School safety > Transgender policies To vote, please go to www.casbo.org. Click on the professional development image and then click on the “Online Surveys” link.

46 | California School Business

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Winter 2013 | 47

CASBO book club

A primer on what is truly important for today’s school leaders Join your colleagues this winter in reading the CASBO Book Club selection, “What Matters Most for School Leaders: 25 Reminders of What Is Really Important,”

by Robert D. Ramsey.

The author, a former teacher, counselor, assistant principal, curriculum director and superintendent, uses the book to attempt to refresh today’s driven school leaders, and to remind them just why they work so hard and why their work is important.

Flexible, efficient financing for critical projects The California School Boards Association and Piper Jaffray & Co. have partnered with the California Association of School Business Officials to offer you an enhanced Certificates of Participation program.

Now, raising funds for construction projects, real property acquisitions and capital improvements is easier than ever.

www.csba.org/COPs | 800.266.3382

48 | California School Business

Educators have called the book a “primer of what is truly important for today’s school leaders” and say the text is like a survival guide that includes 25 fundamental insights and baseline beliefs that will never change.

The book includes practical tips and strategies for those working in public schools, and also weaves in inspirational messages and stories from the front lines of school leadership.

Topics covered in the book include the importance of servant leadership, schools as sacred places of hope, the passion school leadership requires, how to bring fun to the serious business of schools and why being a school leader is worth it.

Mixed in are motivational quotes, valuable lists of lasting truths for educators and tips on how to become a better leader while at the same time enhancing the image of all professional educational leaders.

CASBO Career Rx

For career success, you have to be in the r ace

By Molly McGee Hewitt Executive Director

School business is a unique profession. Unlike other professions, few set out to be school business officials. People evolve into it. Some start out in education, some in private business and some in the corporate world. They come to their jobs with great variety in their education, training and expertise. A private chef who becomes a food service director, a CPA turned finance director, a headhunter evolves into an HR professional – the paths to school business are rarely the same.

But even though the career paths are divergent, common denominators do exist that lead to the professional success of these members.

Whether you are a risk manager, purchasing director, IT professional, CBO or one of any of the other groups represented by CASBO, you have a desire to be a part of a free and public education system.

You contribute in your area to the success of the schools and the children and you serve. You see a higher purpose than a paycheck or a bonus. In a very material world, you see more than money, titles and power.

The four keys to career success in school business are simple. They apply to those entering the profession, to those looking to advance and to those seeking to continue in their current discipline. They respect all people, all skill levels and are based on professionalism and common sense.

The four keys have a memorable acronym – RACE. R for relationships. Establishing strong relationships is a key to success in school business.

Knowing who to call for advice or expertise

enhances your skill set. Having strong working relationships with your colleagues in other disciplines allows you to navigate the changes and challenges in school business.

Unlike manufacturing or other industries, we are 100 percent in the people business. Good relationships with our colleagues, superiors, subordinates, community members and industry leaders make a difference.

A for attitude. How you do business is as important as the business you do. Your attitude toward your work, the profession, your organization and with your colleagues either contributes or detracts from your success. If you are a positive professional and a collaborative and supportive colleague, you are a valuable employee. People want to work with you and will go the extra mile to help you succeed.

If your attitude is negative and you are viewed as a complainer or non-team player, you may be a liability to the district. What you say, how you say it, how you act and your attitude reflect on the organization.

C for capabilities. Do you have a strong skill set?

Do you bring your best professional capabilities to the workplace? Do you have unique skills? Are your skills up to date and do they reflect the best professional practices of today? Are you forwardor backward-focused?

but today’s leaders need strong capabilities that reflect current needs. Forward-thinking, prepared employees will embrace change and keep looking at new and improved ways to do business. They don’t fight change; they adapt and develop new professional capabilities to meet the needs.

E for education. We work for educational organizations. Degrees matter. While school business officials are not always required to have degrees or certifications, to compete and to be taken seriously by colleagues who do, you need an education.

In today’s job market as districts and county offices hire new school business officials, the competition comes prepared. They often have undergraduate and graduate degrees and professional certifications. Your history and experience may not be enough when you are applying for a new position or promotion.

Secure the best education you can and explore professional certifications. Visit the CASBO website and learn about our certifications. Explore the scholarship opportunities available for those wishing to return to school, to complete degrees or to attend graduate school. Make an effort to get started. You’ll be amazed at what expanding your education can do for you.

The opportunities will be there for those who are prepared to win the RACE!

What was needed 10 years ago is different than what is needed today. Experience is valuable,

Winter 2013 | 49

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50 | California School Business

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out & about

Rick Passavoy, left, president and CEO of Transact, and Ron Bennett, right, CEO of School Services of California, visit at CBO Symposium.

Jeff Vaca, CASBO’s deputy executive director, governmental relations, provides a legislative update at the sold out CBO Symposium held Nov. 21-22 in Universal City.

Kevin Gordon, president and partner of Capitol Advisors Group, speaks at CBO Symposium.

2013 CBO Symposium

Michael Dodge, regional manager of California Financial Services, speaks to Symposium attendees on Nov. 21.

Please send in your Out & About photos from CASBO events along with the names of the people in the photos and the event where the photo was taken. Digital photos may be sent to tdavenport@casbo.org.

Jennifer Kuhn, director of K-12 education for the California Legislative Analyst’s Office, shares good news about the state’s financial forecast at CBO Symposium.

Winter 2013 | 51

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School Services of California, Inc. (916) 446-7517 www.sscal.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Cooperative Purchasing The Cooperative Purchasing Network (888) 884-7695 www.tcpn.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Emergency 24 Hour Services American Technologies, Inc. (800) 400-9353 www.amer-tech.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Energy Efficiency Upgrades and Demand Management TerraVerde Renewable Partners (650) 868-0410 www.tvrpllc.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Facility Permit Automation Civic Permits (800) 555-0431 www.civicpermits.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Financial and Facility Planners California Financial Services (707) 544-7800 www.calschools.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Financial and Human Resource Software Smartetools (760) 242-8890 www.smartetools.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Financial Services Piper Jaffray & Co. (800) 876-1854 www.PJC.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Stifel, Nicolaus & Company (800) 447-8663 www.stifel.com/institutional/public-finance Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Fire & Water Damage Restoration

M A N A G E

T H E

BUSINESS OF EDUCATION

Earn your master’s in School Business Leadership ONLINE! T h i s s p e c i a l i z e d g r a d u a te p r o g r a m i s d e s i g n e d to a d d r e s s to p i c s t h a t a r e c r u c i a l to s u cce s s i n to d ay ’s s c h o o l b u s i n e s s e n v i r o n m e n t . I t w i l l p r ov i d e yo u w i t h p r a c t i c a l k n ow l e d g e – t h e k i n d yo u c a n a p p l y i m m e d i a te l y to yo u r c a r e e r.

C o u r s e s a d d r e s s a v a r i e t y o f s c h o o l b u s i n e s s to p i c s , i n c l u d i n g : • Public relations • Fa c i l i t y m a n a g e m e n t • Fi n a n c i a l o p e r a t i o n s • H u m a n r e s o u r ce s • I n f o r m a t i o n te c h n o l o g y • Fo o d s e r v i ce O u r o n l i n e f o r m a t a l l ow s yo u to l e a r n f r o m a ny w h e r e a n d o n yo u r s c h e d u l e , w h i l e p r ov i d i n g p l e n t y o f i n te r a c t i o n w i t h c l a s s m a te s a n d i n s t r u c to r s .

Program highlights: • ONLINE format • Af f o r d a b l e t u i t i o n - $ 3 9 5 /c r e d i t • D e g r e e co m p l e t i o n i n a s l i t t l e a s t wo ye a r s

Visit us at the conference in the Career HQ! www.wilkes.edu/sbl • (800) WILKES-U Ext. 4671

52 | California School Business

American Technologies, Inc. (800) 400-9353 www.amer-tech.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Fraud Prevention, Detection & Investigation Vicenti, Lloyd & Stutzman LLP (626) 857-7300 www.vlsllp.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Furniture Virco Manufacturing Corp.

(800) 813-4150 www.virco.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover

Healthcare Services/Insurance Southern California Schools Joint Powers Association (909) 763-4900 www.scsjpa.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Insurance and Financial Services Horace Mann Companies (402) 290-3116 www.horacemann.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

advertiserindex Insurance Benefits/Services American Fidelity Assurance Company (800) 365-9180 www.afadvantage.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 ASCIP (562) 404-8029 www.ascip.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Keenan (310) 212-0363 www.keenan.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Schools Excess Liability Fund (SELF) (866) 453-5300 www.selfjpa.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Self Insured Schools of CA (SISC) (800) 972-1727 www.sisc.kern.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Investment Banking De La Rosa Co. (415) 217-3389 www.ejdelarosa.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Law Firm Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo (562) 653-3428 www.aalrr.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Stutz Artiano Shinoff & Holtz (800) 399-3122 www.stutzartiano.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Modular Buildings, Relocatable Classrooms

AD INDEX

Mobile Modular Management Corporation (800) 944-3442 www.mobilemodularrents.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

American Fidelity Assurance Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Network Solutions & Servers & PC Solutions

ATI Architects and Engineers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Sehi Computer Products, Inc. (800) 346-6315 www.sehi.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Office Supplies

Creative Bus Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Office DEPOT (888) 263-3423 www.officedepot.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

De La Rosa Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Public Finance

Edupoint Educational Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Stifel, Nicolaus & Company (800) 447-8663 www.stifel.com/institutional/public-finance Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Retirement Benefits Public Agency Retirement Service (800) 540-6369 #127 www.pars.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Risk Management Services Schools Excess Liability Fund (SELF) (866) 453-5300 www.selfjpa.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Southern California Schools Joint Powers Association (909) 763-4900 www.scsjpa.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

School Bus Sales Service & Parts Creative Bus Sales (909) 465-5528 www.creativebussales.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

American Technologies, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 ASCIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

California Financial Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Civic Permits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

DecisionInsite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Eagle Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 GASB 45 Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Horace Mann Companies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Keenan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Mobile Modular Management Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Office DEPOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Piper Jaffray & Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Public Agency Retirement Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 School Services of California, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Schools Excess Liability Fund (SELF) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Sehi Computer Products, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Self Insured Schools of CA (SISC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Smartetools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Southern California Schools Joint Powers Association . . . . . . . 27 Stifel, Nicolaus & Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Stutz Artiano Shinoff & Holtz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 TerraVerde Renewable Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 The Cooperative Purchasing Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Vicenti, Lloyd & Stutzman LLP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Virco Manufacturing Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover

Student Information Services Edupoint Educational Systems (800) 338-7646 www.edupoint.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

CASBO Career Headquarters is the premier electronic recruitment resource for the industry. Job seekers can click on Career HQ to view a host of career opportunities; employers can visit the HQ to both post available jobs and to track qualified candidates.

Eagle Software (888) 487-7555 www.aeries.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Visit www.casbo.org and look for the Career HQ tab.

Winter 2013 | 53

lastwords

time of drastic change, it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.

In a

691,470 The number of California Elementary School children, or one out of every five, who were reported to be truant in the 2011-2012 school year.

~ Eric Hoffer, writer and philosopher

Source: California Department of Education

A recent study found a strong positive relationship between both information sharing and decentralized decision making and a company’s innovativeness.

first job of a leader is to define reality, the last is to say thank you, and in between he is a servant.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Labor

~ Max Depree, ceo, Herman Miller

+

doubt whether one can become a full formed moral I seriously

human being without ever taking a

stand on a controversial or unpopular issue. ~ Jimmy Iggers

54 | California School Business

The

6.2 million With 6.2 million children, the student population in California is bigger than the total populations of some 30 other states.

Source: Tom Torlakson, state schools chief

Do you have an inspirational quote or interesting statistic to share with your colleagues?

Send your favorites to tdavenport @casbo.org.

Choose a Guide who Knows California Education Finance

Piper Jaffray is a leader in structuring and underwriting bonds for California school districts and community college districts. With the largest and most experienced team of dedicated K-14 education finance professionals in California, our team has more than 150 years of combined experience and service to the education industry.

•

General Obligation Bonds

•

Interim Project Financing

•

Certificates of Participation

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Debt Refinancing/Restructuring

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Mello-Roos/CFD Bonds

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Tax and Revenue Anticipation Notes

To begin your journey, contact us at 800 876-1854.

Piper Jaffray California Public Finance Investment Banking offices are located in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento and Orange County.

Since 1895. Member SIPC and NYSE. © 2013 Piper Jaffray & Co. 7/13 CM-13-0264 piperjaffray.com

Winter 2013 | 55

Virco introduces a new collection of table tops, bases and chairs to suit a variety of casual environments.

For more information, call Virco today at 800-813-4150 or visit our website at www.virco.com to learn about Virco products.

- equipment for educators

™

56 | California School Business

Š2013 Virco Inc. REF# 13099