EDLD Week 5 Final Reflection

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lrargerich/

This course has introduced me to the scope of school finance. The lectures reiterated the importance of goal driven budgets and the assignments reinforced this idea. Through the assignments and the work with my wiki group I realize that there are numerous resources one can turn to in order to locate information. Whether it be a colleague in another district or the TEA website the resources are available and should be referenced when needed.

The assignments that utilized the summary of finance pages from different districts were the most interesting and at times the most challenging. It became very clear that a superintendent should do his research before entering a district blindly. The fund balance, current debt and other information could be invaluable to a superintendent’s entry plan.

As a future superintendent, I realize how important it is to build a strong administrative team that is willing to disagree with you when necessary. These team members can bring a plethora of ideas and knowledge to the table that may allow alternative solutions to problems that the superintendent may not have considered. A competent Chief Financial Officer is of paramount importance to this team. In the world of high stakes testing it is easy to overlook this l role but it is crucial if a district is to be competitive.

 


The process of developing consistent procedures and proper checks and balances was definitely reinforced during the week 5 part 1 exercise on the Code of Ethics. This is something that I will carry with me. Reviewing written policies is another task that a new superintendent must undertake if they are to be successful. Not only must they become familiar with the policies they must ensure that the Board of Trustees is familiar with them also. In conclusion, this course has been both challenging and informative. I am sure that I have much more to learn but now have a foundation to build upon.

EDLD Week 5 Part 1

http://www.flickr.com/photos/x1brett/

Example 1--Standard 1.2 of the Code of Ethics states that, “the educator shall not knowingly misappropriate, divert, or use monies, personnel, property, or equipment committed to his or her charge for personal gain or advantage. An example of a violation of this ethical standard would be a superintendent who directs the district lawn crew to go to his house and mow the lawn and weed the flowerbeds using district equipment. In this scenario the administrator would have used district personnel and property for personal gain.

Consequence— Both short term and long term consequences could result from this violation. The Board of Trustees could place the superintendent on administrative leave and conduct an investigation. Whether or not the allegation was substantiated the superintendent’s reputation in the community could be tarnished.  In the case where the allegations were substantiated the district could seek restitution. Additionally, the superintendent could be terminated and have a Code of Ethics violation filed with the Texas Education Agency. The long term effects of this violation could be devastating to one’s career.

Preventive action—Proper training should be provided for all educators on the code of ethics. District employees should knowledgeable of what duties fall within the scope of their job and what does not. Clear directions should be developed for employees to report code of ethics violations.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/francisteresa/

Example 2—Standard 1.4 of the Code of Ethics states that, “the educator shall not use institutional or professional privileges for personal or partisan advantage.” An example of a violation of this standard would be a superintendent who holds religiously based trainings a regarding the biblical basis of teaching abstinence during school time. The Superintendent also directed employees to call parents to request their attendance at these meetings and submit their call logs to their campus principal. All of the handouts were from religious organizations and printed by district employees on district paper. This example is a violation of the Code of Ethics because the superintendent used his position to communicate information that was outside the scope of his duties and was of a personal nature.

Consequence— An educator should not use district materials for personal use. Nor should they utilize the district board room for religiously based abstinence trainings.  A violation of this type could result in disciplinary action being taken ranging from a reprimand to administrative leave or even termination of the contract.

Preventive action— School districts should develop ways to monitor district trainings and ensure that a staff development calendar of activities is placed in front of the school board for review. Additionally, staff should be reminded often that materials purchased by the school district are the property of the district and not for personal use.  The school district should also remind staff that one’s personal, religious and/or political views should be not be taught while they are at work.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/pixelpackr/

Example 3—Standard 1.5 of the Code of Ethics states that, “the educator shall not accept nor offer gratuities, gifts, or favors that impair the professional judgment or to obtain special advantage.” An example of this would be a superintendent who recommends a particular contractor to the board in exchange for getting some repairs done to his home for free.

Consequence— Both short term and long term consequences could result from this violation. The Board of Trustees could place the superintendent on administrative leave and conduct an investigation. Whether or not the allegation was substantiated the superintendent’s reputation in the community could be tarnished.  In the case where the allegations were substantiated the district could seek restitution. Additionally, the superintendent could be terminated and have a Code of Ethics violation filed with the Texas Education Agency. The long term effects of this violation could be devastating to one’s career.

Preventive Action— School district’s should follow an approved procedure when selecting contractors. A request for proposals should be published and the proposals should be opened in a public forum to ensure proper security.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotologic/

Example 4-   Standard 2.3. states, “The educator shall adhere to written local school board policies and state and federal laws regarding the hiring, evaluation, and dismissal of personnel.” An example of a violation of this standard would be a superintendent who decides not to follow the district developed evaluation tool. Instead, he develops his own evaluation tool which does not correspond to the district’s written policies. The superintendent then uses this tool, which the staff is unaware of, to evaluate all of the administrative employees and base their contract recommendations on these evaluations.

Consequence- This violation could result in grievance being filed under DGBA local. Additionally, it could result in lower staff morale and a lack of trust between administrators and the superintendent. A long term effect of this decision to utilize an unapproved evaluation tool could range from a breakdown in superintendent –school board relations to the recommendation for nonrenewal of the superintendent.

Preventive Action— School district’s should follow an approved procedure when conducting evaluations. Superintendents should ensure that all staff is knowledgeable of the evaluation tool that will be used and its basis in board policy. All evaluations should be sent to the Personnel Department for review to ensure proper compliance with board policy.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ww4f/

Example 5 (F) Standard 2.6. states, “The educator shall not use coercive means or promise of special treatment in order to influence professional decisions or colleagues. An example of a violation of this standard would be a superintendent who informs a campus administrator that if they hire a particular individual it will be remembered when future central office openings take place. In other words, quid pro quo.

Consequence- In the short term the effects could range from a non-highly qualified staff member being placed in a classroom to the students simply receiving a less effective instructor. The long term effects could range from an internal investigation to even an EEOC investigation when a less qualified campus administrator is hired over someone else in order to repay the original favor.

Preventive Action— School district’s should follow an approved procedure when selecting employees. Proper protocols should be developed that include signature forms that require a group consensus. Administrative positions should require more than one level of interviews.

EDLD 5342 Week4 Part 5

Sheldon I.S.D. selects the external auditor through a process of announcing requests for proposals (RFP) in the paper. After the RFPs have been collected the Finance Office reviews the submissions and checks references in order to make a final selection. The final selection is made by selecting the auditor that has positive references and provides the district with the best value.  

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30239838@N04/

The auditor conducts the audit by reviewing the financial records of the school district and reviewing the processes used. Often times the auditors will choose a number of items and investigate those further.  Specific purchase orders may be requested or a group of purchase orders and other financial records from a specific budget code or department.  For instance, a few years ago the auditors chose to look at the activity accounts of each campus more closely than other budget codes. Last year, the auditors reviewed the entire budget but delved further into monies received from grants and the processes used for reimbursement and internal auditing of these funds.  Just because the auditors choose to investigate a specific item does not mean that there is a problem. They are simply evaluating the internal processes that are in place to ensure appropriate accounting and proper checks and balances.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/purpleslog/

The auditors have consistently concluded that the district has appropriate financial accounting systems in place. The school district has consistently achieved superior FIRST ratings during the past six years. However, this school year the district received an Above Average rating. This was due to a lower than expected return on investments.  In the current economy this is not a surprise and the district is optimistic that we will again receive a superior rating in the near future.  

During our most recent audit a few recommendations were made by the auditors. First, the auditors recommended that a formal process be implemented for prior approval of all reimbursements. The district has implemented a PO2 system that now requires staff members to complete a PO2 prior to purchasing any item at a store for which they are planning on requesting reimbursement.  These PO2s must be approved at three administrative levels the same as a normal purchase order. Failure to complete a PO2 will result in no reimbursement being distributed. Secondly, a recommendation was made to conduct internal audits on all grant funds on a quarterly basis and submit reimbursement requests for the grant at that time. We have already implemented this practice and the district now submits documentation to the grantee on a quarterly basis.

 The results of the audit are presented to the Board of Trustees by the auditors. The results of the audit are placed on the agenda. The auditors report their findings directly to the school board. Additionally, the Chief Financial Officer holds a public forum every year to review the FIRST rating and field any questions from the public that may arise.  This public forum has always been an informative time that our district strongly encourages the public to attend.

EDLD 4342 Week 4 Part 4

I interviewed the Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Abraham George, in order to obtain information about the district’s financial system. Mr. George has worked diligently over the past year to provide staff with information on how the current financial situation affects our school district. During the interview I learned that approximately 80% of the school district’s budget is allocated for personnel. I realize that the district has taken steps over the past year to reduce the overall budget. However other than loss of positions through attrition and two change of program non-renewals the district did not cut positions. Attrition in 2011 allowed the district to reduce staffing by 30 positions. We have had numerous meetings to discuss staffing and the needs of each department and school over the next two years. As a position in the district is vacated the district is examining the necessity of replacement. We were even to able to open a new elementary school in august by staffing it with current staff members who were reassigned. The school district has made a concerted effort, in light of the financial situation of the state to review and monitor all expenditures. However, the school board has made a commitment to appropriately staff schools and department by looking at reductions in other areas.

A five percent salary increase would have both positive and negative impacts. Currently as we enter into the world of STARR and leave TAKS many teachers are stressed. Teachers in the classroom continually work hard to ensure that their students achieve the standards that have been set forth. A five percent raise would show these teachers that they are respected and valued.  A five percent raise may improve morale but only for the short term. Studies have shown that money is not a motivator.  A raise may assist the district in recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers. This positive aspect of a raise may be good but must be balanced with other factors. For instance, if a teacher in one district makes $5,000 dollars more than a counterpart in another district but has 5 more students in each class is that a fair trade off?

 Giving a five percent raise in the current financial climate would not be wise. It would cause the district to cut staff, pass another TRE (our golden pennies have already been used so we would have to ask the voter to pass the copper pennies), or dip into the fund balance. These options have been reviewed and are not viewed in the most positive light by the school board at this time. If we used our fund balance we may be able to support a five percent raise for one year but without a clear understanding of what the next biennium will bring it would not be fiscally responsible.

EDLD 5342 Week 3 Part 4

Sheldon I.S.D. receives approximately seventy-five million dollars in total revenues. This revenue is received from local property taxes (67%), state funds (24%) and federal funds (9%). The revenue is allocated into different categories with the majority of funding allocated to personnel. Approximately $31,000,000 of this $75,000,000 is allocated to Function 11 instruction. The district has made a concerted effort to ensure that a large share of funds goes to directly impact instruction. In fact, this is a question that the school board asks every year when the budget is presented.  District Operation (Function 51) also receives a large share of the pie with an allocation of approximately 7.8 million or a little over ten percent of the budget. 12.1 million dollars is allocated to debt service out of the overall district budget.  Instructional Support (function 21) is an area that our district has seen an increase in funding over the past few years. Sheldon wanted to ensure that support systems were in place for staff and allocated funds to meet this need.  A curriculum department was added to ensure alignment and to assist campuses with the implementation of the district curriculum and its monitoring.

The summary of finances shows Special Education funding in the amount of a little over 2 million dollars and Career and Technology funding at 1.28 million dollars. The summary of finances demonstrates the level of at risk students in the district by the amount of funding provided for State Compensatory Education. This amount is over 6 million dollars, slightly below ten percent of the overall M&O budget but a significant amount none the less.  A preliminary recapture amount of 1.69 million dollars is also listed. This is the district’s Chapter 41 payment to the state. This school year Sheldon I.S.D. witnessed a decrease in property values. It has not yet been determined if this decrease is significant enough to move the district out of Chapter 41 but preliminary calculations show it will be close.

  Operating costs within the district are at a level twice that of the amount of funding actually allocated for instruction.  This is because nearly 57 million dollars is allocated for operating costs.  Although this seems high to an outsider, it is consistent with the previously discussed course materials that indicate the lion’s share of costs go to personnel to cover salaries and benefits.  The district’s voters just passed a TRE to deal with the current reduction in state funding. This new money will allow the district to better handle the current fiscal situation.

EDLD 5342 Week 3 Part 2

Revenue per WADA@Compressed Rate:

District 1: $5,044

District 2 : $7,206

Total target revenue for the M & O: This is calculated by multiplying the WADA by the WADA@Compressed Rate:

District 1: 28,023,530

District 2: 34,546,111

Total number of teachers, librarians, nurses & counselors in each district.

District 1:    618 x (8%+43%)=315

District 2:   560 x (6%+47%)=297

Both districts have the same number of Total Teacher FTEs when looking at the chart. However, it is important to look closer at the information. The chart lists the total percentage of each category which can be added and together and then multiplied to the Total Staff FTE to calculate the number of teachers librarians, nurses & counselors in each district. In this scenario, District 1 has more staff members in order to meet the needs of their students.  District 1 has a much higher property value than District 2. Both districts have the same compressed tax rate.  However, the amount of money that each district receives from their M&O collections is vastly different with District 2 collecting much more. In this case WADA failed.

EDLD 5342 Week 3 Part 1

Analysis of district snapshots:


District 1 Economically Disadvantaged: 93.3%

District 2 Economically Disadvantaged: 20.7%

Total Refined ADA Adjusted for Decline District 1: 3,893

Total Refined ADA Adjusted for Decline District 2: 4,032

District 1 WADA: $ 5,555.815

District 2 WADA: $4,794.076
The district with the lower ADA receives a higher WADA in order to provide equity, equality and accessibility. The WADA formula is based on a formula that provides additional funding to districts based on the number of students involved in special programs such as Special Education, Career and Technology, and Gifted and Talented Education. District 1 has a higher WADA due to the fact that they have a higher number of students that fall into the State Compensatory Education category and have a higher number of students that fall into the additional funded programs listed above. Since District 1 has a higher need based on this information they receive a higher WADA than District 2. The WADA is higher for the district with the lower ADA so it can mme t the needs of its students who (based on the information) have more educational needs than the district with the higher ADA.

EDLD 5342 Week 2- Part 4

During the interview with the superintendent, we had time to discuss the relationship between the size of a district and the amount of staff responsible for the budget. In a small district the superintendent could be solely responsible for the development of the budget that is presented to the school board. Texas Education Code states that “the superintendent is the budget officer for the district and prepares or causes the budget to be prepared.” In our school district the superintendent oversees the budgeting process while the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) handles the development of the budget. Throughout the year, he discusses the budget with her.  They meet on numerous occasions to discuss the preparation of the budget as well as current collections and expenditures.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59937401@N07/5929474535/

Dr. Giles stated that the budgeting process should ensure that all stakeholders are involved. Superintendents must work collaboratively to establish goals for the district. The superintendent must develop a knowledge base that is proficient in terms of the TEA Financial Accountability System.  In our school district the superintendent may delegate some responsibility to the CFO; however, the superintendent is the person that is legally responsible. Therefore, she works closely with the CFO and communicates with him weekly.  She stated that having a strong CFO is very important to her success and the success of the school district.  This school year we moved to zero-based budgeting this year. She stated that the process was different from past school years. Campuses submitted requests to the Superintendent’s cabinet for review. I found it interesting to hear the superintendent say that the principals actually made deeper cuts that the superintendent would have made. 

Over the past year we have developed a new strategic plan that is currently guiding the development of upcoming budgets. Throughout the development of the strategic plan, campuses and departments have started to align their goals to the goals listed in the strategic plan so the district has a common vision. School board members, teachers, administrators, students, parents and community representatives were all involved in strategic planning to ensure continuity between the strategic plan and other action plans within the district. This process assisted the superintendent in developing a budget that is reflective of the goals.

The development of the budget is an integral part of a superintendent’s responsibilities.  When looking at all the aspects of the budget it can quickly become overwhelming.  It is important that a superintendent surrounds themselves with competent individuals who have the knowledge necessary to carry out their delegated responsibilities. A strong superintendent realizes that they do not have to be an expert in everything but they need to be able to recognize the importance of hiring experts.

EDLD Week 2 - Part 5

During my interview with the Superintendent, we had the opportunity to discuss how various stakeholders have an opportunity to provide input into the development of the district budget. Following is the information I received:

Ø  Central Office Administrators and Staff-   Central Office personnel have the opportunity to provide input into the district budget by submitting their department budget to the Chief Financial Officer. Departmental budgets are developed in March and April and must include the cost, rationale and the budget code that will be used for the expenditures. Special projects are also submitted at this time for review.  The finance office provided departments with past budgets to use as a guide but amounts vary from year to year as costs and contracts change.

Ø  Principals- Principals work with campus staff to review expenditures and request budget allocations for the upcoming school year based on needs and goals.  These requests along with staffing requests are submitted to the CFO for the Superintendent’s Cabinet to review.

Ø  Site Based Decision Making Committees-  Site based teams meet and formulate campus goals that lead to budget development. In addition, sites based teams review allocations and assist the principal in allocating funds such as Title 1, State Compensatory funds and other revenue.  These teams help to drive the control of the budget down to the classroom level.

Ø  District Improvement Committee- The district committee develops goals for the district and makes recommendations to the Asst. Supt of Instructional Services that are submitted to the Superintendent’s Cabinet for review and implementation.

Ø  Teacher Organizations- Our district does not have active teacher organizations that provide input. Opinions from these groups would be welcomed but have not been heard at this time.

Ø  Key Stakeholders- Stakeholders give input through strategic planning committees and in town hall meetings. Input from these individuals may also be given throughout the school year in open forum at the board meetings.



Sheldon I.S.D. Board of Trustees

Ø  Board of Trustees- The superintendent listens to the goals of the Board of Trustees. She then gives them options that they can consider. Last year she took a variety of options to them for budget reduction that would allow the district to work within the parameters of the budget reduction. The school board decided not to cut programs or staff. Instead travel and other costs were reduced.

When one looks at the intricacies associated with the development of the budget, it is easy to see that this is a group project. It is important to listen to the opinions of others and align the budget to the goals of the district.  The superintendent depends on the knowledge base and perspective of numerous people when developing the school district’s budget. These perspectives allow her to see the whole picture while keeping a keen eye on special needs.  Strong community relations and communications skills are an asset to any superintendent when developing budgets in the financial times we are currently experiencing.

EDLD Week 2 Part 3

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8706285@N06/3509948060/

The TEA Budgeting Guidelines is a comprehensive overview of the Texas school system. It discusses the fiduciary responsibility a school district has to its constituents and how the budget is a commitment to this responsibility. One of the sections within the guidelines discusses different types of budgeting such as line item, zero based, and performance based. Sheldon I.S.D. recently left program and planning-programming budgeting and moved to zero based budgeting in response to the current financial situation in the state.

The guidelines also discuss roles and responsibilities, legal requirements and revenue estimates. As a principal, I utilized the TEA Budgeting Guidelines to learn about budget codes and what function codes applies to different programs. However, this document has much more depth than simply budget coding.  In reviewing the document, I learned that the Texas finance system is anything but easy to understand. The finance system necessitates a Superintendent to have a strong understanding of requirements, finances as well as sensitive timelines that impact school districts. Section 2.12 of the guidelines was very interesting. This section deals with grants. It provides information on competitive and noncompetitive grants. It reminds the reader that timelines for grants often do not coincide with the fiscal year. Therefore it is important as a superintendent to be aware of all budgeting timelines whether the funds are local, state or federal funds.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alancleaver/4122172006/

The TEA Budgeting Guidelines will be a useful document in the future. For instance the section on bond issuance could be a great tool for a superintendent.  I can see myself returning to this document many times to further investigate finance requirements. This is not a document that one could read and fully comprehend in one sitting. Instead, it is to be referred to and utilized often. It will be beneficial to a superintendent in developing a budget by providing a plethora of information on a variety of topics. I found it to be a bit overwhelming yet very interesting.

EDLD 5342 Week 2- Part 1

By Vinni123 Creative Commons

A goal driven budget is simply a school district budget that is focused on the achievement of the district’s goals. It places financial priority on the goals that the district needs to accomplish.  As seen in the Austin I.S.D. District Improvement Plan that was reviewed in week 1 of this course, a school district should align its goals from the Strategic Plan at the top all the way down to department goals. If a school district is intent on achieving specific goals then monies will be allocated to this purpose. In the lecture, Dr. Arterbury reviewed the development of a goal driven budget. He stated that although the Board of Trustees of a school district does not develop the budget they do develop annual goals that they expect to be carried out. The Superintendent of a school district needs to take these goals into account when formulating the annual budget. Campuses that use zero based budgeting would use goal driven budgeting to ensure that the majority of their budget requests is are directly impacting programs that correlate to the campus’ goals.

As a school district develops a budget the need for proper strategic planning becomes more important. If a school district has conducted a comprehensive needs assessment it can better pair that needs assessment with the strategic plan and prioritize goals for the upcoming school year. If they fail in either category they may develop a budget that is unresponsive to the needs of the district or develop budgets that are disjointed from one year to the next and quickly change when new board members are elected.

One of the goals in our current district improvement plan that comes from the strategic plan is to expand the fine arts department and replace band instruments. The district has undertaken a needs assessment and reviewed the current instrument inventories at all campuses. In December, the band teacher will present the information to the school board. In January, a request to increase the band’s budget by $100,000 for the next four school years will be submitted to allow the purchase of new instruments. This is an example of goal driven budgeting. The school board and community would like to see the program expanded so the budget is being developed to reach this goal.

Another example of goal driven budgeting in the district improvement plan is the hiring of instructional coaches on each campus. This goal that was originally paid for out of stimulus funds. However, the district made a commitment to continuing these positions with local funds at a cost of almost one million dollars. The campuses and the district site based team were committed to continuing this and their voices were heard. As Dr. Arterbury discussed during the lecture it is important for a superintendent to listen to a variety of stakeholders when developing the annual budget and to be responsive to the needs of the district.

In conclusion, a goals driven budget ensures that the district has provided an adequate amount of funding for proposed goals. It allows, and at times forces, a school district to prioritize the implementation of goals based on the financial outlook of the school district during the upcoming year.  “A version of the vision,” was the statement used by Dr. Arterbury that best summarizes goal driven budgeting.

Finance Week 1

Part 1- History of School Finance
Texas, like many other states across the country, has seen its' share of court cases, legislative decisions and legal changes that have greatly impacted the school finance system. In 1845, when Texas joined the United States, the state constitution mandated that state would establish a free public school system.This set the stage for Mirabeau Lamar to persuade the Texas Legislature to establish land grants for public schools. These events created a precedent that the state, not just local entities, would be financially involved in the education of students.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ejmc/5854752687/

The second historic landmark within Texas school financing came in 1869 when Texas passed a new constitution making schooling mandatory. The new constitution also resulted in the establishment of taxes to support public schools. Although school taxes seem commonplace in today’s society they were far from the norm in 1871 when first levied. The lecture emphasized that the public was not initially supportive of this. In fact during the first year of the tax, a majority of taxpayers demonstrated their disdain by refusing to pay.
The equalization of funding precedent brought on by the appropriation of one million dollars to rural school in 1915 could be considered the third historic landmark. Although this appropriation was a result of the Constitution of 1876, it was the first time that the legislature put money into the hands of local school districts with the express intent of equaling funding between districts. This appropriation of funds sent the State of Texas down a path that committed it to ensuring that there was equity between districts. In this historic move the state attempted to ensure that all students had an opportunity to an appropriate education no matter where they were located geographically within the state. This transaction of funds to rural school set a strong precedent for the Edgewood cases that would come in the future. As the state continues to struggle with ways to adequately and equitably fund public education we will continue to see the courts involved as individuals fight for the education of their children.

Part 2- Three or four basic issues impacting a state formula.

The lecture this week focused on equality, equity and adequacy. The goal of the Texas school finance system is to provide funding at an appropriate level that balances funding between property rich school districts (Chapter 41) and property poor districts (Chapter 42). Although this is the theory of the system, as with many other things it sometimes is more difficult when placed into the constraints of reality. First and foremost, the state formula is subject to property values, tax rates, average daily attendance (ADA) and the weighted average daily attendance (WADA), and the special instructional program allotment.

The weighted average daily attendance is a note of contention within the state of Texas. The amount of money spent on a per pupil basis varies greatly from one school district to another. Often one can read a statement from a Superintendent stating that if their school district was to receive funding at the same WADA as another school district a significant increase in funding would be netted. This is true for many districts under the current funding formula.

Because of the difference in property values across the state, adjustments are made to the allotment that require some school districts to send back money to the state through one of five recapture methods. These funds are then distributed to school districts that are considered Chapter 42 districts. This exchange of funds between school districts is a result of Senate Bill 1 that was signed into law by governor Ann Richards.

School districts also receive additional funding based on special instructional programs. Some of these programs are State Compensatory Education, Special Education, Bilingual, Career and Technology and Gifted and Talented Education. The money appropriated for these programs are meant to assist schools in providing an education that is adequate and equitable. With these funds schools are able to offer additional programs to meet the needs of their local demographic populations.


Part 3 Equality, Equity and Adequacy

Equality means every student has the same access to the same type of educational program. One example for this would be that districts must offer and fund courses to meet the curriculum requirements of the TEKS in the areas of math, reading, language arts, science and social studies. Another example is that all school districts are required to offer a minimum number of instructional days per year.

Equity means that the system is fair and responds to the needs of individuals. Article 7 of the Texas Constitution states that it is the duty of the Legislature of the State to provide for the support and maintenance of an efficient system of public free schools. It is this portion of the Texas Constitution that requires an equitable education system for all students in the state. An example of equity would be demonstrated through the special instruction allotments given by the state. School districts are given state compensatory funds to address the needs of at- risk students. Additionally, funds are also distributed for Special Education including additional funding that can be given for extreme needs cases.

The Texas Constitution indicates that a general diffusion of knowledge is essential to the preservation of the liberties and rights of people. This type of support of Texas free public schools is deemed as adequate funding. Adequacy means that the school district receives financial support which is sufficient enough to meet the state accreditation standards. The new instructional materials allotment that replaced the technology and textbook allotments would be an example of adequacy. The state gives this money to the districts so they can meet the standards of the state. Another example would be the minimum teacher salary scale. 

EDLD 5342 District Improvement Plan Comparison

Creative Commons-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dcjohn/

When analyzing the similarities and differences between the District Improvement Plans of Austin I.S. D. and Sheldon I.S.D. I found the differences to be in the details. Both plans covered much of the same information yet differ in how they are arranged.   Both plans include goal sheets that delineate a specific goal and include action plans that guide the districts in meeting the goals. These action plans include: desired results, measurable evidence of change, activities, resources and timelines.  That is where the similarities in format of the plan end.

The plans both have aspects of a goal driven budget. The Sheldon I.S.D. plan lists the TAKS scores or other indicator information directly at the beginning of each individual goal with very specific budget information for that goal.  For instance, if the district is planning on decreasing discretionary special education placements the historical data is listed immediately prior to the goal. The plan then goes into detail, much like Austin I.S.D.’s plan does. Both districts list the goal and plan a budget accordingly. Both districts show an integration of funds throughout their plan. Sheldon I.S.D.’s plan is slightly more detailed when outlining the budget for each individual goal accounting for the projected budget coming from each program code. However, Austin I.S.D. does a much better job of documenting meetings and the progression of a goal throughout their plan.  Additionally, Austin I.S.D.’s plan is much more informative when it comes to describing in what function and project code money is being spent on specific projects throughout the year. It is easy to see whether money is being spent on consultants, personnel or supplies. This information can be seen in their agenda meeting documentation.

Austin I.S.D.’s plan shows continuity in planning throughout the school year. By including data from a variety of meeting and attendance records Austin I.S.D. is able to demonstrate a continuous commitment to planning and monitoring. Sheldon I.S. D. does not include the meeting minutes within their plan. However, Sheldon I.S.D. includes a variety of information regarding district programs one does not see within the Austin I.S.D. plan. Both Sheldon and Austin list grants that they receive and utilize for various programs. Sheldon I.S.D. includes the budget for all Title funds. This includes allocations to specific functions and program codes. However, this information is included at the end of the plan in a separate section which can make the information a little disconnected from the body of the plan.

One of the most interesting items contained within the Austin I.S.D. District Improvement Plan was their plan alignment outline. In the plan everything starts with their school district’s Strategic Plan then to the District Improvement Plan. After this it filters down to the campus improvement plans and on to the department and employees. This is a well-organized model of alignment and change that increases mutual commitment and expectations. It demonstrates how everyone is responsible for the implementation of the Strategic Plan. I really like this form and plan on utilizing it with our District Improvement Team.

Internship Plan Review



Dr. Joan Bowman, Asst. Supt of Instructional Services 

I met with Dr. Joan Bowman on September 21, 2011 at 8:30 a.m. in her office. We reviewed the Skill/Knowledge chart and then looked over my internship plan. Dr. Bowman was complimentary about the internship plan. She felt that it covered the competencies well.  She liked the activity that focused on conducting a capacity study, but felt it was too verbose. We reworded it to make it more to the point. She also liked the activities about Strategic Planning and conflict resolution. I thought I was going to end the conference without making any further changes. However, that was not the case. Dr. Bowman felt that a few of the items needed to be strengthened. 

The first activity that we changed was Activity 24d. Dr. Bowman did not feel that it was challenging enough. We changed it from creating and following a requisition to the following:

‘Submit the Memorandum of Understanding with JJAEP to the school board for approval.  Then complete the request for an open purchase order from the budgeted account. A copy of the Memorandum of Understanding, School Board recommendation, the purchase order and a brief description of the path it follows for approval is to be included in the notebook.”

The second activity that was changed was 22a. This activity had focused on interviewing the Director of Child Nutrition. Dr. Bowman changed this activity to read:

“Facilitate the district’s School Health Advisory Committee (SHAC) in the development of an updated FFA (Local) policy in regards to child nutrition and school wellness.”

Lastly, activity 15c was changed to be more comprehensive. It now reads:

Develop a Corrective Action Plan to address Homebound attendance accounting concerns during the 2088-2009 school year. A copy of the Corrective Action Plan submitted to TEA will be filed in the notebook.

We did not add any additional activities to the plan.  I was glad to have had an opportunity to sit down with Dr. Bowman and review the plan. I think the changes we made are positive and will add to my experience.

Internship Plan Revisions



 Creative Commons
iowa_spir...



After reading the comments, I realized that many people liked the intern plan I had posted. The comments were very positive. One comment read” What I like about your internship plan is how organized it looked on your wiki.”   However, I looked a little deeper into the comments that were posted from the vita and the intern plan and felt that I had not gone far enough. After looking at someone’s comment about special populations I decided to change one activity from attending an ARD meeting to attending a 504 meeting. This population is often overlooked and I felt it was in my interest to see how this program is currently being implemented.

 The next revision I made was to include the review of three teacher screeners. I had originally planned on interviewing the Executive Director of Personnel but after looking at some comments decided a change was in order. Our district is currently investigating the use of Teacher screeners prior to interviewing candidates. I felt that it was important to include this in my intern plan.

The next change I made was to the activity regarding strategic planning. I changed it from participate in the process to lead the process. I serve as the internal coordinator of strategic planning within our school district. I thought it was important to denote this.

The last change that I made was to delete the interview with the Director of Maintenance. One of the comments that were made forced me to reflect on whether or not I was actually stepping out of my comfort zone. Upon reviewing my internship plan, I felt that I needed to push a little further in regards to facilities. Therefore I will conduct a capacity study of the district’s facilities in order to ascertain when we need to consider adding additional facilities. This is a process we completed approximately six years ago and it now needs to be revisited.

In order to allow my Site Supervisor the opportunity to view the internship plan, I emailed her a link to the wiki where she may view it and make comments prior to our meeting.  I thought about just emailing it to them, but thought if we have the technology why not use it. I followed up by phone with her to verify that she had received the invitation to my wiki and she confirmed she had. I also gave her a hard copy when I met with her later in the week.  My Internship Plan may be viewed at :  http://jrwebster.wikispaces.com/Internship+Plan

Welcome to Sheldon (2009)

Just a short video that we put together in our district. We use it for recruiting. It is a great thing to hand out on a CD alongside pertinent district information to potential candidates .

Superintendent Interview

Dr. Vickey M. Giles, Superintendent of Schools

Sheldon I. S.D.

As I reflect on my interview with our Superintendent, Dr. Vickey Giles, I am reminded of the importance of the superintendent position.  The impact that this position has on a school district is beyond measure. I have worked under seven different superintendents during my years in education. In the right hands a district can make amazing growth in student achievement. It can also develop long-lasting positive relationships with its stakeholders. As I spoke with our Superintendent a few themes came to the surface. The importance of communication and placing the right people in the right places were two of the greatest discussion points.

When asked about her definition of leadership she had no hesitation stating that a good leader places competent people in the right positions and lets them do their job.  She monitors their progress by being on the campuses and through our roundtable discussions.  This is our Superintendent’s fifth year in the position and she has always been very visible throughout the district.

As we continued our interview, we discussed both the positive and the difficult aspects of being a Superintendent. Dr. Giles smiled as she talked about the positive impact on student learning that she can have in her position. Her commitment to increased student achievement is easily identified anytime one talks with her. Dr. Giles also is well aware that being a Superintendent does not come without challenges. She discussed with me that dealing with the little things can keep you from focusing on what is important if you let it.  It is a challenge for the Superintendent to stay focused if they are not “out in the field” monitoring what is happening. During this discussion, I was reminded of a recent conversation in which she reminded us that Central Office’s role is to serve the campuses. We are to be servant leaders just as we expect our principals to practice servant leadership on the campus.

The next question focused on the attributes of a good superintendent. As we sat at her conference table she shared her experience. Dr. Giles stressed the importance of the superintendent being a good communicator. A good superintendent has a vision of where the district can go and is able to communicate why it should go there. A strong work ethic is also paramount to the success of a superintendent. The hours are long and the reward is not always immediate. The last thing that Dr. Giles shared with me was not expected. She said a good superintendent needs to be able to laugh. With everything that happens on a daily basis it would be easy to get overwhelmed. Sometimes being able to laugh might be the best medicine.

Our district has embarked on the development of a new strategic plan. With this in mind, I was looking forward to discussing how a leader develops a shared vision. I thought she would discuss the process of the strategic planning in answering this question. However, she went further. She discussed not only strategic planning but reiterated the importance of communication. It is not enough to have a vision it must be communicated. Dr. Giles said that it is important that the students and parents know her and understand that she is willing to listen to them. Whether it is a student in the hall on a campus or a community member at a football game she is ready to spend time listening what they have to say.

Although I asked many other questions, one other answer stood out. When asked about building a good working relationship with the Board of Trustees, Dr. Giles emphasized the importance of building a one on one relationship with each member of the board. Although the Board is a group, it is important that the superintendent understand the personality and vision of each member of the Board.  These individuals dedicate their time to the school district and it is imperative that a superintendent be willing to listen to each person.

I really enjoyed this assignment. It was beneficial to my own professional development to sit and discuss these questions and hear the answers from someone who has the experience that she has. As I continue on this journey it will be important to stop and listen to those who have trod the road before me.  Their knowledge is a resource that should not be squandered.

My Vita

James R. Webster

12218 Carriage Oak Circle, Humble, Texas

(W) 281-727-2015 (H) 281-852-4528 (C) 832-250-3812

webj1@comcast.net

Education/ Certification

M.Ed.                          Education Leadership, Prairie View A & M University Prairie View, Texas, 1995

B.S.                             Education, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, 1991

Mid-Management

Certificate                   Texas

Teacher Certificate      Elementary Education (1-6 self-contained)

                                    Early Childhood

Administrative and Leadership

Experience

Coordinator of Student Services

Sheldon I.S.D.

Houston, TX 2010-present

·         Served as the internal coordinator of Strategic Planning, ensuring that goals and action steps were developed and timelines for their implementation.

·         Coordinated the homebound program to ensure appropriate instruction was delivered in accordance with the Student Attendance Accounting Handbook.

·         Served as the district’s grievance officer ensuring objective decisions were made based on legal and ethical responsibilities.

·         Coordinated student registration including a centralized district registration process.

·         Supervised the counseling program of the district resulting in the implementation of a consistent counseling curriculum.

·         Coordinated the Reach Out to Dropouts Walk resulting in the return of students who had quit school.

·         Organized summer school for all campuses and grade levels in the district.

·         Coordinated the district’s Fine Arts program.

Principal, Carroll Elementary,

Sheldon Independent School District

Houston, TX, 2008-2010

Recognized Campus 2009-2010

·         Facilitated the opening of a new building through the hiring of staff, purchasing of supplies and overseeing the bid process on capital outlay purchases.

·         Implemented the CHAMPS program across the campus to improve classroom management and increase time on task.

·         Implemented the CSCOPE curriculum to align grade level instruction resulting in a Recognized rating.

 

 

Principal, Royalwood Elementary,

Sheldon Independent School District

Houston, Texas 2003- 2008      

      Recognized Campus 2004-2005, 2005-2006

·         Focused on researched based curriculum, implementation and delivery resulting in significant increases on T.A.K.S. scores in all areas, including a 52 percentage point gain in Writing.

·         Reduced the percentage of Special Education students from 12.2% to 5.8% by providing focused interventions prior to referral.

·         Implemented a three tiered model of intervention for struggling students that consistently resulted in higher academic achievement.

·         Implemented the “Be Part of the Pride” program which resulted in decreased school discipline referrals.

·         Dramatically closed achievement gap between subgroups.

Assistant Principal, Cravens Early Childhood Academy,

Sheldon Independent School District

Houston, Texas 2003- 2008      

Ÿ  Opened a new school building, which entailed the ordering of all furniture and supplies for the entire building under strict timelines.

Ÿ  Merged three different staffs into one academically focused team.

Ÿ  Developed a writing continuum, correlated to reading skills, which focused on the developmental levels of students.

Assistant Principal, Thurgood Marshall Elementary

North Forest Independent School District

Houston, Texas 1997-2002   

Ÿ  Actively pursued parent/ community relations which included the development of a “Fast on Facts” video that was shown on the Houston Public Access station.

Ÿ  Demonstrated effective time management and delegation skills while serving as the only Assistant Principal on a campus of 1200 students.

Ÿ  Coordinated all Language Proficiency Assessment Committee meetings and consistently met deadlines for a Bilingual/ESL program with over 300 students.

Teaching Experience

Kindergarten Teacher, Thurgood Marshall Elementary,

North Forest Independent School District

Houston, Texas 1991-1997

Ÿ  Managed a team of eight teachers while serving as Grade Chairperson.

Ÿ  Served on the District Site Based Decision Making Committee for six years and participated in two T.E.A. monitoring visits to the district.

Ÿ  Served on the Campus Site Based Decision Making Committee to develop campus procedures that positively impacted student achievement.

Ÿ  Mentored new teachers by providing support in the areas of instructional delivery and classroom management.

Professional Development

Ÿ  Dyslexia and 504

Ÿ  Region 4 Legal Summit

Ÿ  Grievance Training

Ÿ  EEOC Training

Ÿ  Professional readings including Teach Like a Champion, The Fluent Reader, The Art of Teaching Reading, In the Company of Children and many others.

Ÿ  Professional Development Appraisal System (PDAS)

Ÿ  LPAC training

Ÿ  Margaret Kilgo workshops

Ÿ  Training in Guided Reading and  6+1 Writing Traits

Ÿ  Gifted and Talented workshops

Ÿ  Phonemic Awareness and Reading Assessment Training

Presentation Experience

Ÿ  Webster, J.(August 2011) PDAS for New Teachers. Presentation at the 2011 New Teacher Inservice.

Ÿ  Webster, J. (August 2011) Documentation and Discipline Coding. Presentation at 2011 Assistant Principal Boot Camp, Sheldon I.S.D.

Ÿ  Webster, J. (August 2011) 504 Requirements and the ADAA.  Presentation to school district counselors and dyslexia teachers, Sheldon I.S.D.

Ÿ  Webster, J. (August 2010) How to Handle A Grievance. Presentation at 2010 Assistant Principal Boot Camp, Sheldon I.S.D.

Ÿ  Webster, J. (April 2010) Data Disaggregation.  Presentation at Carroll Elementary, Sheldon I.S.D.

Ÿ  Webster, J. (August 2010) Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. Presentation at Carroll Elementary, Sheldon I.S.D.

Ÿ  Webster, J. (August 2009) TEKS /TAKS Alignment. Presentation at Sheldon Elementary, Sheldon I.S.D.

Honors & Awards

Ÿ  Leader of the Year, Carroll Elementary 2008-2009

Ÿ  Texas Regular Educator of the Year 2006-2007 -Texas Coalition of Administrators of Special Education.

Ÿ  Gulf Coast Regular Educator of the Year 2006-2007  -Gulf Coast Coalition of Administrators of Special Education

Ÿ  Educator of the Month - North Channel Rotary Club

Ÿ  Leader of the Year, Royalwood Elementary, 2006-2007

Ÿ  Principal of the Year, Sheldon I.S.D., 2006-2007

                   

References

1)      Dr. Vickey M. Giles, Superintendent of Schools, Sheldon I.S.D.

      11411 C.E. King Parkway

      Houston, Texas, 77044           (281) 727-2006

2)      Dr. Joan Bowman, Asst. Superintendent of Instructional Services, Sheldon I.S.D.

      11411 C.E. King Parkway

      Houston, Texas, 77044           (281) 727-2046

3)      Larry Pfeifer, Asst. Superintendent of Administrative Services, Sheldon I.S.D.

      11411 C.E. King Parkway

      Houston, Texas, 77044           (281) 727-2011