It is clear that young people bore the brunt of the pandemic's impact. Disrupted learning, sometimes stretching for two years, forced many students off track and behind academically. Leaders are now faced an unprecedented need to make smart investments with federal relief funds in efforts that accelerate student learning. District leaders should…

In "Crisis as Catalyst," Patricia M. Virella uncovers opportunities for school leaders to act as agents of equity and inclusivity during crisis situations. Virella interviewed dozens of school principals across the United States and Puerto Rico, and in this book she shares the key lessons from their experiences with crisis events of all…

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrust students, their support networks, and institutions of higher education toward a financial crisis. In response, the U.S. Senate signed the CARES Act into law, which provides institutions of higher education with $14 billion to support various campus functions. Within the CARES Act, the Senate allocated funding for…

In 2012 there were approximately 80 million millennials and about 70 million baby boomers (Schawbel, 2012). Schawbel estimates that by 2025 three of four workers will be of the millennial generation. By 2041, which is during the lifetime of most millennials, America's population is projected to become majority Brown and Black (Kundu, 2014).…

Schools and districts across the country are being subjected to some of the fiercest budget cuts in recent history, even as principals are held increasingly accountable for significantly improving student achievement, particularly in schools labeled "persistently low-achieving." For the 5,000 lowest-performing schools, there is the…

Social partnership is an important problem in the administration of education. It involves not only the practice of jointly formulating decisions but also a level of balance in mutual responsibility. The authors, drawing on international experience in social partnership in education, demonstrate the necessity for it, the prerequisites, parameters,…

The idea behind public charter schools was to develop flexible models of public schools and to incubate innovative ideas that then could be shared with the district's public schools. Today, almost 20 years since the first public charter school opened its doors in Minnesota, one still does not see consistent, productive collaboration and shared…

Principals must devote a vast amount of time and energy to campus funding and budgetary issues because budgeting and accounting procedures are an integral part of an effective instructional program. In fact, a principal's role in the budgetary process significantly impacts both budget development and instructional planning. Principals who fail to…

The Money Myth is the contention that any education problem requires increased spending and, conversely, that reform is impossible without more funding. However, increased funding works for only certain kinds of school resources. Many reforms require resources that money cannot buy. What is needed are reforms that build the capacity of schools to…

Transforming an entire district from one that is satisfied with being academically good enough into one keenly focused on improved student performance requires overhaul that reaches from end to end, from building to building, from bottom to top. Leaders in Birdville Independent School District in Fort Worth, Texas, learned that applying five…

Describes a methodology used by the Texas A&M University system to monitor the efficiency with which resources are employed. This participatory method of institutional choice can be used to plan for financial setbacks. (EV)

A decentralized administrative environment can help ensure the effective allocation of resources through particpative decision making. The decentralized structure at Washburn University is described along with how it helps integrate the planning and budgeting process and the effectiveness of the resulting resource allocations. (MLW)

This report, part of a project called "Redesigning Higher Education", argues that a set of fundamental changes underlies the growing number of critical difficulties faced by higher education in the United States. It finds the governance structures of American higher education inadequate to deal with a changing and increasingly cost-conscious…

DePaul University's experience has confirmed that faculty members will seek to participate in strategic planning when the planning agenda has direct bearing on the incentive system. But planners need to broaden participation to create a climate for change and open dialogue. (MLW)

Since December 1992, the Capac (Michigan) Community School District has adopted zero-based budgeting for 40% of its budget. Instead of building on the previous year's budget, the superintendent requires every staff member and school to justify projected expenditures based on contributions to future educational goals. Academic programs benefit.…