CASBO School Business Summer 2019

California Association of School Business Officials

Summer 2019 Fiscal crystal ball California’s economy is still humming, but nothing lasts forever

The entrepreneurial mindset

Becoming a resilient leader

5 tips to avoid “business as usual”

School leaders share how they coped, then thrived, despite crises

1-800-260-2776 www.SchoolOutfitters.com

Helping you create great learning spaces Our experts manage your furniture project from start to finish. We’ll listen to your vision, recommend products, help plan your space and coordinate delivery and installation for a complete turnkey experience.

School Outfitters is an authorized vendor on many regional and local school district contracts throughout California.

Project Management

Expert Service

Delivery & Installation

Our sales experts handle every step of the order process for you.

We respond to issues within 24 hours, guaranteed.

Access to our national network of trusted installers.

2 California School Business / Summer 2019

Aeries Academy online learning platform is Enrolling now.

Aeries Academy offers a flexible training option for districts or individual Aeries users.

Participants can work towards their professional development goals or training needs by enrolling in any of 10 Certification Courses or 12 individual single-topic modules.

All Aeries Academy coursework is completed on your own time at your own pace using the Canvas LMS.

BE PREPARED FROM DAY ONE

EMPOWER YOUR STAFF TO SUCCEED

When the time comes to use Aeries SIS in your day-to-day work, you’ll be better equipped to get work done faster than colleagues who opt to instead learn Aeries as they use it.

Aeries Academy offers districts using Aeries SIS a comprehensive powerful training tool for new employees (or those changing positions), as well as a new method to gauge existing knowledge of potential candidates.

Participants are given 1 of 3 final assessment grades gauging their knowledge:

NOVICE You’re new to Aeries and grasp fundamental concepts, but are still learning.

PROFICIENT

You’re comfortable with many aspects of Aeries and can capably handle working within it.

EXPERT You’re very knowledgeable in the many different facets of day-to-day Aeries SIS usage.

Start learning for free.

Our Aeries 101 course, "Fundamentals of Aeries", is a great jump-off point for someone looking to brush up on the basics. We're offering “Fundamentals of Aeries” for free, forever.

Available now at learn.aeries.com

California School Business / casbo.org

3

E M P L O Y E R B E N E F I T S O L U T I O N S F O R E D U C AT I O N

Education professionals deserve a specialist.

You take care of your people. We know. Your teachers and staff work hard—pulled in all directions. You search for partners who ease your workload and worry, while giving your colleagues guidance and support. For more than [55] years, the education community has turned to us for employee benefits, education and enrollment they can trust. Maybe you should, too?

Consider American Fidelity for a different opinion.

Help is here.

• Strategic Voluntary Benefits • Year-Round Enrollment Support • Simplifying Technologies

Raelene Walker, Lic. 0775944 Account Development Coordinator Southern California Branch Office 36310 Inland Valley Dr., Ste 100 Wildomar, CA 92595 800-365-9180 • 951-600-0122 americanfidelity.com

SB-30815-0117

4 California School Business / Summer 2019

Smart business. Smart schools.™

American Fidelity Assurance Company

contents

Volume 84 I Number Two I Summer 2019

departments 9

11

Checking in Cultivating your career Molly McGee Hewitt

13

In focus CASBO member profile: Thomas Tan

15

In focus CASBO associate member profile: Duff Erholtz

52

54

55

58

Out & about

20

Bottom line Our CASBO story Molly Schlange

Book club Grasp the science behind your actions

29

Leadership Reinventing yourself and your career Last words

interview 29

Linda Darling-Hammond President of State Board of Education comments on goals, critical topics, the way forward Julie Phillips Randles

cover story 36

46

Fiscal crystal ball California’s economy is still humming, but nothing lasts forever Jerry Fingal

features 20

The entrepreneurial mindset 5 tips to avoid “business as usual” Jennifer Fink

46

Becoming a resilient leader School leaders share how they coped, then thrived, despite crises Jennifer Snelling

California School Business / casbo.org

5

ABOUT CASBO The California Association of School Business Officials is the premier resource for professional development in all aspects of school business.

Founded in 1928, CASBO serves more than 24,000 members by providing certifications and training, promoting business best practices, and creating opportunities for professional collaboration.

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

publisher editor in chief communications manager features editor contributors

Molly McGee Hewitt Tatia Davenport Joyce Tribbey Julie Phillips Randles Jerry Fingal Jennifer Fink Nicole Krueger

CASBO MISSION

Jennifer Snelling

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

design/layout advertising art

that promotes ethical values; develops exceptional leaders; advocates for, and supports the needs

Sharon Adlis Tracy Brown

of, members; and sets the standard for excellence through top-quality professional development

advertising sales manager

and mentorship, meaningful collaboration and communication, and unparalleled innovation.

CASBO BY DESIGN For the past 15 years, CASBO has been dedicated to

casbo officers president

the organizational planning discipline as a method for guiding the association into a successful future.

This year, the association embarked on its sixth such

president-elect

plan, CASBO by Design 2.0. This living, breathing document guides the association in its long-term planning process, which is grassroots in nature,

vice president

invigorating in procedure and motivating in outcome.

CASBO has long been committed to organizational

immediate past president

planning because the approach has consistently

Cici Trino Association Outsource Services, Inc. P.O. Box 39 | 8067 Traditions Court Fair Oaks, CA 95628 (916) 961-9999

Molly Schlange University Preparatory School Jamie Dial Hanford Elementary School District Richard De Nava San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Christina Aguilar Downey Unified School District

helped the association envision its future and determine the clear steps to get there. The road map that strategic planning provides has allowed 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 casbo.org > About > CASBO by Design.

www.casbo.org 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. Submit address changes online by logging into your account profile at casbo.org.

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 2019 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 June 2019

6 California School Business / Summer 2019

SCHOOLS + KEENAN THE

best FOR OUR FUTURE

Our students deserve the best; the best teachers, the best textbooks, and the best opportunities.

That’s why Keenan has always been dedicated to helping California school districts with cost-savings insurance solutions that keep your fragile budget focused on the issues that really matter.

While you focus on the students, staff and teachers, we will help facilitate: •

Employee benefit programs that provide teachers and staff with great coverage that promotes wellness

•

Workers’ compensation programs that focus on preventing injuries at schools and returning injured workers to health

•

Property & liability programs that protect your schools and your budgets

•

Programs that help your teachers and staff retire with financial security – and help improve your district’s financial stability

Together, we can make sure that our future leaders are given every opportunity to realize their dreams.

Contact us today to find out what we can do for your district. www.keenan.com

License No. 0451271

Innovative Solutions. Enduring Principles.

www.keenan.com

California School Business / casbo.org

7

Let CVT show you the right path.

More Choices and Value-Added Benefits Healthcare can be confusing with all the plans, options and variables. Your employees have different family healthcare situations and need to have choices, as well as plans, that meet their needs. That’s what California’s Valued Trust is all about. More choices, more options and people to help you and your employees through the complex journey of healthcare benefits.

Contact CVT for a clearer path and peace of mind.

For more information, visit www.cvtrust.org or call 800-288-9870

8 California School Business / Summer 2019

CHECKING IN

Cultivating your career Each edition of this magazine is important to our association. With our team of writers, editors and staff, we endeavor to craft a publication that speaks to key issues, raises awareness and educates on critical topics in our profession. We spend hours pondering over which stories to write and what to feature. Our goal is for you to use this magazine as a vehicle to enhance your career and expand your knowledge.

CASBO, like this magazine, exists to promote the profession of school business and operations. Our purpose is to provide you, our members, with the resources, training, advocacy and leadership that enable you to grow and develop. Our entire existence as an organization is focused on helping you cultivate your career and enhance the professionalism of school business. Our leadership begins with our members, and their effect is felt in every aspect of our operations and future planning.

In April, CASBO unveiled the first installment of Career Chronicles. Our goal is to showcase our member leaders and promote the profession by demonstrating the value of CASBO and its effect on the lives of our members. It’s also meant to be an opportunity to share our stories. Stories of who our members are, where they began, and how their careers have grown and flourished. Our stories are powerful teaching and learning tools.

We reflect on them and find aspects of our own journeys in each story we read, see or hear.

We also want to celebrate the role that CASBO plays in our members’ careers. Every leader involved was invited to participate at some point in their career. The person who invited them helped them expand their network and get outside their professional comfort zone. Every CASBO president and past president, and many active members, have told me that their involvement in CASBO has enhanced their careers. Maybe they learned how to present and speak in public, run meetings, and understand legislation; or maybe they gained new leadership skills. Their participation helped them to cultivate their careers.

Cultivation is an active word. It doesn’t just happen. When we cultivate our careers, we help to determine our course and the direction before us.

We do the work before us and expand our leadership to explore new opportunities. As we do this, our careers grow and are enhanced. CASBO may be just what you need to help you cultivate the career you desire!

As our new governance year begins at CASBO, we want to thank you for your readership, your participation and your commitment to public education. Our success and our future depend upon you! We’ll do our best to create an association where you are encouraged and welcomed to share your story and become a leader! z z z

Molly McGee Hewitt CEO & Executive Director Do you have a story to tell?

Visit casbo.org/careerchronicles to share it with us!

California School Business / casbo.org

9

TRUST IS EARNED PIGGYBACKABLE CONTRACTS

Not Just a Good Price Better Bid Transparency Best Procurement Practices

PEPPM COOPERATIVE PURCHASING

Get Acquainted by Registering at www.PEPPM.org • Since 1982 10 California School Business / Summer 2019

BOT TOM LINE

Our casbo story As I began my term as casbo president at the close of annual conference, I shared my story with attendees. I wanted to connect with members and start my tenure with everyone understanding who I am and where I want to go.

Every person in casbo has a story.

These are stories of how we got where we are today and where we want to go. Recently, I shared my story for an upcoming episode of the casbo Career Chronicles.

It’s a story about a girl who didn’t know what she wanted to be when she grew up. A girl who wasn’t sure of where she was going or what she could achieve.

A girl who didn’t have money for college or a plan to a road full of success. A simple girl from a small town who wanted to be something big because, at 17, the world around her was sending the message that success is measured by where you go to school, what great things you achieve and how much money you make. That 17-year-old girl didn’t understand what this 40-year-old woman understands today. As I reflect on my journey, I realize how meaningful and impactful each event along the way has been.

I didn’t just wake up one day and say, “I’m going to work in school business.” I didn’t even know such a thing existed.

At 21, I interviewed for an entry-level position in the local high school district because, quite frankly, I needed a job and I had a little experience in accounting.

I wasn’t the interview committee’s first choice that day; I was their second.

Three days after learning that another candidate had been chosen, I received a call telling me that there had been a change. I was hired, and that group of people chose to believe in me, take a chance on a young girl and show me the

way! They encouraged me to connect with casbo, to take advantage of opportunities to learn, and to think about this position not as a job but as a stepping stone toward a career in school business.

I was inspired by those who were sitting in the seats where I would one day like to be. So I became a student of their experiences. I asked more questions, attended more workshops, took courses, and started looking for opportunities to practice my skills and apply the knowledge I was gaining.

One position led to another and one mentor multiplied into many. My “dots” started to connect and with each passing

I was inspired by those who were sitting in the seats where I would one day like to be. So I became a student of their experiences. I asked more questions, attended more workshops, took courses, and started looking for opportunities to practice my skills and apply the knowledge I was gaining. day, my perspective, perception and purpose changed. I got involved with casbo.

I worked on my own leadership capacity by once again becoming a student of the great leaders in this industry.

We’re here today because casbo is part of our story. As a professional development association, casbo offers members over 150 workshops annually; the Member-to-Member Mentorship program; the Business Executives Leadership Program; topical boot camps; and our premier event, the casbo Annual Conference & California School Business Expo.

With all of these options, I encourage you to embrace learning this year. Challenge yourself in your current role and

take opportunities to learn in areas that are less familiar to you.

As John Quincy Adams said, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” z z z

Molly Schlange President Watch our communications to see when Molly’s Career Chronicles story will air!

California School Business / casbo.org

11

12 California School Business / Summer 2019

IN FOCUS

Thomas Tan

Better teaching, learning, collaboration through technology

By Nicole Krueger

Photography by Allen Zaki

To support the growth of online curricular resources in new textbook adoptions, English and social science students in the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District have received classroom sets of technology to support a two-students-to-one-device ratio.

This careful and deliberate approach, which is a stepping stone on the road to a 1:1 technology program, is not only easier on the budget, it allows time for teachers and students to develop the collaborative skills necessary to thrive in the digital age. “Some of the research says that if you give each child an individual device, you isolate them.

We want them to collaborate, work together and problem solve,” says Thomas Tan, director of the district’s network and computer services.

These types of instructional considerations lie behind every technology decision Tan makes – especially now that he’s part of the business services team leading the implementation of the district’s $148 million bond to update its classrooms for the 21st century.

He’s been around long enough to remember staff meetings from the mid-1990s, when the internet was the talk of the day. After spend-

ing the next decade or so networking schools together, he’s now helping to transform the way they leverage technology. From desks with integrated electrical outlets to rolling laptop carts with built-in chargers, the classroom of the future is all about mobility, says Tan, who also serves as chair of CASBO’s Technology Professional Council. “Technology is transforming the way we live in terms of mobility. What worked 30 years ago is not working now,” he says. “We have enough data now to help shape schools.”

Like many CASBO members, Tan has an interesting story about his road to school business, which will air in an upcoming episode of the new CASBO Career Chronicles.

He initially studied quantitative economics and decision science at the University of California, San Diego, where the technology he encountered – green-screen computers at the time – intrigued him enough to pursue an MBA in information systems and apply for his first public education job as a data processing research assistant for the OntarioMontclair School District. He went on to earn his Ed.D. in education leadership and became a technology director for the Jurupa Unified School District before landing at Hacienda La Puente Unified.

There’s never been a more exciting time to be in Tan’s shoes. Now that technology touches everything schools do, his job keeps him involved in nearly all aspects of the district’s operations. And as computer systems become increasingly capable of not only collecting information about students but mining it for instructional insights, he’s looking forward to the democratization of data in schools. “There’s a lot of interest in using data for analytics, to see what’s working and what’s not,” he says. “In the classroom, if you have a problem with a student and need to know what the problem is, that information is going to be readily accessible and not stuck in the hands of the tech department.

We have yet to uncork this potential, but we have the tools to do it.”

It’s hard for Tan to imagine doing anything else. Although he completed his CBO training last year, he’s focusing on using his new skill set to do his job better – and he says CASBO has played an important role in helping him lay the groundwork for his future career growth. His dad, also a school business professional, introduced him to the organization.

“School business is such a complex enterprise, and CASBO helped me figure out how all the pieces fit together,” Tan says. z z z

California School Business / casbo.org

13

Powered by

LOOKING FOR PREQUALIFICATION SOLUTIONS

Quality Bidders is a software solution to ease the pain of contractor prequalification. We have a proven method to help public entities build a pool of responsible bidders and to comply with state law.

Our software lets contractors apply with ease — our analysts help them make sure it’s done right.

A standardized process developed to streamline the prequalification process saving you time and money Automated scoring of our DIR-informed application ensures compliance with PCC 20101, PCC 20111.5, and PCC 20111.6 Create a pool of qualified bidders that meets your standards, increases competition, and lowers bids

Contact Jon patterson for a demo today

Smart business. Smart schools.™

jpatterson@colbitech.com

(714) 505-9544

CASBO-QB Half Page Ad 2-21-19.indd 1

2/21/2019 9:40:03 AM

Sourcewell-mn.gov NJPA is now Sourcewell—your government source for cooperative contracts.

Her success is your priority.

Proud partner of ™ ™ Smart business.

Smart schools.

Smart business.

Smart schools.

14 California School Business / Summer 2019

We have a lot in common.

IN FOCUS

Duff Erholtz

He helps schools streamline procurement

By Nicole Krueger

Photography by Jeremy Doyle & Mitchell McCallson

Learning environments are changing.

Demand for technology is through the roof.

Districts are building new schools as quickly as they can get the funding.

Behind every technology initiative or facilities expansion, there’s a procurement team responsible for vetting vendors, negotiating contracts and ensuring every purchase complies with ever-changing regulations. It’s a complex job, especially when you factor in tightening budgets as well as sustainability goals.

Duff Erholtz wants to simplify it. As membership development administrator for Sourcewell, a purchasing co-op for public and nonprofit agencies, he helps schools and districts pool their buying power to negotiate better deals on their mutual needs. Instead of vetting individual vendors, procurement teams can vet a single co-op and gain access to hundreds of competitive contracts on items every school uses.

“Co-op purchasing saves time, money and effort,” Erholtz says. “If public agencies are making better choices and being more efficient with their limited resources, we’ve indirectly affected all that they serve. We

want to provide a choice, an option, and create efficiencies in how they procure.”

Established by the Minnesota government nearly 40 years ago, when co-op purchasing was still in its infancy, Sourcewell offers nationally solicited contracts to organizations throughout the country. Not only is California one of the world’s largest economies, but its schools are the largest users of Sourcewell contracts – one of the reasons the co-op has chosen to help financially support CASBO as both an associate member and Strategic Alliance partner.

“We support CASBO because we believe in what they do. We believe in their mission,” he says. “We believe that a better-informed procurement community, one that understands all of the options and intricacies of the job, makes better decisions and leads to better public services.”

Erholtz never dreamed he’d end up working for a purchasing co-op. He grew up in the hospitality industry, managing resorts and restaurants until achieving his dream of buying his own restaurant at age 29. With three small children and more than a decade of restaurant ownership under his belt, he

decided to sell and see what else life had in store for him. That’s when Sourcewell recruited him into public procurement.

“I have loved it. I was a people-pleaser, and I very much had a service mentality. It’s no different than the hospitality industry in the capacity I serve, interacting with the public agencies we serve.”

These days, Erholtz works directly with school business leaders to answer their questions about co-op purchasing and help them approach procurement more strategically.

“Being strategic is about being proactive instead of being reactive,” he says. “When I started, most co-op use was reactive. There are only five days left in the fiscal year and I still have money to spend, or something broke and I need something immediately.

Being strategic is looking internally at how your own district or school feels about co-op purchasing. Does the contract contain the specific solution you need? How is it administered and monitored?

“To be strategic is to be in front of those things and not answer for them after the fact.” z z z

California School Business / casbo.org

15

TRACK. MANAGE. REPORT. ACCURACY & TRANSPARENCY

in Reporting School Construction Financial Information for Key Stakeholders

Visit us online:

www.KeyAnalytics.org

Smart business. Smart schools.™

WE GET LIMITED RESOURCES SHOULDN’T LIMIT IMAGINATIONS. Forget blackboards – today’s classroom is a student-centered, collaborative environment that supports a wide range of abilities and learning activities. To put today’s technology within reach without breaking your budget, you need IT Orchestration by CDW•G. See how at CDWG.com/k12

Smart business. Smart schools.™

16 California School Business / Summer 2019

Vavrinek, Trine, Day & Co., LLP has been a leading provider of audit, tax, and advisory services for the Education market since 1948. Our professionals understand the unique needs of school districts, charter schools, county offices of education, higher education and special agencies.

Our Locations: Fresno, Laguna Hills, Palo Alto, Pasadena, Phoenix, Pleasanton, Rancho Cucamonga, Riverside, Sacramento, San Diego, San Mateo, San Ramon

vtdcpa.com

909.466.4410

California School Business / casbo.org

17

Student Loan Solutions Help your employees find out how they may be able to remove or reduce their student loan debt with Horace Mann’s suite of Student Loan Solutions.

to learn more, visit horacemann.com

AM-C04340 (July 18)

YOUR TRUSTED ENERGY PARTNER MASTER PLANNING

SAVINGS ANALYSIS

18 California School Business / Summer 2019

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT

ASSET MANAGEMENT

Strength in Numbers • 430 School Districts

• Over 300,000 members

• $2.5 billion in combined annual budgets

The larger the pool, the better the rates.

SISC is the largest public school pool in the U.S. offering workers’ compensation, property and liability, health benefits and other value-added services. We have the purchasing power to negotiate the widest variety of insurance products at the lowest possible cost.

Some people think we’re an insurance company. We’re actually a coalition of California schools.

And we are public school employees just like you. We don’t operate on profit margins. We exist solely to provide the best products and services to our districts and their employees.

Interested in membership?

We’d love to talk. Call us at (800) 972-1727 or visit www.sisc.kern.org.

Self-Insured Schools of California Schools Helping Schools

California School Business / casbo.org SISC Ads_Fish_Strength in Numbers_8.5x11.indd 1

19

2/15/19 9:53 AM

5 tips to avoid “business as usual�

20 California School Business / Summer 2019

FEATURE

By Jennifer Fink

F

aced with rising transportation costs, Hemet Unified School District considered eliminating hometo-school busing.

The cost of the program exceeded the available budget; each year, the transportation program encroached on the general fund. But rather than eliminating busing, the district, a casbo organizational subscriber, decided to expand its program and offer transportation services to other districts.

“Everybody was trying to cut, cut, cut expenses. Nobody was looking at the income side of the budget,” says Vince Christakos, Hemet Unified’s recently retired assistant superintendent of business services. Because it’s a large district – it covers 650 square miles and serves more than 20,000 students – Hemet Unified already had multiple buses and available drivers. “So, we looked at if we could take our transportation resources and assets and sell our services to other districts,” Christakos said.

Hemet Unified began by offering transportation services to surrounding districts under a joint powers agreement.

Nearly 10 years later, the district provides services, including home-to-school and field-trip busing, to 42 different entities.

The program brings in approximately $21.5 million of revenue annually, which completely covers the cost of in-district transportation and has allowed the transportation department to contribute money to the general fund.

California School Business / casbo.org

21

The entrepreneurial mindset

School business leaders who adopt an entrepreneurial mindset will be able to develop innovative solutions – and perhaps even additional income streams.

22 California School Business / Summer 2019

“We totally eliminated our district’s home-to-school transportation encroachment,” Christakos says. “I think we’re probably the only school district in the state that can say that.”

Such innovative thinking and problem-solving is common in startups.

It’s not so common in the world of school business. “In governmental agencies, we tend to get stuck,” Christakos says. “We think we have one purpose and one purpose only. So, we often fail to [ask] how do we make this process more effective or efficient? How can we create income streams?”

Entrepreneurs are always considering those questions. Because the very success (or failure) of their businesses depends upon their ability to find creative solutions to fill unmet (or unsatisfactorily

met) needs, entrepreneurs are always on the lookout for opportunity. Continuous iteration and improvement are part of the entrepreneurial process because entrepreneurs are constantly looking for a competitive edge. Entrepreneurs regularly take calculated risks to help their businesses advance.

A c c o rd i n g t o D a m o n B ro w n , entrepreneur and author of “The Ultimate Bite-Sized Entrepreneur Trilogy,” what sets entrepreneurs apart is their mindset.

“The entrepreneurial mindset represents the ability to look at how things could be versus how things are,” Brown says. School business leaders who adopt an entrepreneurial mindset will be able to develop innovative solutions – and perhaps even additional income streams.

Not sure where to start? Consider these five entrepreneurial practices:

1. Create room to experiment It’s easy to get caught up in the day-today responsibilities of your job. But if you want to find truly creative solutions, you have to be willing to experiment.

As the old saying goes, “If you want something you’ve never had, you must do something you’ve never done.”

Entrepreneurs create space for flexibility, experimentation and failure.

Innovative and agile companies do as well. In fact, some of today’s essential business products, including Post-It Notes and Gmail, resulted from companies’ willingness to allow their employees time to experiment. 3m and Google famously encouraged employees to devote 20% of their time to personal projects.

Many of those projects did not ultimately result in marketable commodities, but a few did – and those products may not have come into existence if employees weren’t allowed to experiment on company time.

Giving your employees time to freely explore problems, ideas and solutions may seem difficult when so many daily tasks call for their attention. But allowing them time to pursue options without expectation is key to unleashing creativity. When people know that they’ll still have a job even if something fails because they’re still doing their assigned job duties in the time that’s not devoted to experimentation, they’re more likely to take creative risks, Brown says.

Christakos says he’s always encouraged his department heads to “start thinking about what’s possible.”

He asks them to consider ways they might expand services and create income streams, and then lets them explore.

Travis Allen, founder of the iSchool Initiative, uses a similar approach. “I hire

competent people, and then give them problems to solve,” Allen says. Instead of micromanaging his employees, Allen gives them freedom to find solutions.

“When people feel they have ownership over a problem or solution, they work 10 times harder,” Allen says.

2. Embrace opportunity When charter schools asked c a s b o Organizational Subscriber Shasta Union High School District to consider providing food service to them, the district seized the opportunity.

“We put together a contract and started providing services,” says David Flores, Shasta Union’s chief business official. The charter schools typically only serve about 60-70 meals per day, so building a full-service kitchen and hiring food service personnel was not practical or cost-effective. Shasta Union, on the other hand, already had kitchens and food service personnel at various schools throughout the district; bumping up the amount of food they prepared daily wasn’t too difficult. It was a win-win endeavor. By working together, the charter schools get food service at a reasonable cost, and Shasta Union has been able to bring additional income into the district.

Entrepreneurs are constantly on the lookout for opportunity and are quick to embrace opportunities that help them advance their business goals. Of course, successful entrepreneurs don’t jump at every opportunity; they carefully consider the options before them and only embrace the ones that make sense for their businesses. School districts need to do the same.

“You need to consider your resources: Do you have the physical capability and necessary materials? Can your existing staff manage the increased workload?”

Flores says. “There are also additional costs that are sometimes hidden.”

It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day responsibilities of your job. But if you want to find truly creative solutions, you have to be willing to experiment.

California School Business / casbo.org

23

The entrepreneurial mindset

You may not be able to completely avoid table-andchairs meetings (or bad coffee), but you can introduce other alternatives whenever feasible.

Flores says school business leaders must regularly discuss entrepreneurial ventures with clients and affected staff.

“As a cbo, it’s easy to put together a contract, get it signed, start invoicing and go on our merry way,” he says. “But we need to make time to talk to staff and see how they’re doing. Are they overwhelmed? Do they see something you don’t? As a school business officer, you can’t just assume that everything’s going to go the way you envision it, because it never does.”

Seeking regular feedback will help you adjust as necessary.

3. Shake up your meetings “Science says that if we do something a little bit different – change the environment, change the interactions we have with ourselves and other people – we actually change the way we think about things,” author Brown says. “We might come up with a solution we would not have come up with if we were in the same stagnant environment.”

24 California School Business / Summer 2019

For instance, chairs around a table in a windowless room is not exactly an inspiring environment. In fact, it’s exactly the sort of environment that breeds sluggishness and complacency. “If you’re having your weekly or monthly meetings in the same place with the same bad coffee, your ideas are probably going to be pretty much the same,” Brown says.

You may not be able to completely avoid table-and-chairs meetings (or bad coffee), but you can introduce other alternatives whenever feasible. Brown suggests outside walking meetings.

“Going outside for 10 minutes can help you break up entrenched thinking patterns,” he says. You might need to head inside to finish up the meeting, but simply moving outside for a few minutes can introduce new ideas and energy.

4. Aim for a minimally

viable product

In business, a minimally viable product (mvp) is an early iteration of a product.

It has just enough features to satisfy early adopters, who then provide formal and informal feedback that the business uses to finish development of the final product. Getting an mvp out into the world allows an entrepreneur to bring in some income while obtaining crucial information about how well the product fills consumers’ needs.

School districts exploring entrepreneurial opportunities can do the same thing. That’s how Shasta Union began offering information technology (it) services to surrounding districts.

Approximately 12 years ago, Shasta Union was fielding a fair number of calls from small- to medium-sized districts, asking for it advice and guidance. Sensing a need, Shasta Union decided to offer it services to other districts for a fee.

“We put together a menu of options – different levels of service they could select – and put it out there,” Flores says.

“Districts started coming to us to provide internet access, manage their it services, things like that. It kind of blossomed from there.”

As the other districts asked for specific services, Shasta Union added them, when feasible. In this way, Shasta Union was able to tailor its it program to its customers’ needs.

Starting with an mvp allows you to determine the value of an idea before you invest a lot of time and money into it. “New ideas are as flaky as a Parisian

croissant,” Brown says. “They can’t handle the weight.” So, rather than pinning all of your hopes on one solution, consider a small trial.

“If the new idea fails, ideally you learn something along the way,” Brown says, and you can use that information to develop a better plan moving forward. “If it ends up taking off, you can put more energy and resources into it.”

5. Involve all stakeholders Entrepreneurs know that some of the best ideas come from stakeholders.

The people who are most affected by a problem are often the ones who have

the insight – and ideas – necessary to solve it.

School business leaders who desire creative problem-solving would do well to follow entrepreneurs’ example.

“We need to stop siloing departments and information,” says iSchool Initiative founder Allen. i t doesn’t only affect the technology department; it affects students, teachers, administrators and families. Involving stakeholders from each of these communities in the problem-solving process will likely result in a broader, more thoughtful set of solutions than those identified without community input.

California School Business / casbo.org

25

The entrepreneurial mindset

As a leader, it’s your job to “create an environment where people are willing to come forward with ideas and thoughts,” says Michael Johnston, associate superintendent of administrative services at Clovis Unified School District, a casbo organizational subscriber. You do that by “always being willing to listen to their ideas,” he says.

Clovis Unified has a committee of more than 100 employees (including administrators, custodians, teachers and bus drivers) who are involved in making decisions about health benefits. Input from this committee lead to the 2018 opening of the Clovis Unified Employee Health Center, a full-service health clinic open to employees and their families.

The health center is good for employees and good for the district,

Johnston, a casbo past president, says.

Traditionally, employees had to take time off work and travel to receive medical care. That was inconvenient for employees and for the district, which often had to hire substitutes to cover for employees. Students, meanwhile, missed hours of instruction from experienced teachers who’d already developed a rapport with them. The district health center allows most employees to receive care and return to work in one to two hours.

“The time saving we’ve experienced is significant,” Johnston says. “Financewise, it’s cost-neutral right now, but what we’re providing is better service to our employees. The operational benefit is significant.”

One hallmark of the entrepreneurial mindset is a willingness to entertain new

ideas. “The longer that something is around, the more you can easily convince yourself that it doesn’t need to change,” Brown say. “But the way we did things in the past is not necessarily the best way.” z z z Jennifer Fink is a freelance writer based in Mayville, Wisconsin.

Brush up on your innovation and problem-solving skills by registering for professional development training with CASBO. Visit casbo.org > Learn today!

Achieve more than you believed possible.

Gema Ptasinski, CPA, Principal Tina Henton, CPA, MST, Principal Glendora | 626-857-7300 CLAconnect.com

WEALTH ADVISORY | OUTSOURCING AUDIT, TAX, AND CONSULTING Investment advisory services are offered through CliftonLarsonAllen Wealth Advisors, LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor. ©2019 CliftonLarsonAllen LLP | 33-0469

26 California School Business / Summer 2019

Future Order Program Be ready for next year!

Schools and school districts!

If your school purchases supplies through a contract with Office Depot, take advantage of the Office Depot® Future Order Program. You can order back-to-school supplies now for a future delivery date, giving you the peace of mind that your order will be there when you need it.

Take advantage of your budget now by choosing from 2,000 school supplies that can be delivered 21–180 days in the future.

Future Order Program at a glance: • Curated school supply list Choose from 2,000 school supplies that you need most

• Extended cancellation window Take advantage of more time to cancel your order, should you need it

• In stock and ready Rest assured that our in-stock select items are ready when you need them

• Statement consolidation Keep your Future Order items together with one consolidated statement

• Delivery Schedule your order to be delivered by your requested time frame Features like these are just the beginning. Learn more at business.officedepot.com

A Statement is a list of all invoices and items for a single cart transaction (not for multiple orders on the same P.O.) and will be available for all shipments July 1 and later.

The Future Order option should be selected for delivery of items 21 or more days in the future (up to a maximum of 180 days). Pickup orders are not available with Future Order delivery.

Office Depot is a trademark of The Office Club, Inc. © 2019 Office Depot, Inc. All rights reserved. BSD013.19

The foremost authority on school business.

California School Business / casbo.org

27

Make smarter energy choices for your school.

Reducing energy usage by 20 percent across the education sector would result in energy cost savings of more than $3.3 billion. K-12 schools, colleges and universities can use that savings

We’ll show you how.

to better spend on educating students.1 At Direct Energy Business, we want to help you cut your energy usage and save money by customizing an electricity and natural gas strategy for your school. Join the more than 200,000 businesses across North America that choose us as their energy supplier.

Better Buildings Progress Report 2017, U.S. Department of Energy, https://betterbuildingsinitiative.energy.gov/sites/default/files/attachments/Better_Buildings_Progress_Report_2017.pdf

1

To learn more, visit businesspages.directenergy.com/CASBO

SELF is a Not-for-Profit Joint Powers Authority run

by Schools for Schools - Not a corporate bottom line Our roots run deep with 33 years of service to California schools and community colleges

SELF's longevity and solvency is real and will continue into the future.

Our members are people, not numbers.

SELF was designed and created by schools to provide a reliable source for catastrophic coverage.

SELF's core limit is $55 million.

SELF has the unique ability to offer much broader coverage than what is available commercially.

1531 I Street, Suite 300 | Sacramento, CA 95814 • (916) 321-5300 • info@selfjpa.org • selfjpa.org 28 California School Business / Summer 2019

INTERVIEW

Linda Darling-Hammond

President of State Board of Education comments on goals, critical topics, the way forward

By Julie Phillips Randles

several award-winning books on topics ranging from teacher education to school redesign and educational policy. DarlingHammond is also a former president of the American Educational Research Association and has been named the nation’s No. 1 scholar involved in public discourse about education by the American Enterprise Institute.

At Stanford, she founded the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education and served as the faculty sponsor of the Stanford Teacher Education Program. In 2008, she served as the

Photography by Michaelangelo’s Photography

When gov. gavin newsom appointed linda darlinghammond to head the california state board of education, it looked to the world as if he’d found the ultimate academic for the job.

But that’s only part of the story.

Darling-Hammond certainly has the education chops. A Stanford University professor emeritus, she’s considered one of the nation’s most prominent education researchers. She has published more than 600 articles, chapters and books, including

California School Business / casbo.org

29

Linda Darling-Hammond

leader of President Barack Obama’s education policy transition team. In 2015, she established the Learning Policy Institute in Palo Alto, where she is president and ceo.

She’s founding director of the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, whose 1996 report, “What Matters Most: Teaching for America’s Future,” was named among the most influential education reports of that decade.

Many casbo educators know her as the woman who chaired the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing for former Gov. Jerry Brown. Darling-Hammond led the charge to determine what teachers need to know to earn a credential.

“The focus has to be on how to meet students’ needs, rather than just check the boxes of state requirements,” she said at the time.

And it’s that dedication to the classroom that makes Darling-Hammond’s appointments stand out. She’s cognizant not only of the data and research but real-life implications.

It’s what you’d expect from a leader who began her career as a classroom teacher in Camden, New Jersey, and Media, Pennsylvania, fresh out of Yale, where she graduated magna cum laude. It’s what you expect from a woman who spoke out against a federal policy she characterized as “testing without investing” at a Save the Schools rally in Washington, d.c., in 2015.

“They say there is no money for schools – and of poor children, they say, ‘Let them eat tests,’” she told the crowd then, “… but public education has a secret weapon: the members of communities and the profession like yourselves who are committed first and foremost to our children and who have the courage to speak out against injustice.”

Education reform is in her career dna, too.

She’s certainly walked the talk. Darling-Hammond co-founded the Children’s Community School, a preschool

30 California School Business / Summer 2019

in Silver Spring, Maryland, and, later, East Palo Alto High School, where the first senior class saw 90% of its students attend two- and four-year colleges, even though two-thirds of their parents didn’t finish high school themselves. Workbooks and multiple-choice tests were not part of that successful mix – instead, projects, essays and dissertation-style presentations before a jury of teachers determine competence. casbo caught up with Darling-Hammond to discuss what she sees as the turning points for California’s school districts.

Who are your role models for your work as a professor, CEO and board president?

I admire the work that Mike Kirst did as board president over the last eight years in terms of helping the state develop a framework for funding, accountability, assessment and curriculum. And while we bring different experiences and expertise to the task, I certainly have learned a lot from Mike.

I’m always trying to borrow successful strategies from everyone I meet. I consider myself a learner so I learn from many people.

What’s one thing you thought you knew that you found out you were wrong about?

At one moment in time, I thought that the way history worked was that we were engaged in continuous, steady progress toward a more compassionate, thoughtful, equitable, enlightened society. And I’ve learned by both studying history and experiencing it that we make progress as a society often after something really awful happens. For example, after the Great Depression, we experienced a progressive education era in the 1930s; after multiple assassinations in the 1960s, urban riots and the Vietnam War, we went into an era of educational rethinking, equity work and innovation.

But the other part of the story is that whenever there’s great progress, there’s great pushback, so what we experience is progress that almost always takes two steps forward and then one step back. We’re in a moment in California’s history where we’re taking quite a number of steps forward to recommit to investing in education, to do that in an equitable way, to create a system that focuses on an empowering form of education for children and supporting adults to provide that education.

But I think that to prevent a large regress, we’re going to have to intensify our efforts to be sure we plant this work very, very deeply, so that many of these accomplishments can be sustained because nothing lasts forever and we need to take advantage of the moments we have to make progress.

What are your goals as president of the State Board of Education?

The first thing is to take advantage of what has been built. Any state or country I’ve studied that has made serious progress in education has done so over a 15-20 year period of time in which they’ve been pursuing a common direction and then fine tuning, refining, learning and improving upon that direction, rather than doing a radical U-turn.

We’ve had a number of those radical U-turns in California and all kinds of pendulum swings in policy, so one goal is to continue the good work that’s been started around the Local Control Funding Formula [lcff], the development of this very innovative approach to local control accountability, which is a work in progress; the new standards we’re adopting; and the work to create curriculum frameworks and implement those new standards. And what I’d like us to build is a high-functioning system of support for schools.

We have an idea for a three-tiered system of support. Tier 1 includes the learning opportunities that all districts should have, and we have a lot of work to do to rebuild that tier of support, as well as the supports needed for districts that are identified for particular kinds of improvement (tiers 2 and 3). That’s a very big agenda that’s just getting underway, with good examples to build on from throughout the state of both what schools are doing and what some universities and nonprofits are doing to support professional learning for educators.

Another thing that’s on the agenda is to continue to refine the local control accountability process so that it’s not unnecessarily cumbersome but is focused and purposeful in helping people identify where they’re making progress and what kinds of investments will be helpful to them to continue their progress.

We need to continue to build our college and career pipelines. We’ve done some important work on career technical programs, like Linked Learning, and career and college

California School Business / casbo.org

31

Linda Darling-Hammond

transitions. The economy and the society are changing rapidly, and we still have quite a bit of work to do to be sure our young people are being prepared for the 21st century before we get to the 22nd.

And our processes for launching them into college and career must be mindful of the kind of learning they need to become independent learners, collaborative learners, to be able to function in a fast-changing world with a rapidly growing knowledge base and ever-changing technologies. We’re on that path, but we have a lot of work to do.

Finally, Gov. Gavin Newsom is very committed to building the on-ramp to k-12 with a stronger system of pk [prekindergarten] and ensuring we do that in a way that maintains quality in pk and expands access, and that provides racially, ethnically, economically integrated settings for schools, both pk and k-12. That’s a goal in front of us.

California is one of the two most segregated states in the country for African American and Latino students, and the way we make decisions about how we do things like expanding pk, and the way we think about building schools and organizing how kids go to those schools, can either exacerbate or remediate that situation.

What’s ahead as far as critical issues facing California’s education system?

The Merrow Report did that film about California called “From First to Worst,” and we’ve been through this very steep slide from a very high-functioning state educationally in the 1970s to a state that just about hit bottom. As Jerry Brown was coming in as governor, we were 50th in the nation in the ratio of students to teachers, principals, counselors and other staff. We were one of the lowest spending states, we were one of the lowest achieving states. We were 48th in the nation in eighth-grade reading and 47th in eighth-grade math. California became the state that, when the achievement rankings came out each year, would say, “Thank God for Mississippi.”

We had really hit bottom in many ways. The curriculum was narrow and focused on low-level tests. So we’ve done a U-turn and we’re moving in the right direction, but when I look ahead to where we should be, in the next eight years we should be moving California from worst to first. We’re on that path, but it will take concentrated effort to get there.

After only a few years of the new investments under lcff, the new accountability system and the new standards, California eighth graders are now almost at the national average in reading after having been 48th in the country; and in math we’ve closed the gap to the national average by about half. I want us to really

32 California School Business / Summer 2019

keep on the path of deepening instruction around the standards, really figuring out how to address the needs of all of our learners, including those who are new English learners and students who learn in a variety of ways. And to do that we need to build the on-ramp for pk and the off-ramp to college and career, and then create curriculum and teaching in between that’s engaging, motivating and focused on higher-order thinking and problemsolving skills. And we need to support educators in that process.

One critical issue is that special education in California as an enterprise has gone from a five-alarm fire to a six-alarm fire.

We’re going to have to work very hard to do an overhaul. Two of three special educators who are entering the profession each year are coming in on emergency permits or intern credentials.

They have not completed a special education teacher preparation program. So we have many people in classrooms who are trying to figure out how to help kids without the knowledge base and support needed to enable them to be highly effective.

Two-thirds of the districts in California that were identified for differentiated assistance were identified because of special education, and we don’t have an infrastructure for professional learning that we need to solve this problem. We’ve made some early starts on it. We have designated selpa [Special Education Local Plan Area] lead agencies in the system of support to provide assistance to struggling districts and schools.

There are some new teacher residency programs for training special educators. There are some resources for building new models of preparation. We have new standards that are going into effect, but we’re going to have to do a lot more to invest in these teachers and to make the working conditions better.

In California, the maximum pupil load for a special ed teacher is 29-1. In most states it’s about 12-1. So we’re overloading our special education teachers in the field and we’re under-preparing them when they’re on the way in. We have very segregated systems for special ed and general ed in California, some of the most segregated in the country. And so, while we’ve got some good ideas for moving forward, like new training and new money going into training, we have a lot of work to do to create a single system of education in which all of our learners, no matter how they learn, are getting the right kinds of support in the right way at the right time.

What tips do you have for parents about using the LCFF dashboard?

From the dashboard, parents can learn how their school is doing across multiple indicators – not just test scores, but also graduation rates and how the district is doing in preparing kids for college and career – what they’re doing in the area of

discipline, positive climate. So one thing that parents can do if they learn how to use the dashboard effectively is know what issues to raise when they’re trying to be active members of their community and work with the school board and administration.

They can learn where this district is improving, where it’s not improving, where it’s performing well and where it can use more elbow grease.

Parents won’t see information about their individual students, but it gives them a framework within which to think about how your student is doing. For example, if in your district there’s a high rate of discipline actions and your student’s been experiencing that, knowing where your district sits in that regard relative to other districts will give you some leverage to ask for alternative strategies and support.

With so many districts statewide facing fiscal difficulties, what are the next steps? Where do we go from here to improve things?

There are three areas referenced by the “Getting Down to Facts” studies as areas where we haven’t yet rationalized our funding system: special education, pensions and facilities.

The governor recognizes these challenges, and his January budget put $3 billion toward the pension problem as well as

$2 billion in terms of raising the state investment in lcff. And he put more than half a billion dollars in special education and a couple of billion into early learning and preschool, which a lot of districts have been trying to do on their own because they know how important it is to augment what the state does. I think these are promising steps forward.

In the long run, we’re going to need new revenue strategies as well as new financing strategies in the areas I’ve mentioned.

And in 2020, there will be a proposition on the ballot – there may be more than one – like the split-roll proposal related to Proposition 13.

The state also needs to be looking at how to reduce the size of its huge prison industrial complex, which has been eating up a lot of the resources that used to go to education, and try to create a set of policies that will educate rather than incarcerate and thereby secure more resources for the educational system.

As an academic, how do you keep your finger on the pulse of the reality of what’s happening in public schools?

I’m not a traditional academic. Over the course of my career I’ve started several schools; worked with people in many districts on school redesign and professional development; and worked

California School Business / casbo.org

33

Linda Darling-Hammond

figure out a better way to handle the pension situation, how we’ll fund special education, what we’ll do to create a more adequate trajectory for funding.

There’s a lot to figure out, but I really believe that educators in California – who are amazingly persevering and creative and intelligent about problem-solving because they’ve done so much of it – can help us figure it out.

I urge people to individually and collectively come together and help us figure out the root causes of some of these problems and the strategies that will carry us forward because the energy and the will to solve those problems is now definitely available.

What do you think education in California will look like 20 years from now?

closely with lots of teachers, both pre-service and in-service, and with principals and superintendents.

I’ve also worked in the policy arena both as an analyst and as someone working to carry research into the policy arena. I worked directly with President Obama and his transition team, and I’ve worked with many superintendents in local districts as well as with legislatures and governors on education policy.

I’m fortunate to have a lot of opportunities to keep my finger on the pulse of the reality of what’s happening in public schools. I roll up my sleeves and work with educators on a regular basis.

What advice or words of wisdom do you have for California’s school business leaders?

Leading schools is always enormously challenging work and leading schools in California is more challenging than in many other places.

It’s a more complex system with more diverse learners that is not as well-resourced as states on the East Coast, for example.

We’re in a process of making really strong improvements from where California was and where it was heading a few years ago. And while there are problems still on our plates, we have a governor, a state board, a state department of education and many others who are rolling up their sleeves to continue to improve the status of education in California.

So, unlike the period when we were just in a freefall, we’re climbing back. I would urge school business leaders to help us with the diagnostics and the problem-solving, now that there’s a will to

34 California School Business / Summer 2019

I’ve studied a lot of countries that have dramatically improved their education systems and are now among the top performers in the world; places that in the 1960s and 70s didn’t even have an education system that was worth calling a system and now are leading the world. I think California is building a system just like that.

Twenty years from now, if we continue on the path we’re on and if we’re purposeful and persevering in the work, we’ll have a very diverse population of students in California who are attending schools that are organized to really support their learning in thoughtful and empowered ways. It will be a state that is an exemplar for equity in the way we provide education. We’ll bring our schools into the context of the technological innovation and leadership that California represents, so that kind of preparation for the world we live in is available to all kids in the state. And we’ll see all children with access to a full, rich curriculum also learning to be good human beings who are socially and emotionally competent, caring and compassionate.

California should not only be leading the nation but the world in how it exemplifies what a society should be, and I think we have taken many steps in that direction lately. Our school system should be one that others from around the world are studying to see what a great system looks like and how it got to be that way. z z z Julie Phillips Randles is a freelance writer based in Roseville, California.

We Provide

WHAT ENROLLMENT CHALLENGES DOES YOUR DISTRICT FACE?

ENROLLMENT SOLUTIONS

Increasing Enrollment Declining Enrollment Attendance Boundary Changes School Overcrowding Grade Configuration Changes Special Program Placement School Consolidation Class Size Reduction Feeder School Changes Open Enrollment / School Choice Better Insight into your Community Fiscal and Staffing Planning New Housing Development

www.DecisionInsite.com | 877.204.1392

Smart business. Smart schools.™

(916) 446-7517  www.sscal.com

School Services of California, Inc., (SSC) is the leading provider of consulting, governmental relations, and information services for K-14 educational agencies in California. Since 1975, SSC has been proud to provide services to nearly every educational agency in the state.

CASBO_Half-Page Horizontal Mag Ad_SSC_2019.indd 1

• • • • •

Management Consulting Services Governmental Relations Services Collective Bargaining and Factfinding Services Executive Searches and Recruitment State Budget Conferences and Issue-Specific Workshops • The Fiscal Report and Specialized Publications 1/30/2019 10:24:30 AM

California School Business / casbo.org

35

FISCAL CRYSTAL BALL CALIFORNIA’S ECONOMY IS STILL HUMMING, BUT NOTHING LASTS FOREVER

By Jerry Fingal Come july, the current economic expansion in the u.s. and California will become 10 years old, making it the longest period of growth on record.

But with memories of the Great Recession still fresh and given the cyclical nature of economic growth, it’s no surprise that many people are expecting the other economic shoe to drop. And with the daily static of economic news focusing on stock markets, foreign trade disputes and housing prices, it’s easy to think that shoe is about to hit the floor.

So, what’s the forecast? The short answer from experts is that the economy is slowing but the outlook remains mostly positive. Although some economists see some troubling signs, no one is yet talking with any certainty about the R word – recession.

“As far as we can see, there’s no reason why the current trajectory should change through the rest of this year and really into 2020,” said Robert Kleinhenz, economist and executive director of research for Beacon Economics, llc. “We’re

36 California School Business / Summer 2019

COVER STORY

California School Business / casbo.org

37

FISCAL CRYSTAL BALL

School districts might be getting more money than ever, but they’re also facing both immediate and longterm challenges that are overwhelming that good fortune.

38 California School Business / Summer 2019

just going to be more watchful as we get closer to the election in 2020.”

Kleinhenz was among four economic and school finance experts who gave their outlooks for the California economy and its effect on schools at an economic summit held in April at the casbo Annual Conference in San Diego. The others were Ryan Ratcliff, associate professor of economics at the University of San Diego’s School of Business Administration; Robert Miyashiro, vice president for School Services of California, Inc., a casbo Strategic Alliance partner; and Jeff Bell, program budget manager in the California Department of Finance’s Education Systems Unit.

For the California economy and the state budget, there are plenty of positives. Economic indicators remain strong, per-pupil education funding is at record levels and the state is projected to end this fiscal year in June with a $21.5 billion surplus. But for schools, this economic boon may also come with a bust.

School districts might be getting more money than ever, but they’re also facing both immediate and long-term challenges that are overwhelming that good fortune. In the short term, many districts are feeling pinched by rising pension costs, which have increased dramatically in recent years.

“Yes, you are giving schools more money than they’ve ever had, but their expenses are growing faster than what you’re giving them,” Ratcliff said.

In the long term, demographic changes loom large. School enrollment is expected to drop by 258,000 statewide over the next 10 years, a decline of 4%.

With state funding tied to enrollment, that’s bad news for some districts.

Here’s a look at what the experts say the economy looks like in the future and what that means for school districts.

THE BIG PICTURE Just because this economic expansion is 10 years old doesn’t mean the u.s. and California are due for a downturn.

“Calendar time doesn’t really have any meaning in economics, but people think, ‘Well, it’s been going on for a long time, we might be due again,’” Ratcliff said.

Consumer spending, the biggest engine of the economy, remains strong, Kleinhenz said.

“People see high home prices and other things that were part of the picture back at the time of the Great Recession,” Kleinhenz said. “But the fact of the matter is that from an income-growth perspective, a wealth-accumulation perspective, from the point of view of the debt load that households are carrying, all of those fundamentals look good. Even the savings rate right now looks good for households. So, the largest sector of the u.s. economy is in good shape financially.”

The slight slowdown in economic growth in 2019 was not a surprise.

Kleinhenz said that last year’s gross domestic product (gdp) growth of close to 3% was above the long-term sustainable growth rate of the u.s. economy, which is probably closer to 2%. That high growth rate was driven by tax cuts and changes in the federal budget, he said.

But 2% is a healthy growth rate.

“That’s pretty close to our long-term growth potential,” he said.

In addition, the unemployment rate for the state and nation are at historic lows.

Still, opinions among economists vary. Ratcliff senses a “whiff” of trouble ahead.

“The overall economic outlook is very muddy right now,” he said.

Ratcliff’s biggest concern is what’s called the inverted yield curve. That’s

what happens when the rate on a threemonth Treasury bill exceeds that of a 10-year Treasury bill. It can be a signal that investors aren’t confident about long-term growth. It happened in March for the first time since 2007.

The yield curve has inverted nine times since 1980, and a recession has followed within 12 months after eight of them, Ratcliff said.

“If you put me on a desert island and only gave me one leading economic indicator on the likelihood of a recession, that’s the one I’d choose. It’s been the most reliable,” he said.

But what makes the outlook “muddy” is that not all recession indicators are pointing in the same direction, he said.

“There’s a pretty high degree of uncertainty around this,” he said. “But these are the signals we’re all looking at.

A lot of the pieces of the economy look strong. But there’s a couple of places that have historically been pretty good predictors of trouble a year from now. We’re just starting to see them flash.”

The latest ucla Anderson Forecast, which assesses the economic outlook for the nation and California on a quarterly basis, foresees a “synchronized slowdown” in the economy. The report, released in March, cites the waning effects of fiscal stimulus, higher interest rates and weakness among global trading partners. ucla Anderson senior economist David Shulman predicts that national growth “will slow to 1.7% in 2019 to a near-recession pace of 1.1% in 2020.

However, by mid-2021, growth is forecast to be around 2%.” The report puts the chance of a recession in 2020 at 28%, up from 17% this year.

Just because this economic expansion is 10 years old doesn’t mean the U.S. and California are due for a downturn.

California School Business / casbo.org

39

FISCAL CRYSTAL BALL Looking back, Miyashiro says the coming of the Great Recession was not obvious.

“We were in what were very good times in 2006 and leading to 2007,” he said. “Home prices were rising quickly but most of the professional economists were not warning of an impending recession. And yet when it all collapsed, it collapsed very fast, and it was a lot deeper and longer than anyone had told us.

“My word of warning is that economists are all looking at the same data and no one has a crystal ball on when the next recession is coming and how long and deep it will be.”

DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES California is changing in profound ways.

The population is aging, birth rates are

40 California School Business / Summer 2019

falling and immigration is flattening. For school districts, it all adds up to fewer students.

But how that plays out across the state depends on the region. Generally, coastal areas will see declines in population and students, while inland areas will see increases.

Statewide, enrollment is projected to drop about 4% over the next 10 years.

In some counties like Orange and Los Angeles, it’s expected to be a 10% drop.

However, Kern, Sacramento and Placer Counties will see the largest increases in numbers of students; Sutter, Lake and Tehama Counties will see the largest percentage increases.

With school funding based on average daily attendance (ada), some districts could see declines in revenue.

Proposition 98 guarantees that schools receive a set percentage of the state bud-

get. But two of the three formulas used to calculate Proposition 98 funding from year to year use ada.

“Districts should plan accordingly,” said Bell, the state Department of Finance program budget manager. “Our message is be mindful of that and start thinking about what resources could look like over the next several years.”

The state’s slower population growth also will act as a check on economic growth.

“One of the parallels for economics in the next 10 years is that growth in gdp is a function of how many new workers you’re going to have and the increasing productivity of the workers you’ve already got,” Ratcliff said. “With slowing population growth in California, there’s a slowing in growth of the workforce, and that’s going to put a pinch on economic growth.”

Kleinhenz said the state is already seeing the effects of slow workforce growth.

“The constraint that’s keeping us from growing a whole lot faster right now is that our labor force is growing quite slowly,” he said. “It’s somewhere around 1% or even less.”

The federal government’s more aggressive approach in stemming immigration also is constricting workforce growth, Kleinhenz said.

“The current situation with immigration is making it very difficult to tap into the immigrant portion of our labor force that had been a source of growth, not just in California but nationally,” Kleinhenz said.

The high cost of housing is another factor that is restricting growth. California’s median home price of $585,000 is double the national median.

“A lack of supply of housing in our communities is one of the reasons why we’re not able to grow as fast as we can,” Kleinhenz said.

He expects policy efforts to expand the supply of housing to continue at state and local levels.

THE STATE GOVERNMENT PERSPECTIVE California is expected to end the fiscal year in June with a $20 billion surplus.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that the state’s strong economic situation is surprisingly precarious.

First, more on the good news. The state is currently providing school districts with all the money the law requires and then some. Proposition 98 funding is at its highest level ever as are per-pupil expenditures. The Local Control Funding Formula also is fully funded. In addition, the state is looking at a one-time expenditure of $3 billion to help school districts pay down their pension obligations.

“We had a chance to think about additional resources that we could offer because we know that schools are finding themselves in challenging circumstances that they’ve talked about with us,” Bell said. “So, one of the ways we know that’ll help their long-term needs is in the area of their retirement obligations.”

Still, pension payments will continue to pinch school budgets. Laws passed in 2012 and 2013 to save the state’s two pension systems require school districts to increase their contributions from 8.3% of salaries in 2013 to 19.1% in 2021.

Statewide, that’s a cost of more than $7 billion.

So, even in strong economic times with a state budget surplus of $21.5 billion, school districts and other government entities are facing difficult budgetary times.

“It’s kind of bizarre to have not just school districts but city and county governments facing budget pinches,” Kleinhenz said. “It’s partly because of their revenue sources but also because of things like these unfunded liabilities that are haunting them.

“I’m sure it’s keeping a lot of elected officials up at night as well as school officials.”

Now for the precarious part.

California’s general fund is heavily reliant on tax revenue from high-income earners.

Bell said that three decades ago, the general fund was made up of 35% sales tax, 45% personal income tax, and the rest from business taxes and other sources. It’s now made up of 70% income tax, a large portion of which comes from high-income earners and their investment income.

“When the stock market is booming, California gets a lot of tax revenue,” Ratcliff said. “But anytime there’s any kind of declining stock market, it really takes a big bite out of California’s finances.”

Now for the precarious part. California’s general fund is heavily reliant on tax revenue from highincome earners. It’s now made up of 70% income tax, a large portion of which comes from highincome earners and their investment income.

California School Business / casbo.org

41

FISCAL CRYSTAL BALL When Facebook went public, it generated almost $1.7 billion in state tax revenue, Miyashiro said.

With other California tech companies going public this year – Uber, Lyft, Pinterest, Slack and perhaps Airbnb – the state’s ranks of millionaires and billionaires will jump, as will tax revenue.

“These big companies can boost revenues significantly,” Miyashiro said.

“They can move the needle.”

THE BOTTOM LINE

So, given the economic outlook, the advice from experts for school districts is time-tested and simple: Be prudent.

42 California School Business / Summer 2019

If the financial markets see a sustained downturn, investments will drop in value, and tax revenues will slump.

“What’s happened in the last couple of economic cycles is surely going to happen again,” Kleinhenz said. “If the stock market goes beyond a correction to some sort of sustained decrease, personal income tax collections are going to fall, and they will fall sharply. That will put the state budget into a bad situation. We know it’s going to happen.”

Ratcliff cites 2001 as an example of when a $10 billion state surplus quickly became a $12 million deficit when a recession hit.

“If the state sees recession like in 2001 and the swing in the budget that goes with it, I’m concerned there are going to be some school districts that don’t have the reserves to weather another storm like that,” he said. “You’re going to see major layoffs and the sort of thing where school districts don’t have any way out. The only way out of that is bankruptcy. This isn’t going to be a surprise.

We know we’ve seen this cycle before and it’s just setting up.”

That reliance on personal income taxes, however, also has an upside.

So, given the economic outlook, the advice from experts for school districts is time-tested and simple: Be prudent.

“At School Services, we’re always saying you’ve got to be prudent,” Miyashiro said. “You’ve got to maintain a large reserve; you’ve got to be able to fund your labor contracts and not be overly optimistic on your enrollment projections or what the state will provide in the coming years.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s May revision of his budget proposal for the coming fiscal year included even more revenue than was originally projected in January. But it came with a warning.

“The May revision forecast recognizes slower growth in the economy, but does not predict a recession,” the revision’s introduction stated. “However, the state must be prepared for the possibility that even a moderate recession could result in revenue declines of nearly $70 billion and a budget deficit of $40 billion over three years.” z z z Jerry Fingal is a freelance writer based in Eugene, Oregon.

What is your district doing to prepare for a possible economic downturn?

Share your ideas on our Facebook page!

We get the big picture.

A Proven Leader in Representing California’s School Districts Cerritos | Fresno | Irvine | Marin | Pasadena | Pleasanton | Riverside | Sacramento | San Diego

Strength through Diversity www.aalrr.com • Cerritos | Fresno | Irvine | Marin | Pasadena | Pleasanton | Riverside | Sacramento | San Diego

WHEN ACCIDENTS OCCUR, more than one type of coverage is often involved—a vehicle accident might result in a liability, property, and workers’ compensation claim. Our members know that when facing these claims, they have a knowledgeable partner who provides broad coverage in all areas and is focused on the members’ goals.

Learn why California schools and colleges join ASCIP for their insurance needs and safer schools!

Join ASCIP today—the non-profit alternative!

• • • •

Property & Liability Workers’ Compensation Health Benefits School Construction Insurance

(562) 404-8029

www.ASCIP.org

California School Business / casbo.org

43

Get moving on critical projects

Let us take care of the financing, so you can focus on the project at hand.

Our program offers:

The Certificates of Participation and Lease Program can assist you with raising the capital funds you need to get moving on your highest priority property acquisitions, classroom construction projects, equipment purchases and more.

»

Fast and efficient financing

»

Non-bonded debt

»

Competitive interest rates

»

Tax-exempt payments

Contact us to find out more 800.266.3382 ext. 2603 | www.csba.org/cop

»

Full asset ownership

California School Boards Association | 3251 Beacon Blvd. West Sacramento, CA 95691

44 California School Business / Summer 2019

MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL

The foremost authority on school business.

California School Business / casbo.org

45

46 California School Business / Summer 2019

FEATURE

Becoming a resilient leader School leaders share how they coped, then thrived, despite crises

By Jennifer Snelling

California schools have faced more than their share of difficulties in the last few years. Besides the ever-present struggles with funding and ensuring students reach academic benchmarks, California schools have been affected by wildfires, floods and gun violence.

Forbes Magazine defines a resilient leader as “A person who sees failures as temporary setbacks they can recover from quickly. They maintain a positive attitude and a strong sense of opportunity during periods of turbulence. When faced with ambiguity, a resilient leader finds ways to move forward and avoids getting stuck.”

While no one likes to contemplate disaster, school leaders who have already faced crises and emerged as stronger and wiser leaders have advice for their peers who may also eventually have to stare down a challenge.

“Many of the traits of a resilient leader are the same traits we identify as good leadership: Exceptional communication skills, an ability to prioritize and good analytical and innovative skills,” says Michael Fine, chief executive of-

ficer of the Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team (fcmat).

The leaders featured here have all these traits and have faced the gravest of challenges. When sharing their stories, they emphasize staying focused on the mission of the organization, seeing failure as an opportunity to grow and building a community of people to rely on in times of need.

“A commitment is what transforms a promise into a reality” For Paradise Unified School District Superintendent Michelle John, Abraham Lincoln’s famous quote about commitment means keeping students top of mind in any situation.

At 6:30 a.m. on November 8, 2018, while John was attending a conference in San Diego, she awoke to a call from her assistant superintendent, telling her there was a fire across the canyon. They wondered whether to call off school but decided to wait. By 7:45 a.m., all communication was down.

John immediately hopped on a plane, arrived home by noon and was shocked by what had transpired in those few hours. The students, thankfully, were still on the buses they had taken to school.

The buses were rerouted to a Kmart parking lot as the fire quickly progressed. If John had called off school, many of those children might have been in bed asleep when the fire swept through the town, leaving only seven houses standing.

She climbed on the buses and hugged each kid.

As the fire continued, John and the students headed to a shelter in nearby Chico. John was there until 2 a.m., working to reunite parents and kids. Her two assistant superintendents, who had run on foot from the fire, joined her.

During that time, John jumped into action, asking her administrators and union presidents to track down staff.

Teachers then reached out to families to establish that they had been reunited.

They were able to reach everyone except two teachers stuck in an elementary school for three days, and a janitor who

California School Business / casbo.org

47

Becoming a resilient leader

rural school model. She was able to rent another campus for the primary grades.

Fifty percent of the district’s kids moved to other districts.

For those remaining students, John has stayed focused on getting them back to their home schools even though Paradise doesn’t expect to have potable water for two to five more years. Seniors are hoping to graduate on their home field this month, and John is shooting for reopening two of the four campuses in Paradise this August.

“I ask myself over and over what is best for the kids,” she says. “We are going to struggle. I’ve learned more about legislation than I ever thought I would. The learning curve has been amazing, but you don’t stop because it’s [for] your kids.”

Although she’s just recently moved back into her own house, John is overseeing a k-5 English language arts adoption

Photography by Michelle John

“Many of the traits of a resilient leader are the same traits we identify as good leadership: Exceptional communication skills, an ability to prioritize and good analytical and innovative skills.”

remained trapped in a school for a week.

All three were found alive.

Once everyone was found safe, the next phase began. The entire county was shut down for 11 days, but John met with local leaders every day in an environment that required them to wear masks due to heavy smoke levels. She and her two other cabinet members were in near constant contact for at least 30 days after the fire. When they met, they would stand in a circle and each hold out a finger to symbolize a three-legged stool. The symbol reminded them they were there to support each other.

Everyone assumed the district would shut down. But when John talked to the kids, they told her they wanted to stay together and with their teachers. Within a couple of weeks, she had rented an elementary school in a nearby town where classes still continue for grades 7-12 in a

48 California School Business / Summer 2019

and working on a technology plan for the new schools once campuses reopen. She credits her resiliency to staying focused on her commitment to kids and the relationships she’s built with experts far and wide.

Learn from experiences In his 46 years of service to California schools, Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools Steven Herrington has presided over California schools during earthquakes, floods and fires. While these other experiences were emergency situations, Herrington says the fires during the summer of 2017 were his first “truly catastrophic” experiences.

The call came at 1 a.m. from one of his superintendents who reported that he couldn’t hold school the next day because he was asked to evacuate. At 1:15 a.m., Harrington called the Office of Emergency Services to ask if he could open the schools for community shelters to hold 20,000-25,000 people.

At 2 a.m., there was a knock on his door asking him to be prepared to evacuate and informing him that they were turning off power. Herrington called in his leadership team of assistant and deputy superintendents for a 5 a.m. emergency meeting.

Herrington assigned each superintendent an area of responsibility.

The human resources superintendent made sure that all the employees were safe and sound. The business superintendent interacted with federal disaster consultants.

Six of Herrington’s districts were in the path of the fire, and all 40 school districts in Sonoma County were closed due to smoke and debris. The community lost $3.5 billion in property, including 10% of housing, displacing over 20,000 community members.

Then came the recovery phase, which Herrington knew something about. During the 1996-97 El Dorado County and 2006 Sonoma County floods, Herrington learned that if you don’t track and record all your costs for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (fema), you may not be eligible for funds.

So, when the 2 0 1 7 fire hit, he immediately advised local school districts to maintain job descriptions on all positions, as well as clock-in times and materials. He also directed them to record items such as staff time cards and activity logs for running emergency shelters; make copies of invoices, checks and receipts for emergency repairs, cleanup and replacing destroyed assets; and record financial reports showing payroll costs because he knew this information would be requested by f e m a . (The California County Superintendents Educational Services Association is creating a catastrophic event toolkit for California counties based on this experience.)

“I have learned from prior experiences,” says Harrington. “I was organized with crisis management skills and that gave me time to listen to people.”

While no one likes to contemplate disaster, school leaders who have already faced crises and emerged as stronger and wiser leaders have advice for their peers who may also eventually have to stare down a challenge.

California School Business / casbo.org

49

Becoming a resilient leader

“We have to create cultures that are safe places to be alive and breathe.

In doing so, we lower the anxiety of colleagues so that teams can work in harmony.

We have too much important work to blame and fight with each other.”

H e r r i n g t o n s t re s s e s t h a t i t ’ s important to remember the human element. If the operational component is in place, people’s needs and concerns can come first.

One year after the fire, in October 2018, Sonoma County was again inundated with smoke from a nearby fire, which triggered memories for many students and staff. However, the county was prepared with emotional support for staff and students because all school counselors, psychologists and teachers had received trauma training.

The experience brought the community together, and they will continue to support each other as the rebuilding continues, says Herrington.

Sonoma County lost 2,000 students since the 2017 fires, which will have a substantial financial effect on the district.

“The six districts that experienced fire damage are very resilient,” says Herrington. “Those six superintendents are just magnanimous. We all became good caretakers.”

Wisdom in a multitude of counselors The San Bernardino City Unified School District, a casbo organizational subscriber, has always faced challenges.

Located in one of the nation’s most impoverished communities, the district’s graduation rate was 6 6 . 8 % when Superintendent Dale Marsden began his tenure. Today it’s at 90% percent.

This improvement was brought about during a time that saw the 2015 Inland Regional Center terrorist attack that killed 14 people and an active school shooter incident where a man fatally shot his estranged wife (a school employee) and also shot two students, one of whom died.

Marsden attributes the district’s resiliency to the relationships he devel-

50 California School Business / Summer 2019

oped with the surrounding community and stakeholders. When Sandy Hook happened, Marsden brought in first responders and practiced. When the shooting at the regional center happened, he pulled together mental health services, safety personnel and county housing agencies to create a strategy around health and safety.

“Our resiliency doesn’t come from us as superintendents or leaders, but from the people we surround ourselves with,” he says. “They are the reason we’ve been so agile and responsive.”

Marsden personally meets each month with key leaders and is regularly in conversation with industry, workforce and housing representatives. He also reaches outside the district to help build an ecosystem of relationships that serve as the district’s safety net.

“You know their story, and they know yours,” he says. “Embrace the kinds of leaders surrounding you who are there to support you. You are not in isolation.”

Just as Marsden feels supported by his community, he stresses that his staff must feel similar support from him.

M a r s d e n s h a re s a n e x a m p l e described by Tom Mercer, admiral of a Navy aircraft carrier.

A mechanic came to him to report that a socket wrench was missing. The mechanic knew that if the wrench was left in an aircraft engine, it would destroy not just the aircraft, but the ship as well.

After the mechanic brought the missing wrench to Admiral Mercer’s attention, he and the mechanic walked the flight deck until they found it on the carrier’s platform.

Admiral Mercer recognized the mechanic in front of his peers for admitting his mistake and, in doing so, saving his crew mates.

“We have to create cultures that are safe places to be alive and breathe,” says

10 factors that bolster resilience In the book “Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life’s Greatest Challenges,” authors Dennis Charney and Steven Southwick share the 10 psychological and social factors their research shows make for stronger resilience, either alone or, ideally, in combination: Facing fear Having a moral compass Drawing on faith Using social support Having good role models Being physically fit Making sure your brain is challenged Having cognitive and emotional flexibility Having meaning, purpose and growth in life Having realistic optimism

Marsden. “In doing so, we lower the anxiety of colleagues so that teams can work in harmony. We have too much important work to blame and fight with each other.”

Build your resiliency These leaders offer some valuable lessons learned from hard experience: • Make sure the mission of your organization is clear and top of mind. With every decision, revisit that priority and make sure it stays front and center. This is especially true when it comes to a fiscal crisis, says fcmat’s Fine. When cuts are necessary, the priorities need to be clear.

•

•

Use analysis and innovation to learn from past experiences.

Conduct candid debriefs, and be honest with yourself about the things that you could have done better. (In a financial crisis, this may mean using the crisis as an excuse to let go of a sacred cow to strengthen the overall organization.)

Then, be obsessive about making sure the resulting organizational systems are in place to handle a crisis.

Use your interpersonal and communication skills to build relationships, whether that’s with staff, families or people outside the district. If you have honest, trusting relationships in place going into a crisis, everyone will emerge stronger.

“Every dark cloud has a silver lining, and you have to recognize that,” says Fine. “Use that crisis to make the change that would be more difficult otherwise to come out on the other end stronger.” z z z Jennifer Snelling is a freelance writer based in Eugene, Oregon.

What challenges have you faced that increased your resiliency quotient? Tweet us at #CASBO to share your experience!

California School Business / casbo.org

51

CASBO’s 2019 Annual Conference & California School Business Expo Cultivating Connections in San Diego ‌ We collaborated, we communicated, we created!

52 California School Business / Summer 2019

OUT & ABOUT

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 jtribbey@casbo.org.

California School Business / casbo.org

53

CASBO book club

Grasp the science behind your actions

HP ProBook x360 Education Edition Four modes. Built to last. Designed for learning.

Dual camera system

Living up to our own expectations can be quite a letdown. Dolly Chugh, an award-winning social psychologist at the New York University Stern School of Business, understands that what we think and how we act (and vice versa) aren’t always in sync. It was a lesson she learned after she realized participating in a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest was not her cup of tea.

“I am better at the teachable moment and the patient partnership,” she admits.

So, she’s made it her mission to study how and why most of us, however well intended, are still prone to race and gender bias.

Spill-resistant keyboard R

R

Corning Gorilla Glass 4 touchscreen

Optional Active Pen shown

With four flexible modes, the HP ProBook x360 EE caters to today’s blended learning environment, while standing up to rigorous student use.

Call Sehi Today to Schedule a Demo.

1-800-346-6315 San Clemente California 1-800-346-6315 www.BuySehi.com

54 California School Business / Summer 2019

Her book, “The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias,” captures how people with a range of experiences and personalities can change the conversation around them. It’s a non-judgmental, understandable guide that helps folks grasp the science behind their actions.

The secret, it turns out, is to strive to be a “good-ish” person who is always willing to grow, as opposed to a “good” person whose journey is complete.

Her approach definitely resonates with her audience, because 96% of readers give this book a solid five-star rating at Amazon. Yet Chugh herself admits that not everyone is ready for this book – but if it strikes your curiosity, you are.

LEADERSHIP

Reinventing yourself and your career

By Molly McGee Hewitt CEO & Executive Director

E d u c at i o na l r e s e a r c h e r s a r e quick to point out that those e n t e r i n g t h e w o rkf o rce to day will most likely hold multiple jobs in multiple industries across their careers.

For baby boomers, this is an interesting concept. Many of you determined what your career would be early in your lifetime and then stayed the course.

Others haven’t followed suit; they’ve reinvented themselves and their careers in a variety of settings.

Reinventing oneself isn’t a new concept. It’s been around for generations but was not always widely practiced or understood. As our world has moved forward, technology has increased and the workforce has changed. To remain current and vital, reinvention is a necessary skill.

How do you reinvent yourself and your career? Can you do one without the other? Does reinventing yourself always mean reinventing your career?

Let’s examine the “how” questions first.

Reinventing yourself may be as simple as changing your mindset. You no longer see yourself as a minion or a unit member and instead identify as a leader.

You start thinking how a leader thinks and acting how a leader acts, and you start to explore your career options. This change in your thought process causes you to look differently at your supervisors or leadership. You start to recognize that you have the capacity to be a leader and you want to expand your horizons.

Reinventing yourself might mean that you get additional education, degrees or certifications. You recognize that

while you have experience, you might need something more to move forward and find your next position. In today’s competitive market, you need to make sure that you can not only compete but be better prepared for opportunities. This may mean updating your writing, speaking, technical or technological skills.

Reinventing yourself may require you to examine your appearance, vitality, energy and attitudes. Are you a positive force for the profession? Do you see possibilities where others only see challenges? Can you use your expertise to build teams and expand collaboration?

Do you act, look and think like the leader you wish to become? Do you walk the talk?

plore new opportunities. You may have the same job, but you may not be the same person doing the job!

For school business professionals, some of these answers are daunting.

You’re used to being technical experts and enjoy a logical progression in your careers. Change can be challenging, and trying to become a leader and expand your career may involve some risks. We know the organization we work for and venturing far afield may be terrifying.

What if I fail? What if they don’t have the same retirement, the same benefits?

Oh, but what if you succeed? Don’t allow limiting beliefs to stop you from becoming who you want to be. Reinvention can start with an article, a book, a

How do you reinvent yourself and your career?

Can you do one without the other? Does reinventing yourself always mean reinventing your career?

Reinventing your career may also mean taking some calculated risks, like taking the first step to apply for a new position, moving or even exploring different industries where your talents can be used. It may require the courage to leave what you already know for what you hope to become!

Can you reinvent yourself without reinventing your career or vice versa?

This is a great question. It also has a great answer: yes and no. You can always reinvent yourself and there’s no timeline, expiration date or limit on that. It’s all up to you! Keep in mind that in reinventing yourself, you almost always start to ex-

class or a change of attitude. And it can start with professional development help from casbo, so don’t be afraid to seek us out if you’re ready for a fresh start this year! z z z

California School Business / casbo.org

55

ADVERTISER INDEX

Aeries Software, Inc.

CDW-Government LLC

Login Logix

(888) 487-7555 aeries.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

(800) 800-4239 cdwg.com/k12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

(833) 618-6600 maintenancelogin.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

American Fidelity

CETPA

Office DEPOT

(760) 917-1158 americanfidelity.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

(916) 504-3264 cetpa.net/2019conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

(888) 263-3423 business.officedepot.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

ASCIP

CliftonLarsonAllen LLP

PEPPM

(562) 404-8029 ascip.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

(626) 857-7300 claconnect.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

(855) 654-5290 peppm.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo

Colbi Technologies

Piper Jaffray

(562) 653-3428 aalrr.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

(714) 505-9544 colbitech.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

(800) 876-1854 piperjaffray.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Back Cover

Bay Alarm Company

DecisionInsite

Public Agency Retirement Services (PARS)

(800) 610-1000 bayalarm.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

(877) 204-1392 decisioninsite.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

(800) 540-6369 x127 pars.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

California Schools Joint Powers Authorities (CSRM)

Direct Energy Business

School Outfitters

(909) 763-4900 csjpa.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

(732) 750-6888 business.directenergy.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

(800) 260-2776 schooloutfitters.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Front Cover

California Financial Services

Horace Mann

School Services of California, Inc.

(707) 544-7800 calschools.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

(866) 999-1945 horacemann.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

(916) 446-7517 sscal.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

California’s Valued Trust

Keenan & Associates

Schools Excess Liability Fund (SELF)

(800) 288-9870 cvtrust.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

(310) 212-3344 keenan.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

(916) 321-5300 selfjpa.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Sehi Computer Products, Inc. (800) 346-6315 buysehi.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Self-Insured Schools of California (SISC) (800) 972-1727 sisc.kern.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Smartetools, Inc. (866) Smarte-1 smartetools.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Sourcewell (218) 894-5467 sourcewell-mn.gov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc. (415) 364-6839 stifel.com/publicfinance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover

TerraVerde Energy (888) 316-2597 terraverde.energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Vavrinek, Trine, Day & Co., LLP (909) 466-4410 vtdcpa.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

56 California School Business / Summer 2019

Get your booth early for 2O2O!

Trusted Solutions.

Lasting Results.

For 35 years, California school districts have trusted PARS with the successful design and implementation of customized retirement solutions that address their specific organizational and budgetary needs. As a leading provider, PARS has helped over 900 public agency clients implement effective solutions including:

• Early Retirement Incentives (SRP) • OPEB Solutions Program, in partnership with CSBA, for prefunding retiree healthcare

• Pension Rate Stabilization Program (PRSP) for prefunding pension • Social Security Alternative for Part-Time Employees (ARS) Contact us to learn about how we can help your district with a custom, turk-key solution.

Visit casbo.org/AC2020

(800) 540-6369 ext. 127 info@pars.org | pars.org

M A N A G E

The Perfect Fit

T H E

BUSINESS OF EDUCATION

EARN YOUR MASTER’S IN SCHOOL BUSINESS LEADERSHIP ONLINE!



Real Time Budget Controls



Efficient Work Flow Management



Eliminate Duplicate Entry



Reduce Paperwork



Web Based



County Office Interfaces



Excellent Customer Service

Smartetools provides a fully integrated business and human resource management software system with a full range of functionality tailored to the unique needs of your school district saving you time and money.

The Smart Choice for the Business of Education

www.wilkes.edu/sbl • (800) WILKES-U Ext. 5535

1-866-Smarte-1 1-866-Smarte-1

info@smartetools.com info@smartetools.com

www.smartetools.com www.smartetools.com

California School Business / casbo.org

57

L AST WORDS

”

We all need resilience to live a fulfilling life. With resilience, you’ll be more prepared to take on challenges, to develop your talents, skills and abilities so that you can live with more purpose and more joy.

– Eric Grietens, Resilience: Hard-Won Wisdom for Living a Better Life

258,000 Drop in the number of students enrolled in California schools by 2027-28.

42 YEARS

The stereotype of the 22-year-old millennial entrepreneur dominating the small business world is a myth. The average entrepreneur who’s started a business and went on to hire at least one employee is 42 years old.

– MIT

”

No amount of sophistication is going to allay the fact that all of your knowledge is about the past and all your decisions are about the future.

– Former GE executive Ian Wilson

– California Department of Finance

”

$2.30

The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.

A 2014 study found initiatives and programs that fostered a resilient and mentally healthy workplace returned $2.30 for every dollar spent – with the return coming in the form of lower health care costs, higher productivity, lower absenteeism and decreased turnover.

– Steve Jobs, Apple co-founder and CEO

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

Send your favorites to jtribbey@casbo.org.

58 California School Business / Summer 2019

Choose a Partner Who Knows California Education Finance Piper Jaffray California Public Finance Piper Jaffray is a leader in providing financial services for California school districts and community college districts. Our team of dedicated K-14 education finance professionals has more than 150 years of combined experience and service to the education industry.

•

General Obligation Bonds

•

Tax and Revenue Anticipation Notes

•

Certificates of Participation

•

Interim Project Financing

•

Mello-Roos/CFD Bonds

•

Debt Refinancing/Restructuring

Timothy Carty Managing Director 310 297-6011 timothy.p.carty@pjc.com

Rich Calabro Managing Director 310 297-6013 richard.n.calabro@pjc.com

Ivory Li Managing Director 415 616-1614 ivory.r.li@pjc.com

Elaine Reodica Associate 310 297-6034 elaine.v.reodica@pjc.com

Trennis Wright Senior Vice President 310 297-6018 trennis.l.wright@pjc.com

Ilya Barats Analyst 310 297-6016 ilya.x.barats@pjc.com

Mark Adler Managing Director 310 297-6010 mark.j.adler@pjc.com

Pam Hammer Office Supervisor 310 297-6023 pamela.a.hammer@pjc.com

Jin Kim Managing Director 310 297-6020 jin.y.kim@pjc.com

Piper Jaffray California public finance investment banking offices are located in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento and Orange County. piperjaffray.com Since 1895. Member SIPC and NYSE. © 2019 Piper Jaffray & Co. 1/19 CM-19-0016

California School Business / casbo.org

59

FINANCING CALIFORNIA’S FUTURE

Let us help you achieve your financing goals.

Visit www.stifel.com/institutional/public-finance or contact a member of our School Finance Group:

Stifel is the leading underwriter of California K-12 school district bonds.* We assist local districts in providing financing for facility projects and cash flow borrowing, including new construction, modernization, renovation, and technology

Northern California | San Francisco Office Bruce Kerns Managing Director (415) 364-6839 bkerns@stifel.com

Erica Gonzalez Managing Director (415) 364-6841 egonzalez@stifel.com

Roberto J. Ruiz Director (415) 364-6856 rruiz@stifel.com Southern California | Los Angeles Office Dawn Vincent Managing Director (213) 443-5006 dvincent@stifel.com

Robert Barna Managing Director (213) 443-5205 rbarna@stifel.com

improvements. Our work with California school districts includes general obligation bonds, Mello-Roos bonds, certificates of participation, leases, bridge financings, TRANs, and the refinancing or restructuring of previously issued bonds.

We give back to the communities we serve by providing college scholarships to graduating high school seniors through Stifel’s annual Fabric of Society essay competition and by supporting school-related foundations and functions through the Stifel Education Program (“StEP”). * Source: Thomson Reuters SDC, by par amount and number of issues for negotiated transactions in 2017.

Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated | Member SIPC & NYSE | www.stifel.com/publicfinance

60 California School Business / Summer 2019