CASBO School Business Spring 2013

schoolbusiness california

California Association of School Business Officials

Happy workers, happy workplace Improve performance, productivity by addressing workplace happiness

Prop. 30 – just the facts Sigh of relief leads to questions about future

Digging into data Measuring district operations, efficiency at core of new data system

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4 | California School Business Client: Solar Initiative Thermal Program

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Creative Director:

contents

Volume 78 Number 1 Spring 2013

departments

9

Checking in Don’t worry…be happy!

Molly McGee Hewitt

13

Bottom line CASBO is a key driver in the race for excellence Michael Johnston

15

In focus CASBO member profile: Melissa Anderson

17

50

In focus CASBO associate member profile: Marty Middleton

52

Career Rx Ask yourself the dreaded question…

57

Out & about Photos from CASBO events

62

Last words

cover story

32

Happy workers, happy workplace Improve performance, productivity by addressing workplace happiness Julie Phillips Randles

interview

19

Book club The Power of Professionalism: The Seven Mind-Sets that Drive Performance and Build Trust

15

25

42

Education Committee chair is former school board member, community activist Joan Buchanan responds to questions on Prop. 30, bonds, policy goals Julie Phillips Randles

features

25

Prop. 30 – just the facts Sigh of relief leads to questions about future Craig W. Anderson

42

Digging into data Measuring district operations, efficiency at core of new data system Lisa Maria Boyles

Spring 2013 | 5

ABOUT CASBO A private, nonprofit corporation, CASBO was founded in 1928 and is the oldest statewide school administrator’s organization in California. Association members are the voice of the industry and oversee all areas of school business management and operations, including finance, accounting, payroll, human resources, risk management, transportation, school nutrition, maintenance and operations, information technology, purchasing, school safety and school facilities.

publisher editor in chief

Kevin Swartzendruber

features editor

Julie Phillips Randles

contributors

Craig W. Anderson Lisa Maria Boyles

editorial assistant

Erika Sizemore

design/layout

Sharon Adlis

advertising art

Lori Mattas

casbo officers president president-elect

CASBO MISSION

The mission of CASBO, the leader in school business management, is to set the standard for best business practices and policies that support public education through high-quality professional development and effective advocacy, communication and collaboration.

Molly McGee Hewitt

vice president immediate past president

advertising sales manager

Michael Johnston Clovis Unified School District Rich Buse Pajaro Valley Unified School District Vincent Christakos Hemet Unified School District Gary Matsumoto Hacienda La Puente Unified School District CiCi Trino Association Outsource Services, Inc. 115 Spring Water Way Folsom, CA 95630 916.990.9999

STRATEGIC PLAN In April 2007, the association adopted its new strategic plan that will serve as a road map for the organization’s activities for the next several years in the areas of administration and governance, professional development, advocacy and policy, marketing and communications, and membership and partnerships.

For more details on the strategic plan, visit our website at www. casbo.org. The plan can be found under the “organization” link.

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. $2 of CASBO membership dues goes toward the subscription to California School Business magazine. The subscription rate for each CASBO nonmember is $20.

Periodicals postage paid at Sacramento and at additional mailing office. Send address changes to the CASBO membership department at 1001 K Street, 5th Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814.

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

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

Published March 2013

6 | California School Business

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8 | California School Business

checkingin

Don’t worry… be happy!

I have always loved to laugh and celebrate. Thanks to my father, I inherited a rather wicked sense of humor and the ability to see the funny in almost any situation. If you ride in my car, you’ll notice that I often listen to comedy radio and I love positive literature and upbeat speakers. At times, I am guilty of inflicting my humor on those around me. I may need to work on my timing and sense of appropriateness, but I do understand and appreciate the concept of comic relief!

Somewhere along the line, although I still love to laugh and celebrate, I got very serious and became a world-class worrier. Like the famous statue of Atlas with the world on his shoulders, whether it was my work or my family, I started to act as if I were carrying the world. My perspective started to focus on all the challenges, obstacles and things that needed attention. Sometimes, I forgot to laugh and started to take myself a bit too seriously.

Has this happened to you in the last few years? California’s school business officials have endured the most horrific five years in the history of public education. We have seen cutbacks in technology, risk management, finance, payroll, HR, child nutrition, maintenance and operations, facilities and transportation – literally every discipline served by CASBO members. We have lost members and friends due to layoffs, and have lost member participation in some areas due to increased work and responsibilities. Many of our members put in nights and weekends trying to keep schools solvent and functioning for our children. Somewhere in there, we got really serious. It was hard not to!

This issue has a wonderful article on the correlation between happiness and productivity in the workplace. With the passing of Proposition 30, while not the long-term solution we had hoped for, we did get a break in the chaos. A chance to regroup and face a more positive future was a welcome relief. I started seeing smiles for the first time in a long time. There is evidence of light at the end of the tunnel, and a new sense of anticipation and positive energy is evident in our industry.

There is evidence of light at the end of the tunnel, and a new sense of anticipation and positive energy is evident in our industry.

While I do feel it is important to take our work seriously, I also think it is important to take ourselves with a grain of salt and a big dose of humor. We cannot lead without understanding the value of a positive and happy workplace.

Happy workers outperform and handle obstacles with greater ease than unhappy folks. Laughter has always been the best medicine, and is a salve to soothe the stressed and the tired! A smile, a positive word and a compliment bring about much greater productivity and loyalty than a memo or email. The positive human factor is what makes great leaders.

As we approach the 2013 CASBO Annual Conference & California School Business Expo, our professional staff – in conjunction with our member-led Annual Conference Committee and Annual Conference Volunteer Task Force – are in preparation overdrive! Every meeting includes great work and a little bit of laughter. This year’s conference will give you the chance to recharge, revitalize and re-invigorate yourself and the profession. There will be workshops for in-depth learning, speakers who inspire and social activities for networking. There will be smiles, laughter and professionalism.

I look forward to our celebration in Long Beach, and to the future of public education!

Molly McGee Hewitt Executive Director Spring 2013 | 9

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Spring 2013 | 11

Are you Maximizing Proposition 30’s Impact?

Proposition 30 has brought much needed relief to California schools, adding more than $5 billion of estimated new revenue for K-14 education.

That’s great, but it’s only a start.

With local districts facing budget pressures for years to come, Proposition 30 has bought you time to strategically plan the future. Now is your opportunity to review your options and optimize your staffing.

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bottomline

is a key driver in the race for excellence casbo

By Michael Johnston CASBO President

When i became casbo president

A strategic look at our regional

in April 2012, while excited about the

workshops led us to make changes to our

to serve, there were dark clouds on the

offices to book workshops in their neigh-

opportunities before me and honored horizon for California’s public schools.

We had endured almost $20 billion in cuts, necessitating layoffs, furloughs

and program elimination. There was not

one school district or county office of education that had not felt the impact of our education economy.

The challenge was clear – casbo had

programs that enable districts or county borhood, or find a program locally that

meets their needs. With the help of our Continuing Education and Certification

Committee and our Professional Stan-

dards and Leadership Committee, we

are adding programs and enhancing our

Jeff Vaca to casbo last March. Our

While cbo Certification continues

bill information and Proposition 30 re-

professional development in all areas.

NewsBreaks, legislative advocacy, online

to continue to be a strong leader in the

to thrive, we are updating this program

sources, and our work with the legislative

California. The very future of our schools

certifications: Director of Fiscal Services,

hired a new advocate, Sara Bachez, al-

political and educational community of was at risk.

For the past year, along with the of-

and this fiscal year will add three new Director of Human Resources and a specialized certification called School Busi-

community, have expanded. casbo also lowing us to double our advocacy efforts.

Executive Director Molly McGee

ness Professional i, ii, iii!

Hewitt and our professional staff contin-

behalf of our profession and the children

strategic plan and are in the planning

al councils to serve members and provide

Recognizing that our members were

map for the association. Over 100 casbo

ficers, member leaders and professional staff, casbo has worked tirelessly on we serve.

losing their ability to attend professional development programs away from the

office, we successfully launched our

We wrapped up our last five-year

stages of casbo by Design, a new road-

Despite the educational economy, we

Expo April 3-6 in Long Beach, I am partic-

volved in this member-driven process.

members, with many additional courses

reserve, ending the 2011/12 year with

Academy and Executive iPad Acad-

have exceeded our required 25 percent a surplus.

Our associate members embraced

emy were a success and are now being

our new membership categories, and all

Executive Director Tatia Davenport has

tegic Alliance partners have extended

duplicated across the country. Deputy worked diligently to bring more and more programs to members.

Our video blogs and outreach to

members continues to grow. Our magazine, newsletter and other publications,

including a Buyers’ Guide, provide our members with valuable information, career advice and support.

As I prepare to welcome new casbo

President Rich Buse at the casbo Annual

have continued our financial stability and

in the development stage! Our iPad

additional programs and assistance.

member leaders have already been in-

online learning program. Today, free

courses are available 24 hours a day to

ue to reach out to sections and profession-

current Premier, Premier Plus and Stratheir memberships. These programs,

paired with our associate memberships, sponsorships and partnerships, are

Conference & California School Business ularly mindful of the successes we’ve had and the races we’ve won this year. While

the Toyota Grand Prix that will come to Long Beach post-conference is a for-profit

race, the race for excellence in education is one that supports the future of our chil-

dren and the schools we serve. It is not a one-time event, but an ongoing race that

requires our passion, our dedication and our commitment to public schools.

Thank you for allowing me to join

enabling casbo to continually develop

with you in this race, and let us never

to members.

and the distance we have traveled.

and improve our programs and services

We welcomed new Deputy Execu-

forget the challenges we have overcome

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infocus

Melissa Anderson This funny lady is serious about school business Melissa Anderson, chief of district financial services for the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, may be lighthearted, but she has serious school business leadership chops after nearly two decades in the industry.

In her current role, Anderson oversees the financial transactions of 33 K-12 districts, four community college districts, two Regional Occupational Programs districts, three joint powers authorities, the county schools office and numerous charter schools. Prior to coming to SBCSS in 2005, Anderson had moved up through the ranks at Fontana Unified School District, holding posts including budget and fiscal analyst, assistant fiscal services director and fiscal services director. She started her 19-year school business career as a senior accounting technician for the Rialto Unified School District.

Throughout her career, two traits have been at the forefront – a terrific sense of humor and a tendency to be a compulsive volunteer. Both have served her well in a career she says serves a higher purpose. “School business is not static. It’s constantly changing and exciting. It’s not always fun, but it is dynamic and I crave a challenge,” Anderson explained. “And I know, even though I’m somewhat removed from students, that we are ultimately serving students.”

She finds great joy in leading what she calls an “amazing team” at the county office, despite the intense level of responsibility for every dollar coming in or going out. She brings that happiness, and her comedic nature, to work each day. “The best part of my job is having the autonomy to create an atmosphere of joy, gratitude and humor,” Anderson said.

In addition to being a CASBO member since 1998, Anderson has volunteered on behalf of Riverside Employee/Employer Partnership for Benefits, BEST-NET County Computer Consortium, Public School Services, Fontana Management Association, San Bernardino School Employees Federal Credit Union and other organizations. She’s been a serial volunteer for as long as she can remember.

“I have this need to continue to challenge myself, and I’m curious by nature,” Anderson explained. “I have been sitting with people in meetings and told them, ‘if it appears I’m starting to raise my hand, please stop me,’” she joked.

On behalf of CASBO, Anderson is currently the chair of the Eastern Section and state Financial Services Professional Councils, and is a member of the CASBO by Design Strategic Planning Team, the Annual Conference Committee and the Eastern Section board of directors. She is also the go-to person at any CASBO event that requires a spirited and funny emcee. She says the benefits of CASBO are no laughing matter. “The professional development opportunities are the foremost benefit, but there’s also the ability to network across disciplines, the certification programs and the mentoring. All of these aspects of CASBO membership have inspired me to expand my horizons.”

Photography by Hope Harris

Spring 2013 | 15

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SAS70/SSAE16 Compliant

infocus

Marty Middleton She’s a leader in a field with few women Marty Middleton is one of only a handful of women nationwide who sells school buses. She’s proud of that distinction, and of the way the job she loves allows her to help California’s students.

Middleton, today a territory sales manager for A-Z Bus Sales Inc., began her career in school business in a school district purchasing department.

During her 10 years at Kyrene Elementary School District in Arizona, the district opened 15 new schools. “I bought a lot of buses during that time; I actually bought a lot of everything,” Middleton joked.

An area bus distributor, impressed with her expertise, convinced Middleton to leave the district and join the firm as a sales representative. “I never would have left if I couldn’t have stayed in the school field,” she said. “People say, ‘once schools get in your blood, you don’t want to leave.’ It’s so true.” After four years in bus sales in Arizona, she was hired in 1998 by A-Z Bus Sales and relocated to Northern California.

Her territory runs from Monterey County to the Oregon border, requiring Middleton to drive nearly 30,000 miles a year to meet with school districts. But the extensive travel has not dampened her enthusiasm.

“It’s the thrill of knowing that you’re helping schools. There’s just nothing better than that.”

Middleton is no newcomer to school business associations. She’s been a CASBO member since 1998, and while working in Arizona was a board member for AASBO. She has also participated in the Association of School Business Officials International. “There’s so much value in building relationships, meeting people doing the same thing you are doing and sharing information,” Middleton said of her dedication to the various school business associations.

On behalf of CASBO, Middleton has twice served as the associate member liaison for the Northern Section, and is currently a member of the statewide Associate Member Committee. Along the way, her CASBO participation has been supported by A-Z. “When I say I want to do this or that with CASBO, they say, ‘Fine, go for it. Whatever you want to do, we will support you,’ and they have.”

Middleton tells potential associate members that CASBO provides a key opportunity for networking with school business officials in every discipline, the chance to build long-lasting vendor relationships and a place for vendors to gain a better understanding of the products and services schools need most. “In this economy, it’s all about how much money you can help districts save. Districts never have as much money as they need, so any time you can help them meet their needs and save money, you’ve just done a great job for that community,” Middleton explained.

Photography by Hope Harris

Spring 2013 | 17

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18 | California School Business

2/14/13 1:38 PM

interview

Education Committee chair is former school board member, community activist Joan Buchanan responds to questions on Prop. 30, bonds, policy goals

By Julie Phillips Randles

California assembly member Joan Buchanan, a former sc hool boar d member and long t i m e co m m u n i t y activist, was named chair of the Assembly Education Committee by Speaker John A. Perez in August 2012.

Buchanan was first elected to the state Assembly in No-

vember 2008 to represent the 15th Assembly District, which included portions of Alameda, Contra Costa, Sacramento and San Joaquin counties.

Her new district, as a result of redistricting in 2010, is the

16th Assembly District, which includes the Contra Costa County

communities of Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda, Alamo, Danville and San Ramon, as well as the Alameda County communities of Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore.

Buchanan says she brings a deep understanding of educa-

tional issues to her role as Education Committee chair due to her 18 years on the San Ramon Valley Unified School District (srvusd) board of trustees, including four terms as board

president. srvusd has received state and national recognition for student achievement, ranking among the top 5 percent of all school districts in California, with over 94 percent of the district’s graduating seniors attending college or university.

Buchanan has said that for California’s economy to thrive in

the future, there must be an investment in a strong public educa-

tion system, including a focus on instilling core fundamentals in early grades.

Buchanan serves on a number of Assembly committees

including Utilities and Commerce, Budget, and Transportation.

In 2009, she was appointed to the Special Education Commis-

sion and in 2010, she was appointed to the Standing Committee to the Judicial Council on Court Technology. Also a member of the state Allocation Board since 2010, Buchanan has worked to

Spring 2013 | 19

Joan Buchanan

Education Committee chair is former school board member, community activist

maximize the state’s investment in safe and up-to-date school

months, and the prognosis for the future is excellent. We decided

She also chairs the Select Committee on Government Ef-

the Brain Tumor Research Center at ucsf. It was a way to say

facilities for all students.

ficiency, Technology and Innovation.

Buchanan’s legislative agenda has focused on fiscal ac-

countability, technology and innovation, and job creation. She

as a family that our Christmas present would be a donation to thank you to the doctors and staff that provided outstanding treatment, as well as a way to celebrate the gift of life.

has been a proponent of performance-based budgeting and

CSB: You have experience as a local school board member. In your

tion of resources. She has authored several bills to improve the

you did when you were a board member?

supports using data to drive decision-making and the alloca-

development and acquisition of information technology by the state of California due to her belief that technology is critical to

providing timely and cost-effective services and information to the residents of California.

In 2012, Buchanan led the Assembly’s review of the gover-

nor’s reorganization plan, and successfully fought for changes to the plan including technology acquisition, maintaining the

independence of the California Transportation Commission and the Delta Stewardship Council, and retaining an Advisory Commission on Boating and Waterways.

Prior to serving in the state Assembly, Buchanan was direc-

tor of commercial operations for Delta Dental. She left the private

sector to raise her five children and to work as a community

current role, how do you view public education issues differently than

Buchanan: As a local school board member, one looks at issues in the context of district/school priorities and the district’s budget. As a state Assembly member, I look at issues from a

statewide perspective and in the context of the state budget.

Yet, my experiences as a school board member are invaluable.

During the 18 years I served on the school board, I worked

with dedicated educators and staff, and learned about public education from many perspectives. The lens I will use as chair of the Assembly Education Committee is the same as the one I

used as a school board member: 1) What is the problem we’re trying to solve? 2) What is the proposed solution? 3) Is it good policy for children and public education?

activist in the San Ramon Valley.

CSB: What themes or policy goals do you intend to pursue as chair of

University of California, Santa Barbara.

Buchanan: There are several major policy issues that I expect to

Buchanan has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Here are her responses to casbo’s recent inquiries.

CSB: What is the best advice you’ve ever received? From whom?

Buchanan: With respect to life, my mother often said, “Never

burn your bridges. You don’t know if you’ll need to cross them

again.” I do my best not to hold grudges and to look forward in life.

With respect to raising my children, our pediatrician gave

me the best advice: “Give them lots of love and keep your sense of humor.” It definitely helps one get through some of the tough patches.

CSB: What hidden talent do you possess?

Buchanan: I recently learned to quilt and now find myself in the position of deciding whether to replace my old, $125 Singer sewing machine with a fancy, new machine.

CSB: What is the best gift you’ve ever given?

Buchanan: My oldest son was diagnosed with a large brain tumor in July 2007. He had six surgeries over the following seven

20 | California School Business

the Education Committee?

come before the Education Committee this year:

• Parameters for the issuing of capital appreciation bonds.

• Updating discipline and dismissal statutes.

• Updating teacher evaluation statutes.

• Policy review and recommendations regarding the governor’s

proposal for a new Local Control Funding Formula.

• Introducing legislation for a 2014 school facilities bond.

This will be a two-year bill.

CSB: The passage of Proposition 30 was obviously good news for

California schools, but we know that finance issues will continue to be paramount. What do you see as the biggest opportunities and biggest challenges posed by the passage of Proposition 30?

Buchanan: I want to thank the voters in California for passing Proposition 30 and valuing public education.

California continues to recover from the deepest recession

since the Great Depression. Funding for schools declined as state

revenues plummeted. In 2011-12, districts received 77 percent

of the Proposition 98 guarantee, and 20 percent of that money came in the form of deferred payments.

Districts have used federal stimulus funds and local reserves

to avoid some of the most draconian cuts, but for most, these

sources are now exhausted. Most districts would have been forced to lay off more teachers and make additional cuts without the passage of Proposition 30.

My caution to school districts as they develop financial

plans for current and future budgets is to remember that Propo-

do you see school business officials fitting into that spectrum?

Buchanan: I’ve always believed that if we are doing our jobs,

none of us should be in the media. The focus should be on our students and their achievements. Most often when a sbo is in

the media, it is not welcome news. The district’s finances are under stress.

School business officials have one of the most important jobs

sition 30 taxes are temporary, and they should plan accordingly.

in district leadership. We cannot fund the programs we value if

funding for schools, California ranks 49th in the nation in per-

a deep understanding of both California school finance and

My caution to the public is that while we have stabilized

pupil funding. We still have work to do to restore our k-12

and higher education institutions to the positions of previous generations.

We have the opportunity to build a strong foundation for

future budgets if we – the state and school districts – manage our money well and build a rainy day fund for the future.

CSB: School boards, superintendents and labor organizations garner the lion’s share of media attention when it comes to public schools. Where

we do not manage our money well. That means sbo s must have

basic financial principles that underpin sound fiscal policies.

They must provide good advice to superintendents and board members so they understand the full financial implications of

their decisions. If they do their jobs well, our children will have more opportunities to achieve their potential in the classroom.

CSB: There are many critical issues associated with school facilities, not the least of which is the controversy over capital appreciation bonds.

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Joan Buchanan

Education Committee chair is former school board member, community activist

Buchanan: There have been many examples of districts that

The governor, the state treasurer and the Legislature recog-

have sold capital appreciation bonds resulting in very high

nize the need for reasonable regulations for capital appreciation

levels. Consider the implications of a district that sold a $100

meetings with stakeholders and plan to introduce legislation to

debt-services-to-principal ratios. This is problematic on several million cab with total debt service of $1 billion. The structure deferred all payments for the first 20 years, with repayment in

bonds. Assemblymember Ben Hueso and I have had several limit these transactions.

years 21 through 40. As a result: The district is able to complete

CSB: Working on behalf of public schools at both the local and statewide

the district sold a 25-year current interest bond, it would receive

at both levels?

$100 million in projects by selling the 40-year cab. Alternately, if $600 million in bond proceeds for projects for the same $1 billion in total debt service.

The families and community members that receive the

greatest benefit from the school improvements, those using the upgraded or new facilities in the first 20 years, will not have to

contribute any money toward the cost of the projects. Those that

receive the least benefit will pay for all the cost. Further, if the same facilities need modernization in year 25, there may be no capacity to sell new bonds to fund those needs.

level, what would you say are the appropriate roles for decision-makers

Buchanan: California is a large, diverse state with school districts that range in size from a few hundred students to over 600,000.

The state should enact laws that serve the state as a whole, and

allow local school boards to set policy based on the individual needs of their district and local schools. z z z

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

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24 | California School Business

feature

Prop. 30 – just the facts Sigh of relief leads to questions about future

By Craig W. Anderson

W

hen voters passed Proposition

trustees of local school districts are al-

money for education, with Proposition 98

ifornia heaved a sigh of relief, as did Gov.

in open meetings, and subject to annual

school districts across the state.

30, school districts across Cal-

Jerry Brown, because taxes generated by the proposition prevented draconian budget cuts to the k-12 school system,

provided billions of dollars for education

and mandated remaining revenue be

lowed to use their discretion to decide audit, how funds from the measure are to be spent.

Key to the budget

used to backfill the state General Fund.

For Brown’s budget to work, Proposition

logical aspect of Proposition 30, the

ensure that Brown’s plan would have the

And in what seems to be the most

30 had to be approved by voters to

parceling out Proposition 30 revenues to “The voters approval of Proposition

30 demonstrates that the state’s citizens

are willing to extend their commitment to education,” said Jeff Vaca, deputy

executive director of governmental rela-

tions for casbo. “Prop. 30 moves k-12

education forward, even though it is just a short-term solution.”

Spring 2013 | 25

Prop. 30 – just the facts

The General Fund automatically

in the calculations of the Proposition 98

and school districts will continue receiv-

by billions each year. Under Proposition

raises Proposition 98 funding for schools,

ing raises every year for the duration of Proposition 30.

Proposition 30’s success at the polls

minimum guarantee which will be raised 98, 40 percent of those funds would be allocated to k-14 education – with 89 percent of that amount going to k-12 schools.

in November meant that trigger cuts

The remaining revenue will go toward

introduced to school districts, and Propo-

Also, realigned sales tax revenues are

were avoided, categorical flexibility was sition 30 revenues were heading to dis-

tricts to use as needed. “We needed more

rational revenue distribution to districts, and now they get a base grant plus more

money,” noted Edgar Cabral, a principal fiscal and policy analyst with the Legislative Analyst’s Office (lao).

More money for schools Proposition 30 increases personal income tax – retroactive to Jan. 1, 2012 – on

annual earnings over $250,000 for seven

backfilling California’s General Fund.

permanently removed from the Proposition 98 calculation.

It’s a budget issue “Proposition 30 laid the groundwork

for Gov. Brown’s budget, including

30 supporters and, said executive

president, School Services of California

voters stepping up and voting for

education,” said Robert Miyashiro, vice and a member of casbo. “I agree with

the lao that this is more of a budget issue than a k-12 issue.”

economy slows.”

Kevin Gordon, president of Capitol

five fiscal years in which both tax in-

Advisors Group, a casbo associate mem-

2016-2017 – the average annual state

have provided clarity on the importance

revenue gain would be approximately $6 billion. An lao analysis notes that smaller revenue gains of $5.4 billion annually are expected in 2017-2018, and $2.2 billion in 2018-2019.

The Department of Finance calcu-

lates the tax revenues generated to be much higher than the lao’s estimate. The department’s numbers are as high as $9

billion in 2012-2013, $7.6 billion through 2015-2016, but falling off by $1.5 billion

thereafter due to the sunset of the sales tax increase.

ber, said the months since the election

of that fix. “There was plenty of skepti-

cism about the good Prop. 30 would do

for schools before the election, but the past few months have brought a sober-

ing clarity to the reality we would have faced in schools had the measure failed,”

political foresight that said if you paint

a very clear picture of the consequences to schools, voters will deliver,” described Gordon. “He pulled off the seemingly impossible – raising taxes for anything. Things would have been really aw-

ful if Proposition 30 had not passed, and

that should not be lost on anyone. At the same time, it is wrong for some to insist that there is plenty of money to restore cuts made over the past five years.”

And it’s that perception among the

public – that funding for schools is now

tempt to balance budgets for the current

will have to clarify in their communities

ficulty schools are still having as they atand next two years.”

Voter’s stepped up The California County Superintendents

in the state General Fund and included

(ccsesa) was one of many Proposition

26 | California School Business

local schools. “The success of the initia-

Gordon said. “The evidence is in the dif-

Revenues will be deposited into a

new Education Protection Account with-

Voters did indeed respond when

tive validated the governor’s incredible

tougher and tougher to budget as the

creases are in effect – 2012-2013 through

the new budget.”

in an economy where it has “become

1, 2013. The sales tax increase ends Dec. The lao estimates that during the

Proposition 30 which will happen with

told that the initiative would benefit their

temporary fix for the education sector

31, 2016.

director Peter Birdsall, “We appreciate

He noted that Proposition 30 is a

years, and boosts the state sales and use

tax by one-quarter cent beginning Jan.

It’s a short-term solution that changes the spending practices, stabilizes education funding and has education moving in the right direction.

Educational Services Association

abundant – that school business leaders in the coming years.

“There is a perception in local com-

munities that the success of Proposition 30 means Sacramento will be shoveling

lots of new money to public schools across the state, and it is a terrible mis-

reading of what the measure was all

about,” Gordon said. “The ballot measure

costs to districts for complying with new

relies on fewer and fewer people whose

cuts to schools by virtue of stabilizing

money from the Education Protection

options, and that can be a shaky founda-

was completely about halting further the state’s General Fund, and not much more.”

“Gov. Brown has taken a 50/50

auditing requirements can be paid with Account.

ing and was a major part of the hope

Billion dollar swings, economic cycles

debt and how much will go to schools,”

The lao’ s review of Proposition 30-

is: can the funds slated for education be

revenues raised … could be subject to

said the lao’s Cabral. “The big question used for something else?”

Revenue restricted In a word: No. Spending restrictions

do not allow revenues to “be used for

and expectations for the budget,” said

generated revenue notes that “the multi-billion dollar swings” because the

vast majority of the additional revenue is from the personal income tax increase on higher incomes which is “volatile and difficult to predict.”

Brad Williams, senior partner at Capital

Matrix Consulting and a past speaker at casbo events. “The hope being an improving economy, and the expectations

being increasing revenues. What happens up to and after the proposition dollars

stop flowing in seven years will tell us what the future holds for education.”

Williams added, “If the economy’s

Miyashiro agreed that “taxing the

soft, education will be back where it was

ture more unpredictable. If their income

managing education through the ups and

salaries or benefits of administrators or

state’s top earners makes the tax struc-

a 2012 casbo analysis. However, the

slows, that will cause problems. The plan

any other administrative costs,” noted

tion to depend on for tax revenues.”

“Proposition 30 stopped the bleed-

approach of determining how much of Prop. 30 funds will be used to pay off

incomes rely on capital gains and stock

in the past. The overall challenge will be downs of economic cycles.”

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Spring 2013 | 27

Prop. 30 – just the facts

School district autonomy School districts aren’t designed to be

nimble – able to alter course quickly to

meet large changes in how they operate,

approach, the state’s monitoring of school

entire funding/spending machine, to

school districts were in compliance with

school districts will operate as mandated

spending focused on whether or not categorical programs, Cabral said.

The revenue won’t be used to resur-

but, said Cabral, the state has given

rect old programs that were cut. “It will be

the funding process and “districts are now

tem to allow districts to create their own

districts more autonomy, has streamlined more aware of the challenges they’ll face.”

Control that urge!

Another important hurdle to overcome

will be the urge to over-commit revenue

in the good years. Brown’s budget

proposal gives local school districts the flexibility to spend Proposition 30 funds as they see fit, which should help districts

good to move away from the current sysways of using the revenue,” Cabral said.

understand and maintain a grip on how by the governor’s plan. “The system has

to be efficient, transparent and accurate;

and superintendents are a driving force in keeping the train on the tracks,” Birdsall said.

It’s vital that train not be derailed,

The governor’s plan gives individu-

but rather fine-tuned and polished dur-

Proposition 30 revenues are used locally,

taxes are in effect. When the stream of

al school districts a significant say in how

and will require streamlining the state’s compliance programs so the state gov-

ernment can make sure the governor’s

trust in school districts to do the right thing is justified.

“Brown said, in effect, ‘I don’t care.

ing the seven years the income and sales

proposition money eventually stops, districts will be, hopefully, leaner, more aware of how to allocate their funds

and prepared fiscally to continue with

a normal revenue flow supplied by an improved economic climate in a locally

become fiscally stable.

Here are the funds. I trust you [local

needed flexibility in how to allocate the

said Cabral. At this point in the process

building up to the end of Proposition

regulations and mandates for the new

districts will function,” the lao’s Cabral

“Local control will give districts

funds they get,” said Miyashiro. “With

funds becoming tighter over time, dis-

tricts that adapt to the new way of doing business will be successful.”

Governor, Legislature decide A major issue concerning Proposition 30

districts] to decide what to do with it,’”

of implementing the assorted procedures, and improved k-12 system, items such

as base grants and supplemental funds must be defined, but who will be doing the defining? The governor? The Legis-

lature? The lao? “It’s reasonably certain most, if not all of them, will be involved

oriented system.

“Of course, the state of the economy

30 will have a significant effect on how said. “Over this period, revenues will be used in good ways, districts will establish

programs that will help them be even

more efficient as the state rebounds and additional revenues arrive.”

However halcyon this seems, it is

in the definition process,” Cabral said.

inevitable that the economy will change,

the next decade, which will determine the

sition 30 doesn’t really solve the ongoing

another economic downturn, and when

“We’ll find out if the Legislature feels

term solution that changes the spending

is how much funding the governor and

Legislature will decide to provide over courses districts will be able to navigate.

k-12 education is their top priority, or at least among their top priorities,” Miyashiro said. “The Legislature declares edu-

cation is important, but funding it year in and year out will be the test.”

Tracking the money’s use

Defined or not, the passage of Propo-

funding issue, said Birdsall. “It’s a shortpractices, stabilizes education funding

and has education moving in the right direction. Now, local districts can make better use of their funds and can make

spending adjustments at the local level,” and thus be ready to continue their pro-

grams after Proposition 30 revenues stop.

And the lao will be tracking the financial

Superintendents a cog

eye on how Proposition 30 is being

Birdsall’s organization, ccsesa, can

details as they develop, keeping an

implemented. Prior to this change in

28 | California School Business

aid superintendents, a vital cog in this

he said. “It’s not if, but when there will be

it happens, hopefully, the school systems and the state will be prepared for the challenge.” z z z

Craig W. Anderson is a freelance writer based in Stockton, Calif.

Do you have an opinion or a comment on this article?California School Business magazine welcomes “Letters to the Editor.”

Please send your letters to kevins@casbo.org. All letters are edited for content, space and style considerations.

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Spring 2013 | 31

Happy workers, happy workplace Improve performance, productivity by addressing workplace happiness

By Julie Phillips Randles

32 | California School Business

cover

M

anagers might think that the level of happiness – or

psychologist Martin Seligman kick-started the field and

feature of personality, mood or habit. It seems logical that one’s

American Psychological Association. While many branches

the lack thereof – that employees bring to the workplace is a

temperament is somewhat fixed, allowing for some ups and downs based on life circumstance. But research into subjective well-being, the scientific term for happiness, shows that an employee’s joy quotient can be influenced, leading to an increase

identified it as the theme for his term as president of the

of psychology focus on dysfunction, abnormal behavior and

disorders, positive psychology focuses on assisting people to become happier.

Achor tells audiences that the core of his interest in positive

in positive emotions, and by extension, increased workplace

psychology research is the finding that individual happiness and

Statistics from studies of happiness are encouraging – and

popular Ted Talk, “If we study what is merely average, we will

success and productivity.

perhaps surprising. Research indicates that roughly 50 percent

of happiness is determined by our genes. Another 10 percent is

determined by life circumstance. But 40 percent depends on our

organizational success are inextricably linked. As he noted in a remain merely average.” Achor prefers to study how to move people beyond average.

In his talk and book, Achor asserts that the generally ac-

daily activities, according to Sonja Lyubomirsky, a psychology

cepted formula for success – work harder and you’ll be more

of “The How of Happiness.” That means individuals and orga-

approach is that people are always working to meet benchmarks,

professor at the University of California, Riverside, and author nizations can work to cultivate happiness by focusing on that

daily activity portion of the equation. The take-home message, Lyubomirsky says, is that a large portion of happiness is under our control.

successful – is scientifically backward. The problem with the only to have higher goals set once those are met. This creates a never-ending cycle where employees are constantly stressed as they chase a moving target.

Alternatively, organizations could employ positive psy-

There’s more. Research shows that 90 percent of long-term

chology to improve workplace performance by stepping away

world, not by the external world itself, according to reports by

isn’t determined by how hard you work as much as your level

happiness is predicted by the way your brain processes the

Shawn Achor, positive psychology researcher, founder of Good

Think Inc. and author of “The Happiness Advantage.” And while 25 percent of job successes are determined by iq, 75 per-

cent of success is predicted by optimism levels, social support and one’s ability to see stress as a challenge instead of a threat, Achor found.

After five tumultuous years of funding cuts and employ-

ment challenges, what school business leader wouldn’t want to increase the joy factor in the office?

You’ll be happy to know that you can. Here’s how.

Positive psychology Positive psychology is a relatively new branch of science which emerged in the late 1980 s after University of Pennsylvania

from this pattern. Achor’s research shows that career success

of optimism, having a strong social network and your ability to view stress as a positive force that can help you achieve your goals.

“Raise positivity in the present and the brain experiences a

happiness advantage,” Achors tells video viewers. Intelligence rises, creativity rises and energy rises.

What we know for sure Happy workers are more productive than miserable ones. Makes

sense. But research into happiness shows there are additional benefits to subjective well-being, benefits proven by science.

Create a positive atmosphere at work and years of studies

show employees will benefit from more enjoyment on the job, fewer negative emotions (sadness, anger, anxiety) and increased

Spring 2013 | 33

Happy workers, happy workplace

job satisfaction, according to Ed Diener, a psychologist, professor

employee happiness levels. Film director Roko Belic got the

This leads to:

during the making of his 2011 film “Happy.”

and author renowned for his 25 years of research on happiness.

• Increased productivity

• Better organizational citizenship • Lower employee turnover • Customer satisfaction • Healthier employees

• Lower healthcare costs • Reduced absenteeism • Increased creativity

answer to that question, and several other happiness queries,

The film takes on questions including: Does money make

people happy? Does your work make you happy? Do you live in a world that values and promotes happiness and well-being?

Are we in the midst of a happiness revolution?

The experts Belic interviewed for his documentary extended Diener’s list of benefits of a happy workforce. “They (employees)

Create a positive atmosphere at work and years of studies show employees will benefit from more enjoyment on the job, fewer negative emotions (sadness, anger, anxiety) and increased job satisfaction.

In a recent report for the United Nation’s General Assem-

bly, Diener summarized how subjective well-being increases

workplace success. “When workers are happy, they tend to enjoy their jobs, they tend to work harder and better. Businesses

do better under pressure. They are more likely to find a creative

solution to a problem. They work better with their colleagues.

They are kinder,” Belic learned.

He noted that many have been experimenting with how to

with high work satisfaction are more productive. Happier

teach employees to be happier, or at least nudge them in that

surprising then that happy people tend to earn higher incomes

“The most powerful thing you can do is express your

workers are more energetic, creative and cooperative. It is not

direction. Belic described some of the steps.

in their lives.”

gratitude. If you appreciate what someone has done at work,

workplace aspects on which leaders have influence that can

explained. A side benefit, showing gratitude strengthens col-

Diener also pointed to research that shows there are several

literally predict an employee’s overall job satisfaction. Step one: “They need to get workers working in areas where they can use

their strength and skills – worker-job fit,” Diener explained by email. After that, be sure employees have: • Some control over their work • Varied work

• The opportunity to learn new things • A sense of being respected • A sense of being needed

• Access to the right resources to do one’s job well

“Of course, some part of it is the workers’, too. One negative

worker can create a toxic atmosphere in the work unit if he or she is negative enough,” Diener said.

The how of happiness Now that the benefits of happiness are clear, perhaps you’re

wondering what steps an organization can take to influence

34 | California School Business

and express that appreciation, that makes you happier,” Belic legial relationships.

Step two, add exercise or play to your day. Belic shared the

story of a business leader he met who spends two hours a day

with staff doing something fun – yoga, basketball, volleyball.

“That seems like a radical shift, but we have seen that effectively

working. The benefits outweigh the loss of time sitting at your desk. When you come back, you are refreshed and more creative,

so that two hours is a positive investment rather than a net loss,” Belic said.

Next, share something inspiring as a group. Research

shows that inspiring stories boost happiness and increase people’s sense of engagement. After having an inspiring mo-

ment as a staff – through a keynote speaker, motivating media event or even bringing in clients or students who share what the

district’s work has meant to them – open up a frank conversation that bonds people, inspires them and shows them that their

job is important. “They may be disconnected from that truth,” Belic explained.

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Spring 2013 | 35

Happy workers, happy workplace

Another trick to stimulate happiness – novelty. Do some-

“A feeling of contentment at work is present-based. We want

thing different. Shake up the work day. Have a meeting on the

to broaden from happiness to engagement, and include positive

work isn’t just about offices and paperwork,” Belic said.

with happiness.”

lawn or at the beach. “Wake people up and remind them that All of these ideas are what Belic called “pathways to stimulat-

emotions like gratitude, and gratitude can practically be equated And, as is the case with happiness, there are ways for lead-

ing connectedness,” and ultimately happiness. “That’s really the

ers to increase positive emotions; and the benefits are parallel

should be to build a sense of connectedness among that group.”

ness among employees. “It feeds on itself. It becomes a snowball

ultimate challenge in the work scenario. The most productive goal

– higher productivity, lower turnover and a sense of connected-

The most powerful thing you can do is express your gratitude. If you appreciate what someone has done at work, and express that appreciation, that makes you happier.

At the individual level, an employee can engage in the same

techniques to get an added dose of happy. Express gratitude by sending a note or email to someone you appreciate. Introduce

effect in that positivity in one realm leads to positive effects in other realms,” Carter said.

So how can an organization begin to form that snowball?

novelty by taking a different route to work or trying something

Carter says that leaders can start by addressing the basics known

Finally, increase your happiness by serving others. “A leader

nutrition. Managers should be sure employees know the orga-

new on the weekend. Make time to exercise or play.

who has done service work, volunteer work or has in some

way helped others is more likely to be a compassionate leader and breed a culture of happiness,” Belic described. Better yet,

organize an event where employees and managers experience the act of service together. “That experience will edify and bond

to impact mood management – things like sleep, exercise and nization values staff’s physical and mental health. “If what you

want is a happy workplace, you have to go after the stress and exhaustion factors first. I don’t think if you’re working at 11 p.m. it’s healthy in general.”

Simple steps include suggesting that employees disconnect

people,” Belic said.

from their smartphones and computers by a certain time in the

but ask the key question: What’s the singular trait of happy

ployees to take lunch away from their desks.

After interviewing Diener for his film, Belic couldn’t help

people? He expected a vague answer, but what he got was con-

cise. “He said ‘good relationships.’ They have somebody they love and somebody loves them. You have to love and be loved,” Belic explained.

Beyond happy. Positive emotions.

Sociologist Christine Carter says influencing workplace culture is not only about happiness, it’s also about working to foster

additional positive emotions that improve the office community.

That means in addition to happiness, don’t dismiss feelings like gratitude, hope and confidence, all part of the pantheon of positive emotions.

“When we talk about happiness, we want to think about

positive emotions in general,” said Carter, a sociologist at the

University of California, Berkeley, Greater Good Science Center and author of “Raising Happiness.”

36 | California School Business

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Happy workers, happy workplace

“We operate under a perception that productivity is 24/7.

As humans, we are built to sprint, not marathon. We’re built to work for 90 minutes to two hours at a time,” Carter described.

As with happiness, there’s science behind Carter’s recom-

mendations. “Our blood flow patterns are dramatically different

don’t take opportunities to celebrate or play. We are way too

serious, and my philosophy is work hard, play hard.” Part two of his philosophy: “Nothing is such a crisis that we can’t have a good time doing it.”

McGuire acknowledges that he is not always anxiety-free

when we are feeling positive emotions than when we are feeling

and that everyone has bad days; but in his experience, being

the brain that makes us human, is really fuel inefficient. It takes

he finds, can be influenced by “self talk.”

anxious or a little bit angry. Our prefrontal cortex, that part of a lot of blood sugar to run it, so if we’re stressed out, our body

conserves fuel and sends blood to the primitive parts of the brain and our muscles,” Carter explained.

happy is about how you look at life every day. And that outlook, Here’s what plays on the soundtrack in his head: “We really

do have a wonderful life. It’s a great profession, in a great district.

We are blessed to have what we have, and I am blessed as an

Businesses with high work satisfaction are more productive. Happier workers are more energetic, creative and cooperative.

Continually feel stressed and exhausted or constantly re-

main in fight-or-flight mode and the prefrontal cortex can’t do its best work. “The creative, productive part of your brain that

individual.” By repeating that regularly, and applying his other philosophies, McGuire is able to maintain a high happiness scale.

McGuire said the key is having an outlook that says “we’ll

you need to direct your behavior, solve a problem, articulate a

get through this; that no matter what, we will be better off in the

down. Just being exhausted will trigger a slight alarm system in

as the last good thing you did, so we are constantly moving

problem, the part that makes us creative or inspired, sort of shuts the brain and the brain will begin to conserve fuel and become more inefficient,” Carter said.

The workplace outcome – lower productivity and work of

reduced quality. “And when it comes to problem solving and

leading ability, you’ll have a harder time doing those as well,”

she added. In contrast, take a walk at lunch and come across something beautiful and feel awe or gratitude and the physi-

ological effect of those positive emotions is to shut down the fight-or-flight impulse and direct blood to the prefrontal cortex.

An insider’s experience casbo’s Bill McGuire, superintendent at St. Helena Unified School District, is considered a happy guy by his colleagues

in the association. He’s generally jovial, has a positive outlook

future. In public education, the issue is that you’re only as good forward and trying to be better.”

While he’s never employed a systematic happiness program

at a district, McGuire does have a few suggestions for boosting employee happiness levels:

• Take steps to set a positive tone at the district office.

• Host celebratory events when employees complete

a grueling task.

to blow off steam and then start over the next day.

• Provide opportunities to vent; a way for employees “In education, we have a higher purpose in what we do. It’s

built into public schools that a great good comes from the work we do,” McGuire explained.

Now that’s a happy thought. z z z

and has a successful school business career. So does he know

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

happy factor at districts?

Do you have an opinion or a comment on this article? California School Business magazine welcomes “Letters to the Editor.” Please send your letters to kevins@casbo.org. All letters are edited for content, space and style considerations.

something others in the industry don’t about heightening the He doesn’t claim to be an expert on happiness, but he does

have some thoughts, and suggestions, about what works.

“We have a high expectation that people are going to work

very hard (in schools), and you have to balance that with some-

thing,” McGuire said. “Many times in the business office, you

38 | California School Business

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42 | California School Business

feature

Digging into data Measuring district operations, efficiency at core of new data system

By Lisa Maria Boyles

When it comes to quantitatively measuring student

The ActPoint kpi system allows districts to determine how

learning, we hear a lot about standardized testing and the

they are performing compared to other districts within a county,

failure – of school districts.

mance in the following areas: finance, operations, maintenance,

tracking of student performance results to assess the success – or But while teaching students is the primary objective of

school districts, there are many other measures of a district’s overall success, especially when taking business efficiency into consideration.

“We’re pretty good about collecting student-achievement

data, and in California we’ve certainly gotten much better at that in recent years,” said casbo member Sheila G. Vickers, a vice president with School Services of California, “but data regarding

the other operations, the non-instructional operations of school districts, we have not been good at gathering or having access

state and nationally. ActPoint kpi helps districts measure perfor-

safety and security, transportation, food services, information systems and human resources/personnel.

The system has three subscription levels: Standard (50 kpi s),

which is recommended for districts with fewer than 2,500 stu-

dents; Plus (100 kpi s), for districts of 2,500 to 10,000 students; and Pro (350+ kpi s), for larger districts with more than 10,000 students.

Ensuring greater efficiency

to them. We don’t have data on custodial services, food services

Enrique “Rick” Boull’t is the chief operating officer for Los

school districts to improve their efficiency.”

that serves 660,000 k-12 students. Boull’t said his district has

and other non-instructional operations to use as benchmarks for That is changing, as more California school districts are

able to access the new ActPoint kpi Performance Management ®

System, a collaboration between The Council of Great City

Schools (cgcs) and Transact Communications. The ActPoint

Angeles Unified School District, a casbo institutional member been actively involved with the Council’s kpi work since its

development began in 2004, and has been using the ActPoint kpi system for three years.

“As the business service providers in support of schools,”

kpi system gives districts access to benchmarking and business

Boull’t said, “it’s paramount that we’re able to strategically

The system is supported by a new partnership between casbo

tion and procurement are three areas that are vitally dependent

intelligence tools used to improve non-instructional efficiency. and School Services of California, a Premier Plus associate mem-

ber of casbo. The partnership will provide strategic support and professional development for school district users.

project, track and monitor operating expenses. Food, transporta-

on kpi performance data. Cost per student, cost per meal and material cycle times are just a few of the metrics that enable us to ensure efficiencies.”

Spring 2013 | 43

Digging into data Ruth F. Quinto is a deputy superintendent and the chief

The ActPoint system allows school business officials to

financial officer for the Fresno Unified School District, which

narrow their benchmark results to include just the criteria that

scribed one way that district has improved its operations with

enrollment size, labor status (union or right-to-work), poverty

serves about 72,000 students. Quinto, a member of casbo, de-

data from the ActPoint kpi system, which it has been using since 2008.

as the business service providers in support of schools, it’s paramount that we’re able to strategically project, track and monitor operating expenses.

matter the most to them. Officials can filter criteria from district

level, geographic county, region, census region or state. When showing district comparisons, other districts aren’t named, only the district number and demographic data is visible. Districts

may choose to share their number with peers to create a unique “peer group” for comparison purposes.

Michael Bishop, deputy superintendent of operations with

Santa Ana Unified School District and a member of casbo, likes that aspect of the system’s benchmarking.

“The good thing about the system is you don’t know who

you’re being measured against,” Bishop said. “So there’s no reason not to be honest in the data inputting because you’re a number – you know what your number is, but no one else knows

“A specific example of how we have incorporated the mea-

sures into our daily work,” Quinto said, “is the targets set annu-

ally for the average days to fill a vacancy. As part of our boardadopted data dashboard policy, human resources established the

what your number is. All they know is that you rate well on a particular metric or you don’t.”

Inputting the data

average days to fill vacancies as a key measurement toward their

After the close of each fiscal year, participating districts input

bottom quartile for the cgcs districts reported. We set our target

this process, approximately 40 percent of the raw data required

operational effectiveness. At that time, Fresno Unified was in the

based on best practices as described by the highest performing districts, and improved our average days to fill a vacancy from 70 days to 24 days.”

raw data into the ActPoint kpi system. To assist districts with

by the system will have been imported into the system. Then, after the data is input and processed, subscribers will have

access to the new kpi data and benchmarks. For school districts in California, that will be in March, said Vickers.

New set of lenses The information the ActPoint kpi system will provide isn’t

something that has been easily accessible to school business leaders in the past.

“Right now, a school district doesn’t really know for sure

whether it’s high-performing or low-performing in a county, state or nationally because non-instructional benchmarking data isn’t available to see how your district compares to oth-

the ability to benchmark against like-size districts, in real time, is a tremendous asset.

“The ability to benchmark against like-size districts, in real

ers,” said Rick Passovoy, president and ceo of Transact, the

time, is a tremendous asset,” said Boull’t of lausd. “We’re able

tify performance measurement blind spots and opportunities.

prove/gauge performance.”

company that automates the data. “The system is going to iden-

It might be that a district finds out for the first time that what

to either validate or, if necessary, follow up with peers to imHard data about what works and what doesn’t will also give

it thought was efficient really isn’t, or vice versa. So this system

school district leaders something concrete and quantitative to

lenses that give a district a chance to do a self-assessment. This

“On a political level, this is like a gold mine,” Passovoy said.

operates like a diagnostic set of data and business intelligence will hopefully illuminate where the opportunities for improvement are.”

44 | California School Business

justify spending decisions and budget requests.

“If you’re asking the board for an investment in a particular

area, and it turns out that the benchmarking results support that

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Spring 2013 | 45

Digging into data investment to save money, improve efficiency and effectiveness,

to be your benchmark, you can measure against yourself over

Point kpi business tools to support business positions proposed

and you can go into these business areas,” Bennett said. “Private

the superintendent and executive leaders now can use the Actto the board.”

Making sound decisions In times of economic uncertainty, like those the nation has been experiencing in recent years, every dollar counts.

“The political pressure up to this point has been to cut

non-instructional budgets as deeply as possible from the cen-

tral office because that’s not classroom money,” Passovoy said.

“And sometimes severe budget cuts in finance, operations and

information technology are a little short-sighted because you still have a business to run, and service-level promises to honor.”

Ron Bennett, ceo of School Services of California, said the

data gained from ActPoint kpi will allow business officers to run school districts more like businesses.

“What this system allows is you can look at a national

time, you can measure against the benchmark groups over time, business and industries, they run on data. They go and they

look at it and they look at these efficiency ratios and they make decisions differently as a result of that. We want our schools to

be able to be run more like a business. This is a tool that helps them to do that.”

Quinto, the Fresno Unified cfo, said, “One of the best as-

pects of the kpi system is not only the ability to gauge where we

compare in these important measurements, but also being able to target our outreach for best practices.”

the system is going to identify performance measurement blind spots and opportunities.

benchmark, you can establish a group of districts that are going

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46 | California School Business

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Spring 2013 | 47

Digging into data

Planning for the future The ActPoint kpi system also allows districts to plug in “whatif” scenarios that could occur in the future through its data

modeling feature. This tool is helpful for strategic planning, forecasting and budgeting purposes.

Bishop, of Santa Ana Unified, said his district is just begin-

ning to use the ActPoint kpi system.

“We’re not used to measuring ourselves this way,” Bishop

said. “In school districts, we’re used to measuring ourselves in some very simplistic ways – fund balance, expenditures, per

ada, per enrollment, per fte – but not looking at our operational

meaningful to look at how effectively we’re using the resources that we’re allocating,” Bishop said.

A new way of thinking

activities as private industry might do. Participating in this kind

Getting staff to consider the data behind efficient school

the most efficient way?’”

things.

of project forces you to ask yourself, ‘Are you doing business in Bishop expects it will take some time for his district to see

operations will require a certain shift in the way people look at “You’ve got to build up the capacity of the organization to

the results of the data, but once there is a history for comparison,

be data analysts because that’s not a natural activity,” Bishop

“More awareness and understanding of what it is we’re

self-critical and accepting of constructive criticism. That’s not a

he expects the information to be useful at streamlining efficiency. measuring will make the measurements more accurate and more

said. “We also probably have to learn to be more self-evaluative,

way that most school districts operate. I see this certainly as a step in the right direction. This will take our data collection and data reporting to a much different level.”

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But ultimately, this improved business efficiency of school

district operations will be felt at every level, including in how much money is available for classroom instruction.

“What you would see as a parent is that fewer decisions

about programs that affect your child’s schooling would be made based on how people feel about them,” Bennett said. “And

more decisions would be made by someone with data in front of them determining what they think about those decisions.”

Vickers said even school districts that are already operating

efficiently could benefit from the increased access to data that ActPoint kpi would give them.

“If we were to give school districts in California a letter

grade in terms of their operations, many of them would be A’s already,” Vickers said. “This kind of data can help school districts

Visit our website at www.sevillecs.com to learn more about our services!

examine the way they’re doing things now, and it will help them identify more effective ways so they can become more of an A+ and provide better service, save money and drive more resources to classrooms. That’s the whole idea. Even districts that are op-

erating well and efficiently can still gain by using this data. And they have. The districts that are using this have proven that.” z z z

Program Management | Project Management | Construction Management

48 | California School Business

Lisa Maria Boyles, a freelance writer based in Fresno, Calif., was a journalist with The Fresno Bee for almost 19 years.

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CASBO book club

Book provides blueprint for professionalism The CASBO Book Club selection for spring is “The Power of Professionalism: The Seven Mind-Sets that Drive Performance and Build Trust,” by Bill Wiersma. The book is described as a blueprint for individuals and organizations seeking to foster a culture of professionalism.

In the course of the text, Wiersma outlines seven key mindsets of those who are held as “trusted professionals.”

Examples in the book show how uncompromising professional standards led to success for folks including FBI agent George Piro during his interrogation of Saddam Hussein, supermodel Kathy Ireland in leading her design enterprise and the renowned Dave Matthews Band in its quest for music fame.

Also weighing in are John Bogle, founder of the Vanguard Group; Gen. Richard B. Meyers, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Paul Orfalea, founder of Kinkos.

The writer argues that professionalism is the ladder upon which all organizational virtues rest and says that organizations whose members view themselves as true professionals in their field will outperform, outsmart and outlast organizations that don’t leverage the power of professionalism, according to recent reviews of the book.

Join your colleagues in reading this book, and unwrap steps to making your organization more professional, and thus more successful.

50 | California School Business

sudoku Driving resources to the classroom With budget restrictions growing tighter, now is the time to look to PARS for cost-saving retirement plans to achieve fiscal savings while helping you drive resources back to the classroom.

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9 5 2 7 8 1 3 4 6

1 8 4 6 5 3 9 2 7

3 6 7 9 2 4 1 5 8

2 1 5 3 6 9 8 7 4

7 9 8 2 4 5 6 3 1

6 4 3 1 7 8 2 9 5

4 3 1 5 9 6 7 8 2

8 7 9 4 1 2 5 6 3

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answers on page 61

© 2013 Public Agency Retirement Services (PARS). All rights reserved.

Spring 2013 | 51

CASBO Career Rx

Ask yourself the dreaded question…

By Molly McGee Hewitt Executive Director

Would I hire me? Now that’s an interesting question to ponder. Are you the kind of employee that you would want to hire to support your unit, division, site or organization? Do you truly embody the values and professionalism that are needed to not only survive in challenging times, but to thrive?

Would you look forward to being a colleague, superior or subordinate of yourself? Would you accept from someone else your work ethic, skill set, behavior and attitudes? Taking the time to take stock of yourself may be one of the most powerful career advancement activities you can undertake.

Have you ever been passed over for a promotion or position? Fear of litigation or policy often prohibits organizations from sharing candid information on why this happened. Have you ever truly examined why things played out the way they did?

Our egos will often turn to comments like: “It was an inside position already promised to someone.”

“It was all about politics.” Or, “I was the wrong gender, age, race, etc.” Do not waste your time making excuses or creating a rationale for why you did not get the job. Set your focus on how you can be better prepared for the next job.

Author John Maxwell’s book, “The 360 Degree Leader,” provides a great framework for taking a personal inventory to assess your strengths and weaknesses, and to determine how you can grow and improve. Asking those around you for honest feedback may be threatening at first. We all prefer to hear kudos – criticism or suggestions are sometimes harder to hear. Being able to hear the hard parts enables us to get honest feedback and to see how others really see us.

Here are three ways to guarantee that you become the leader that someone wants to hire:

The higher your management or leadership position, the less likely people often are to give you direct feedback. There is a fear that by sharing with you, they may put their jobs or future success at risk. Sometimes people tell us what we want to hear, rather than what we need to hear. Motivational guru Zig Ziglar used to say that you need to do a “check up from the neck up.” Our attitudes, behaviors and actions are directly related to career success.

52 | California School Business

Be authentic and positive. When people are authentic, they have a clear understanding of who they are and what they offer. They are real, and admit their areas of excellence and those areas in need of ongoing training. Be positive about your life, your current job and the job you can do for others. Positive people bring that positivity to the organization.

Be a life-long learner. Do something every week, month and year to expand your skills and training. Taking action shows your employer or potential employer that you want to improve and be the best. Advance yourself by reading books, attending classes, registering for graduate school, tackling certifications or attending professional conferences.

Embrace the culture of the organization you are a part of, or wish to become a part of, and get enthusiastic. Do your homework on potential organizations to find out if they truly fit your core values. In your own organization, become a valued asset that works collaboratively and cooperatively to succeed.

While this has been a tough economy and schools have experienced layoffs and changes, the future of job opportunities looks tremendous. Hiring the right people to propel school districts and LEAs forward is going to be crucial to our future. There has never been a better time to prepare and to seek a career in school business. Become the leader you want to hire and the professional you want to work with every day!

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

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

Public Education’s Point of Reference for Making Educated Decisions Since 1975 School Services of California, Inc., (SSC) is the leading provider of consulting, lobbying, and information services for K-14 educational agencies in California.

Since its inception in 1975, SSC has served nearly every educational agency in the state.  Management Consulting Services  Legislative Advocacy  Collective Bargaining and Factfinding Services  Executive Search and Recruitment  Training, Conferences, and Workshops  Books and Software  The Fiscal Report and Specialized Publications  The Community College Update and Community College Services We are truly “Public Education’s Point of Reference.”

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54 | California School Business

One door. Many solutions.

For the last twenty-five years, we have been privileged to be an open door to solutions for a variety of complex legal issues, helping the education community achieve success.

Lozano Smith is proud to partner with CASBO in its mission to provide innovative and leadership-based workshops at the upcoming annual conference. We invite you to visit LozanoSmith.com/CASBO2013 for a complete list of the workshops in which our attorneys are presenting and to participate in Lozano Smith’s 25th Anniversary celebration.

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LozanoSmith.com Spring 2013 | 55

ReLiEF

Regional Liability Excess Fund

56 | California School Business

out & about

The CASBO Human Resources Professional Council met at the CASBO office in December. Pictured (l-r) are San Diego/Imperial County Section Chair Debby Wulff, director of classified personnel, Poway Unified School District; Eastern Section Chair Lafaye Platter, deputy superintendent of human resources, Hemet Unified School District; Northern Section Chair Norma Gonzales, director of human resources, Monterey Peninsula Unified School District; Sacramento Section Chair Henry Tran, human resources intern, Davis Joint Unified School District; CASBO Human Resources Professional Council Chair Alicia Schlehuber, director of classified personnel, Escondido Unified School District; Central Section Chair Elizabeth “Liz� Stanko, coordinator of personnel, Calaveras Unified School District; and former Southern Section Chair Sherry Manley, manager of certificated human resources, Ventura Unified School District.

Enjoying the Sacramento Section Holiday Luncheon are (l-r) CASBO President-elect Rich Buse, director, purchasing, Pajaro Valley Unified School District; Sacramento Section Director Sharon Ketcherside, director, purchasing and contract services, Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District; and Michael Dodge, regional director, California Financial Services.

Volunteering at the Sacramento Section Holiday Luncheon are (l-r) Kimberly Riley-Oliver, account clerk II, Folsom Cordova Unified School District; Kristi Blandford, director of fiscal services, Folsom Cordova Unified School District; Henry Tran, human resources intern, Davis Joint Unified School District; and Sheryl Bailey, business manager, Colusa Unified School District.

Northern Section President Aida Santillana (left), manager, member services, Santa Clara County Schools Insurance Group, and CASBO President-elect Rich Buse, director, purchasing, Pajaro Valley Unified School District, present the Magnificent Seven Award for Payroll Services to Linda Davis, payroll manager, Oakland Unified School District.

Lisa Ryker (left), director of planning, WLC Architects, receives the Northern Section Associate Member of the Year Award from Northern Section President Aida Santillana, manager, member services, Santa Clara County Schools Insurance Group, during the Northern Section Holiday Luncheon in December.

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 kevins@casbo.org.

Spring 2013 | 57

The California School Boards Association, in association with Piper Jaffray & Co., has partnered with the California Association of School Business Officials, and enhanced the Certificates of Participation program.

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58 | California School Business

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advertiserindex

Accounting, Auditing and Financial Services

Cooperative Purchasing Programs

Financial Services

Vavrinek, Trine, Day & Co LLP (909) 466-4410 • www.vtdcpa.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

U.S. Communities (866) 472-7467 • www.uscommunities.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Security Benefit (866) 330-8879 • www.securitybenefit.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Vicenti, Lloyd & Stutzman LLP (626) 857-7300 • www.vlsllp.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Emergency 24 Hour Services

Stone & Youngberg, A Division of Stifel Nicolaus (800) 447-8663 • www.syllc.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Christy White Accountancy Corporation (619) 270-8222 • www.cwacpa.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

California Retired Teachers Association

CalRTA (916) 923-2200 • www.calrta.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

California Solar Initiative

California Solar Initiative (310) 319-3639 • www.WaterHeatedByTheSun.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Consulting Services

DecisionInsite (877) 204-1392 • www.decisioninsite.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 GASB 45 Solutions (916) 371-4691 • www.csba.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 School Services of California, Inc. (916) 446-7517 • www.sscal.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Contractors/Construction Management

Vanir CM (916) 575-8888 • www.vanir.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

The Cooperative Purchasing Network (713) 744-8133 • www.tcpn.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

American Technologies, Inc. (800) 400-9353 • www.amer-tech.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Enhancing Education

California Lottery (916) 822-8113 • www.calottery.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Endpoint Security and Management Solutions

Absolute Software (800) 400-9353 • www.absolute.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Facility Permit Automation

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

Financial and Facility Planners

California Financial Services (707) 544-7800 • www.calschools.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Financial and Human Resource Software

Smartetools (760) 242-8890 • www.smartetools.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Piper Jaffray & Co. (800) 876-1854 • www.PJC.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Financial/Human Resources

Sungard K-12 Education (866) 905-8989 • www.sungard.com/K-12 Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Fire & Water Damage Restoration

American Technologies, Inc. (800) 400-9353 • www.amer-tech.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Fraud Prevention, Detection & Investigation

Vicenti, Lloyd & Stutzman LLP (626) 857-7300 • www.vlsllp.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Furniture

Virco Manufacturing Corp.

(800) 813-4150 • www.virco.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover VS America (310) 384-9553 • www.thethirdteacher.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Healthcare Services/Insurance

California’s Valued Trust (559) 437-2960 • www.cvtrust.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Insurance Benefits/Services

American Fidelity Assurance Company (800) 365-9180 • www.afadvantage.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 ASCIP (562) 404-8029 • www.ascip.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 AXA Equitable (415) 276-2151 • www.axa-equitable.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Keenan & Associates (310) 212-0363 • www.keenan.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Regional Liability Excess Fund (ReLiEF) (310) 212-3344 • www.keenan.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Solutions for Success For more than thirty years, we have been keeping our promise to provide quality construction management services specifically tailored toward each client.

We will do the same for you.

Program Management | Project Management | Construction Management | Master Planning | Constructability Review | Scheduling | Cost Estimating | Energy | General Contracting | Building Information Modeling

Schools Excess Liability Fund (SELF) (866) 453-5300 • www.selfjpa.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Self Insured Schools of CA (SISC) (800) 972-1727 • www.sisc.kern.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 The Horace Mann Companies (402) 290-3116 • www.horacemann.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Investment Banking

De La Rosa Co. (415) 217-3389 • www.ejdelarosa.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Legal Services

Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo (562) 653-3428 • www.aalrr.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Vanir Construction Management, Inc. | 888.912.1201 | www.vanir.com

60 | California School Business

Dannis Woliver Kelley (562) 366-8500 • www.dwkesq.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

advertiserindex

Lozano Smith, LLP (559) 431-5600 • www.lozanosmith.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Stutz Artiano Shinoff & Holtz (800) 399-3122 • www.stutzartiano.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Mandate Reimbursement

School Innovations & Achievement (877) 954-4357 • www.sia-us.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Network Solutions & Servers & PC Solutions

Sehi Computer Products, Inc. (800) 346-6315 • www.sehi.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Office Supplies

Office DEPOT (562) 490-9218 • www.officedepot.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

On Demand Operations Management Software

School Innovations & Achievement (877) 954-4357 • www.sia-us.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Professional Consulting

Vanir CM (916) 575-8888 • www.vanir.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Program/Project/Construction Management

Seville Construction Services (626) 204-0800 www.sevillecs.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Public Finance

Stone & Youngberg, A Division of Stifel Nicolaus (800) 447-8663 • www.syllc.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Retirement Benefits/Programs

Public Agency Retirement Service (800) 540-6369 #127 • www.pars.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 VALIC (916) 780-6051 • www.valic.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Risk Management Services

Schools Excess Liability Fund (SELF) (866) 453-5300 • www.selfjpa.org Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

School Bus Sales Service & Parts

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

Secure Online School Payment Solutions

Heartland School Solutions (800) 256-8224 • www.heartlandschoolsolutions.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Student Information Services/Systems

Eagle Software (888) 487-7555 • www.aeries.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Edupoint Educational Systems (800) 338-7646 • www.edupoint.com Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Sungard K-12 Education (866) 905-8989 • www.sungard.com/K-12 Please see our ad on page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Representing over 400 California school districts.

With over 30 years of uncompromising commitment, Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo is a leader in providing legal services to California school districts in the areas of:  Business and Facilities Services

 Special Education

 Governance

 Staff Development

 Labor and Employee Relations

 Student Services

 Litigation

 Technology

 Personnel Management

 Training

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Cerritos · Fresno · Irvine · Pleasanton · Riverside · Sacramento · San Diego www.aalrr.com

AD INDEX Absolute Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 American Fidelity Assurance Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 American Technologies, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 ASCIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 AXA Equitable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 California Financial Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 California Lottery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 California Solar Initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 California’s Valued Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 CalRTA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Christy White Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Civic Permits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Creative Bus Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Dannis Woliver Kelley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 De La Rosa Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 DecisionInsite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Eagle Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Edupoint Educational Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 GASB 45 Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Heartland School Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Keenan & Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Lozano Smith, LLP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Office DEPOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Piper Jaffray & Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Public Agency Retirement Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Regional Liability Excess Fund (ReLiEF) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 School Innovations & Achievement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 School Services of California, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Schools Excess Liability Fund (SELF) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Security Benefit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Sehi Computer Products, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Self Insured Schools of CA (SISC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Seville Construction Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Smartetools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Stone & Youngberg, A Division of Stifel Nicolaus . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Stutz Artiano Shinoff & Holtz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Sungard K-12 Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 The Cooperative Purchasing Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 The Horace Mann Companies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 U.S. Communities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 VALIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Vanir CM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Vavrinek, Trine, Day & Co LLP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Vicenti, Lloyd & Stutzman LLP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Virco Manufacturing Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover VS America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

sudoku 9 5 2 7 8 1 3 4 6

1 8 4 6 5 3 9 2 7

3 6 7 9 2 4 1 5 8

2 1 5 3 6 9 8 7 4

from page 51

7 9 8 2 4 5 6 3 1

6 4 3 1 7 8 2 9 5

4 3 1 5 9 6 7 8 2

8 7 9 4 1 2 5 6 3

5 2 6 8 3 7 4 1 9

Spring 2013 | 61

lastwords

60,000

know all the good that a simple smile can do.

Getting just one more hour of sleep each night might have a greater effect on happiness than a $60,000 raise.

~ Mother Teresa

Source: Psychologist Daniel Kahneman

We shall never

2,178

$

A study of 2,178 work units in 10 large companies found that engaged and satisfied workers led to greater revenue, sales and profits.

learning long ago that those who are happiest are those who do the most for others.

Source: Jim Harter, Gallup’s chief scientist of workplace management and well-being.

~ Booker T. Washington

Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.

I began

2%

Statistics on happiness show: Starbucks regulars are 2 percent happier than McDonald’s regulars; older people are 18 percent happier than young folk; if you live within a half-mile of a happy friend, you are 42 percent more likely to be happy, too.

Source: The Daily Beast

~ Abraham Lincoln

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

Send your favorites to kevins@casbo.org.

62 | California School Business

Anytime, anywhere access to your district’s finance & human resource information... ard

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...Stay connected.

1 in 6 students nationwide is being served by SunGard K-12 Education, visit sungard.com/K12 to find out why!

Š 2013 SunGard K-12 Education 866.905.8989

Spring 2013 | 63

Environments for sharing, for learning, for living

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

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

- equipment for educators

™

64 | California School Business

REF# 13018 Š2013 Virco Inc.