Managing the Message

Throughout our School Finance and Operations course, we have had the opportunity to work with the budgeting software used by administrators. It was eye-opening to see how many decisions are out of the administrator's control, and how varied are the voices asking for the money that remains.

In Abbotsford this year, many decisions regarding staffing were centralized as a result of last year's Supreme Court ruling regarding class size and composition. The number of education assistants, learning support teachers, English Language Learner teachers, and other non-enrolling positions were all decided at the district level. In some ways this centralization is limiting, as administrators who know their buildings well might feel they know best when it comes to meeting their students' needs. In other cases, administrators who feel conflicted about spending money on a new soccer field or putting that money toward a learning support teacher and education assistant can feel a measure of peace that that particular dilemma is out of their hands.

Ultimately, though, there are many decisions administrators must make, and stakeholders to whom they have to defend those decisions. What kind of buy-in they will get from those stakeholders - specifically the school staff, the school parents, and the district's budget office - depends entirely on how well the administrator is able to manage the message to each party.

Transparency is the key to managing the message, no matter the audience. The administrator has the power  - and the responsibility, I would argue - to create a culture of collegiality and support within the school. If all the staff and parents understand that every decision is made for the benefit of student success, then they can understand that while the science department is getting extra funds this year to outfit an improved lab, there is a big picture which encompasses the learning experience for all children. I feel it is the administrator's job to educate the staff and parents to realize that providing equal levels of funding for every department in the school - regardless of needs - is not an effective way to achieve Student Success through Optimized Resources (see my September 30th post on the Strategic Plan). This requires the administrator to intimately understand both the budget itself and the particular needs of the students in the school. Armed with this knowledge, the administrator can easily justify the spending to staff, by specifically explaining how students will be supported in the classroom through EA support; how programs will be enriched by increased tech support; and how hands-on learning and innovation will expand through teachers' professional development. Armed with this knowledge, the administrator can easily justify spending to the parents, by outlining how every child will benefit from the increased resources targeting vulnerable students; and how building a culture of acceptance and tolerance through increased training for staff will improve the mental health of everyone in the school. Finally, armed with this knowledge the administrator can easily justify spending to the district's budget office, by explaining in detail how decisions align with the district's Strategic Plan.

Budgeting, by its nature, is a guessing game. Administrators use the best information they have to make an educated guess as to how much resources will cost, which programs will be the most effective, and which initiatives will yield the best long term results. Careful research and an exploration of past decisions can alleviate some of the risk, but it happens that despite best intentions, the funds that are spent do not produce the wanted results. In that case, I feel that transparency is even more imperative! Admitting a mistake and working together to plan for the future is showing both humility and the desire for excellence. Administrators who are able to do this, to discuss budgeting needs openly with staff, parents, and the district office - showing flexible and creative thinking - are those who will have the support and trust of their school community.