School FInance Week 5 Assignment

Week 5 Part 1

Standard 1.5 –

A principal was offered tickets to an Astros game by a friend who was also a vendor.  When the community and Board heard that the principal accepted that firm’s contract, they became upset with the decision that was made from the Principal.  They felt that the Principal was persuaded to the vendor due to the tickets that were given because they were nice box seats.

Short Term Consequence – An investigation was launched , the Principal was reprimanded for the unethical behavior, and was reassigned to another position within the district.

Long Term Consequence – This Principal may never have the opportunity to obtain a principal position again.  They may only be able to be a classroom teacher.

Standard 1.3 –

A Cheerleading Sponsor submitted the same expense from both budget and activity accounts.  An investigation was launched and the teacher was questioned.

Consequence -  Short Term - When the CFO saw this, they launched an investigation and fired the teacher.

Consequence – Long Term – This may inhibit this teacher from getting another educational position anywhere else.

Standard 1.2 –

A principal had maintenance come to their home and make repairs using school funds.  An investigation was launched and the Principal was questioned by the District.

Consequence - The principal was fired.

Standard  2.6 –

An educator promised a teacher that they could move up in their position because they had a relationship with them. 

Short Term Consequence – An investigation was launched.  The educator was moved into another position within the district.

Long Term Consequence – This educator may never obtain a leadership position in their career.

Standard 2.2 –

A Principal made false statements and created rumors about an employee.  An investigation was launched.

Consequence – The Principal was reassigned and written up for their actions.

Week 5 Part 1 Reflection:

I really enjoyed learning about ethical decisions in leadership.  I believe that all districts have employees who may not make ethical decisions and there must be a consequence that results from their behavior.  Sometimes, as we have discussed in earlier classes, leaders have not addressed their concerns and behaviors tend to grow uncontrollably.  Seeing what types of issues I may face also helps me understand what to look for and what to expect as a future Superintendent.  As Dr. Arterbury stated, as a leader, we are raised to a higher standard of conduct.  I truly believe that each administrator is held to that level and we must rise above because if not, we let down our entire community. 

Ensuring that your staff displays ethical behavior is something many leaders strive to accomplish.  As Dr. Arterbury stated, professional and ethical behavior must be modeled on a daily basis. This is the number one thing that districts and leaders can do.  He also mentioned that professionals must support others when their weaknesses become apparent.  I agree with this statement because we must support our staff so they know they have your support. 

I also think that being able to hear real-life experiences and seeing how others have handled issues really gives me something to fall back on.  I know this is something I will face as a leader and already have to some degree.  It also reminds me of the lecture that stated that leaders must always take the high road because we must always show the ethical side of us as well as the professional side.

Week 5 Part 2 & 3 Reflection:

As I look back on the assignments I have completed during this class, I believe that I have learned many things regarding finance and being able to effectively run a district.  In previous weeks, we have had to estimate what the projected revenue of a district would be.  This assignment was very insightful for me because I was able to see how to use the data to determine the income.  Another topic that I enjoyed learning was the WADA and look at how school districts spent their funds.  It was interesting to look at larger districts and although they may show they have more funding, it is neat to look at where their money goes.  For example, a larger district may have more teachers, but that may be due to funding.  This position allows larger districts to provide intervention and other extras whereas smaller districts do not have enough funding for these types of positions.  For myself, I am in a smaller district and have been able to see how my district does not have all of the extra positions that other larger districts have.  One example that stands out is that districts may have one person for textbooks and another for grants.  Smaller districts may combine this position with another curriculum position instead of having three separate positions.  I have enjoyed learning about the financial end at the district level.

From talking with my current Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent, I have been able to understand how my district performs audits as well as hear some of their experiences with unethical behavior in their employees.  Being able to see discuss some examples of different behaviors has helped me understand and see a realm of ideas for solving issues at the campus and district levels.  One thing that I really understood was hearing how we needed to be professional at all times and always take the high road.  It is funny how sometimes we question ourselves about small things, but always seem to take the high road and find the solution that will fix all issues.  Hearing this again has made me realize that I possess some of these leadership qualities but did not look at it as an ethical issue, but one that must be done. 

All in all, I have learned how to manage a district financially.  In learning many of these skills, I have been able to see where my strengths and my competencies lie.  After completing this Finance class, I time management is essential to being successful as a leader.  Also, looking at budgetary needs and having the skills to manage a district budget financially is also something that Superintendents need to know.  Forecasting budgetary needs for the district is another area that leaders must understand.

Having a relationship with the Board of Directors is a must.  I have learned that communication is essential to a successful relationship with the Board of Directors.  My superintendent has made it clear that communication must occur on a daily basis in order to share pertinent information with board members.

This class has given me the background to see financially into a district and determine where the majority of the money is spent.  I have been able to understand how the budget works and see how different areas are funded within the budget.  In short, I feel that I have been able to expand my knowledge of the financial end of the spectrum.

Week 3 Assignments for School Finance

Week 3 Part 1

District 1 has the larger population of students in special programs. Disstrict 1 has the higher WADA. District 1 has 93.3% ECD and District 2 has 20.7% ECD.
TheTotal Refined ADA Adjusted for Decline - Dist 1 3,893.754 ADA Decline and Dist 2 is 4,032.937
The WADA for Dist 1 is 5555.815 and Dist. 2 is 4794.076.

Distrct 1 has a larger WADA but the Refined ADA for Decline was lower. This could result from the percentage of ECD students in the district.


Week 3 Part 2


Dist 1 5044.00 Dist 2 7206.00


X5555.815 x4794.076


Target Revenue 28,023,520.86 Target Revenue 34,546,111.66


HS Allotment 264,196.00 HS Allotment 312,260.00


Salary Allotment 134,334.00 Salary Allotment 129,563.00


Total Target Rev. 28,422,060.86 Total Target Rev. 34,987,934.66




Total Teachers, librarians, nurses and counselors in each district.
District 1 - 281


District 2 - 307


Week 3 Part 4


My School District is a small 3A school district, but we are financially sound. We have a refined ADA of 2890.00 and a WADA of 3747.096.We are not a property poor district, but we are a small district and we do not have a lot of fluff positions in this district.The M&O Compressed Rate is 8,175,978.The Regular Program Allotment is 14,719,398.The local DPV is 793,938,470.


My school district is small, but they are frugal because they watch what they spend and try very hard to ensure we are spending for necessity. This has resulted in my school district to be one that is not is bad shape due to the financial market. We receive the most money from State Program Revenues.This State Revenue is higher than the Local and Intermediate Sources.We receive some Federal Funding but the majority of the funds that we receive comes from State Programs and Local and Intermediate Sources.The other part of the revenue that we receive comes from local property tax revenue.


Week 3 Part 5

District 1 has more Compensatory Education money than District 1 -- 3,835,006 and Dist 2 -- 633,369. This is a large amount of difference however; District 2 has a significantly higher property value rate than District 1 which makes me think that District 2 would have more money available to make payments on existing debt.

Week 3 Part 6

Distict 1 has more Compensatory Education money than Dstrict 1 -- 3,835,006 and Dist 2 -- 633,369. This is a large amount of difference. There is a large impact on student learning from Compensatory Education because some districts are faced with a lower amount of money from taxes, but are able to see a significant difference from compensatory education because they may be able to qualify for additional money due to different organizations that the school may have.This helps fund different programs that the campus needs and helps give schools the opportunity to have the funds that other schools have, especially when they service students who are economically disadvantaged.

Week 3 Part 3 - Intent of WADA

The intent of the WADA is to help districts who do not receive as much money from local revenue.  From this, District 2 has a significantly larger amount of teachers than District 1.  This comes from the difference in the revenue brought into the district.  District 1 has a larger ECD percentage than District 2, so they have become to receive more funding to make up for the reduced amount of tax money. 

This increase in funding has helped with different programs for District 1.  They receive more funding for Special Education than District 2.  District 1 also receives more funding for Career and Technology, Compensatory Education, and Bilingual Education.  The difference between some of these programs is due to District 1 having a 100% Hispanic Population along with a 93.3% Economic Disadvantaged Population.  This is different for District 2 because they have a smaller Hispanic population which is why they may not need as much bilingual funding.  The number of students per teacher is about the same in both districts.  The Compensatory Education money is due to the high number of Economic Disadvantaged students that District 1 has.  This allows the district to have some of the same types of programs that other districts have.  The money for Career and Technology is larger for District 2 because they may need more students ready for work as they graduate.  Since this community has a high number of economic disadvantaged families, many students must go to work, so the Career and Technology program is a must for this school.  This program will prepare students for jobs when they graduate so they are ready to enter into society if they need to.

District 2 has more teachers than District 1, which is due to the funding that District 2 has.  This increase of funding is primarily due to the larger property values in District 2.  This means that they may be able to have more intervention teachers than District 1 which also will help raise student scores. 

Seeing the differences in both districts allows District 1 some of the same opportunities that students in District 2 have.  With public school funding, we are able to see how schools differ with programs since the difference is due to funding and total revenue for each district.  Since those amounts are different, each district may be equipped differently and may have different programs that each district may need rather than them being the same across the board. 

Equality, Equity and Adequacy

Define and provide two examples of each of these concepts in school finance:

Equality – Means that every student has the right to a free public education where all students have access to the same type of resources and programs.  All students should have an equal chance of getting the same type of education no matter where they live. 

Ex. Students from a poor district should have the same resources to understand the curriculum as students from a wealthy district.  If the wealthier district has a math intervention teacher, then the poorer district should also have a math intervention teacher.

Ex. Students from a poor district should have resources available like computer labs as wealthier districts.

Equity – means the system is fair and responds to the needs of individuals.  What this means is that the district should be able to help each student depending on their needs.  

Ex. Economic Disadvantaged Students should have tutoring and intervention help as needed.

Ex. Sub-groups have different needs.  For example, if a Hispanic sub-group needs extra help with math, then the district should provide the help they need.  The help should meet the needs of each group and it needs to be individualized according to the student needs.

Adequacy – means the school district receives financial support sufficient to meet state accreditation standards.

Ex. Teacher salaries should be sufficient to meet the state standards across the state.

Ex. Textbooks should be available to all districts regardless of their financial status.  All students should have access to textbooks.  

Reflection:

I have learned how equity, equality and adequacy all affect school finance.  Each of these words play a unique and vital part of ensuring schools is equal across the state.  Being adequate helps fund each district the same and allows them to meet state standards.  This has helped me understand how each district funds teacher salaries and textbook expenses.  With equity, districts must meet the needs of all individual students.  This part allows each sub-group to have clear and defined help for all sub-groups and students.  All students have a right to get extra help for all students, especially economic disadvantaged and students of less fortunate homes.  Giving equity allows students to have access to all available help as needed.  The last part is equality, which means all students have the right to a free education where they have access to the same types of resources and programs as other students.  This equality gives all students the same access as other students across the state.

I have learned many things about these definitions and it seems that I understand how they work individually.  By including these in our school finance section, we are able to reach all students in all areas of the population whether they are in districts that are wealthy or districts that are poor.  These definitions put things into perspective by allowing me to understand how the districts work in conjunction with the state.

Comparison of District Improvement Plans - Austin ISD to Huffman ISD

In reviewing Austin ISD’s District Improvement Plan and my district’s plan I see that there are some similarities and differences among them.  My district places curriculum alignment as one of its goals just like Austin ISD.  Alignment of the curriculum is a major part of improving the district.  It looked like Austin ISD displays their information for vertical teams across the district, maybe because they are a larger district than mine.  Our vertical alignment involves each subject area as well as curriculum coordinators.  These are similar to each other in the fact that we both are looking at aligning the curriculum vertically. Both plans look at school health and counseling services for all students.  My campus plan looks at PBS where Austin ISD’s looks at PBS, too.  Both plans also look at graduation rates and how they can be improved across the district.  There were many things about graduation rates and high school plans that were similar.  Both plans also discussed improving student test prep, credit recovery, and intervention help throughout the daily instructional time.  Both plans also discussed ways to improve the student drop-out rate and daily attendance rates.  Differences between how these are laid out are that Huffman ISD’s plans are broken down by goals, objectives, and activities that are there for improvement.  Austin ISD’s plan is broken down by activities that are documented throughout the year.  It does not break it down like my district’s plan.  The budget for AISD is extreme compared to Huffman’s budget, but I was amazed at the money they have in their budget compared to ours.  Austin ISD’s plan looks to be broken down into teams where each team focuses on certain topics.  My district’s plan is not broken down that way.  We list who may be of help, but not specific names and personnel required to be a part of the team.  I see parts of both plans being able to be tied together to create a unique and essential plan for my district.  In merging these two plans, I feel that one can be created to utilize district personnel to aide in the development of teams that can create an educational atmosphere where all students can learn and grow.

Important Issues that Impact School Funding

Three important things that impact State Funding are M&O rates, Property tax allotments, and weighted funding from attendance.

M & O rates, maintenance and operation rates, are important to school districts because it is derived from taxes and the state has set limits to it. Districts can try to raise this, but the state set a cap on the rate.

Property tax allotments are also important because they fund much of the educational system.  This is where districts seem to differ according to how much they bring in from property taxes as well as where the state can come in and assist if needed.  Some districts do not have as much in property taxes and this is where the state may assist to level the per student cap.

Weighted funding is important because it has many formulas that account to how much money each district gets.  It can be weighted according to attendance (WADA) and Tier I or Tier II funding for FSP.

The reasons I feel these are important to school funding is because all three work together to get funding for schools and the amount of funding is dependent on each of these things.

Reflection:

In looking at three issues impacting the state formula, I have begun to understand how each piece of the financial puzzle fits together.  I see how attendance, property taxes, and m & o rates affect how much money the school district actually receives.  I also can understand how some districts do not receive as much because they live in a poor area where taxes are not as high and property values are not equal.  The state trying to equalize and share funding has seemed to help, especially with the Robin Hood Plan.  Trying to give funds to less wealthy areas seems to be the right thing to help these districts afford many of the same resources that other districts have. 

I have learned many things that seem to help me understand how the state determines what they can use and how things must be shared across the state.  Some of these funds come from federal, state, and local taxes, too, which also give me some understanding of how the financial system works.

Important Events that Impact School Finance

The Glimmer-Aiken Act plays a vital part of the school system because it reduced the number of school districts, set a minimum number of school days and was able to raise teacher salaries.  This act changed the way public schools were funded because they used local tax money to fund public schools.  Their formula break-down was 80% funded by the state and 20% funded by local taxes.  This act was revolutionary because it was the first structured finance system in the State of Texas.  

The next part of school finance that I found intriguing was Edgewood vs. Kirby.  On May 23, 1984, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund filed a lawsuit against the Commissioner of Education, William Kirby.  This suit was filed due to discrimination against students in poor districts.  This lawsuit began with eight districts originally but sixty-seven other districts decided to join in on the suit. The main debate in this suit was over the inequality of local taxes across different school districts.  Some districts are very wealthy and others are not, which is where the inequality occurs.  One of the poorest districts, Edgewood ISD, had $38, 854 in property wealth per student and other districts had $570,109 in property wealth per student which was in Alamo Heights ISD.  This plan led to the next important part of school finance which was the Robin Hood Plan in 1993.      

The Robin Hood Plan in 1993 was another important and interesting plan in school finance.  This plan took funding from wealthier districts and gave it to districts that did not have as much revenue from taxes and such.  This plan was mean to level the funding across all districts and schools to make it equal.  This is a major turning point in school finance because many of the poorer schools were not able to have the computers, lower student/teacher ratios and extra resources available for improving education.  This plan capped the money per student so districts were more equal in funding.

I chose these three events because the caught my attention and made me realize the importance of creating fair and equal opportunities for all students.  If we think about students not having as much and living in poorer areas, there would not be as much money as other districts.  On the other hand, I can see the other side because if a person chooses to live in an area due to the school system, then if they are paying more to live there, they expect to have a better school for their children.  I can see both opinions on this case and see why these plans were put into place.  I think these events are critical in understanding how schools receive their funding and why.  

Reflection:
I have learned many different things about school finance during week 1 of School Finance.  From listening to the Professor’s lecture and researching these events, I have learned how each event plays a role in creating our educational system.  Posting three important events helped me understand how they played an important role in funding for schools and equality across different districts.  I can see how trying to level the funding across districts is fair, but also can hurt schools in wealthier districts because they have been accustomed to having an abundance of money and now they must reduce costs due to the reduction in their per student funding.  I chose the three events because they intrigued me and allowed me to understand the history of leveling the funding across districts and realizing how some of the poorer districts are able to fund some of their activities and resources due to the values in their property taxes and what they bring in.  This has made me realize that the state has tried to set funding on a basis to reach all students and create a learning environment for all students that is equal no matter where they live or how much they pay in taxes

Site Supervisor Conference

I have learned many things in conferencing with my supervisor.  We discussed in detail my internship plan and decided to change a section to include an interview that I completed.  I felt that she understood what my plan of action was and that since it was a living document, she also knows that it can change as things come up.  We also discussed in depth many ideas and areas that I need to improve in my experiences so I feel this will help me develop my plan of action more in detail. 

Action Research

     In creating this blog, I have learned many things about research.  There are many websites available that provide information about smart boards and how to use them in the classroom.  Interactive lessons and examples are available for teachers to use in their classes.  Accessing information via the web has allowed for instruction to be delivered in many different ways.  I have linked multiple websites that have lessons for many different things.  For example, I have lessons available for math, reading, and language arts.  There are varying styles and activities that can be used to keep students focused on learning.  Having these tools available, will also help educators find unique ways to motivate students.
     I would like to see educators utilize this blog to share their ideas and lessons to help others.  This page can give teachers another way to collaborate with each other and share ideas.  I would like to see multiple posts shown and lessons posted so they are available year after year.  I would like for this blog to be a spot where you can go and find interactive lessons for any topic you may need.  Also, you can tweak them or add to the lessons which will improve the quality of instruction over time.  Having smart board lessons available, will take the apprehensiveness of many teachers away because they are no longer creating each lesson, but they have a multitude of ideas at their fingertips to improve the instruction in their classrooms.

Smart Boards in the Classroom

Smart Boards are interactive white boards that allow students to manipulate objects, words or figures on the board. There are many games that can be created to give students that engaging part of learning. Possibilities are endless when it comes to using a smart board. I have posted many websites that share all sorts of lessons using whiteboards or other technology tools. Being able to exchange lessons and ideas can better enhance our student's understanding of the topics being taught.

Share Your Ideas With Others!!

Please share your lessons with others. Add a post and share a lesson! We would love to see how you incorporate technology into your classrooms!!

Integrating Technology into the Classroom

Are you struggling with integrating technology into the classroom? Well, there are many tools that can help you incorporate technology into your lessons. If you have a smart board, you can use the smart notebook software.