Challenges Ahead: The Future of Schools and the Role of the School Business Manager

1
Challenges AheadThe Future of Schools and the
Role of the School Business Manager
Daniel Moberly Ray Moorcroft
2

• U.K. Challenges
• Role accepted by Leadership Team
• Full Leadership Team member Leadership Team
  inclusive and supportive.
• Able to give a differing perspective to problems
  and contribute and suggest solutions
• Able to take the Chair of Committee position of
  some Governors meetings, freeing up the Head
  Teachers time
• Represent the Head Teacher at meetings

• U.S. Challenges
• Politics
• Community use of facilities (hub). Community
  involvement
• Get everyone involved in understanding that the
  kids are out there
• Large districts VS small districts
• Staying in touch with appropriate stake holders

3

• U.K. Challenges
• Free up the head teacher to be visionary
• SBM be less operational and lead in the visions
  for the school
• Deliver the realities and practicalities of the
  visions for the school by carrying out research,
  writing reports, bid writing, liaison etc
• Communicate initiatives to support staff,
  teaching staff, governors and other relevant
  stakeholders
• Assist managing change throughout the school by
  managing and leading support staff

• U.S. Challenges
• Bogged down in minutia not lead
• Delegating
• Liaisons with other education association
  agencies
• Proper amount of local/public input
• Leadership turnover

4

• U.S. Challenges
• Evolution, Credentials, Succession planning,
  Shared services
• Center on teaching and learning

• U.K. Challenges - Operational
• Financial Management
• Premises Management
• Project Management
• Sustainability Developments
• EVC
• Extended Schools
• Management of tiers of staff
• Performance Management
• Change Management

5
What a shame youve done all this hard work for
nothing Primary School, Deputy Headteacher
6

• U.S. Challenges
• 50 States-different organizations, structures,
  statutes
• Find ways to say yes-service orientation. Is
  there another way to improve the teaching and
  learning
• Customer service orientation
• What is a Manager, what is a Leader
• Business Managers involved with education
  matters

• U.K. Challenges -Strategic
• Freedom
• Recognition
• Support
• Development
• SLT
• DSBM

7
There is nothing like returning to a place
that remains unchanged to find the ways in which
you have altered. Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to
Freedom
8

• U.S. Barriers
• Business Manager as part of the education
  leadership team
• Politics
• Stake holders not involved (internal external)
• Size of district
• Anti-tax groups
• Local authority

• U.K. Barriers
• Tendency by staff to assume the role is
  operational and not managerial
• Role not fully accepted by all staff in
  particular some Heads of Department
• Have to be assertive and fight for recognition
  of the leadership role
• Attitude weve got a degree and trained to get
  to our position she hasnt

9

• U.K. Barriers
• Acceptance of the role of SBM
• Revisit the support staff structure
• Facilities problems
• Head teacher
• Teaching Staff
• Local Authority

• U.S. Barriers

10

• U.K. Barriers
• Why does a school need a Business Manager?
• Thats a Teachers job!
• Caretaker
• Time
• Payment ceilingor gradesor a business model?

• U.S. Barriers

11
Conclusion
Excellence can be attained if you Care more
than others think is wise, Risk more than others
think is safe, Dream more than others think is
practical and Expect more than others think is
possible. Anonymous