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JULY 2014   
SEEING THE BIG PICTURE

"Bean counter." "Number cruncher." "The green visor." "Dr. No." In these challenging times, many CFOs are pushing past these stereotypical accountant labels to become "strategic CFOs." In June, ERS released "The New Education CFO: From Scorekeeper to Strategic Leader" with the Center for American Progress. The paper offers new data on how education CFOs see their role, as well as a vision for how districts can take advantage of the "whole strategic brain"--both academic and financial perspectives--to get the best results for students.

We have also updated our Resource Check tool, making it easier for strategic CFOs and other leaders to assess their district's resource use, and we share new research pulled from our data.

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The CFO can be chief accountant and bring analytic expertise to high-level strategic decisions. He or she can provide leadership teams with actionable data, highlight trade-offs, and advocate for sustainability. In our report, we find: 

  • A majority of CFOs surveyed see their role as "strategic partner"
  • But only about half feel their peers see them as such
  • Only about 25% are currently involved in decisions about instructional resources
  • Induction programs, professional networks, and different financial reporting and funding rules can help CFOs achieve this role
 
A Tool for the New Education CFO:
Resource Check for Groups

Over 2,000 people have used our online tool Resource Check to assess their district's resource use against best practice. 

  

Now, leaders can use it easily to "take the pulse" of their entire leadership team, a school board, or other group. The tool highlights where different leaders think a district excels or struggles, and it sparks new discussions about what works for students.

Find out more �

  

Education researcher Rebecca Wolf used ERS data from a large urban district to study how schools spend money differentially on individual students. She found that money often flows in unexpected ways. We encourage other researchers to partner with us around our data.
Boston Public Schools is hiring teachers earlier in the year, and changing the game on teacher recruitment.
 
 

In ERS' monthly book club, we read

Hope Against Hope, which explores education reform in post-Katrina New Orleans. Author Sarah Carr shared with us some insights from writing the book.

Read the blog �


 
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EXPLORE OUR TOOLS:
School System 20/20 Vision See the possibilities �
School Budget Hold'em Explore budget trade-offs �
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Education Resource Strategies (ERS) is a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming how urban school systems organize resources--people, time, and money--so that every school succeeds for every student.

Education Resource Strategies
480 Pleasant St., Suite C-200, Watertown, MA 02472  T: 617.607.8000