BASA AdminiScope, May 2020

provided exemplary leadership in unprecedented times. Your positive leadership has had a positive impact on your students and their families. You have provided direction and stability of which we will never be able to measure the impact. I am extremely proud of Ohio’s superintendents. You have been an example of vision, sharing, and com- mitment to students and staff. You have quietly gone about your business without fanfare in very challeng- ing times. Thank you for your efforts. Thank you for being there for your students and communities. Thank you for your integrity, your consistent efforts to do what is right. I am proud to be associated with you and gratified to know that BASA members led the way. Someday we will all reflect upon this experience and have the satisfaction of knowing your leadership made a dif- ference.

The Emerging Fiscal Crisis for Schools and How to Communicate It Months ago, no one could have predicted that schools would all know and be dealing 24/7 with something called COVID-19. But here we are, all navigating these new waters together. Coming to the here and now for schools, however, is the financial conversation with their communities. Amid everything you are working on, make sure that you start putting this into the forefront of your work and planning. But what does it mean that “schools must have a financial conversation with their community?” It means so many things. Before that, however, let’s recall what the last fiscal crisis was like for schools: The Great Reces - sion of 2008. A Quick Case Study on 2008 The 2008 recession largely hit the real estate and job market. The effect on schools lasted years. While school budgets are always tight, in the years following 2008, this was especially the case. • Statewide, schools saw some of the lowest levy passage rates in recent memory (even on renewal issues). • Austerity was the key buzzword as schools made budget reductions and cuts. • Contracts were often settled with zero or near zero increases to base/steps and to other areas. What to Expect Now? Get talking and show your work. Fast forward to today, the wake of the COVID-19 crisis will likely mean schools will take continued and big financial hits, both on the revenue and expenditure side of the ledger. While schools are bracing for the financial impact, they also need to brace for communicating it. Specifically, this means that schools must put the financial conversation in the forefront of their communication with the public and now. Here’s an overview of how to do it: • Schedule it: Develop a calendar and establish a constant drumbeat where you are constantly up- dating your community. • Message it: Stick to what you know and key facts about it. • Broadcast it: Have the conversation across many mediums with examples including Facebook Live and articles in your newsletter and guest editorials in the newspaper. • Plan it: Show your plan to reflect the new austerity; Name your plan/process and give it a theme so people recognize it (ie: Taxpayer Bill of Rights). Financial times will only get much tougher from schools. And the impact will be felt more immediately than it was in 2008. Use the lessons from post-2008 but realize that this time around, the financial impact will be more severe and that your community expects, demands and deserves to know how you are impacted.

President’s Message By Mark Neal

It is a time like no other for Ohio school leaders. Twenty years of regulations and require - ments were removed in one piece of legislation and we now find ourselves in all new terri - tory. For many veterans, this situation harkens back to old times when local school boards were calling the shots and ODE was little more than a regulatory institution.

For the newest generation of school superintendents, this is completely new territory. COVID-19 undoubtedly will change the face of public education from this point forward. One issue that became apparent immediately was the need to return decision making powers back to local districts. OTES, state testing, “Third Grade Guar - antee”, minimum hour requirements, and most of all the State Report Card became obsolete virtually overnight. Local school boards and district leadership had to scramble in most cases to find work-arounds to these obsta - cles in order to utilize more innovative ways to educate our students. The good news is… that is exactly what happened. I honestly believe that this crisis has provided a venue for the thousands of incredible teachers in Ohio’s public schools to showcase their talents and abilities. The numerous examples of teachers and administrators that went above and beyond all expectations to meet the needs of their students speaks volumes about local deci- sion making. As we plan for the upcoming school year and society begins to remove itself from isolation, there is no certainty as to exactly what the next school year might look like. Superintendents are now in the position of trying to plan for the unknown. Budget cuts have already begun and more are looming on the horizon. This is a time when great leadership is more important than ever. So in my last AdminiScope article as BASA President, I asked that you consider this quote from the namesake of my favorite Brittany Spaniel. “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what needs to be done and they will surprise you with their inge- nuity.” - General George S. Patton, U.S. Army

Authored by Carole Dorn-Bell, partner with Allerton Hill Consulting

Allerton Hill Consulting (AHC) is the nation’s largest communication firm that specializes in public school communication. The cornerstone to our work is helping districts to conduct the financial conversation with their community.

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