AISA Leadership Pre-Conference

Financing For LearningChip Barder, Facilitator

Financing For Learning

• Hoped for Outcomes• Understand Finance Better – Oversight• Alternative Tuition fee structures• Financial Strategic Planning• Sal and Ben negotiations• Accounts Receivables Mgmt• Align budget/financing with school goals• Dashboard metrics and benchmarks to indicate

financial health and sustainability

Financing For Learning

• Hoped for Outcomes• How to present financial information – tell the

story• What are the risks? Risk mgt?• Small schools – special strategies, help each

other

Financing For Learning

• Hoped for Outcomes• Challenge thinking, different perspectives• Percentages to what areas• Checks and balances for head• Strategies – view financing through the lens of learning• Communicating information to faculty – faculty

understanding• How does learning and finance come together• Supporting mission, vision and St plan in a challenged

financially environment

Financing For Learning

• Hoped for Outcomes

Financing For Learning

• Hoped for Outcomes

Financing For Learning

• Point of intersection and possible competing/conflicting viewpoints

• “Achieve the mission” and “Balance the Budget”

• “Maintain Quality” and “Control Costs”• “Be competitive” and……..• “Be competitive”

Financing For Learning

• Are for-profit/owned schools inherently bad?• Are NFP schools inherently good?

Financing For Learning

• Enter Jim Collins of GTG Fame• “Great By Choice”– Results and efficiency in delivering the mission– Makes a distinctive impact– Achieves lasting endurance

Financing For Learning

• Profit/NFP not an either/or proposition• Taking the conversation to a higher level• Current realities– Good/bad not necessarily re governance model– IRC research– Current trends

Financing For Learning

• Move away from the stereotypes• Embrace Accountability• Focus on the “big whales”• Concept of “materiality”• Where are we the most successful?• Where can we have the most impact on

learning?

Financing For Learning

• What are the “big whales” of a school budget?1. Enrollment2. Tuition/Fees3. FTE Costs

- Salaries- Benefits- Organizational Structure

4. Facilities5. Resources (incl Technology)6. Programs (Curricular, Co-Curricular)7. Missing any?

Financing for Learning

• Enrollment Management– Admissions Polices consistent with Mission• Diversity• EAL/Learning Support• Diversity• Class Size• Competition

– Are we the school of choice?– How do we know?– How do we make it so within our resources?

Financing For Learning

• Tuition/Fee Setting– Review Historical Data– Maintain Stability– No Surprises– Know your Market• Review/Share comparison data

– Invest in Marketing– “Value for fees” proposition

Financing For Learning

You will reach the “tuition cap” if:• You do not offer quality programs• You do not recognize that your parents are consumers• You do not form a bond with parents• You do not regularly inform parents about that quality• You do not tell parents how you differ from your competitors• You are not open with your parents about your finances• You do not seek parent advice and involvement• You cannot justify that everything you do benefits students and

parents• You do not market your school constantly

Financing For Learning

• FTE (the biggest whale)• Salaries and Benefits– Salary Benchmarking

–Offer as much as you can to take it off the table

Financing For Learning

• Breakout Questions:

–Who are you competing with for teachers?–At what level can you compete?

Financing For Learning

–Additional opportunities for salary• Leadership for Learning positions (HoD,

TLs, etc)• Extra class• Reduce the load or offer a stipend• Co-curricular programs

Financing For Learning

• Benefits– Housing– Utilities– Flights– Health Insurance– Shipping– Relocation allowance– Retirement

Financing For Learning

• Organagram“Not who does what but who decides what”

Direct reports for Head of School?

7

Supervisees for Principals?

20-25

Financing For Learning

• Professional Development– Values Proposition– Practicalities of funding

• Different “Pots”– IB– Personal PD– Program Improvement

• Do you have to send people out?

– Follow – up• Report backs• Accountability• Tied to growth goals

Financing For Learning

• Facilities– 3rd teacher ideas – don’t underestimate the

potential to impact learning– Shared classrooms – advantage of having faculty

grouped in the same work space when not teaching

– Don’t underestimate the power of this in a competitive situation

– It gets them in the door– Playgrounds, etc.

Financing For Learning

• Breakout Question

What are other facilities issues for your school in terms of financing?– - Financing Facilities• New buildings• Major Renovations/Upgrades• Maintenance

Financing For Learning

• Resources– Zero-based budgeting vs. percentage increase

each year– Per student allocations– Cost centers– Technology

Financing For Learning

• Breakout Question:

What are the issues for your school around resource allocation and budgeting?

Financing For Learning

• Resources – Technology

Breakout Question:

What are your schools issues around Technology and budgeting?

Financing For Learning

• Programs/Partnerships – Curricular– IB– AP– IPC– IGCSE– CGC– Common Core– Other?

Financing For Learning

• Breakout Question

What are any issues your school has around program cost, adoption, continuation?

Financing For Learning

• Resources – Co-Curricular

Breakout Questions:- How does your school determine the scope of the

program? - How much is the school responsible for?- What is available in your community?- Week Without Walls Trips- Travel begins at what age/grade level- What is the learning impact? (value for energy/money)

Financing For Learning

• Potpourri of Other Topics– Alternative Revenue Streams

• Don’t forget Core Business

– Substitute Teachers– Host country staff

• Sub-contractors vs. school employees– Pros and cons

• Cost benefits & trade-offs of localizing a position• Be wary of the “TA is just as good” syndrome even with substitutes• Develop loyalty

– Child protection– Investment in the long-term viability of the school

Financing For Learning

• Potpourri continued…….– Brainstorm low cost, high impact benefits

– Employ local person to do business type errands during the school day

– Massage person/chair in faculty lounges– Organize social events– Portal/website with what is happening in the city– Free lunch each school day for faculty– Child care before and after school for faculty parents

– Risk Management– Advancement

• Fundraising/Marketing/Branding/Website

Financing For Learning

• Anything else?

Financing For Learning