Operations and Finance: Keeping a Pulse on the Backbone of your Organization

Abstract

The school leader of today needs to be a passionate individual with the ability to stay focused on multiple areas to ensure the students achieve in their learning community. Leaders with a skill set that includes successfully understanding and managing the operations and finance of the program is critical in a time of increased pressure on schools to accomplish more with limited revenues and resources.

Great school leaders understand and embrace the elements of Educational Leadership Policy Standards (2008) while regularly engaging in the areas of operations and finance to keep a pulse on the backbone of the organization. Understanding the “business side” of operating a school is key for a leader to balance academic outcomes for students, while managing the business of education within their organization.

Leaders with a willingness to grow can harness their educational backgrounds and connect key elements of business fundamentals to achieve the balancing act necessary for success that benefits students, parents, and the school community.

Citation

Curry, C. (2013), "Operations and Finance: Keeping a Pulse on the Backbone of your Organization", Hughes, K.B. and Silva, S.A.M. (Ed.) Identifying Leaders for Urban Charter, Autonomous and Independent Schools: Above and Beyond the Standards (Advances in Educational Administration, Vol. 18), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 77-92. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-3660(2013)0000018010