As we better understand the long-term impact of
COVID on our students, ASBO can develop legislative priorities to address those concerns as they arise. ASBO has developed a strong advocacy voice on “The Hill.” Since we may not fully understand the long-term impact of COVID on our students, ASBO should keep a close eye on this with a voice to address these things with leg- islators as needs arise.
Question 2: What needs do school business officials have now, and what skills will they need in the next 5–10 years that ASBO International should focus on? SBOs can no longer view their role solely as the gate- keeper of the district finances. Throughout COVID, we have learned how to be problem solvers and work collab- oratively with every level in our districts. I hope that this collaboration becomes the norm in our school districts. With that in mind, I believe there are several skills that SBOs will need to develop in the next 5-10 years. First, SBOs will need to continue developing their leadership skills to be valued members of their executive team. As equity in education continues to be a focus, SBOs will need to be skilled in navigating conversations about the impact of diversity, equity, and inclusion in our class- rooms. As we come out of COVID, we need to learn how to support the social-emotional needs of our students and staff. Lastly, SBOs will need to develop systems that correlate student outcomes to district resources to find creative ways to sustain programs with the most signifi- cant benefit to our students. To support developing these skills, ASBO should con- tinue providing high-quality leadership training through the Executive Leadership Forum and Eagle Institute. ASBO should provide professional development to assist SBOs in understanding and addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion barriers in our schools. ASBO will need to showcase best practices on how SBOs can develop structures to support student and staff social-emotional needs. Lastly, ASBO should provide training for SBOs on how to evaluate program outcomes, navigate chal- lenging conversations, establish a diverse workforce, and transition into an active voice at the leadership table. No longer can we manage district resources; we need to help participate in the conversations to help create model school districts.
Because of the diversity of the skills that will be required, ASBO could leverage its learning management system (LMS). One option would be to create micro- learning courses where members can get on-demand training in these areas in bite-sized chunks. ASBO should leverage the expertise of its members, strategic partners, and existing programming to develop the appropriate professional development content. The learning options available in the LMS make it a great platform to estab- lish on-demand professional development to develop skills required for SBOs in the next 5–10 years.
asbointl.org
Question 3: To continue to meet the needs of all our members, what can ASBO International do to encour- age racial diversity on the board, on committees, in our membership, and our cadre of professional development presenters?
ASBO could encourage racial diversity on all levels through its policies, leadership pipeline, and profes- sional development. I have had the fortune to serve on the Illinois ASBO Equity Committee. Many of the ideas listed below are a culmination of the work completed by that committee. ASBO’s strategic plan states its core value is to “embrace and respect diversity in all ways” and has an objective of “enhancing the diversity of its members.” These statements are a significant first step, but it will be essential to develop specific action items to encour- age diversity in its members. An easy step in this area could be to create an at-large board position for people of color. This position could be similar to our at-large AEDG and international representatives board positions. This person could be a voice and provide a perspective to ensure diversity in the ASBO membership. It is also essential to understand barriers for members of color to participate in the ASBO leadership pipeline. Perhaps ASBO could develop a survey to understand what those barriers may be for any member, including members of color. ASBO could use this data to create action steps to address identified obstacles. ASBO could also work with its affiliates and all members to identify and encourage upcoming leaders of color to get involved at ASBO. If funding is a barrier, ASBO could explore providing membership grants to address this barrier. ASBO could continue to feature diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) keynote speakers at its Annual Conference and Exhibition. From a professional devel- opment perspective, it could expand the Education Committee to include a DEI subcommittee responsible for creating learning opportunities in this area. The DEI subcommittee could work with ASBO staff to develop a webpage focused on DEI resources to share with mem- bers and showcase ASBO’s commitment to this work. These types of “actionable” ideas are needed to put a real emphasis on our desire to “embrace and respect diversity in all ways.”
John Hutchison, CPA, MBA, SFO Deputy Superintendent, Business Operations Olathe Unified School District 233 Olathe, Kansas
John Hutchison is deputy superin- tendent of business and operations for Olathe Public Schools in Olathe,
Kansas, just southwest of Kansas City, where he has worked for the past 14 years. Previously he served as a school business official in Missouri for 17 years.
SCHOOL BUSINESS AFFAIRS | JULY/AUGUST 2021 31
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