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2008 School Finance Conference

Revenue LimitsCategorical Aid

Collective BargainingPlanning & Making Successful

Presentations to School Districts

Presented by:Thomas G. Duffy

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Revenue Limits - History

• SB 90 (1972)

• Legislative Response to Serrano v Priest

• Direction of Courts: Equalize Spending

• By 2000 97% of districts were within $350 (Serrano Band/Revenue Limits)

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General Fund Budget• Per Pupil Revenue• Combination of Local Property Tax and State

Subventions (financial aid)• Of Each Unit of Income 85 – 90 +% pays for

Salaries & Benefits for certificated and classified employees

• In 2004-05 Average Revenue Limit was $4,881• 2007 School District General Fund Revenue

Sources (on average)– Local Property Taxes 25%– State Subventions/Categorical Aid 62%– Federal Aid 11%– Lottery 2%

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Categorical Aid: Special Dollars for Special Purposes

• Generally, categorical aid is meant to provide services for students with special needs, to improve instruction and curriculum, or to support social and health programs.

• Some categorical funds are distributed to schools and school districts based on the number of students eligible for a program or the total number of students.

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Categorical Aid – Cont.

• Others are grant programs, some of which go to local schools automatically and some for which they must qualify.

• Still others reimburse districts for specific costs, such as home-to-school transportation.

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Categorical Aid – Cont.

Examples:

• Title 1 Federal Aid for disadvantaged pupils

• Gifted and Talented Education (GATE)

• Home-to-School Transportation (this service is discretionary for all pupils except those in Special Education)

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Collective Bargaining

History

Winton Act – “Meet and Confer”

Rodda Act SB 160, 1976-77

Collective Bargaining for Teachers, Classified Employees and some Administrators

Two-Year Implementation

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Collective Bargaining – Cont.

Required Subjects of Bargaining

• Wages

• Benefits

• Hours

• Working Conditions

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Collective Bargaining – Cont.

• Evaluations

• Grievance Procedures

• Other “creatures” of the Contract may be negotiated between parties but are not required by law such as Agency Fee (association dues)

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Collective Bargaining – Cont.

Management Rights – Not Bargainable

Subjects set-aside by law such as dismissal of probationary and permanent employees

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Collective Bargaining – Cont.

Components of an Average Teachers’ ContractCompensation: Cost-of-Living Adjustment, salary schedule, stipend for specific duties (lead teacher, department chair, coach), minimum teacher salaries, expenses, travel reimbursement, tuition reimbursement, mentor teacherBenefits: health, dental and vision, and retiree benefits

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Collective Bargaining – Cont.

Hours: length of work day, work year, school year calendar including holidays and breaks, preparation periods, lunch period

Leaves: bereavement, pregnancy, sabbatical, personal time off and personal necessity, family necessity

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Collective Bargaining – Cont.

Retirement: early retirement, retiree health, dental and vision benefits

Nondiscrimination

Job assignment: assignment, promotion, transfer, reassignment

Class size and caseloads: pupils per teacher, students per counselor, number of teaching periods, instructional aides

Safety Conditions

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Collective Bargaining – Cont.

Evaluation: procedures and remediation

Grievance: procedures, appeal process, mediation, arbitration

Discipline: procedures and criteria

Layoff and Reemployment

Contract duration and reopeners

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Collective Bargaining – Cont.

• Impasse & Mediation– Assignment of state mediator

• Fact-Finding Process– Appointment of fact-finding panel

• Complete review of districts financial condition

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Sources Utilized in Preparing this Presentation:

– California Department of Education– California Department of Finance– Ed Source– Public Employee Retirement Board

(PERB)

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Making Successful Presentations to School Districts

A presentation consists of four fundamentals:– The target audience– The presenter(s)– The message– The means of conveying the message

Write the presentation for the specific audience you intend to address.

Prepare the presentation after researching the needs of your intended audience.

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Making Presentations – Cont.

Present first and in the main through your most confident, sincere and relaxed presenter. If the primary service provider is your worst presenter include them in the presentation team; however, build the rest of the presentation as a buttress.

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Making Presentations – Cont.

The message should be presented clearly, consistently and often.

The means of conveying your message should be verbal with the immediate use of printed key words and appropriate visual images.

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Making Presentations – Cont.

The central purpose of any presentation is communication. To communicate effectively, state your facts in a simple, concise and interesting manner.

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Making Presentations – Cont.

It is proven that people learn more readily and retain more information when auditory learning is reinforced by visual cues. Most people are visual learners with the auditory channel of learning being secondary.

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Making Presentations – Cont.

Presentations which might normally be considered to be perfunctory can be made interesting to the audience through research, planning, tailoring and the appropriate use of visual aids.  

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Making Presentations – Cont.

The goal is to be successful in maximizing the audience retention of the subject. Simple, clear, concise visual images, and animated with graphics will lend support to your spoken words. This leaves your audience with a positive attitude toward the presenter and the product, service or proposal being offered.

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Making Presentations – Cont.

Visuals in business should be used in support of the spoken or written word, and not in lieu of it. A well-developed concept and effective script are the essential elements of any presentation. Know what you want them to learn (concept) and write it down (script, charts and graphics).

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Making Presentations – Cont.

Concepts that are difficult to grasp can be communicated quickly and easily through the intelligent use of carefully prepared visuals. This allows communication of more complex subjects in an efficient manner. 

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Making Presentations – Cont.

In the main the presentation should be light and entertaining rather than overly serious.

The ability to present a subject with confidence directly affects your audience's impressions and will help keep their attention. Practice the presentation before a team of peers in the office, ask for feedback and practice again.

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Making Presentations – Cont.

Leave the audience feeling relaxed rather than “sold to” when you end and that impression will carry on when you are gone.

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Making Presentations – Cont.

A reasonable amount of research into the district and if possible the makeup of the interview panel will offer benefits on presentation day.

Avoid the “boiler plate” presentation. Tailor the message to fit the district and the need as you have discovered by way of your research.