The Superintendent and the CFO: Building an Effective Team

by Brian L. Benzel, Kenneth E. Hoover

Overview

Building a strong relationship with the CFO is essential for superintendents seeking to build sustainable educational programs for all students. Benzel and Hoover use their CFO and superintendent experience to identify what current and future leaders in both roles need to know and be able to do with respect to fiscal leadership and improved student learning. This book emphasizes that a focus on student achievement must be central to fiscal planning. The authors discuss the role values play in forming the leadership team, how to create a climate for success through collaborative strategies and ways to build systems strength to cope with uncertainty in fiscal planning. Using this leadership base, they outline the key management elements that must be in place to assure sound fiscal practices that monitor fiscal status and manage cash flow to mitigate uncertainty. Benchmarks for organizational success enhance communication with governing boards, internal audiences and taxpayers. This second edition adds perspective about detecting and address fraud or embezzlement and shares leadership perspective on capital facility planning and management. This book provides leaders with an outline of what do during every quarter of the fiscal year to exercise effective fiscal and educational leadership.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781475847543
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	05/15/2021
Edition description:	Second Edition
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	6.04(w) x 8.61(h) x 0.56(d)

About the Author

Brian L. Benzel served three districts as superintendent in Washington State for 19 years and served over as a state financial official, a school district finance officer and a university CFO. He was Washington State’s Superintendent of the Year in and a finalist for National Superintendent of the Year (1993).

Kenneth E. Hoover began his career in the Washington State Governor’s budget office and then served as the CFO and senior financial official for school districts in Washington State and Colorado. He has served as a school superintendent in Washington State for 9 years.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Helene Paroff

Washington Association of School Administrators

Dr. Steven Fink

Center for Educational Leadership

University of Washington

Preface

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Part I: LEADING THE BUSINESS OF LEARNING

1. Student Achievement is Paramount
2. Values Outperform Skills
3. Create the Climate
4. Collaborate for Success
5. Build Systems Strength

Part II: MANAGING THE BUSINESS OF LEARNING

1. Manage Uncertainty
2. Know Your Status
3. Cash is King
4. Benchmark for Improvement
5. Consistent Communication
6. Building the Buildings
7. How to Detect and Prevent Fraud and Embezzlement

Part III: BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER

1. Knowing What to Do and When to Do It

Bibliography

Glossary of Fiscal Terms

Index

About the Authors

Editorial Reviews

A budget is a moral document that truly states the core values of a school system and broader community.  The work between the superintendent and CFO is critical in ensuring a school system is meeting the needs of ALL students. This book details how to strengthen the relationship and build a shared vision.

Gustavo Balderas

The relationship between the superintendent and the CFO is the north star that positively impacts outcomes for the students they serve.  Benzel and Hoover’s book powerfully examines this critical partnership and offers valuable guidance to these district leaders as they navigate both the technical and adaptive challenges in their roles.

Stephen Zrike

Trust is key to every relationship, and superintendents and CF's are no exception. Benzel and Hoover lay the groundwork for achieving trust and deliver crucial lessons in how to turn that trust into the foundation for successful school systems that support student learning and achievement.

Susan Enfield

Benzel and Hoover provide an essential, practical handbook to district leadership that focuses on using limited resources to improve outcomes for all students. The lessons and vignettes on strategic planning, aligning resources, and monitoring bring to life the challenges and the systems that can be built to support achieving these goals.

Greg Baker

This book by two experienced and brilliant school finance and superintendent practitioners is a must read for every school district superintendent and their finance chief. And it should probably be required reading in every education graduate school in Washington and around the country.

Ronn Robinson

The Superintendent and CFO is a must read for school district leadership teams. While written to inform the Superintendent and the CFO of best practices for strategically leading a school district, the emphasis on creating a team of leaders with a shared vision for the hopes, dreams and aspirations makes this a compelling read for the entire leadership team. Kudos to Brian and Ken for sharing their well earned wisdom!

Dr. Jack Dale

Recognizing that sound fiscal policy and communication is essential for superintendents who seek to set sustainable educational programs, Brian L. Benziel and Kenneth E. Hoover examine the processes of fostering a successful management team. The book offers advice on identifying and setting values, directing the business of learning, and creating a climate for continued success. The authors also explain how to establish sound fiscal practices to manage cash flow and mitigate uncertainty, and provide a detailed outline for developing an annual budget.

District Administration

This book is a remarkable tool for collaboration toward district effectiveness, whether the superintendent or finance director is new to their role, or if they are joining to create a new team.

Matt Handelman