For the first time in history, four distinct generations are sharing the same workspace. Veterans, Baby Boomers, Gen-Xers, and Generation Y (the Millennials) are all bringing very different life experiences, expectations, and value systems to the work table. How do leaders bridge the gap among these generations and provide common ground on which…

Since July 2007, members of the Association of School Business Officials of Maryland and the District of Columbia have been able to shop for school and curriculum-related supplies through the ASBO MD/DC Web-based shopping platform. This shopping platform comprises 35 catalogs with more than 450,000 line items offered by 225 vendors. ASBO MD/DC's…

It is impossible to ignore how technology is infiltrating education. Interactive projectors and other technologies give teachers and students the opportunity to bring lessons to life. Some districts are replacing textbooks with digital content, allowing students to interact with content in new ways. Galion City School District in Galion, Ohio, is…

For years, people have been taught that maintaining liquidity of assets, particularly at retirement, is beneficial. One's liquidity, that is, monies he/she controls and has ready access to for discretionary withdrawals, translates into uncertainty to the company holding those assets because they can be withdrawn at any time. If one can increase a…

An Educational Risk Management Plan (ERMP) should be incorporated throughout every school district. Discusses property and liability insurance classifications and features of a good ERMP. (12 references) (MLF)

President Obama has announced the availability of more than $4 billion in discretionary funds to reform the nation's K-12 education system. These funds are part of what Secretary of Education Arne Duncan calls the "Race to the Top" and are part of the economic stimulus legislation enacted shortly after the president took office in…

For public school districts, risk financing is the financial outlay associated with litigation, such as settlements, verdicts, and the cost of legal defense. Even when districts purchase insurance to finance risk, a viable risk transfer program can still benefit districts in different ways: (1) Liability policies are generally experience-rated;…

In 1990, Congress enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act as a comprehensive mandate to eliminate discrimination against individuals with disabilities. The ADA's primary intent was to extend the protection of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The major difference between the two laws is that Section 504 applies to programs that…

A clearinghouse specializing in providing tax-sheltered annuity services for school employees eliminates any question of school district liability for investment performance. (MLF)

Attempts to eliminate confusion in acquiring FAX machines for the average school business official. Discusses organizational needs and requirements for speed, copy quality, telephone line conditions, paper type and size, and machine care and life expectancy. (MLH)

The development of a retirement incentive plan saves jobs and money. Older and more expensive staff members gain financial benefits, and school districts eliminate positions without laying off staff. Lists 10 steps effective in instituting an early retirement incentive plan. (MLF)

Changing the National School Lunch Program to eliminate funding to the full-price meal would affect the entire program, leading to a drastic increase in the price of these meals, a decrease in program participants, and a loss of the health emphasis of the program. (MLF)

Five major sources of construction disputes between architects and school clients are (1) errors, defects, or omissions in the contract documents; (2) cost-related problems; (3) changed conditions; (4) consumer reaction; and (5) interpersonal relationships. A clear understanding of each party's role is necessary to eliminate these conflicts. (MLF)

An Arizona high school district chose to stop the National School Lunch Program in order to eliminate the unpopular components of the required meal pattern. Menu selections were narrowed down to the most requested items; nutritious food was offered at low prices; and fewer students left the campus at lunchtime. (MLF)

Schools cannot eliminate all risks but can manage them so they minimally affect the "bottom line." A sound risk-management program has four categories: risk avoidance, control, transfer, and retention. Schools retain some risk in situations when insurance is unavailable, costs are negligible, or loss probabilities are remote. (MLH)