Comments on: Peek at five-year forecast underlines school budget worries http://www.cambridgeday.com/2010/01/05/peek-at-five-year-forecast-underlines-school-budget-worries/ News | Features | Commentary | Calendar Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:52:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Schools’ deficit shrinks, but so do ways to save | Cambridge Day http://www.cambridgeday.com/2010/01/05/peek-at-five-year-forecast-underlines-school-budget-worries/comment-page-1/#comment-991 Schools’ deficit shrinks, but so do ways to save | Cambridge Day Wed, 22 Dec 2010 21:54:34 +0000 http://www.cambridgeday.com/?p=2384#comment-991 [...] Spinner gave a similar presentation a year ago, looking at the current fiscal year, the gap between revenue and expenses was much bigger: $3.7 [...] [...] Spinner gave a similar presentation a year ago, looking at the current fiscal year, the gap between revenue and expenses was much bigger: $3.7 [...]

]]> By: Nancy Walser http://www.cambridgeday.com/2010/01/05/peek-at-five-year-forecast-underlines-school-budget-worries/comment-page-1/#comment-98 Nancy Walser Wed, 06 Jan 2010 22:00:26 +0000 http://www.cambridgeday.com/?p=2384#comment-98 re: Before Young’s appointment, superintendents prioritized on their own and presented budgets to the committee for approval or rejection. Not sure where this is coming from but it's not true. It is common practice--and best practice--for boards to work with superintendents on setting goals. This is their central job. It is the superintendent's job, as the professional educator, to propose a budget that aligns the resources with the goals, so the goals can be accomplished. Under Mass. law, the School Committee is supposed to "review and approve" the budget. The budget is supposed to reflect the goals as voted by the entire SC, not be a mish-mash of what individual members want. re: Before Young’s appointment, superintendents prioritized on their own and presented budgets to the committee for approval or rejection.

Not sure where this is coming from but it’s not true. It is common practice–and best practice–for boards to work with superintendents on setting goals. This is their central job. It is the superintendent’s job, as the professional educator, to propose a budget that aligns the resources with the goals, so the goals can be accomplished. Under Mass. law, the School Committee is supposed to “review and approve” the budget. The budget is supposed to reflect the goals as voted by the entire SC, not be a mish-mash of what individual members want.

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