For 70 years, the Union City School District used a line-item budget system, a top down approach that was regarded by many as "deaf, dumb, and blind." This antiquated central administration process gave school leaders and staff little, if any, input into the distribution of resources for their schools, resulting in a redundancy of allocations,…

Explains application procedures for state first-year funding under Title III of the Goals 2000 Act and the requirements of a state's second-year application. Cites two resources for building successful community partnerships to improve schools, and lists federal requirements that may be waived if they impede the implementation of state or local…

Summarizes the status of teacher pension plans in Canada's 10 provinces and considers their current role in renewing and downsizing educational systems in some provinces. Discusses pensions' use as economic instruments for provincial and national development and questions assumptions underlying the rhetoric celebrating their contribution to the…

Today, Americans rank education as one of their top concerns. This article describes the implications of two main directions for educational improvement: (1) reinvesting in public schools to provide all children with equal access to quality education; or (2) divesting from public schools through vouchers for private and parochial institutions.…

Describes the efforts of Canadian provinces to create more effective, efficient, and diverse educational systems. Discusses the four principles of new delivery-system design, the ideal school district size, current trends in school governance, legal issues, and linguistic and religious educational rights. (Nine references) (LMI)

The Goals 2000 Act creates a framework for establishing high academic and skill standards. Offers ideas and suggestions for creating a community or school strategy to reach the National Education Goals. Lists key questions that require answers and ways that central office staff members can provide assistance to the local school site. (MLF)

A New York State school district opted to use total quality management techniques to improve the district's performance and gain public support. After defining four key measures and establishing standards of excellence for each, the district concerned itself with the first measure, proposing an affordable tax rate increase. The proposed budget was…

Most of the cost of providing special education is borne by states and local education agencies. Examines changes in federal legislation affecting special education, increase in the target population, and future considerations in funding programs for handicapped children. (MLF)

The real-life drama 25 years ago when Apollo 13 was rescued through a collaborative team of colleagues provides a model for changes in many public schools. In Texas, the state code specifies that site-based decision making address planning, budgeting, curriculum staffing patterns, staff development, and school organization. (MLF)

School business officials will need to lead the way for many of the changes that will take place in the nation's schools. Outlines some strategies to help defuse the tension and defensiveness and clear the way for meaningful change. (MLF)

According to Richard W. Riley, Secretary of Education, the federal government can be a partner to states and communities in improving education. Outlines the Goals 2000 plan to provide schools with greater flexibility in exchange for greater accountability for results. Federal priorities are to provide additional resources to high-poverty…

Shifting the budgetary decision-making authority to individual schools provides principals, teachers, and parents greater control over the allocation of resources. (MLF)

School officials often fail to recognize the capabilities of organized labor as both an impediment to reform schools and as a force to assist reform. Suggests that teacher unions and a bargaining environment can be incorporated into school reform. Offers some considerations for integrating unionism into reform. (14 references) (MLF)

The Goals 2000 Act focuses on local decisions to improve education. The challenge for school business administrators will be to meet the changes in the way schools and districts operate in the areas of linking social services, budgeting, and purchasing. Lists the eight goals of the act, along with the objectives for measuring achievement of each…

In England, vast amounts of energy are being spent on changing organizational structures and school financing systems to produce a market accountability on the schools. Raises a series of questions that should be considered in restructuring efforts in the United States. (MLF)