Financial productivity: The next leg of the school reform movement
Circling back to the school finance conference I attended last week, here's what I think is the most important aspect of the meeting:
For the last 20-plus years the education reform movement has focused on the academic output of schools. The attention has resulted in numerous reforms, like a greater emphasis on math and science, getting more kids ready for college and ramping up the quality of teachers and principals.
The academic bottom-line focus is not going away, but the reform movement is now adding a new slant: financial accountability. The movement is looking at how schools can get the most bang for their bucks.