Budgeting for Educational Equity

This episode we’re bringing attention to an important but still under-examined subject: the need for  schools and school systems to better attend to the intersection of language and disability for young multilingual learners.  Focusing on multilingualism and disability offers insight into a larger and more persistent question we’ve dug into throughout this series—that is, how can district leaders, including superintendents and school business officials, make decisions and take actions that more effectively identify and meet the needs of all their students?Host Jason Willis is joined by two WestEd colleagues, Jamey Burho and Elizabeth Burr. Both  have worked extensively on policies and practices that support the needs of multilingual learners, particularly those with disabilities. In the past couple of years, Jamey and Elizabeth have co-authored key studies, including a 2022 report, “Resourcing Supports for Young Multilingual Learners with Suspected Disabilities in California,” and in Dec. 2023,  "Pre-Referral Processes in California State Preschool Programs: How Practitioners Decide to Refer Multilingual Children for Special Education Evaluation" along with Alyssa Perez.More About Our Guests As a Senior Research Associate on the Research-Practice Partnerships team at WestEd, Elizabeth Burr coordinates research projects, including policy analyses, literature reviews, and syntheses with the Regional Educational Laboratory West.  She authored Guidance Manuals for Educators of English Learners with Disabilities: Ideas and Lessons from the Field, and was a lead author of California Practitioners’ Guide for Educating English Learners with Disabilities. Currently she is working on a comprehensive toolkit for educators of English learners with disabilities. Prior to joining WestEd in 2007, Elizabeth was a Project Director at the John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities at Stanford University, and a Project Director at Policy Analysis for California Education.Jamey Burho is a Senior Research Associate with the English Learners Services and Migrant Education (ELMES) team and the Special Education Policy & Practice (SEPP) team at WestEd. Her expertise focuses on students identified as English Learners with disabilities, or dually identified students.   As part of WestEd’s Quality Teaching for English Learners (QTEL) program, Jamey routinely leads professional development sessions across the country for educators on how to support multilingual students. Prior to joining WestEd, Burho was a postdoctoral fellow at Oregon State University. She began her education career in Washington, D.C. as a special education teacher. She holds a BS in international relations from Georgetown University, an MA in teaching (special education) from Trinity Washington University, and a Ph.D. in special education from University of Maryland.Jason Willis serves as  Director of Strategic Resource Planning and Implementation for WestEd, and he is a former chief business official in several California school districts.Budgeting for Educational Equity is presented by CASBO and WestEd.  The series is written and produced by Paul Richman and Jason Willis. Original music and sound by Tommy Dunbar.  Alyssa Perez and Hannah Jarmolowski at WestEd provides research and develop the written briefs that go along with episodes.

The Equity Multiplier -- a new $300 million component to California’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) -- is rolling out this  school year. Guests Natalie Wheatfall-Lum and Sara Pietrowski join Jason Willis to describe how the Equity Multiplier works, how it came about, and related changes to the state’s accountability system, including what districts must now report in their Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAPs). Along the way, they consider broader policy issues and implications for targeting LCFF funds directly to the school sites whose student populations generate them; helping LEAs better identify and address the needs of all of their students; and the importance of focusing on Black student achievement in particular. The Equity Multiplier is one piece of a larger set of changes to California’s accountability system that were enacted as part of the 2023-24 state budget. Eligibility for the additional funding is based on two indicators at school sites: prior year non-stability rates of greater than 25 percent and prior year socioeconomically disadvantaged pupil rates greater than 70 percent. Similar to LCFF, the funds flow from the state to school districts or other local education agencies; however, in a shift from LCFF, Equity Multiplier funds are required to be used at the school sites that generate them. About Our GuestsNatalie Wheatfall-Lum, J.D., serves as Director of TK-12 Policy at The Education Trust-West, where since 2014 she has supported the organization’s policy research, analysis, and position development, primarily in K-12 equitable funding and accountability. Before working in education policy, Natalie practiced law, gaining experience in various civil rights issues, including LGBTQ equal rights, fair housing, and immigration. Sara Pietrowski serves as Policy Director for the California State Board of Education, where she has supported the board’s work of developing an accountability and continuous improvement system for more than six years, including the LCAP, California School Dashboard, and Statewide System of Support. She previously served  in Sacramento City USD where she led development of the district’s data dashboard and coordinated LCAP and improvement science efforts. About Our HostJason Willis serves as  Director of Strategic Resource Planning and Implementation for WestEd, and he is a former chief business official in several California school districts.Related ResourcessEquity Multiplier page, CDE website and 2023-24 First Principal Apportionment of EM fundsSupporting the African-American Learner: Guide for Transforming Beliefs, Systems and Practices for Black Students Evaluation of California’s Differentiated Assistance, WestEd More To Be Done: California’s LCFF After A Decade, Education Trust-WestBudgeting for Educational Equity is presented by CASBO and WestEd.  The series is written and produced by Paul Richman and Jason Willis. Original music and sound by Tommy Dunbar.  Alyssa Perez and Hannah Jarmolowski at WestEd provides research and develop the written briefs that go along with each episode.

Closing or consolidating neighborhood schools is a painful decision that no school district or community ever wishes to face, but increasingly it may be on the table due to declining enrollment trends and budgetary pressures. In this episode, host Jason Willis and school finance and policy veteran Carrie Hahnel deepen our understanding about school closures and consolidations. They delve into current factors that could lead to more closures and data showing how closures have disproportionately impacted different student populations. They pinpoint the tension schools and communities must try to resolve between difficult and necessary budget decisions on one hand and the enormous potential equity effects of those decisions on the other.Carrie serves as a senior associate partner for policy and evaluation at Bellwether and a senior policy and research fellow with Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE). She and colleagues Max Marchitello and Dr. Francis Pearman co-authored a series of recent research for PACE related to declining enrollment, equity, and closures.Jason and Carrie further explore how district and school leaders can proactively approach considerations about school closures while centering equity, and:   The extent to which closures or consolidations achieved expected savings for districts, Connections between demographic trends, housing, segregation and other local issues to resource disparities, How the State of California has started to weigh in on the issue of school closures, andThe importance for districts of pairing a school closure process with an affirmative strategy to provide students that will be displaced with high quality educational opportunities.“It’s hard not to be paying attention to school closures if you’re paying attention to what’s happening in schools."About Our GuestCarrie Hahnel currently serves as a senior associate partner on the policy team at Bellwether, a national nonprofit. Previously, she focused on equitable school funding as an advocate at the Education Trust West, and as a policy director at the Opportunity Institute. She has worked extensively with the statewide research organization PACE. Her research has focused on school funding formulas, equity, tax policies and local budgeting practices and decisions, among other areas.About Our HostJason Willis serves as  Director of Strategic Resource Planning and Implementation for WestEd, and he is a former chief business official in several California school districts.Key ResourcesCentering Equity in the School Closure Process in California – ReportDeclining Enrollment, School Closures, and Equity Considerations – Policy brief and related PACE Webinar.Examining Racial (In)equity in School-Closure Patterns in California –  Working PaperBudgeting for Educational Equity is presented by CASBO and WestEd.  The series is written and produced by Paul Richman and Jason Willis. Original music and sound by Tommy Dunbar. Alyssa Perez and Hannah Jarmolowski at WestEd provides research and develops the written briefs that go along with each episode.

California's Local Control Funding Formula or LCFF took a major step towards advancing equity.  But as LCFF came into existence 10 years ago, education and community leaders in the state’s largest school district, Los Angeles Unified, recognized this new formula might not go far enough in helping to address deeply rooted inequities within its student population.  Through a unique partnership between the local community and school district, the groundbreaking Student Equity Need Index (SENI) was born. In 2024, the SENI turns ten. It’s an example of a powerful partnership between students, parents, community advocates and school district leaders to drive resource equity. SENI is a research-based index that uses comprehensive academic and community-based indicators to rank schools from highest to lowest according to student need. With these rankings, LAUSD can more accurately understand the needs of its schools and equitably distribute funds to address them.  In many ways, the SENI is a more robust precursor to the state's new Equity Multiplier,  adopted in the 2023 Budget Act, which will target some additional funding directly to schools.In this episode, Pedro Salcido, Deputy Superintendent of Business Services and Operations for Los Angeles Unified School District, and Jessenia Reyes, Associate Director of K-12 Policy for the Equity Team at Catalyst California, take us deep inside the SENI.  They share with host Jason Willis how SENI was developed and how it evolved, the impact it has had to date, and how the district and community groups worked together and through some difficult tensions to build the system. While the SENI originated in California’s largest school district, it’s an exciting homegrown model that districts around the state can learn from and potentially customize to better address their communities’ unique needs.***Learn more about this topic in our Companion Brief. About Our GuestsJessenia Reyes is the Associate Director of K-12 Policy at Catalyst California, a systems change nonprofit organization, and part of the Equity Alliance for L.A.'s Kids that includes Community Coalition in South LA, Inner-City Struggle in East LA, and the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, which advocated for the SENI.Pedro Salcido is the Deputy Superintendent of Business Services and Operations for Los Angeles USD, the state's largest school district. Prior to his current role, Pedro served as Chief of Staff managing all district academic and nonacademic operations and  initiatives. Among many other roles and accomplishments, he served as the leading staff member who developed and implemented the District’s SENI, an equity-based funding allocation that today has grown to distribute nearly $700 million to the neediest schools in the district..LinksCatalyst California SENI page LAUSD SENI pageBudgeting for Educational Equity podcast is presented by CASBO and WestEd. We are grateful to the Sobrato Family Foundation for additional support. Our series is written and produced by Paul Richman and Jason Willis. Music and editing  by Tommy Dunbar. Alyssa Perez and Hannah Jarmolowski at WestEd provide research and develop written briefs that go along with many episodes.

Tatia Davenport, CEO of the California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO) sits down with Jason for a compelling  discussion about the size, scope and future of school business in California. Tatia shares what was learned from the first comprehensive survey of California school business executives in nearly 25 years, including where professional development is headed, the changing face and vital voice of CBOs, and how school business leaders can work more to advance equity.  She offers timely perspectives about some of the persistent challenges California faces in maintaining an effective and efficient public education system -- one that delivers on the promise of high-quality education for all.  About our guestTatia Davenport is the CEO of CASBO. Founded in 1928, CASBO is a nonprofit membership organization representing more than 25,000 professionals across 1,100 school districts and 58 counties statewide. CASBO members drive and support facilities and management of approximately 125,000 acres, 475 million square feet of real estate, an estimated 630 million student meals and snacks served annually at 22,000 sites, 115 million miles of busing and student transportation annually, technology services, and more. With an estimated $108 billion annual budget, California school business officials represent a statewide public education system that serves millions of K-12 students, teachers in classrooms and communities.Tatia  has built a reputation as a respected leader in the field and has a proven track record of success in improving the financial, operational and management systems of California schools. Previously she served as CASBO’s chief operations officer and held executive roles with Vision Service Plan (VSP) and E*TRADE Financial.Key LinksCalifornia Chief Business Officials Survey -- Summary of ResponsesAbout our hostJason Willis serves as  Director of Strategic Resource Planning and Implementation for WestEd, and he is a former chief business official in several California school districts.About our seriesBudgeting for Educational Equity is presented by the California Association of School Business Official (CASBO) and WestEd. We are grateful to the Sobrato Family Foundation for additional support. Our series is written and produced by Paul Richman and Jason Willis. Original music, mixing and sound by Tommy Dunbar. Alyssa Perez and Hannah Jarmolowski at WestEd provide research and develop the written briefs that go along with many episodes.Follow Budgeting for Educational Equity on Twitter/X:  @budget4edequity

In this episode, dig into ways schools can advance equity by expanding "whole child" services that are available to students at sites. Dr. Chaun Powell, Senior Chief of Student Services for the Alameda County Office of Education, helps identify key approaches for maximizing funding sources for these services -- with a particular focus on behavioral and mental health supports -- and seizing new opportunities to partner with other agencies that serve children. *Be sure to check out the Companion Brief to this episode*California is in the throes of rolling out major initiatives that create greater access for students to a range of vital services  to better support all areas of children's  development and learning, including the California Community Schools Partnership Program, California's Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative, Extended Learning Opportunities Program, and Family First  Prevention Services Act.These initiatives present a new era of possibility for school districts and county offices to blend and braid funding to increase and sustain services. Chaun leads us through this new landscape of programs and policies that promote interagency collaboration. With insight and curiosity, she helps to explore questions around innovative funding, strengthening collaboration across systems, and centering equity.Other ResourcesStatewide Multi-Payer School-Linked Fee Schedule overview video"Improving Student Wellness With A Multi-Tiered System of Support," WestEd AudioCast featuring Santa Clara COEAbout Our Guest Dr. Chaun Powell, Senior Chief of Student Services, Alameda COE, is  a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), school social worker, educational leader, writer and adjunct faculty member at San José State University & California State University East Bay.  Her unique background in education, community based work and child welfare helps her bring a cross systems lens and experience to serving children, youth and families in schools and the community.  Prior to joining Alameda COE, she served as a site level Dean of Students, and as Executive Director, Youth Health & Wellness for Santa Clara COE, where she also led a statewide Professional Learning Network for educators on school-based billing.  About our hostJason Willis serves as  Director of Strategic Resource Planning and Implementation for WestEd, and he is a former chief business official in several California school districtsAbout our seriesBudgeting for Educational Equity is presented byCASBO) and WestEd. We are grateful to the Sobrato Family Foundation for additional support.

What does it take to implement major new initiatives in our school systems? In Part Two of our episode about implementing initiatives such as Universal Transitional Kindergarten (UTK) and Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK), we dive into this question with lots of hands-on, practical advice from a local school district perspective with Maria Ceballos, executive director of the early learning department at Fresno USD. Maria shares how her district, Fresno Unified, has been working to expand access to early learning for all children and families.  **Be sure to check out the Episode 3 Companion Brief from WestEd* In Part One, we gained a statewide perspective about this historic moment for early education in California from Sarah Neville-Morgan, Deputy Superintendent at the California Department of Education. In this episode, Maria takes us inside some of Fresno USD's planning and approaches for expanding access to early education. Two keys, she says, were being concrete about the work and having the right people at the table. Maria says her district’s leadership and all departments were clear on the value of early learning, and shared both a sense of urgency and a sense of opportunity for their community to  serve more children through high quality programs. Their efforts have included not only the early education team, but facilities, purchasing, finance, HR, teacher development, special education, local and county partners, the Fresno County Superinendent of Schools, and more. Maria also describes how building strong relationships enabled the district to pivot quickly when some things didn't go as planned or projected .Fresno's early learner support also has included a unique focus on dual language learner professional development for teachers. About Fresno USDFresno USD is the third largest district in the state with nearly 73,000 students, preK-12. Approximately 17.5% are English learners, and 85% are socioeconomically disadvantaged. The district includes 66 elementary schools, 14 middle schools, 10 high schools, alternative schools, and of course – early education programs. Currently, Fresno USD has six year-round, full-day child development centers serving infant, toddler and preschool aged children; they also have 72 part-day preschool programs, and 127 transitional kindergarten programs including special education – all serving about 5,000 children. About our hostJason Willis serves as  Director of Strategic Resource Planning and Implementation for WestEd, and he is a former chief business official in several California school districtsAbout our seriesBudgeting for Educational Equity is presented by the California Association of School Business Official (CASBO) and WestEd. We are grateful to the Sobrato Family Foundation for additional support. Recorded in spring, 2023

Two years ago, California’s state budget agreement included an ambitious new initiative to fund and implement Universal Transitional Kindergarten (or UTK), so that all 4-year-olds in the state have access to it by 2025-26. It’s part of a larger long-term goal the state and school districts have been working towards to expand early education and also provide access to Universal Pre-Kindergarten, or UPK, for all students. In this first of a two-part episode, Sarah Neville Morgan, Deputy Superintendent at the California Department of Education and longtime early education policy leader, describes this historic moment we're in when it comes to early education and fulfilling the promise of public education. Sarah discusses the why and how of UPK and UTK implementation, including work the state has been doing to support local efforts, resources, challenges, and implications and strategies for advancing equity. The  goal, she says, is for all children to hit kindergarten and first- third grades not just ready to learn, but ready to soar. Sarah and Jason also explore more generally how systems can approach planning for and implementing major new initiatives. **Be sure to check out the Episode 3 Companion Brief from WestEdOther Resources"How Are California School Districts Planning for Universal Prekindergarten? Results From a 2022 Survey" -- April 2023 report by the Learning Policy InstituteUniversal PreKindergarten FAQs from the CDETransitional Kindergarten FAQs from the CDE21CSLA Learning Brief,  Preparing California School Leaders for Young Learners in the UTK InitiativeAbout Our Guest Sarah Neville-Morgan has served in many key leadership and policy positions at the state level. She was previously the Director of the CDE Early Learning and Care Division; Deputy Director of Program Management at First 5 California; Deputy Executive Director of the Governor’s Early Learning Advisory Council during the Schwarzenegger and Brown administrations; and she currently serves as a Deputy Superintendent at the California Department of Education, overseeing the Opportunities for All branch. Previously she also served as an Academic Child Development Specialist at the University of California, Davis Center for Child and Family Studies.About our hostJason Willis serves as  Director of Strategic Resource Planning and Implementation for WestEd, and he is a former chief business official in several California school districtsAbout our seriesBudgeting for Educational Equity is presented by the California Association of School Business Official (CASBO) and WestEd. We are grateful to the Sobrato Family Foundation for additional support.  @budget4edequity

Lindsay Unified School District in California’s Central Valley reinvented its approach to education by launching a Performance Based System in 2007, following an extensive community engagement process. It’s an approach that fundamentally changed experiences for the community’s learners, families and educators -- and led to impressive outcomes that have been highlighted in multiple studies and reports.Two dynamic leaders from Lindsey USD – Grant Schimelpfening, Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services, and Cheri Doria, Early Childhood Education Director – provide an “under the hood” look at  the systems and culture their district has built to help advance equity  through a personalized learning plan for each student.We explore how Lindsay USD – whose 4,000-plus students are approximately 90% socio-economically disadvantaged and 37% English Learners – creates alignment and coherence to serve students with multiple needs, including early learners, multi-language learners, and students with disabilities. Grant and Cheri discuss how the district: Uses data to weigh resource investment decisions;Gets to know students, even from the time they are born;Begin its program design process with an ambitious vision, versus building programs around currently available funding;Systematizes processes and practices to further support alignment with its overall strategic design.; and more.Plus, Grant shares his top three list for Chief Business Officials for driving collaboration, alignment and coherence in their systems.**Download the  COMPANION BRIEF to this episode here.More Key Links:Lindsay USD’s Strategic Design Articles and research about Lindsay’s USD’s work"Putting Students in Charge of Their Learning Transforms A Small Rural District," via EdSource "Online Learning in Lindsay," via Inside California EducationCalifornia Department of Education Updated Guidance on Identification of Early Education Dual Language Learners (and links to survey instruments) About Our Guests:Cheri Doria has served as Director of Preschools in Lindsay USD since 2014.  Prior to that she was an elementary school teacher in the district for 10 years. Grant Schimelpfening has served as a school business executive for nearly 20 years, including for Lindsay USD as CBO and now Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services since January 2014. Previously he served in Modesto City Schools and Farmersville School District.Budgeting for Educational Equity is presented by the California Association of School Business Official (CASBO) and WestEd. We are grateful to the Sobrato Family Foundation for additional support. Recorded: Spring, 2023

In this first episode of our new season, we gain the perspective of someone who has had her finger on the pulse of school business and resource equity for a long time, both from a local and a statewide perspective –  Nina Boyd. Nina is a school business official, administrator and statewide leader who has seen a lot transpire during her nearly 40 years in public education – and she is still on the frontlines impacting change. Nina shares insight and perspectives related to:How she sees us having gone both forward and backward with regard to advancing equity, including recent pushback about what is taught in schools;The importance of educational administrators and leaders continuing to be authentic in the spaces they serve and using their voices to correct misinformation;   The evolving role of Chief Business Officers in inviting more diverse perspectives into the dialogue about school issues; and more. Key questions addressed include:Is California doing a better job of directing resources that turn into opportunities and access for students? Are major investments in new initiatives helping to move the needle for those furthest from opportunity? How are schools navigating this current climate of rising civic divisiveness? About our guestNina Boyd currently serves as Deputy Superintendent for Operations, Government and Community Partnerships, for the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE),  which supports supports 28 Public School Districts and 23 board-approved Public Charter Schools. Orange County public schools serve nearly 200,000 students; about 80 percent of whom are students of color.Nina began her career in education as a temporary account clerk in Santa Ana Unified School District. She had planned to become a school psychologist but instead went on to a distinguished career serving in multiple administrative leadership roles at the OCDE, including as Administrator, Purchasing Contracts & Operations;  Executive Director of Facilities and Operations;  Assistant Superintendent Human Resources and Support Services; and Associate Superintendent Alternative Education. At the statewide level, Nina has been a key advocate and leader, including serving for many years on the CASBO Board of Directors and as CASBO President in 2017-18. She also served an eight-year term on the Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH) state board and held a variety of positions to support facility and maintenance issues primarily in the areas of regulatory, advocacy, and legislation. Nina has facilitated and provided trainings and workshops at both the local and state level, including a focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion when she was a leader at CASBO.  She also teaches in CASBO’s Business Executive Leadership program.About our hostJason Willis serves as  Director of Strategic Resource Planning and Implementation for WestEd, and he is a former chief business official in several California school districtsAbout our seriesBudgeting for Educational Equity is presented by the California Association of School Business Official (CASBO) and WestEd. We are grateful to the Sobrato Family Foundation for additional support. Our series is written and produced by Paul Richman and Jason Willis. Original music, mixing and sound by Tommy Dunbar. Alyssa Perez at WestEd provides research and develops the written briefs that go along with each episode.

Host Jason Willis provides a quick update on our upcoming new season. Plus, we replay our initial episode featuring several guests as a way to re-establish the context for the new episodes and help you get your "resource equity bearings."Guests on the replay include:Christopher Edley, Jr., J.D., interim dean, U.C. Berkeley Graduate School of Education; co-founder and president emeritus of The Opportunity Institute; professor and dean emeritus, U.C. Berkeley School of Law; former professor, Harvard Law School; and co-chair, National Commission on K-12 Excellence & EquityMaria Echaveste, J.D., president and CEO, The Opportunity Institute; and former White House deputy chief of staffMichael Kirst, Ph.D., professor emeritus, Graduate School of Education, Stanford University; and past president, California State Board of EducationJayne Christakos, former chief business officer, San Bernardino City Unified School DistrictMarguerite Williams, Ed.D., chief business official, Inglewood Unified School District;; and former senior director of equity and diversity, Association of California School AdministratorsAdela Madrigal Jones, (retired) superintendent, Sanger Unified School DistrictJason Willis (host), director of strategic resource planning and implementation for WestEd and a former chief business official in several California school districtsDownload the Interactive Companion Brief for this episode.Budgeting for Educational Equity is presented by the California Association of School Business Official (CASBO) in partnership with WestEd.We are grateful to the Sobrato Family Foundation for providing additional support. 

Education leaders, school business officials and practitioners continue to confront a full plate of difficult and time-sensitive decisions. How can we reflect on and improve practices and approaches for making those decisions to better serve students? In this episode, host Jason Willis and special guest Alex Jacobson from WestEd explore how good decisions in our school systems that lead to successful outcomes for all students are in part contingent on the ways in which people make those decisions. As part of this exploration, we’ll look through the frame of what’s known as System 1 and System 2 thinking – and discuss how education leaders can begin to apply some of what the research tells us to strengthen approaches to decision making, both individually and organizationally.ABOUT OUR GUESTAlex Jacobson is a Senior Research Associate with the Comprehensive School Assistance Program at WestEd. In this role, he serves on research projects related to education finance, strategic resource allocation, and cost modeling. Alex also provides collaborative, research-based capacity building to education practitioners, including direct organizational improvement assistance and facilitating stakeholder engagements. He also supports state education agencies across the U.S. through Regional Comprehensive Centers at WestEd. Prior to joining WestEd, Alex served as a researcher and technical assistance provider for the American Institutes for Research (AIR). He has a Masters of Public Policy from Georgetown University. RESOURCESJason and Alex refer to some key studies in this episode:Estimating the Costs Associated with Reaching Student Achievement Expectations for Kansas Public Education Students: A Cost Function Approach: This adequacy cost study examines the structure of the Kansas school finance formula as well as estimates the potential costs associated with reaching student achievement expectations for K-12 students in Kansas.Individual differences in reasoning: Implications for the rationality debate? In a series of experiments involving most of the classic tasks in the heuristics and biases literature, authors Keith E. Stanovich and Richard F. West examine the implications of individual differences in performance and introduce the concepts of System 1 and System 2 processing.ABOUT OUR HOSTJason Willis serves as the Director of Strategic Resource Planning and Implementation for WestEd, where he oversees and guides the agency’s school finance, governance, and accountability efforts. Prior to WesEd, Jason served as a chief business official in several California school districts,Budgeting for Educational Equity is presented in partnership between the California Association of School Business Official (CASBO), the premier resource for professional development and best practices for more than 24,000 California school business leaders, and WestEd, a national nonprofit research development and service agency that works to promote excellence and equity in education. We are grateful to the Sobrato Family Foundation for providing additional support. Our series is written and produced by Paul Richman and Jason Willis. Original music and editing by Tommy Dunbar. John Diaz at WestEd develops our companion written briefs. Follow us at @budget4edequity.

COVID-19 and other crises have put extreme operational pressures on public school systems. And these pressures, as Dr. Rosanna Mucetti, Superintendent of Napa Valley USD says, can break or make organizations. In this episode, Rosanna and Rabinder "Rob" Mangewala, NVUSD’s Assistant Superintendent and Chief Business Official, describe how their district actually leveraged challenges during the crisis to accelerate their focus on resource equity and school improvement. “All of a sudden, work that was probably going to take us three to five years to implement as articulated in our strategic plan was in overdrive and things got adopted in months because of the pressures of the pandemic,” Rosanna says. In addition, Rosanna and Rob share practical guidance and insights from their leadership experiences, including how their district:Opened campuses early in the pandemic and maintained strong collaboration among the board, management team and labor partners.Approached resource allocation equity through standardization and sustainability to guarantee a “base floor” of access for all students.Revamped the district’s system of technology and adopted a new assessment in the midst of the pandemic.Responded to severe fiscal challenges like declining enrollment.About our guestsRob and Rosanna’s professional partnership began more than two decades ago, when they were both clearing their teaching credentials. Rosanna Mucetti, Ed. D., has served as a bilingual teacher, English Learner program specialist, assistant principal, principal, manager of Curriculum and English Learner Services, Assistant Superintendent, and Deputy Superintendent. Before her appointment as Superintendent at NVUSD in 2018, she served as the Deputy Superintendent of Educational Services in San Leandro USD for five years, where she led instructional transformations, including integrating socio-emotional learning into the curriculum. She also revamped the district’s technology platforms. Her educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from UC Berkeley and a master’s degree and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from CSU East Bay. She also completed the School Business Management program at USC and has a CASBO chief business official certificate.Rabinder “Rob” Mangewala joined NVUSD as the Assistant Superintendent, Business Services in 2019. He serves as the Chief Business Official for the organization, ensuring the district successfully addresses its financial challenges. He also oversees technology, data management and enrollment. Rob previously served with Rosanna in San Leandro USD, where he oversaw district-wide data management, enrollment, information technology and instructional materials. He began his career in education as an elementary school teacher in Hayward where he taught for 13 years while obtaining his administrative credential and masters degree at CSU East Bay. He also holds a certificate in School Business Management from the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California. Budgeting for Educational Equity is presented by the California Association of School Business Official (CASBO) and WestEd. Our series is written and produced by Paul Richman and Jason Willis, Director of Strategic Resource Planning and Implementation for WestEd. Music and editing is by Tommy Dunbar. John Diaz at WestEd develops our written briefs. Follow us at @Budget4EdEquity.

How has California's shift to the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) impacted equitable resource allocation? In part two of our focus on LCFF, host Jason Willis and special guests consider this and other vital questions, including:How do we best strike a balance between local autonomy, innovation, compliance and accountability?How effective are Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAPs) that all districts must adopt with stakeholder input? What role can school boards in particular play in the LCFF-LCAP process? Plus, we delve into the practical, hands-on experiences of a veteran chief school business official who has implemented LCFF in her small, rural school district. She shares valuable strategies that school district leaders and business officials can draw on when implementing LCFF.Guests:Heather Naylor has served as CBO in Gridley USD in Butte County for 17 years. The district serves approximately 2,100 students, 75% who qualify in the “unduplicated" student count. Gridley USD was recognized in a 2019 Learning Policy Institute study as a "Positive Outlier" for its promising practices and outcomes in closing opportunity gaps for students of color and all students.Christopher Edley, Jr., J.D., serves as interim dean for the U.C. Berkeley Graduate School of Education, and as professor and dean emeritus at the U.C. Berkeley School of Law. Maria Echaveste, J.D., serves as president and CEO of The Opportunity Institute. She previously served as White House deputy chief of staff.Mike Kirst is a former State Board of Education President and current Professor Emeritus at Stanford University. He was the chief architect of the LCFF under Gov. Jerry Brown.Xilonin Cruz-Gonzalez serves as a school board member in Azusa USD, and as Deputy Director for Californians Together, a statewide advocacy group. She is immediate past president of the California School Boards Association.More resources"What's Next for the LCFF," report by PACE, Nov., 2021"Targeted K-12 Funding and Student Outcomes," PPIC Policy Brief, Oct., 2021"Why the LCFF? California's Landmark Move to an Equity-Based School Funding Formula," from the "Adventures in Ed Funding" podcast, March, 2020. Budgeting for Educational Equity is presented by the California Association of School Business Official (CASBO) and WestEd. We are grateful to the Sobrato Family Foundation for additional support. Our series is written and produced by Paul Richman and Jason Willis. Original music and editing by Tommy Dunbar. John Diaz at WestEd develops our companion written briefs. Follow us at @Budget4EdEquity.

The Local Control Funding Formula, or LCFF, ushered in a new era of school funding in California when it was adopted in 2013. It's regarded by many as the most significant resource equity reform the state has ever enacted. But how has the LCFF worked? Has it accomplished what it was intended to? And how are inherent tensions between local and state decision making authority, oversight and accountability being navigated? In this episode, host Jason Willis and special guests explore key elements of the LCFF. Xilonin Cruz-Gonzalez provides a review of the law, based on her unique perspective both as a locally elected school board member in Azusa USD and as Deputy Director for Californians Together, a statewide group that advocates on behalf of English Learner students.  Xilonin also serves as immediate past president of the California School Boards Association.Richard De Nava, Assistant Superintendent, Business Services at San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, shares insights about the policy and practical implications of the LCFF. Richard also serves as president of CASBO. And Mike Kirst, former State Board of Education President, Professor Emeritus at Stanford University, and chief architect of the LCFF under Gov. Jerry Brown, offers a remarkable glimpse into the development of the formula, including some of the difficult choices, innovative thinking and pragmatic considerations that went into creating the new law.Additional BackgroundAs part of the LCFF, all Local Education Agencies receive a per-student funding allocation known as a base grant, plus targeted additional funding depending on the needs of certain students (known as supplemental and concentration grants). Districts must also engage stakeholders before adopting a Local Control and Accountability Plan. While the new law has shifted more discretion for budgetary decisions to local school districts, it has also brought to the surface inherent tensions between local and state decision making authority. More resourcesNEW: "What's Next for the LCFF," report by Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE), November 2021NEW: "Targeted K-12 Funding and Student Outcomes," PPIC Policy Brief, October 2021"Why the LCFF? California's Landmark Move to an Equity-Based School Funding Formula," from the Adventures in Ed Funding CASBO podcast, March, 2020. "The LCFF After Four Years: What Do We Know?" brief summarizing four Getting Down To Facts II technical reports related to LCFF implementation.About our seriesBudgeting for Educational Equity is presented by the California Association of School Business Official (CASBO) and WestEd. We are grateful to the Sobrato Family Foundation for additional support. Our series is written and produced by Paul Richman and Jason Willis. Original music, mixing and sound by Tommy Dunbar. John Diaz at WestEd  develops the written briefs that go along with each episode.Follow us on Twitter at @Budget4EdEquity to keep up to date on the series and share your thoughts, ideas, questions and feedback. 

We hope you've been enjoying the series so far and taking away a lot of useful information. This is a quick update to let you know  we are busy working on several new episodes that will start posting in a few weeks.  We also wanted to make you aware of  the companion briefs that are now available online. To describe these more, host Jason Willis introduces John Diaz, a financial analyst at WestEd, who has been leading the work in developing the companion briefs. The briefs serve as a helpful, interactive tool for listeners, building on strategies or practices articulated by our guests, and offering additional research on topics related to budgeting for educational equity.Available Companion Briefs include:Download the companion brief to Episode 1: Defining an Approach to EquityDownload the companion brief to Episode 2: Using Data to Advance EquityDownload the companion brief to Episode 3: Planning for ChangeDownload the companion brief to Episode 4: Meeting the MomentMore About the Series and the BriefsBudgeting for Educational Equity is a podcast series that explores how education resources can be allocated to better meet the needs of all students. The companion briefs have been developed to provide opportunities for listeners to engage in tangible, practical application of the lessons derived from each episode. The brief can be used as a launching point for discus- sions about equity within communities and school district administrative offices. It can also be used to support existing ongoing work such as the Local Control Accountability Plan or district budget development. Episodes can be found online in the Show Notes and on the WestEd Budgeting for Educational Equity Podcast Series webpage.*Budgeting for Educational Equity is presented by the California Association of School Business Official (CASBO), the premier resource for professional development and best practices for more than 24,000 California school business leaders, in partnership with WestEd, a national nonprofit research development and service agency that works to promote excellence and equity in education. We are grateful to the Sobrato Family Foundation for providing additional support. Engage with us!Follow us on Twitter at @Budget4EdEquity to keep up to date on the series and share your thoughts, ideas, questions and feedback. Budgeting for Educational Equity is written and produced by Paul Richman and Jason Willis. Original music, mixing and sound by Tommy Dunbar. John Diaz at WestEd serves as an advisor and develops the written materials that go along with each episode.

Each person’s equity journey is unique, including the one taken by Marguerite Williams, Ed.D. After serving as a teacher, principal and assistant superintendent for academic services, she became increasingly interested in the business side of schools and completed the CASBO CBO Certification program. That helped lead to her recent appointment as assistant superintendent/CBO for a charter management organization in Vallejo that operates four schools and serves approximately 1,400 students.In this episode, Marguerite shares valuable insights about resource allocation and equity from her unique perspective as an instructional leader and a new CBO. She describes key challenges, what motivated her on her journey, and how her own understanding of school business has evolved -- plus, practical strategies she’s used to keep equity at the forefront throughout her career.Quotable: “On the business side, I can do great things for students. I can support the instructional program with resource allocation. I can make sure our students have the best facilities to learn. I can make sure there's a clean and safe environment.”More about our guestMarguerite Williams, Ed.D., serves as assistant superintendent/CBO for Griffin Technology Academies in Vallejo. Previously, she served as assistant superintendent of academic services for Adelanto Elementary School District, and as senior director of equity and diversity for the Association of California School Administrators. Dr. Williams began her career in education as a teacher, and has also served as an assistant principal and principal in the San Bernardino City School District, and as a district-wide instructional director in Los Angeles USD. She obtained her doctorate in educational leadership with an emphasis in higher education by examining the levels of site and district leadership support which teachers and team members received in implementing the Response to Tiered Intervention Model in San Bernardino. She holds a Master’s Degree in Multicultural Education.Download the episode 5 companion brief here.About our seriesBudgeting for Educational Equity is presented by the California Association of School Business Official (CASBO), the premier resource for professional development and best practices for more than 24,000 California school business leaders, in partnership with WestEd, a national nonprofit research development and service agency that works to promote excellence and equity in education. We are grateful to the Sobrato Family Foundation for providing additional support. Our series is written and produced by Paul Richman and Jason Willis. Original music, mixing and sound by Tommy Dunbar. John Diaz at WestEd serves as an advisor and develops the written materials that go along with each episode.Engage With Us!Follow us on Twitter at @Budget4EdEquity to keep up to date on the series; find additional resource recommendations; and share your thoughts, ideas, questions and feedback. 

School districts face extreme urgency to safely return students to in-person environments and help them recover from a pandemic that has not yet ended. At the same time, leaders and practitioners are pressing to expeditiously but thoughtfully allocate a windfall of new state and federal dollars – all the while trying to leverage the unique opportunity created by these circumstances to bring about transformative changes to our public school systems. How can school communities make the most of this moment to innovate towards a greater equality of outcomes for all students? That's the question we explore in this episode. Education reform experts Michael Fullan and Joanne Quinn share powerful ideas and insights from their work. Both have advised school systems in California and throughout the world. They’ve co-authored many books and papers, including their latest, “Right Drivers for Whole System Success.” Fullan and Quinn help us to look through the lens of equity and learning, emphasizing that education leaders should prioritize engaging all of their students.The possibilities for investing this influx of new, one-time funding to address inequities is truly exciting. But not so simple. School business officials especially may find themselves caught in a tension, on the one hand focused on fulfilling their important, traditional role of ensuring fiscal health and responsible accounting (including spending down Covid-recovery funds within prescribed timelines) while also being presented an opportunity to help their districts think and act in new ways that can be sustained over time. CASBO CEO and executive director Tatia Davenport also re-joins Jason to put some of Michael and Joanne’s ideas through a school business “reality check.” Tatia describes why focusing on increasing the long-term yield of our public school investments is so critical, plus she highlights why district leaders need more time and space to plan, so they can develop a cohesive strategy with their communities for effectively spending their funds and improving outcomes. Download the Episode 4 Companion Brief here. GuestsJoanne Quinn is an international consultant and author on system change, leadership, and learning. As co-founder and Global Director of New Pedagogies for Deep Learning, she leads partnership work across eight countries focused on transforming learning. Joanne has provided leadership at all levels of education as a superintendent, implementation advisor to the Ontario Ministry of Education, and Director of Continuing Education at the University of Toronto. Michael Fullan, O.C., is the Global Leadership Director of New Pedagogies for Deep Learning and a worldwide authority on educational reform with a mandate of helping to achieve the moral purpose of all children learning. A former Dean of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) of the University of Toronto, Michael advises policymakers and local leaders around the world to provide leadership in education. *Budgeting for Educational Equity is presented by the California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO), in partnership with WestEd. Our series is written and produced by Paul Richman and Jason Willis. Original music, mixing and sound by Tommy Dunbar. John Diaz at WestEd  develops our related written materials. We are grateful to the Sobrato Family Foundation for providing additional support. @Budget4edequity

In this episode, Sanger Unified School District Superintendent Adela Madrigal Jones highlights approaches and actions her district has taken to advance equity. It’s chock-full of practical guidance, real-life experiences and candid reflections from a lifelong educator who has helped lead successful work in this Central Valley district.One of the key strategies Sanger USD utilizes are “Principal Summits.” These summits engage school site leaders in reviewing data, collectively exploring how dollars are invested (including LCFF-LCAP funds), developing plans and actions to meet the needs of all students, and regularly monitoring those plans. Superintendent Madrigal Jones shares further insights into the mechanics of budgeting for equity, including describing how some recent allocation models called for distributing dollars equally, and some equitably. In addition, she takes us inside some of her district’s recent discussions about how best to utilize newly available one-time state and federal dollars to accelerate recovery from the pandemic.Later in this episode, Sanger USD Chief Business Official Marsha Alfving joins Adela to discuss the key importance of superintendents and chief business officials working together and with their teams to support resource equity. CBO Alfving describes several ways that school business officials can deepen their engagement in their district's conversations around equity and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) to best meet the needs of all students.Finally, Superintendent Madrigal Jones looks back on a key success in her district that improved early literacy. Plus, she recommends a few things that all educational leaders should consider bringing along as they prepare to embark on their own resource equity and "cultural shift" journeys.GuestsAdela Madrigal Jones has served as superintendent of Sanger USD since July 2018. Prior to that, she served as associate superintendent, as a principal and a teacher, all in the district. She has also worked extensively with English Learners. In total, she has spent more than 37 years in public education.Marsha Alfving has served in Sanger USD for more than a decade, including as Chief Financial Officer since 2013. She’s also a Certified Public Accountant and prior to joining Sanger, served for several years in public accounting.Sanger USD is located in California’s Central Valley. The district serves about 11,000 students, nearly 70% who qualify for free and reduced price meals and 15% who are English Learners. The district has been recognized in research literature, such as the 2019 Learning Policy Institute brief, for its promising practices and outcomes, especially for students of color.Download the Interactive Companion Brief for this episode.*Budgeting for Educational Equity is presented by the California Association of School Business Official (CASBO), in partnership with WestEd. We are grateful to the Sobrato Family Foundation for providing additional support. Engage with us on Twitter at @Budget4EdEquity Budgeting for Educational Equity is written and produced by Paul Richman and Jason Willis. Original music, mixing and sound by Tommy Dunbar. John Diaz at WestEd  develops our related written materials. 

Veteran school district CBO Jayne Christakos joins us to help build our practical understanding of equity and resource allocation in educational systems, and to identify some good places to start. She emphasizes the crucial importance of embracing a districtwide culture that is comfortable using data, asking questions and "listening to the whole system."Throughout our series, we’re sharing specific experiences and examples of leaders and practitioners who are doing the work of ensuring a more equitable allocation of resources. We explore their motivations, what tools they’re using, what’s working, and what they’ve learned.  Check out the Episode 2 Companion Brief: Using Data to Advance Equity.Jayne Christakos has served as a chief school business official in several California districts, including the past six years as CBO with San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD), where she recently retired from in June. SBCUSD is among the 12 largest school districts in the state with nearly 50,000 students, about 90% who qualify for free and reduced price meals. The district has implemented a number of significant initiatives to improve learning and well-being for its diverse student population.In this episode, Jayne describes work she has helped carry out in the district, including an initiative called Targeted Support for School Progress (TSSP) that utilized data across all areas to identify a number of school sites for additional support. As part of TSSP, district and site teams worked to examine everything they were doing, from classroom instruction to professional development. The effort also involved creating a new cabinet-level assistant superintendent position for continuous improvement (led by Dr. Rachel Monarrez) -- and strengthening cross-departmental collaboration. Data after the first year of the program showed significant improvements for student subgroups across many areas.Jayne also shares additional timely advice for leaders and school business officials based on her experiences in the CBO chair, as a CBO mentor, and as a "go-to" person for so many in the state on school district budgeting. Related resourcesCASBO WorkWise Webinar: Leaders from San Bernardino City USD discuss the value of social emotional learning for education leaders and share real-world examples and best practices.About our seriesBudgeting for Educational Equity is presented by the California Association of School Business Official (CASBO), the premier resource for professional development and best practices for more than 24,000 California school business leaders, in partnership with WestEd, a national nonprofit research development and service agency that works to promote excellence and equity in education. We are grateful to the Sobrato Family Foundation for providing additional support. Engage with us!Follow us on Twitter at @Budget4EdEquity to keep up to date on the series and share your thoughts, ideas, questions and feedback. Budgeting for Educational Equity is written and produced by Paul Richman and Jason Willis. Original music, mixing and sound by Tommy Dunbar. John Diaz at WestEd serves as an advisor and develops the written materials that go along with each episode.