This time of year presents so many changes and challenges. At my house, September seems to have arrived early and summer has ended abruptly (we are never ready for summer to end!). But then again, the start of school, the energy of excited kids and high school football games always bring folks together and restores a sense of community.
As we finish a summer full of audit prep, budget woes, economic worries and hopefully a bit of vacation, we also face issues such as the lack of a school aid bill and a new legislative statewide healthcare pool proposal. But with all those things on our minds, I find myself focused on how we at MSBO can best help our members through the financial struggles our districts face. Our focus is providing the tools you need to be successful, professional development, opportunities to network with your peers and products and services to help you save money and be more efficient.
We are fortunate to work in an industry where there is so much cooperation between districts and members. We have great leaders in our ranks that serve us all – the MSBO Board of Directors, Committee Chairs, Regional Presidents and mentors helping out new members. We share information and are willing to help each other even when we are pressed for time in our own jobs and often are competing for a shrinking population of students.
I’m disappointed when I see business officials who, even though invited and encouraged to participate, choose to bury themselves in their day-to-day work and do not get involved with MSBO’s regional groups, committee meetings and professional development. These opportunities are there to help business officials deal with the onslaught of issues and challenges we face daily. It has happened more often than I’d like to admit, members who do not participate, do not develop connections with their peers and do not keep up on the latest issues, eventually miss enough information, resulting in mistakes being made and jobs lost. Also, new members often feel that they have so much to do they cannot take time to attend meetings and professional development.
I want to encourage all members to stay involved with our association activities. Now, more than ever, is not the time to skip meetings and conferences. Now is the time to get involved and remain involved. I have found countless times, over the years, that I learn new things that help districts stay ahead of the curve by participating in MSBO functions. You can pick up ideas that allow you to show your value to your district, learn about the latest issue that colleagues are dealing with that you were not aware of, and be prepared to address issues before your superintendent or supervisor asks.
MSBO offers so many ways to be involved. Take advantage of as many as you can, here are some:
Regional Groups
Regional Groups are a vital component for MSBO in meeting the needs of our members. Each group serves as a forum for exchanging ideas, solving common and individual problems, and providing an opportunity for members to expand their knowledge and professional horizons. It is a great way to get and keep connected to your peers in districts close to you.
Research Committees
MSBO Research Committees provide an important venue for connecting with your peers from across the state. Each meeting is unique to the leader elected to be chair. Many committees provide a legislative update, an MSBO update, professional development speakers and a chance for roundtable discussions at each meeting. These meetings allow members to develop professional relationships with others in specific areas of expertise – school finance, intermediate school district finance, facilities management, transportation, food service, and technology, among others. These meetings are free and open to all members with no need to register or RSVP (except in a few circumstances). Members often meet for lunch either before or after the meeting to allow the discussions to continue in a less formal setting. All MSBO members receive notices for these meetings - attend the committee when the main topic interests you.
You can find more information on a regional group in your area and the different research committees by visiting the MSBO Website under Committees/Groups (add link). Information includes purpose statements, areas of responsibility, contact information for the chair and the meeting dates, locations and times.
Professional Development
MSBO provides many opportunities for professional development throughout the year in your area of expertise. MSBO’s Certification program offers basic and advanced classes that help you develop your skills and knowledge to be better prepared to meet the needs of your district in the school business field. These workshops and conferences provide you with the valuable opportunity to learn about current issues and develop networking contacts that will help you for years to come. We send out e-mails on a regular basis and publish a Calendar of Events (add link) each year which includes the events we have scheduled early in the year. We also add workshops throughout the year, as needed.
Listservs
MSBO’s Listservs are tools that allow MSBO members to share information in the form of someone e-mailing a question to the listserv. All members that have signed up for that listserv receive the e-mail. Another member can then answer the e-mail back to the listserv and everyone on the list also receives the response. It's a great communication tool between members. The listservs are for the benefit and exclusive use of MSBO members. You must be a member of a listserv to send and receive messages.
For additional information, including how to sign up and a list of MSBO’s Listservs, visit the MSBO Website under Listservs.
We are all too busy to do all the things on our plate with the time and precision that we prefer. Keep in mind that as the school business official responsible for your area of expertise (whether finance, facilities, etc.), you are generally the only one in your district taking care of those area(s). If you are not involved in staying current, ask yourself who else in your district will do it for you? If you don’t stay current on the latest issues, how long before you start missing things?
Let MSBO help you!
Good luck and have a great school year!