Renee Foose is an associate professor and the chair of the Department of Educational Leadership at Bowie State University. Ann Hilliard is an associate professor and director for graduate programs for the Department of Educational Studies and Leadership at Bowie State University.
Being Smarter: Managing Financial Resources More Effectively provides future educational leaders with readings that help them build their financial acumen and learn how to present compelling narratives to secure resources and effectively manage school systems. Opening chapters contain readings that address COVID-19 and the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats posed by the pandemic; ethical issues related to disaster planning; effective communication strategies; issues to consider when developing a budget; and collaborative approaches to decision-making. Readers learn how to align budget and financial proposals with the goals of educational institutions. Concluding articles discuss teaching capacity and staff development as a budget priority and a cornerstone to having an impact on student achievement. Each reading is aligned with the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL). The chapters feature guide questions and post-reading discussion questions to increase content retention, relevance, and personal meaning. Being Smarter is designed to give readers a foundation in understanding school finance. It helps them develop the necessary skills to create effective budget, communication, and professional development strategies to lead schools for the current generation of students.