The education market is about to make a major shift that will require strategic planning like never before. The last time education stimulus funds were introduced was more than ten years ago when many current leaders were just entering the workforce or mid-level management. As stimulus funds end, education leadership faces not only an alarming fiscal cliff but also three other drastic shocks set to rock the education landscape as we know it. This book is a practical guide to help districts not only survive, but thrive in the coming changes and be prepared for a new frontier in education. Major shifts may first appear as challenges, but this guide provides countless examples to emulate that will help you and your team see the opportunities and ultimately lead to success!
Four extraordinary shocks are coming to education:
1. The end of current federal funding
2. Declining enrollment in K-12
3. Ongoing inflation and changes in the labor market
4. An economic slowdown (recession)
Understanding and responding to these shocks and the complex factors at play in the intensely shifting dynamics of today's education environment is an urgent and critical task for school leaders and policymakers. Hard decisions will be required, and we are here to provide you with models and examples to consider as you move forward.
"As an educational leader--whether running a school or district, being an advocate, or working in policy--
it can be hard to look outside day to day opportunities, issues and threats. In this book, Susan Gentz, Lea
Ann Lockard, and Kate Loughrey make a compelling case for doing exactly that. The shocks they describe
are increasingly going to dominate educational leaders' actions in the coming years. The authors have
collected an impressive array of data and charts to show what is going to happen with declining
enrollments, fiscal pressures, and other issues. More importantly, they lay out action plans for how
leaders should be thinking and planning for these shocks, instead of reacting as they happen. This is a
must-read for anyone who wants to be ready for an increasingly chaotic future in education."
John Watson, founder, Evergreen Education Group
