Dates of This Two-Part Workshop: March 30 & April 6, 2021
Time of This Two-Part Workshop: 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM New York Time
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This two-part interactive workshop is available for $450 per school, which includes up to three attendees per school team.
Knowledge is power. In an increasingly competitive market and with the impact of the pandemic, it is crucial to have the finance team aligned with the school mission, vision, and financial strategic direction to optimize school performance. Understanding the WHY, and expanding knowledge of the HOW, will empower professional staff in the business office to increase their productivity and efficiency.
This ISS School Operations two-part interactive workshop will:
- Examine financial practices in international schools
- Help teams identify and interpret cross dependencies
- Link the financial strategies to the school's mission and values
- Provide practical tools to enhance participants' ability to optimize the school's business performance through meaningful and effective contribution
This two-part interactive workshop is designed for Professional Staff working in the Business Office; Controllers, Accounting Managers, and Processors seeking to improve their understanding of the inner workings of a school, cross dependencies, how they fit into the process, and how they can add value to the school. The interactive workshops also offer offline discussions with peers and ISS experienced leaders between the two live sessions. Join us with your business office team and benefit from this valuable professional development opportunity.
All communications regarding access, course materials, course participation, Zoom meeting participation, and final PD certificate will be communicated through the Canvas platform.
Part 1: The Finance and Inner-Working of an International School
In this first workshop, participants will delve into the school operations through finance lenses and develop a greater appreciation of the financial and functional interdependency between the various school units/departments. Participants will explore different methods of reporting and develop an understanding of the financial reporting needs and managerial decision-making methods of school leaders.
Participants will understand:
- The importance of school finances on School Mission, Vision, and Accreditation
- The components of school employees' salaries and benefits packages
- The primary drivers of a school's financial statements
- What the HoS needs for managing vs what the auditor needs for accounting
Part 2: Understanding Your Value, Personal Contribution, and Impact
In this second workshop, we will help participants to develop the ability to read the story the numbers tell, understand how to measure results and analytics, ask the right questions to mitigate risk, and acquire confidence as members of the financial team.
Participants will understand:
- Analytical thinking and interpreting numbers
- Variance Analysis: Comparisons to budgets and historic numbers, what trends and differences tell us
- Adding value as a member of the financial team
Meet the Presenter
Patricia Foster, Director of Finance and Operations, American School of Doha
Patty is a certified public accountant with over twenty years of experience as a school CFO and Business Manager in the U.S. and abroad. Patty has worked on start-up schools and schools with 2200+ students. Prior to experience in schools, Patty was financial executive with MasterCard International, NewPower Holdings, and KPMG Peat Marwick. Patty’s breadth of experience and engaging style will ensure all participants feel at ease and still be challenged to optimize their school’s finances.