Quick View: Districts
Many of the urban school districts are the size of Fortune 500 companies— with billion-dollar budgets and thousands of employees. For example, the New York City Department of Education has a larger budget ($17 billion), more employees and more facilities than Xerox, Nike or Office Depot. District operations are often hampered by, among other things, misallocated resources, antiquated technology, and layers of bureaucracy. This provides the opportunity for quick wins with huge impact since they educate the vast majority of students.
What role do school districts play in education?
Operate Public Schools: Manage and operate schools within budget.
Deliver Academic Results: Educate students to the established standards. Ensure student knowledge and skill acquisition.
Set and Interpret Policy: Set policy for areas not covered by federal and state policy and interpret policy within federal and state guidelines. For example:
- Funding: Determine allocation of funds within the district (between central office and schools, across schools)
- Human Capital: Set policy and protocols around implementation of teacher hiring and evaluation in alignment with federal and state policies