Education Financial Officers Do Not Have the Skills for the Jobs

Posted on April 11, 2014 by LANDsds Sustainable Voice News — Leave a comment

April 11, 2014

By Dr. Tyra Oldham, LANDsds Sustainable Voice News

Big news on the efficacy and education of finance board members education to do the job. As it is important to look nationally, one state’s actions can lend weight to the state of education. The news that the “School finance officers across Kentucky may lack skills for their jobs” is not a surprise but important content.

The news that Department of Education in Kentucky revealed the lack of education and competence to do the job. The rule of thumb in Kentucky is relationships-relationships that do not support quality hires. The goal to ensure sustainable education is having the resources and knowledge to support the development of education. As the “new report by the state auditor’s office, obtained by the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting, reveals that the problem is statewide:

● One-third of the commonwealth’s school finance officers don’t have college degrees in accounting or a finance-related field. Those 58 districts represent more than $1.3 billion a year in spending.

● In more than 20 percent of districts, finance officers don’t have a bachelor’s degree in any subject at all.

● Their work experience varies widely. Of Kentucky’s 173 school districts, 33 have finance officers who are former teachers, principals or superintendents. Of those, 18 have no previous financial or accounting experience or education,” reports Kentucky.

● Less than half reported obtaining a finance-related certification.

The challenge for a state like Kentucky is to open the doors to broadening the intelligence beyond the relationships of comfort. Education, requires steadfast critical solutions to solve the education gaps of today. To repair education which is broken the stakeholders have to be qualified to the task of today’s demands and future requirements.