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MIAMI – Eighteen Miami-Dade County Public Schools principals will get more control of their own budgets and staffing under a pilot program approved by the Miami-Dade School Board at its meeting Wednesday. The Leading Educational and Administrative Demonstration Schools (LEADS) pilot program was named for the leadership position that participating schools will occupy as the District moves forward into the next phase of continued improvement. LEADS will involve highly successful principals in all six Regions of the District, permitting them to have more authority over planning decisions and to be accountable for those decisions. Participating schools were identified by the experience of the principal, recent school accountability performance, integrity of school-site business operations, compliance with School Board rules and requirements for the use of funds, and the capacity of the principal to take on added responsibility. Selected principals will develop school-based budgets and School Strategic Plans for next school that will target student achievement and school performance. The principals will not be restricted to traditional budget formulas, but will receive a lump sum of funding and the flexibility to determine staffing ratios, materials purchasing and other issues. They will still be expected to spend with consideration for state and federal law. The program’s ultimate goal is to identify and replicate effective management and instructional practices at schools across the District. The LEADS program will provide opportunities to improve on existing successful strategies that may then be replicated in similar school environments, create a cadre of master school-site administrators, recognize outstanding administrators, and continue to increase performance accountability. A list of LEADS schools is attached. # # # 06-LJG/190/JJS |
