MASBO has launched Impact & Opportunity, a campaign to recruit candidates for careers in school finance and operations. The campaign will seek to expand the pipeline of applicants for positions in Massachusetts school business offices, from entry-level jobs to senior leadership roles.
“We’ve heard from our members about the significant challenges in finding qualified applicants for critical roles in school finance and operations,” said Susan Bottan, President of the MASBO Board of Directors, and Director of Finance for the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional School District. “The MASBO Board has prioritized this effort to support member districts in two important ways: increasing awareness about the vast career opportunities available across the Commonwealth in this rewarding field, and creating several pathways to enter into and move within the field.”
The campaign will feature testimonials from MASBO members describing the advantages of careers in school finance and operations.
“The most compelling arguments for pursuing careers in school finance and operations come from the professionals in those jobs today,” said Margaret Raymond Driscoll, Executive Director of MASBO. “Our members speak passionately about the joy they experience working in this field, particularly their vital role in ensuring students and staff have the resources they need to succeed.”
Campaign messaging will emphasize the rewards and personal satisfaction that come with careers in the public sector, particularly the impact school professionals have on ensuring the success of students and staff in public schools. Research affirms that “roughly nine in 10 Gen Zs (89%) and millennials (92%) consider a sense of purpose to be important to their job satisfaction and well-being.” Therefore, MASBO officials said, it is essential that outreach for these positions appeals to younger applicants’ desire for meaningful work.
Campaign materials will include new website content, LinkedIn posts, and print collateral, distributed at conferences, college career centers, and other venues to reach prospective applicants. The association will pursue other opportunities to build awareness and interest in school business office roles.
MASBO hosts a Career Hub where school districts can post job openings in school finance and operations. Earlier this year, MASBO produced a “Guide to Strategic Recruitment of School Business Administrators: Maximizing Educational and Financial Success” (Flipbook | PDF) to help districts recruit and hire qualified professionals for their school business offices.
These efforts are designed to complement a range of existing programs and services MASBO offers to support professional advancement in the field, including a pathway to earn State licensure as a School Business Administrator, a Professional Support Program through which veterans in the field mentor colleagues who are newer to the role, as well as extensive professional development opportunities throughout the year.
MASBO officials emphasized the importance of increasing not only the number but also the diversity of applicants – including demographics that reflect the families and communities served by member districts, as well as a range of experiences from the public and private sectors. They noted that school districts often have success recruiting and developing internal candidates, either from within the business office or among educators in schools. MASBO’s professional development offerings also include programs to equip current district employees and career-changers alike with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed, as well as paths to licensure.
For the latest updates on the project, follow MASBO on LinkedIn.