The program, which has taken its successful seminars into Macomb County, presenting two workshops this fall to administrators in the Macomb Intermediate School District (MISD), can help.
Using the principles introduced in the workshops, school districts can develop effective practices by identifying what is of highest value and then allocating resources to achieve these goals while eliminating waste.
“School districts began dealing with the current economic situation long before it hit the private sector,” Flumerfelt said. “They are eager to do the best they can with the limited funds they have, which means doing more with less, and less.”
Representatives from six MISD school districts attended the fall workshops, which presented participants with tools to eliminate waste, without decreasing the quality of the education they provide students, she said. The goal is for district staff to identify ways to streamline processes, create and sustain meaningful collaborative engagements and increase employee performance and satisfaction.
“Lean thinking provides proven solutions to empower schools to operate at their full potential, even in this downturned economy,” she said. “The workshop is just the beginning of the process, the beginning of the conversation regarding how to move forward more efficiently. “
As a follow up, participants can participate in the professional certificate program, which discusses the concepts more in depth.
Lean Thinking for Schools seminars have been presented in counties across the state including Washtenaw, Oakland and Muskegon. For information on upcoming sessions, visit www.oakland.edu/leanschools.
In the current economic climate, the number one lesson for school administrators is learning how to do more with less, according to Shannon Flumerfelt, professor of Educational Leadership at OU’s School of Education and Human Services and coordinator of the Oakland University Pawley Lean Institute’s Lean Thinking for Schools program.