1.       It’s no secret that schools are facing great budgetary challenges.  As a result, school leaders are faced with difficult decisions when it comes to appropriating funds.  Today’s principals often have great influence with these decisions as per their site-based budgeting responsibilities.   From the principal’s perspective - What is the value of staff development for school site and system-based custodial personnel?  How should these programs be evaluated? 

It seems that one cannot pick-up a newspaper, watch the TV news or even go the coffee shop without being exposed to the issue of privatization and/or subcontracting for jobs that have been historically part of the public sector.  Since our course deals with site-based business and operational functions within public schools, please answer the following question from that vantage point.  How should decisions be reached regarding use of contracted versus system-supplied operations/maintenance services?