Operations Director (COD)

Established in 1998, the MSBO Voluntary Certification Program supports the ongoing professional development of school business officials. The program is a mark of distinction that reflects professional achievement and demonstrates a person’s dedication to his/her profession.

Benefits of Operations Director Certification

The overall purpose of this certification is:
1) to provide access to information and training for Operations Directors that is specific to Michigan law and regulation; and
2) to provide a basis for advancing professionalism of Operations Directors in Michigan.

The COD Program

MSBO certification courses provide a great deal of information in a short time. Most courses are “bulleted” information rather than in-depth training. They are intended to cover major points about their respective topics, offer an opportunity for questions and discussion, and provide resource information for future use.

The recommended beginning course for Operations Director certification is Introduction to Operations Management. Although anyone may benefit from certification courses, the full program is generally intended for Operations Directors in their first 1-5 years of employment. For those who have more experience, MSBO will evaluate his/her experience to determine the amount of training required prior to granting certification.

Requirements

This program and the courses listed have been created and reviewed by the Facilities, Transportation and Professional Development Committees of MSBO. An applicant for certification must be a member of MSBO.

In some circumstances courses from other sources may be counted toward MSBO certification. Please be aware that some courses and/or requirements may change. MSBO and the committees that created this program continue to evaluate and make minor modifications as deemed appropriate.

MSBO’s Certification Program Benefits:

Provides access to information needed to succeed in your job
Offers practical overviews of key areas of law, regulations and practices
Identifies resources for in-depth and additional information that may be utilized at a later time
Assures a quality curriculum is developed and monitored by the MSBO Professional Development Committee
Uses experienced practitioners to teach classes
Offers seminars at regular intervals and reasonable prices
Uses adult learning principles and provides a learning environment where colleagues can share experiences and information

Questions?

Contact Courtney Byam at 517.327.5937;
or Debbie Kopkau at 517.327.2587.

Operations Director (COD) Course Descriptions

Basic Transportation Management (18 hours):

Three days of instruction were designed to provide a new supervisor with the tools needed to perform their professional responsibilities. Key areas covered include successful management planning, scheduling, special needs transportation, personnel records and issues, routes and routing, bus stop evaluations, benchmarking fleet operations, an overview of P.A. 187 along with all laws, rules, regulations and opinions. Individual homework and group projects are also part of this class. You must be a transportation supervisor to have this class count toward the State of Michigan guidelines under MCL 257.1851(2). If not, it does count toward MSBO Certification. (Offered by MAPT)

Custodial Operations (3 hours):

Understand custodial operations and learn best practices that focus on procedure manuals, scheduling and staffing, training, equipment and supplies, and service contracts.

Effective Communications (3 hours):

Learn techniques and strategies to send clear messages, create credibility, and develop strategic communications programs that are effective for your school district.

Facility Planning, Design and Construction (3 hours):

Learn the principles in the planning and designing of educational facilities; options in methods of construction management; selection of design and construction professionals; and the bonding process, including laws, bidding requirement and record keeping.

Introduction to Operations Management (6 hours):

An overview of educational operations with a focus on several key areas. This class discusses the role of the Facilities Manager and the Transportation Director in the educational community and the impact of these combined duties in general in the learning and work environment. An outline of the legal and regulatory responsibilities will also be discussed.

Labor Relations/Employment Law (6 hours):

Understand the major state and federal employment laws that apply to public schools. Learn about collective bargaining, wage and hour, discrimination, COBRA, Family Medical Leave Act and other state and federal retirement issues.

Maintenance Operations (3 hours):

Learn the basics and best practices in maintenance operations. Understand scheduling and staffing, the basics of work order systems, service contracts as well as the benefits of focusing on preventative maintenance of school grounds.

Managing Emergencies (6 hours):

Identify, develop and implement emergency planning. From natural disasters to bus accidents you need to have plans in place. You will learn what to look for and what information to gather along with coordinating with emergency responders, school personnel, and the community.

Performance Evaluations for Personnel (3 hours):

Learn how and when to evaluate employees, what documentation should be placed in the employee’s file and what type of follow-up should be completed. Examine discipline, discharge, and the probationary employee terms.

Principles of Budgeting (3 hours):

(Formerly Budget) Learn principles of school budgeting and explain methods of establishing and maintaining facilities or an operations budget. Understand major budget pressures that schools face; the role of collective bargaining in the budget; and how the public can affect the local school budget.

Principles of Education (3 hours):

Understand the educational process, culture of schools, major learning theories, teaching methodologies, school improvement, design of inservice programs, and the structure and function of the principalship.

Strategic Planning (3 hours):

A strategic plan helps a district achieve its mission and goals. Learn to identify short- and long-term goals in all areas of school district management. Explore the development of strategic, financial goals by examining current research, best practices, and datasets. Also, learn how to create a budget to meet these goals. Learn how to facilitate the strategic planning process and assist in the implementation, monitoring, reporting, evaluation, and revision of a strategic plan.

Team Leadership (3 hours):

Learn how to match your leadership style with the culture of the organization. Matching leadership style to the cultural landscape will allow you to increase your productivity, decrease communication problems and strengthen your conflict management skills.

Technology for Operational Management (6 hours):

Demonstration of different options for computerization of the facility management functions, including: work order systems, utility tracking, preventive maintenance, space usage, and inventory and transportation management functions, including: routing, preventive maintenance, and purchasing of buses.

Certification Wrap-up (2 hours):

Celebrate completion of your certification program! Reflect on what you have learned and your role in the educational process and your school district. This class can be taken only if you are two classes or less from completing your certification (not counting the Certification Wrap-Up Session).

Elective (6 hours):

Any course taken outside of this certification track but required in another.