2 min read

Episode #33 - Operationalizing school moves with Julie Anne Garretson

BuyQ : Oct 25, 2024 7:00:00 AM

Leadership Facilities Operations Strategy

Episode #33 - Operationalizing school moves with Julie Anne Garretson

SHOW NOTES

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GUESTS

Episode Guest

Julie Anne Garretson, Network Director of Operations and School Support at Public Preparatory Network

Connect with Julie Anne on LinkedIn

Websites:

https://www.publicprep.org/

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of The Charter School Insider, host Daniel Casselli talks with Julie Anne Garretson, Network Director of Operations and School Support at Public Prep. Julie shares her extensive experience managing complex school relocations across New York City, focusing on three major moves Public Prep has navigated over the past two years. These include closing a flagship campus, managing temporary spaces, and the challenges of opening a new facility. Julie offers practical insights into the operational, logistical, and communication strategies that helped the team tackle these significant changes while maintaining high standards of school operation.

EPISODE TAKEAWAYS

Effective Planning & Flexibility:

Julie emphasized the importance of planning down to the finest details but also highlighted the need for flexibility, especially when dealing with unknowns like delayed construction or last-minute relocations. Tools like Asana and Google Sheets were key for tracking tasks and ensuring cross-functional collaboration.

Communication Across Teams:

Regular communication with both internal and external stakeholders was essential. Julie shared that proactive communication across the board — from DOE officials to the custodial staff — ensured smoother transitions and helped avoid last-minute surprises.

Strategic Thinking in Temporary Spaces:

Finding and transitioning into temporary spaces while awaiting the completion of a new facility requires creative problem-solving. Julie discussed the value of choosing a temporary location in a future target district, which helped retain families and streamline operations when the final move was made.

Learning From Experience:

One important lesson Julie shared was the need to be selective about what to bring during a move — like choosing not to transport unneeded materials (e.g., excess books), which helped them save costs and reduce unnecessary complexity.

Building Strong Relationships:

Whether working with movers, construction teams, or city departments, the importance of building strong, collaborative relationships was a recurring theme in Julie's success story.

RESOURCES

Charter School Growth Fund Resources: Visit their website for operational best practices and tools used by charter schools nationwide.
Book: Radical Candor.
Book: First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to School Operations and Moves
07:43 Navigating School Closures and Relocations
11:06 The Three-Part Move Strategy
12:14 Planning and Communication in Operations
25:56 Shutting Down a School: Key Considerations
30:39 Finding Temporary Spaces for Schools
35:49 Lessons Learned from School Moves

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Julie Anne Garretson is a nonprofit professional who has successfully collaborated with colleagues towards the goal of achieving tangible, data driven results in the development of youth. Has demonstrated history in building relationships with stakeholders and leveraging those relationships to create large-scale cooperative projects that benefit the local community. Proven ability to lead and motivate teams through a challenging year of service as well as spearhead several new initiatives utilizing effective strategies and systems

ABOUT OUR HOST

Daniel Casselli is a life-long learner whose passion for education has driven his professional endeavors. He is a former classroom teacher and youth ministry director whose entrepreneurial spirit landed him in the world of education technology. At EVERFI Inc., Daniel helped run the business development efforts for EVERFI’s Financial Education Program and the company was eventually sold to Blackbaud for $750M in 2021. Shortly before EVERFI’s acquisition, Daniel joined Class Technologies as one of the earliest sales hires and went on to lead K12 Enterprise Sales and helped the company land its first 100+ K12 customers across public, charter, and private schools. Daniel brings his unique experiences to BuyQ where he is focused on growth, operational excellence, business strategy, and client satisfaction. He is a graduate of Grove City College where he studied Religion and History.

You can listen to Charter School Insider: Lessons from the Nation's Top Charter School Operators on your favorite podcasting platform...

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