Course overview

Aligning Mission & Finances: The Basics of Financial Management (October 2025)

Strong financial stewardship is essential to a school’s success—and every leader and board member plays a role. This course introduces the fundamentals of financial management in international schools, tailored for those new to the business side of education. Topics include budgeting, financial reporting, cash flow, and aligning resources with strategic goals.

Over four modules (approximately 4 hours per week), participants will engage with video lessons, curated readings, reflective exercises, and three live discussions. Content is differentiated by role—principal, new director, finance leader, or board member—allowing participants to tailor their learning.

Whether you're a principal, a new Head, a finance team member, or a board member, this course equips you with the practical tools and shared vocabulary to better understand your school’s financial landscape and support mission-driven decision-making.


What you are going to learn

In a Nutshell:

Alan Knobloch will engage you and a cohort group in practical, job-embedded discussions and activities designed for immediate application and impact.

Resources are curated and relevant and you’ll have the opportunity to reflect on your experience in a forum of colleagues.

Impact Course Outcomes:

  • Utilize fiscal resource allocation principles and determine how effectively your school’s fiscal resources deliver on the mission.
  • Draft an action plan with related steps for strategically aligning fiscal resources, including communication and collaboration components.
  • Begin several steps of your plan to accomplish your objectives.
  • Reflect upon the learning, utilizing the collective expertise and experience of the group, to promote leadership growth within ourselves and others.

Dr. Alan Knobloch

Head of School, International School of Hamburg, Germany
About:
A former supervisor commended Alan for being someone who can translate school finance to the educators and the business of education to board members.  Dr. Alan Knobloch has over 25 years experience as a school administrator working in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and the United States. He has worked with Board Finance Committees at four different schools and, as a Deputy Superintendent at the Shanghai American School, was named Chief Budget Officer in charge of an annual budget in excess of $100 million.  Alan is the current Head of School of the International School of Hamburg in Germany. Previously, he served as the Director of the International School of Dakar. During his tenure, ISD significantly improved staff compensation, completed a $7.5 million construction project, while increasing the school’s financial reserves due to effective long-range financial planning and strong internal controls.

Course reviews

Alan is an awesome facilitator. Throughout the course he provided excellent resources and also a few good laughs at random times with funny emails (which were appreciated!). Even after the course finished, we've been in contact as I am currently developing various budgeting scenarios for next year and he has offered very detailed thoughts.
Director, ASD Douala
Alan was a wonderful sounding board and conducted sessions with humor and deep knowledge, he was highly responsive and has deep knowledge of this subject. I will definitely recommend this course to others.
Head of School