A warm, contemporary classroom story about creative Maple Mehta-Cohen and her dyslexia, perfect for fans of Lisa Thompson, Helen Rutter and R. J. Palacio. A dyslexia-friendly book. A story for anyone who has ever felt different. Maple Mehta-Cohen has a secret: she can't read very well. Words on the page just don't make sense. Despite all her clever tricks to hide her troubles with reading, her teacher is on to her, and now she has to repeat a whole year of school. But on her first day back, Maple tells a lie about why she's there - a lie that soon spirals out of control... Will Maple find the courage to tell the truth before someone gets hurt? And can she find a way to love herself and her brain, just the way she is? Readers who have faced their own trials with school and friendships will enjoy this heartwarming story and its bright, creative heroine. "A layered, utterly readable novel" Kirkus

Lean management can lead to operational excellence, but toward what end? This book examines the power of linking Lean government operations and purposeful public policy. When Lean process improvement principles and techniques entered the public sector after decades of proven effectiveness in private industry, it brought the same transformative potential. These programs can improve public services, boost employee morale, and free up previously underutilized capacity. It focuses on how the freed capacity can be applied to accomplish important societal objectives. The book has four parts: Part 1: The Foundation of Continuous Improvement (CI) -- The reader is introduced to the field of CI and to Lean principles and techniques as applied to public sector organizations. CI initiatives can improve services, boost employee morale, and free up previously underutilized capacity. This part includes an overview of best practices and strategies for overcoming common challenges. Part 2: Lean Public Policy -- Discussion of both purpose and function. Lean practitioners are systems thinkers. Viewing disparate processes as components of a whole, we seek to integrate functions across silos to maximize value, quality, and efficiency. It would be great if public programs could be designed for optimal functionality. If that were the case, then lean practitioners would simply apply the Plan-Do-Study-Act/Adjust (PDSA) cycle for ongoing improvement. In the real world, policy making tends to be ad-hoc and reactive. This part explores the impediments to Leaning existing programs and considers what lean public policy would look like. Government regulatory functions and health care policy are used as examples. Part 3: Operational Excellence -- This part begins to pull policy and administration together by introducing John M. Bernard’s concept of three levels of maturity in government. Part 4: Putting it together – What to do, how to do it, and who can get it done. This part contains a summary and overview of CI methodology and the prerequisites for the implementation of policies that will lead to progress on societal goals. Drawing lessons from practitioners striving for Level 3 maturity in government, the book closes with a series of recommendations.

Lean management can lead to operational excellence, but toward what end? This book examines the power of linking Lean government operations and purposeful public policy. When Lean process improvement principles and techniques entered the public sector after decades of proven effectiveness in private industry, it brought the same transformative potential. These programs can improve public services, boost employee morale, and free up previously underutilized capacity. It focuses on how the freed capacity can be applied to accomplish important societal objectives. The book has four parts: Part 1: The Foundation of Continuous Improvement (CI) -- The reader is introduced to the field of CI and to Lean principles and techniques as applied to public sector organizations. CI initiatives can improve services, boost employee morale, and free up previously underutilized capacity. This part includes an overview of best practices and strategies for overcoming common challenges. Part 2: Lean Public Policy -- Discussion of both purpose and function. Lean practitioners are systems thinkers. Viewing disparate processes as components of a whole, we seek to integrate functions across silos to maximize value, quality, and efficiency. It would be great if public programs could be designed for optimal functionality. If that were the case, then lean practitioners would simply apply the Plan-Do-Study-Act/Adjust (PDSA) cycle for ongoing improvement. In the real world, policy making tends to be ad-hoc and reactive. This part explores the impediments to Leaning existing programs and considers what lean public policy would look like. Government regulatory functions and health care policy are used as examples. Part 3: Operational Excellence -- This part begins to pull policy and administration together by introducing John M. Bernard’s concept of three levels of maturity in government. Part 4: Putting it together – What to do, how to do it, and who can get it done. This part contains a summary and overview of CI methodology and the prerequisites for the implementation of policies that will lead to progress on societal goals. Drawing lessons from practitioners striving for Level 3 maturity in government, the book closes with a series of recommendations.

Most Lean practitioners learn about the three Ms: muda (waste), mura (unevenness or variability), and muri (overburden), and beginners in Lean generally focus on the removal of muda. The impact of muri is not as readily understood. It is extremely significant, however, for those working in government. Decisions on staffing levels and resource allocation are made by elected officials who are generally disconnected from daily operations. Short-sighted cost-cutting makes it difficult to deliver quality services as efficiently as possible. The mantra of "do more with less" creates ever-increasing muri. In contrast to robust Lean programs in privately owned companies, efficiency initiatives are regularly cut from public-sector budgets. Antiquated systems remain in place, with too few workers to operate the existing processes. The debilitating impact of persistent muri brings burnout and turnover, perpetuating a vicious cycle. Despite the muri, a dedicated cadre of public servants is hard at work using Lean techniques and principles to break down bureaucratic red tape and improve the quality of services at every level of government across the country. While the author incorporated examples of Lean initiatives in other states to give readers an idea of all the terrific work that is occurring, this book is really the story of one of those journeys. Using the author's experience while working for the State of New Hampshire, you'll learn about the steps along the way. Each chapter tells a story of what they did, what they learned, and how the lessons can be applied. Annotated outlines of White, Yellow, and Green Belt programs, and the Lean for Leaders workshop, as well as two hypothetical scenarios that were used as training exercises are included. These approaches are not intended to be authoritative or prescriptive; they are offered as insights and examples. You'll read about the challenges and pitfalls, and the creative countermeasures developed by a dauntless team of Lean practitioners. The story is shared to inform and encourage others -- material based on the New Hampshire Bureau of Education and Training's Lean programs is included throughout the book.

As the scope of the current financial crisis dwarfs the recession of 1991, public retirement systems face momentous pressures. In a number of cases, the roots of these funding problems can be traced to actions taken during the recession 18 years earlier. This study of the New Hampshire Retirement System chronicles a series of events in 1991-92 which led to a $2.4 billion unfunded liability by 2007. The study depicts trustees, legislators and stakeholders in crisis. Transcripts and interviews give readers an inside view of a struggle to adhere to fiduciary duty in the face of relentless political pressure. Events in New Hampshire during the recession of 1991 were not unique; researchers found that a number of states sought to balance budgets by reducing pension contributions during that period. This study sets New Hampshire's experience in the context of those findings as it portrays a system of pension governance under stress. Now, the impending retirement of the Baby Boomers coincides with a global financial crisis. This examination of the past may serve to inform the present, as public pension systems face the challenges ahead.