Smarter Budgets, Smarter Schools: How to Survive and Thrive in Tight Times (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781612501383)

Nathan's leadership led to widescale changes in academic programs by accelerating the move to standards-based education and teacher-developed common formative assessments in reading, math, writing, and social studies.

He helped create and champion an intensive reading program that reduced the number of students reading below grade level by 68 percent and revamped special education services, leading to a 24 percentage-point improvement in academic achievement in English and math. The Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy identified Arlington High as a best-practice school for raising achievement of students with special needs by more than nearly all other schools in the state, a two-thirds reduction in the achievement gap.

By redesigning its budgeting, custodial, financial accounting, and leadership structure, the Arlington district created significant savings while providing higher service levels in all areas that were affected. Savings were shifted to academic programs that helped students directly. As a strong believer in the importance of developing staff, Nathan implemented a new system for hiring teachers and created teamwork between administrators and teams of teachers, despite an environment that had previously prized isolation and turf conflict.