ncsa today magazine, spring 2010

NCSA TODAYNCSA TODAYA PUBLICATION OF THE NEBRASKA COUNCIL OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

Nebraska Councilof School Administrators

April 2010 www.NCSA.org

HistoricLegislationto Change

KindergartenEnrollment

Date

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APRIL 2010 NCSA TODAY 1

FEATURES

NCSA MissionThe mission of the Nebraska Council of School Administrators (NCSA) is to be an effec-tive leader for quality education and to enhance the professionalism of its members.

NCSA Today is a benefit of membership in the Nebraska Council of School Administrators, 455 South 11thStreet, Suite A, Lincoln, NE 68508. Telephone 402.476.8055 or 800.793.6272. Fax 402.476.7740. An-nual membership dues are $325 (active members), $100 (associate members), or $30 (student members).NCSA Today is published quarterly. Send address changes to NCSA, Membership, 455 South 11th Street,Suite A, Lincoln, NE 68508. Copyright ©2010 by NCSA. All rights reserved.

NCSA EXECUTIVE BOARD2009-2010

Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Matt FisherVice Chair . . . . . . . . . . . .Ryan RuhlPast Chair . . . . . . . . . . John Osgood

NASA RepresentativesPresident . . . . . . . . . .Bill MowinkelPresident-elect . . . . . . . .Jack MolesPast President . . . . . . . .Matt Fisher

NASBO RepresentativesPresident . . . . . . . . . . .Rick FeautoPresident-elect . . . . .Robin HoffmanPast President . . . Sandy Rosenboom

NAESP RepresentativesPresident . . . . . . . . .Sarah WilliamsPresident-elect . . . . . .Midge MougeyPast President . . . . . . . . . .Mary Yilk

NASES RepresentativesPresident . . . . . . . . . . . .Jane ByersPresident-elect . . . . .Peggy RomshekPast President . . . . .Ellen Stokebrand

NSASSP RepresentativesPresident . . . . . . . .Kenton McLellanPresident-elect . . . .Randy SchleuterPast President . . . . . . . . .Ryan Ruhl

NARSA RepresentativePresident . . . . . . . . . . . .Ron Joekel

NCSA STAFF

Dr. Michael S. DulaneyExecutive Director/Lobbyist

Dr. Dan E. ErnstAssociate Executive Director/Lobbyist

Kelly Coash-JohnsonTraining and Development Director

Amy PoggenklassFinance and Membership Coordinator

Dr. Bill KenagyNCSA Principal Liaison

Angie CarmanExecutive Administrative Assistant

Carol YoungAdministrative Assistant

Sarah F. SullivanNCSA Staff Correspondent

The opinions expressed in NCSA Todayor by its authors do not necessarilyreflect the positions of the NebraskaCouncil of School Administrators.

Historic Legislation to ChangeKindergarten Enrollment Date

Cloudy Economic Forecast Still HasGlimmer of Hope

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HasYour Evaluation Instrument Evolved with theTimes orAreYou Still Using Slate and Chalk?BY DR. KENT MCLELLEN

The Job of Elementary PrincipalBY SARAH WILLIAMS

CareerAcademy Partnerships/Collaboration atWorkBY DR. RANDY A. NELSON

ESU 13–Virtual High School:NebraskaEducationalVirtualAcademy (NEVA)BY DR. JEFFREY D. WEST

NAESP Outstanding New Principal of theYear

NCSAWelcomes New Finance andMembership Coordinator

NSASSPAnnounces 2009-2010AwardWinners

NAESPAnnounces Nebraska DistinguishedPrincipal of theYear

NAESP LongevityAwards 2009-2010

NSASSP LongevityAwards 2009-2010

Green Light to Go GreenBY DAVE RAYMOND and DENNY VAN HORN

Educators HealthAlliance (EHA) UpdateBY DR. MIKE DULANEY and DR. DAN ERNST

NCSA Honors LongtimeAdvocate

School Community Partnership forEssential Finance Planning

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

2 NCSA TODAY APRIL 2010

STATEWIDE

For years, young Nebraskans havebeen eligible for kindergarten ifthey turn five years old on or before

October 15th. For years, kindergarten teach-ers have raised concerns over the age dif-ference of students in their classrooms.

“This has been an issue in Nebraska foras long as I can remember,” said Co-Admin-istrator of the Nebraska Department of Ed-ucation’s (NDE’s) Office of Early Childhood,Melody Hobson. “I know that there’s been ahistory of people trying to solve the prob-lem of age ranges for ten years at least. Thishas definitely been an ongoing issue—Iwas hearing about it when I first came tothe department.”

Senator Greg Adams shared the same opinion. “In thetime that I have been the Education Committee chair, Ihave fielded repetitive questions about the state’s earlychildhood grant program, eligibility for kindergarten, andthe broad age and ability spectrum.”

As a response to these ever-growing concerns, Sena-tor Adams introduced Legislative Bill (LB) 1006 in 2010.LB 1006 states that beginning with the 2012-13 schoolyear, children will be eligible for kindergarten if they arefive years old by July 31st, pushing the cutoff date back2.5 months and significantly narrowing the age range of

kindergartners in the class-room.

Included in the bill is astipulation that childrenwho turn five between Au-gust 1st and October 15thwill be allowed to enterkindergarten if they pass anassessment, which will de-termine whether or not achild is capable of handlingkindergarten-level work.This assessment must beapproved by school districtsby January 1, 2012.

Originally, the bill required NDE to choose one modelassessment procedure for all districts. However, this pro-vision was eliminated, allowing school boards to adopttheir own assessment.

Senator Adams states, “The bill indicates a recogni-tion of the importance of education and preparednessfor learning,” and met virtually no opposition during de-bate on the Legislation. “The response to the bill hasbeen overwhelmingly positive,” said Adams.

For Doniphan-Trumbull Public School Elementary Prin-cipal, Mary Yilk, the changes have been long time com-ing. Yilk, who testified in favor of the bill at its publichearing in February has worked alongside other educa-tors for ten years in an attempt to narrow the age gapin kindergarten classrooms.

“The last ten years have been a lot of research andtalking with the school superintendents and finance di-rectors…and trying to educate the public on the issue.Kindergarten has changed,” explained Yilk. “Studentscome in with the majority of them already knowing somuch because of the digital age. They are digital learn-ers and absorb so much information so muchfaster…academically, students are ready to absorb so

Historic Legislation to ChangeKindergarten Enrollment DateBY SARAH F. SULLIVAN, NCSA Staff Correspondent

(continued on page 3)

“[LB 1006] indicates a

recognition of the

importance of education

and preparedness for

learning….The response

to the bill has been

overwhelmingly positive.”

—SenatorAdamsNCSA appreciates Gibbon Public Schools for pro-viding the photographs for the cover and insidepicture used in this edition of the NCSA Today.

much more information that you need to be five to be able tokeep up with the trends of what education is.”

“This [LB 1006] is not an end,” Yilk continued. “The next stepis developing good quality preschool programs for three and fouryear olds.”

Despite the fact that no opposition prevented LB 1006 frombecoming law, it was not entirely smooth sailing. Senator Adamsexplained that of the concerns presented to him, one was thatJuly 31st wasn’t enough time and that the date should be June1st. Another concern was that if a school didn’t have an assess-ment, then they would have to develop one. Further, a datechange could cause a loss in student count and therefore a lossin state aid.

Melody Hobson has also heard her fair share of concerns overthe bill. “This year there were 3,300 kids born between August 1stand October 15th. So there will be an issue that will cause someconsternation around planning for the 2012-13 school year [forparents],” Hobson explained. “In two years, those kids will nolonger be eligible without taking an assessment. There is a con-cern that these children may or may not have access to high qual-ity early childhood programs [if they are not allowed to enterkindergarten], and the result would be that it would delay anyformal programming for them for another year.”

A reoccurring theme in the list of issues seems to be appre-hension over a possible lack of consistency by allowing eachschool board to adopt their own assessment policy. “There’s not

really one model that we would recommend. We don’t have thedata or the ability to choose the best validated assessment toolfor everyone,” Hobson explained. “We could help school districtswalk through the process through certain questions, but I would-n’t recommend any one specific test.”

“One could argue assessment consistency across districts,” Sen-ator Adams said, “And I believe that when the revenue pictureimproves, NDE should be required to develop an assessment. Butfor now, we’re talking about entrance into kindergarten, not mathassessments or the ACT.”

The Legislative Fiscal Office reports there were only 41 childrenin kindergarten in the state in 2009-10 who turned five betweenOctober 16th and February 1st, suggesting that very few schooldistricts are using assessments to allow early entrance. Howeverbecause of the new enrollment date, those numbers may change.

“I would anticipate in the first couple of years there would bequite a few more kids who would try to enter,” said Hobson. “Aftera couple years, it would even out and probably remain steady fora while. That’s all conjecture, but I would think that’s what couldhappen. With any change like this, there will be some parentswho plan a long way in the distance and they’ll have to changetheir planning or use the assessments.”

Despite concerns, LB 1006 will undoubtedly help children andteachers alike, although we may not see the effects until later. Butfor Mary Yilk, the bill makes those changes a foreseeable reality.“With a good developmental kindergarten program, kids will learnat the rate that they are able to and will be able to handle thepressures of being away from family. They will also have a bettersense of community and of themselves” Yilk said.

As for the teachers, Yilk is already confident in theirability to handle their classrooms. Yilk said that be-cause teachers are able to adapt instruction to anylearning level, they are fully capable of differentiatingthe needs of each individual student. However, with thebill in place, they won’t have to worry about childrenwho could fall behind because they lack the social andself-help skills that would enable them to learn as fastas their peers.

Though naysayers may grumble because the changesmight not be visible right away, for Melody Hobson theenrollment date change is better for everyone involved.“We’re never going to get all kids to come into schoolwith the same abilities, but the bill may help some ofthe variants.” �


STATEWIDE

NCSA Executive Director Mike Dulaney and NAESP President SarahWilliams present a “thank you” card to Senator Greg Adams.

Historic Legislation…(continued from page 2)


ECONOMY

Asemi-dark meeting room in the Capitol Build-ing played host to the Nebraska EconomicForecasting Advisory Board on February 26. A

projector hummed quietly in the background and thepeople who had gathered to listen to the board mem-bers speak maintained silence throughout the entireevent, careful not to miss a word.

When commenting on the state of the economy in thecoming two years, the word “flat” was widely agreed asthe best way to describe it—neither very good, nor verybad. Drawing from the experiences of their communities,the eight board members described the ups and downs oftheir cities, including existing home sales improving inOmaha, a great deal of uncertainty due to the weatherand new commercial construction in Kearney. At the endof the day, the board dropped its forecast by $31.7 mil-lion for the next two years. State revenue was forecastat $3.28 billion for the current fiscal year and the nextfiscal year, it will grow to $3.405 billion. The estimatedbudget shortfall for the next biennium is $670 million.

In the wake of this important meeting there was a

flurry of activity at the Capitol as the Legislature’s Ap-propriations Committee, chaired by Senator LavonHeidemann, met to figure out how to make up the short-fall. When asked what he thought of the forecast situa-tion, Senator Heidemann said that some of his peers inthe early part of January had wondered if the shortfallwould grow by an additional $50-100 million.

“I wasn’t quite that pessimistic,” said the Senatorfrom Elk Creek. “Right before though, I would have putthings at $20-50 million, so it came in about right inthe middle.”

With regard to the Forecast Board Members’ descrip-tion of a “flat” economy in the coming months,Heidemann agreed.

“We have not met our forecasts for quite a fewmonths, and as we look more toward the current year andmaybe the next six to ten months, I would tend to agreewith that. You start to get more optimistic maybe inabout a year, at least I do. Hopefully, that will reflect inthe revenues that we see.”

Cloudy Economic Forecast Still HasGlimmer of HopeBY SARAH F. SULLIVAN, NCSA Staff Correspondent

Nebraska Forecast Board meets in Lincoln February 26, 2010


What about the current biennium budget?After days of often intense meetings, the Legislature’s Appro-

priations Committee finally announced their preliminary budgetdecisions on March 9. (Following the first year of every biennium,the Appropriations Committee prepares a mid-biennium budgetproposal to be submitted to the full Legislature.) Included in thechanges were an additional two percent cut to almost all stateagencies for the following year (in addition to the five percentbudget decreases approved during the November special session)and exempting the University of Nebraska from cuts (they hadpondered taking $2 million from the University in prior meetings).The committee chose to utilize $3 million from the state’s $325million cash reserve to keep the budget balanced due to an $18million increase in spending for K-12 schools.

“There have been no two percent cuts made to K-12 schools.They have remained fairly unscathed through this whole thing,but they have to come into the picture and be part of it as awhole,” Heidemann explained. “When you realize that all theseagencies are taking a seven percent cut, the schools must under-stand that they will have to be part of the solution without adoubt. If they won’t be part of the solution, we’ll have to wipe outwhole agencies.”

However, while the universities and colleges are safe from cutsthis time around, they should expect to recieve reductions in thenext biennium budget cycle.

“This time we didn’t cut from the universities or the collegesor community colleges because frankly, we only had $2 millionroom before we ran under ARRA [American Recovery and Rein-vestment Act] limitations,” said Tom Bergquist, Deputy Director ofthe Legislative Fiscal Office.

Bergquist explained that all the stabilization money is underARRA guidelines and the initial amount had to bring them up tothe threshold, after which it could then be used to offset in-creases. Higher education was above the threshold (by a mere $2million), however, that limitation goes away after the next bien-nium, leaving the university and colleges available for budgetcuts.

Unfortunately, according to Bergquist, the $670 million short-fall may be too optimistic of an estimation. Bergquist explainedthat the Forecast Board only estimates numbers for the next threeyears, the third year considered an “out year.” Using the method-ology called the historical average, the board’s estimate for thesethree years are taken into account. Using these numbers, analystsfigure out what the budget would require in the next bienniumand out year. Bergquist estimates there may be as much as an ad-ditional $290 million on top of the $670 million shortfall withwhich to address.

Special Session?When asked whether or not there would be a call for a special

session, Senator Heidemann responded saying, “We’re taking careof business right now as we know it. The only way we would havea special session would be if we see bad March or April revenues.”

The Senator explained that April is going to be a telling month,but there are no current indications as to whether the revenueswill swing one way orthe other.

For schools, the com-ing months will defi-nitely be a time toreflect and plan on howbest to weather thestorm. “Schools haveonly so much moneythrough state aid andthe schools and teach-ers are going to have todecide how best tomove forward,” saidHeidemann. “They’ll haveto figure out how towork with what theyhave and how best canwe educate the childrenwith the amount of money that we have.” Looking ahead for Ne-braska, while the situation is cloudy, Senator Heidemann does seesome glimmers of hope. “Nebraska has acted responsibly duringthis whole time and we’re going to be able to move ahead with-out making up for lost ground. Other states’ higher education hadto raise tuition by 30 percent or had to fire teachers because theylost state aid. We have not seen that in Nebraska,” Heidemannsaid confidently.

“Hopefully everyone’s accepting the fact that having a job isbetter than having no job at all. If we do that, we’ll be able tomake it the other side of those two years,” Heidemann added.“When we do see a pick up in the economy, we will be able tomove forward almost immediately. So we’re in good shape in thatregard. We’ll be far ahead of everyone else, it’s definitely toughhere, but not as bad as in other places.” �


ECONOMY

“There have been no

two percent cuts made

to K-12 schools.They

have remained fairly

unscathed through

this whole thing, but

they have to come into

the picture and be part

of it as a whole.”

—Sen.Heidemann


AFFILIATE LEADERSHIP

In many conversations that I’ve had with fellow ad-ministrators, when asked where their evaluation in-strument came from, the reply is often, “I’m not

sure, it’s been here since I’ve started working here.” Asthe demands on public school teachers and administra-tors change, it makes sense that our evaluation processand instruments should be updated to meet our needs.

After discussion between our district administrators,it was decided that our evaluation process and instru-ment needed to “evolve” in order to meet our needs. Asa result, a committee of teachers and administration wasformed to address this need. Not wanting to “reinventthe wheel,” the committee contacted several schools inorder to obtain copies of their evaluation processes andinstruments. Once all had arrived, the committee setabout developing an evaluation process and instrumentthat would fit the district’s needs.

A few of the schools that sent us evaluation instru-ments had adopted a rubric developed by CharlotteDanielson, author of the book “Enhancing ProfessionalPractice: A Framework for Teaching.” Danielson’s workwas originally published by the Association for Supervi-sion and Curriculum Development (ASCD) in 1996 withthe latest edition being released in 2007. The develop-ment of Danielson’s rubric was heavily influenced by herinvolvement in the development of Educational TestingService’s (ETS) Praxis Series. The Praxis Series is com-posed of three components: Praxis I: Pre-Professional As-sessments; Praxis II: Subject Assessments; and PraxisIII: Classroom Performance Assessments. Many state andlocal agencies have adopted the Praxis I and II Series asa tool used in making teacher licensing decisions. PraxisIII is designed to assess actual teaching skills and class-room performance and it was this component that hadthe most influence in Danielson’s development of theframework. In addition to the Praxis series, Danielson’srubric was also influenced by extensive surveys of theresearch literature, wide-ranging job analyses, summariesof the demands of state licensing programs, and field-work (Danielson, 2007).

Danielson’s framework is composed of four broad do-mains that are supported by extensive research: Domain1: Planning and Preparation; Domain 2: The ClassroomEnvironment; Domain 3: Instruction; and Domain 4: Pro-fessional Responsibilities. Each of these domains con-tains several subcomponents that define a specificaspect of the domain, and each of these subcomponentshas two to five elements that describe a specific featureof the subcomponent. When using the framework as anevaluation instrument, each element is rated on a rubricthat ranges from “Unsatisfactory” to “Distinguished”with “Basic” and “Proficient” separating the lowest andhighest ratings of the rubric (Danielson, 2007).

As we were adopting Danielson’s framework as part ofour evaluation process, we discovered that Danielsonhad teamed up with Rick Welsh of NoBox Inc. to combinea digital version of her rubric with “TimerData Observa-tion Software.” As a result, “Framework for PC” was born.With “Framework for PC” an administrator can easily col-lect essential, relevant information during an observa-tion and then integrate that information into theFramework for Teaching reporting process. The reportingprocess of the software allows you to produce a thor-ough, objective analysis supported from data collectedin the classroom. It also allows you to display quantifi-able observation data with instant charts, graphs, andtables (Retrieved January 5, 2010, from NoBox Inc. web-site: http://noboxinc.com/framework/index.html).

Danielson notes that, “Framework for PC, produced byNoBox Inc, is an observation and evaluation tool thatenables users to take observation notes electronically,with an automatic time stamp, code those notes to theframework for teaching, and then sort all the notes ac-cording to the components. Therefore, all the commentsabout, for example, the environment of respect and rap-port, are clustered together, and can be looked at and in-terpreted against the rubric. Then the results of severalobservations can be displayed together, permitting theobserver to discern patterns over time or in different sit-

HasYour Evaluation InstrumentEvolved with theTimes orAreYou Still Using Slate and Chalk?BY DR. KENT MCLELLAN, Principal, Morrill High School; President NSASSP

McLellan



AFFILIATE LEADERSHIP

One of my former superintendents, who is re-tired, occasionally sees me around town or atschool. Nearly every time he sees me, he grins

and says, “If I had to do it all over again, I would comeback as an Elementary Principal. Gosh, that would be thelife!” Then he waits for me to unleash a few commentsabout the kind of day I had, or the students who werebrought to my office, or the data that needs to be com-piled and he gives me an even bigger grin and a fewchuckles. He fully understands the job of an elementaryprincipal, but, even more, he enjoys riling me. Eventhough I engage in a friendly exchange with a formersuperintendent about the duties of an elementary prin-cipal, I do not underestimate the work of an elementaryprincipal.

Over the past several years, public education has re-ceived much attention because of the increased ac-countability for student achievement. The attention iswelcomed, but can be stressful. Now, more than ever,principals must ensure that all students are reaching de-fined levels of achievement and making annual growth.In some cases, principals have to ensure students aremaking more than annual growth so that they catch upto the minimum benchmark levels. Elementary principals,especially, work with a certain degree of urgency to makesure students leave the elementary level prepared forsuccess at the next level.

We understand that the most efficient way to achievethe goals at the elementary level is to have our youngeststudents prepared for school. Therefore, elementary prin-cipals have been investing in early childhood develop-ment. Our NAESP Federal Representative recentlyreturned from Washington with news that the NationalAssociation of Elementary School Principals is calling fornew policies in the reauthorization of the Elementary andSecondary Education Act to strengthen professional de-velopment for principals and include standards for pro-gram strategies to create comprehensive early childhoodprograms. At the state level, Nebraska elementary prin-cipals have been supportive of efforts to improve earlychildhood education and children’s school readiness.

Elementary principals, however, cannot do the workalone. We recognize that there are many supporting fac-tors: involved and supportive parents, engaged students,

strong communities, skilled teachers, effective superin-tendents, and committed boards of education. Withoutthese elements, our jobs would be more difficult. I haveattended several Nebraska Distinguished Principal cere-monies during the last several years and every award re-cipient has made some comment about beinguncomfortable about the attention he or she is receiving.Generally, he or she feels uncomfortable because theywant to credit all the other supports in the building forthe success of the school. Yes, those supports are im-portant, but it is also the work of the principal that is re-sponsible for a school’s success.

Sometimes we might forget that we have another sup-porting factor – each other. Elementary principals haveso much influence in his or her own building. Imaginethe influence we can have together as a group. Weshould come together and share our common interestsand further our common purpose, which is to ensure allchildren are achieving. We are not very good at toutingour abilities or our work successes, but it is time.

I respect my former superintendent, who teases meabout how easy my job must be. I realize he is not beingserious. Next time, however, when he jokes with me, Ithink I will respond, “Yes, I bet you do wish you couldbe an elementary principal. It is the most rewarding workyou can imagine. You will hold children when they arecrying or when they are so mad they can’t control them-selves. You will get hugs on a daily basis. You might haveto clean up a few messes in the lunchroom. You willwatch children learn to read. You will watch childrensolve problems in the classroom and on the playground.You might have to substitute in a classroom for a sickteacher. You will have to prove to others that childrenare making the gains in achievement they are supposedto make. You will go home tired most days and you willfeel like you did important work.” �

The Job of Elementary PrincipalBY SARAH WILLIAMS, Principal, Ainsworth Elementary; NAESP President

Williams


PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT

Greetings to all of my col-leagues and friends! I amhere to report that there is

“life” after being a superintendentand building principal for over 25years in Nebraska. While I truly missthe day-to-day interaction and net-working as a school administrator, Iwant you to know that there are stillnumerous opportunities (outside ofadministration) to make a significantimpact on the lives of our young peo-ple. My good friends at NCSA haveasked if I would share with you someof the things I have been doing overthe past three years and how the stu-dents we are working with are beingprepared to be successful and com-petitive citizens in our ever changingglobal society.

The Southeast Nebraska CareerAcademy Partnership (SENCAP),which is funded primarily from CarlPerkins dollars, is a 21st Century ed-ucational initiative and was devel-oped through the cooperative effortsof the schools in ESU #6 and South-east Community College in an effortto provide students the opportunityto explore numerous career fields. The Academy is opento all juniors and seniors with recommendations fromtheir counselor, teachers, or principal. The cost of thecollege tuition is split equally between Southeast Com-munity College and the participating K-12 schools. Thishas added significant value to the program and has al-lowed many students, who would not have otherwisebeen able to afford to take college classes, to graduatewith as many as 9-12 college hours.

Starting with the 2008-09 school year, nearly 125 jun-iors and seniors from 22 schools began taking dual creditclasses (college hours and instructors provided by South-east Community College) in both the Education and Med-

ical/Health career areas. During this current school year,academies for Business and Basic Nurses Training wereadded, and for the 2010-11 school year, the Industrial,Manufacturing, and Engineering career cluster will be thenew additional academy.

In addition to all of the SENCAP courses being offeredfor “dual credit,” our students experience active learningby taking field trips to different locations across thestate in order to see “first hand” the multitude of ca-reers available to them; they are involved with job shad-owing in at least two different career areas; the studentsmeet and interact with other students from across south-east Nebraska; they do research on colleges across the

CareerAcademyPartnerships/Collaboration atWorkBY DR. RANDY A. NELSON, Administrator, Southeast Nebraska Career Academy Partnership

Nelson



PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT

country in their career of interest andavailability of different careers; and, stu-dents are able to connect and interactwith various professionals from their owncommunities.

The SENCAP project is the first of itskind in the state that is serving multipleschool districts in outstate Nebraska. Tobest serve the needs of the students, wehave broken down the service area(which encompasses seven differentcounties) into four Regions. The “hub”for each of these Regions include; York—Western, Crete—Central, Lincoln—East-ern, and Wahoo—Northern. Studentstravel twice a week to these centralizedcommunities to take classes from SCC.The other three days of the week stu-dents are back in the home schools work-ing on their assignments from theStudent Portfolios.

During the past two years of deliver-ing the Career Academies we have foundthat the academic achievement andknowledge of our students is consider-ably enhanced when our young people

are actively engaged in career experi-ences in their field of interest. The rela-tivity and applicability of what theylearn becomes more meaningful and use-ful as students move beyond their highschool years. The 21st Century HighSchool research has shown that one ofthe strategies that significantly impactspreparing high schools for the future iswhen they are participating in some typeof career development program. Learningis enhanced when it is organized aroundwhat students should know and be ableto do after high school – both in highereducation and in the workplace. This isprecisely what the Southeast NebraskaCareer Academy Partnership does for ourstudents.

It is exciting to be partnering withschools and organizations in the SENCAPProgram who see the importance ofbeing directly involved with career edu-cation. A program that actively engagesstudents in their learning, provides op-portunities for both high school and col-lege credit, allows first hand career

experiences through job shadowing,takes numerous field trips to visit work-places and interact with professionals,promotes active, hands-on learning, and,positions students to be better preparedfor the future that faces them.

I am pleased to share that severalschools across the state of Nebraska arebeginning to get actively involved inproviding career education opportunitiesfor their students. If you are interestedin learning more about SENCAP and ourCareer Academy Program you can contactme at ESU #6 ([email protected]) or callme at 402-761-3341. �

CareerAcademy (continued)

uations" (Retrieved January 5, 2010, fromNoBox Inc. website: http://noboxinc.com/framework/index.html).

While the Framework for PC software isa wonderful evaluation tool, it also hasthe potential to be a tool that can be usedto generate professional conversationsamong practitioners as they seek to en-hance their skill in the complex task ofteaching. With appropriate administrativeand teacher training, the development ofa common understanding of the frameworkoccurs. This common understanding allowsthe framework to become an instrumentof growth rather than just an evaluationtool. This common understanding can also

be used as the foundation of a school ordistrict’s mentoring, coaching, profes-sional development, and teacher evalua-tion processes. By doing so, theseprograms are linked together and resultsin teachers becoming more thoughtfulpractitioners.

We are only in the first year of our newevaluation process, but we have been im-pressed with the “Framework for PC” soft-ware. Combined with our focus onprofessional development for teachers inother areas of the evaluation process, weare very optimistic that the processes willlead to improved student achievement forall our students. If you are interested in

learning more about the software or ourevaluation process, please feel free tocontact me or you may also visit:http://noboxinc.com/framework/index.htmlfor further information about the software.

Danielson, C. (2007). Enhancing pro-fessional practice: A framework for teach-ing. Virginia: Association for Supervisionand Curriculum Development. �

Evaluation Instrument (from page 6)


PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT

In 2008, ESU 13 in collaboration with our 21 member schooldistricts embarked on a journey of creating and implement-ing an online or virtual high school for Western Nebraska. At

that time, superintendents were looking for alternative educationopportunities for struggling students. ESU 13staff created seven online courses to allow at-risk students to recover credit while remainingat their high school.

In 2009, at the recommendation of our su-perintendents, ESU 13 added to our virtual highschool course offerings dual credit courses inphysics and calculus. ESU 13 believes strongly in

supporting districts through regional collaboration. By utilizingthe technology available, and with the help of our member dis-tricts, ESU 13 is creating high quality blended learning opportu-nities (blended learning is a combination of online andface-to-face communication), allowing Western Nebraska studentsaccess to a broader curriculum.

ESU 13 is involved in establishing one of Nebraska’s first vir-tual high schools for a couple reasons. First, we believe that eq-uity in learning opportunities is important for all Nebraskastudents. A student in Chadron or Kimball deserves the samelearning opportunity as a student in Lincoln or Omaha. Onlinelearning and distance learning can help establish equity acrossthe state and ESU 13 wants to take the lead on this issue. A num-ber of our member districts in Western Nebraska have decliningstudent enrollment which means less state aid. At the same time,all our member districts want to expand the learning opportuni-ties for their students. Online learning and distancelearning are cost effective ways to do it.

Another reason ESU 13 has established an onlinehigh school is because of what the research says aboutthe effectiveness of online learning at the K-12 level.There are a number of rigorous studies that have ex-amined the question, “Is online learning effective?”However, there is not a single, large-scale, nationalstudy comparing students taking online courses withtraditional students, using control groups in the in-structional design. The most in-depth, large-scale studyto date is a review of online learning studies from theU.S. Department of Education.

The U.S. Department of Education released a reviewof literature of 51 online learning studies in 2009. Theoverall results found that, on average, students in on-line learning conditions performed better than thosereceiving face-to-face instruction. The study looked at

studies comparing both online and blended learning environmentsto the face-to-face learning environment. In the studies focusedon blended environments and face-to-face instruction, “blendedinstruction has been more effective, providing a rationale for theeffort required to design and implement blended approaches.”

Interaction is the heart of online learning. Teachers have re-ported that their interactions with students, parents and col-leagues were more often focused on teaching and learning inonline courses than in the traditional setting (Muirhead 2000).Interaction is named as the primary difference between onlineand face-to-face instruction and one of the most important as-pects of the online setting (Weiner 2003). In virtual schools, par-ticipants seek both deeper and stronger relationships, and theyalso value frequent and timely responses to questions (Weiner2003).

The importance of providing Panhandle school districts withadditional learning opportunities for their students will increaseas Western Nebraska battles declining enrollment and less statefunding. When families are deciding if living in a Western Ne-braska community is an option for them, the most important fac-tor is the quality of learning opportunities a school can provide.To that end, ESU 13 will continue to work with our member dis-tricts to make NEVA, our virtual high school, a shining example ofwhat is possible when 21 school districts work together. �

Information for this article was taken from the following article,A Summary of Research on the Effectiveness of K-12 Online Learn-ing by Susan Patrick and Allison Powell in August 2009

ESU 13 –Virtual High School:Nebraska EducationalVirtualAcademy (NEVA)BY DR. JEFFREY D. WEST, Administrator, ESU 13

West


RECOGNITION

Chad Boyer, Principal of Washington Elementaryin Norfolk has been named the Nebraska Asso-ciation of Elementary School Principals

(NAESP) Outstanding New Principal for 2009-2010.Boyer, in his fifth

year as an elemen-tary principal, is de-scribed as a “winner”and true advocate forhis students. He hasworked hard to moveboth his schools for-ward as new curricu-lar adoptions havetaken place in an ef-fort provide academicsuccess for all stu-

dents. His skills include being a leader of leaders, a lis-tener, a supporter and a team player. Boyer is also knownfor his individual attention to all stakeholders, as well asa positive attitude and tremendous work ethic. All of

these qualities in a Principal make working in his build-ings a rewarding experience.

Mr. Boyer’s early career accomplishments includeoverseeing the first free bilingual family literacy programnamed ”Prime Time Family Reading Nights” sponsored bythe Nebraska Humanities Council, facilitating the Nor-folk Principals’ Reading Meetings within the district, andhelped lead the implementation of one of the first pub-lic preschools in Norfolk.

Shania, a fifth-grade student at Grant Elementary,says: “Mr. Boyer is the best principal I ever had…. He isvery kind and friendly. I think he is the best principal inthis whole world. He is proud when kids move up inthings like Reading Mastery…I will miss Mr. Boyer nextyear when I have to go to the middle school. I wish hecould come with us.”

Mr. Boyer is a member of the NAESP, the Associationfor Supervision and Curriculum Development, United Wayvolunteer, and various leadership committees within theNorfolk School District. Congratulations to Mr. Boyer ona great start to his administrative career. �

NAESP Outstanding New Principal of theYear

Amy Poggenklass grew up in the northwestIowa community of Cherokee. After graduat-ing from high school she attended Morning-

side College in Sioux City, Iowa where she received abachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance andEconomics. After graduation, Amy accepted a position atMorningside College in the Business Office where sheworked with students, faculty and other staff memberswith various accounting issues. One of her favorite as-pects of working at the college was her interaction withstudents.

After her stint at Morningside, Amy made the move toLincoln where she accepted a position with a local bankand started working in the corporate accounting depart-ment. After almost eight years in the banking industry,Amy accepted an opportunity with the NCSA where sheserves as the Finance and Membership Coordinator. Herduties with the NCSA include all accounting and mem-bership functions for the association.

Amy is excited to get to know the members and isready to help them in whatever ways she can. Amy ishoping to incorporate more fiscal awareness for each ofthe six NCSA affiliate associations. She intends to pro-vide each affiliate president a monthly update for him/herto use as a tool in helping to operate each respective af-filiate association more effectively. Also, Amy wants tobegin sending out monthly updates to the ExecutiveBoard members showing them not only where NCSAstands fiscally but also how membership is doing.

On a personal level, Amy enjoys spending time withfamily and friends. She is an avid traveler and enjoys vis-iting new places especially if it involves a beach. Amyloves spending time outdoors and stays very active dur-ing the summer months. �

NCSAWelcomes New Finance andMembership Coordinator

Poggenklass

Chad Boyer accepts the Outstanding New PrincipalAward from NAESP President-elect, Midge Mougey.


RECOGNITION

The Nebraska State Association of SecondarySchool Principals (NSASSP) is proud to recog-

nize John Osgood, Principalat C.L. Jones Middle School inMinden, as the DistinguishedService Award winner for2009. Travis Miller, Principalat Banner County has beenselected as the OutstandingNew Principal and TrentSteele, Assistant Principal atKearney High School, is the

NSASSP Assistant Principal of the Year. In addition, pre-viously announced award winners, Joe Sajevic, Principalat Fremont Senior High School, the High School Distin-guished Principal of the Year and Todd Hilyard, Principalat Cozad Middle School, the Middle School DistinguishedPrincipal of the Year were recognized. All received theirawards at the Nebraska State Association of SecondarySchool Principals state conference in Lincoln on Febru-ary 11.

ohn Osgood has been selected as the NebraskaState Association of Secondary School Principalsrecipient of the Distinguished Service Award.John received his education from the Hastings Col-

lege (Bachelor’s) and the University of Nebraska–Kear-ney (Master of Science in Educational Administration).

Mr. Osgood has served his entire educational profes-sional career at C.L. Jones Middle School. He has beenthe Principal since 1991. Prior to that, John was a class-room instructor in social studies at Minden prior to hisappointment as the Principal.

John is active in many professional organizations andcommunity leadership positions such as the National As-sociation of Secondary School Principals, the NebraskaCouncil of School Administrators, and the Nebraska StateAssociation of Secondary School Principals. Mr. Osgoodhas held several offices in these positions, includingState President and Executive Board member of theNSASSP, Chair of the NCSA Executive Board, and NSASSPRegion IV President. John also serves on the NebraskaAssociation for Middle Level Education Board, and is apast president of that organization. In the Minden com-munity, Mr. Osgood has served as a member of the Min-den City Council and completed two terms as Presidentwith this group. He also was a founding Board memberof the Kearney County Community Foundation and is cur-rently serving as the Education Committee Chair for theMinden Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Osgood’s other honors include being selected asthe NSASSP Region IV and State Middle School Principalof the Year in 2003. He has also presented at severalstate conferences, and has represented Middle Level Ed-ucation on several state and regional committees. Johnhas been selected twice for the Region IV DistinguishedService Award, once in 2007 and again in 2009.

Dan Villars, Minden businessman, parent and formerstudent says: “John’s passion for education and convic-tion to his students has brought out the best in every in-dividual. His knowledge, devotion, commitment,leadership and rapport with kids are all qualities thatdistinguish him from the rest. As I look at John, I can’thelp but think my kids are fortunate to have someone asdedicated as he is, shaping their education.”

NSASSPAnnounces 2009-2010AwardWinners

Above: Joe Sajevic acceptsthe High School Distin-guished Principal of theYear award from NSASSPState Coordinator MikeWortman.

Right: Todd Hilyard acceptsthe Middle School Distin-guished Principal of theYear award from NSASSPState Coordinator MikeWortman.

J

John Osgood accepts the Distinguished ServiceAward from NSASSP president Kent McLellan.



RECOGNITION

Mary Lieske, East Elementary Principal in Minden, states: “Mr.Osgood exhibits tremendous strength as a purposeful leader. Heis a visible leader, not only in his building, but also in the com-munity and without exception, has high standards for his per-sonal and professional life.”

Julia Thomsen, Middle School Language Arts teacher states:“Mr. Osgood encourages faculty members to implement newstrategies, programs and lessons. He gives credit and praise toteachers who go above and beyond expected endeavors, yet main-tains the attitude of ‘Let’s learn from each other,’ thus fostering ateam-building mentality. Mr. Osgood is not afraid to fight for whathe believes in, and ultimately, he believes in two worthy causes:children and education. He remains passionate about our school,our faculty, our community, and most importantly, our children.”

Travis Miller was selected as the NSASSP OutstandingNew Principal for 2009. He has been the Principal atBanner County since 2007. During his tenure at Banner

County, Mr. Miller has led his staff through professional develop-ment by following the application process for accreditationthrough the NCA/AdvancED organization. He also serves as aNCA/AdvancED Field Consultant nationally. In addition, Mr. Millerserves on the Standards Advisory Committee for the Nebraska De-partment of Education and has served on several NCA Quality As-surance Reviews of other school districts. Travis has been selectedfor, and has participated in, numerous leadership conferences andcohort groups, including the University of Nebraska–Lincoln West-ern Assessment Cohort and the McRel Balanced Leadership Train-ing.

Ms. Lana Sides, Banner County Schools Superintendent, praisedMr. Miller, noting, “Mr. Miller supports the efforts made by stu-dents, staff and community members toward giving students the

most positive educational experience possible. He is truly one ofthe most outstanding principals that I have had the privilege towork with in my twenty-five years of educational work.”

Kari M. Gifford, Banner County teacher and Activities Director,states, “Travis has created an atmosphere that encourages andmotivates staff to perform at a high level. His willingness to par-ticipate and work collaboratively in all levels of education, fromassessment to transportation, demonstrates his abilities as anoutstanding educational leader.”

Parent Norma Boston writes, “Mr. Miller is a positive, ap-proachable individual who eagerly interacts with students andstaff throughout the day. He consistently displays a willingnessto listen and whether he is listening to a new idea, fielding aquestion, or facilitating a solution to a problem, Mr. Miller is re-spectful and positively engaged.”

Mr. Miller is a graduate of the University of Nebraska–Kearney(Bachelors) and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (Masters inEducational Administration). Travis served as a Staff DevelopmentSpecialist at ESU#13 in Scottsbluff prior to accepting the Princi-pal’s position. He previously taught Social Sciences at GretnaHigh School and at the Leyton Public Schools.

Mr. Miller is a member of the Nebraska State Association ofSecondary School Principals, the Nebraska Council of School Ad-ministrators, and the National Association of Secondary SchoolPrincipals. Travis is also an active member of Region V of theNSASSP. He is also a member of the Calvary Lutheran Church andis a member of the North Platte Valley Kiwanis.

Trent Steele has been recognized by the Nebraska StateSecondary School Principals as the 2009 Assistant Prin-cipal of the Year. Mr. Steele has served as Assistant Prin-

cipal at Kearney High School since 2005. He has also served as anAssistant Principal at Beatrice Middle School, the K-12 Principalat Anselmo-Merna and taught at Kearney High School prior to his

NSASSPAwardWinners(continued from page 12)

Travis Miller accepts the Outstanding New Principal Awardfrom NSASSP president Kent McLellan.

Trent Steele accepts the Assistant Principal of the YearAward from NSASSP president Kent McLellan.



RECOGNITION

tenure at Anselmo-Merna. Mr. Steele also served as an Attorneyat Law in Kearney.

Mr. Steele is a graduate of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (BS in Education and Juris Doctor) and the University ofNebraska–Kearney (MA in Education). Mr. Steele is currently pur-suing his Doctor of Education at UNL.

Mr. Steele is a member of the Nebraska State Association ofSecondary School Principals, the Nebraska Council of School Ad-ministrators, the National Association of Secondary School Prin-cipals, and the Region IV Principals association, where he hasbeen named as the Region IV Assistant Principal of the Year. Mr.Steele was also recognized as the Principal of the Year in 2008by the Nebraska Association of Student Councils.

Locally, Mr. Steele has served on the Kearney Area United Wayas a Board member, the Kearney Area Chamber of CommerceYoung Professionals Network, and has served on the Board ofDirectors for the Mediation Center and Keep Beatrice Beautiful.

Mr. Steve Wickham, Principal at Kearney High School, states:“Mr. Steele has many redeeming qualities, but what I find mostcommendable is his concerns for the students he works with ona daily basis. He will spend time with any student if the needarises and I would doubt there are very few students who don’tknow who Mr. Steele is.”

Chris Pocock, Kearney High teacher notes: “Mr. Steele is apowerful mentor for me, other teachers, and certainly students.His vision for Kearney High School is unparalleled and his sup-port of both students and teachers provide the foundation for hissuccess.”

Jordan Fuller, junior student at Kearney High, states: “Theamount of respect and honor shown to Mr. Steele by the Kear-ney High student body is tremendous. It is not that Mr. Steeledemands attention and respect from the students. He simplyearns it by being who he truly is.” �

Paul Bohn, Principal of Portal Elementary School in La Vistahas been selected by the Nebraska Association of Ele-mentary School Principals (NAESP) as the National Dis-

tinguished Principal from Nebraska for 2010. This honor comesafter years of out-standing serviceto the childrenacross the State ofNebraska.

Mr. Bohn hasbeen an activeeducation leaderthroughout hisdistinguished ca-reer in Nebraska.Paul is describedas someone whobrings a clear vi-

sion for all stakeholders and is a role model for both students andstaff. He is a dedicated professional, possesses a keen sense ofhumor and is a leader of leaders. Most importantly he is someonewho goes above and beyond to ensure that all students will reachand perform to the best of their abilities. It is said that Paul hasa passion for “growing principals” from within the teacher ranksand takes great joy when a fellow educator accomplishes that goalwith his guidance.

During his tenure as a principal in Nebraska, the record clearlyshows increased student achievement at each of his schools. Paulactively involves all interested groups in moving education for-ward, effectively implementing his vision through a shared processinvolving all stakeholders. This formula of great leadership hasbeen successful at both G. Stanley Hall Elementary and Portal El-ementary since his move to Papillion-LaVista Schools in 2005.

Paul has been an active member of the state association since1989. He has held leadership positions on the local level as Pres-ident of Region I (1997-98), President of Region II (2008 - 2009)and President–elect of Region III (1991-92) of the NAESP. His con-tributions to the children of this state have come through his ac-tive involvement in the following professional organizations:National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), As-sociation of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), andthe Nebraska Council of School Administrators (NCSA).

Mr. Bohn was recognized during a presentation ceremony atPortal Elementary School in La Vista on February 26, 2010. He willalso represent Nebraska Principals in Washington, D.C. in the fallof 2010.

In addition, the following were recognized as Regional NebraskaDistinguished Principals:• Jeremy Christiansen, Principal at Fairbury Elementary School• Robert Alderson, Mary Lynch Elementary School in Kimball• Stephanie Petersen, Laurel-Concord Elementary School• Mary Lieske, East Elementary School in Minden �

NAESPAnnounces NebraskaDistinguished Principal of theYear

Paul Bohn accepts the DistinguishedPrincipal of the Year Award fromSuperintendent Rick Black.

NSASSPAwardWinners (from page 13)


RECOGNITION

NCSAWould Like to KnowIf you are aware of any administrative changes or retirements, NCSA would like to know.Please contact [email protected] or call us at 800/793-6272.

15 Year AwardFred Evans – Sandoz Elementary, Lexington Public SchoolsMona Manley – Belmont Elementary, Lincoln Public SchoolsJohn Mlinar – Shell Creek Elementary, Lakeview Public SchoolsCharles Hervert – Maxwell Public Schools

20 Year AwardMary Lieske – Minden East Elementary School, Minden Public

SchoolsJim Jeffres – Prairie View Elementary, Ogallala Public SchoolsRoxy Voorhees – Syracuse-Dunbar-Avoca SchoolsDrew Heady – Lincoln Elementary, Hastings Public SchoolsPat Zeimet – Tara Heights Elementary School, Papillion LaVista

Public SchoolsRon Parks – North Platte Public Schools

25 Year AwardNone

30 Year AwardTom Hain – Hershey Elementary School, Hershey Public SchoolsGlen Moorhead – Sandy Creek Elementary School, South Central

NE USD #5Michael McPherron – Buffalo Elementary School, North Platte

Public SchoolsDon Hooper – Meadows Elementary School, Ralston Public

Schools

15 Year AwardChris Deibler – Pound Middle School, Lincoln Public SchoolsEd Gogan – Nebraska City High School, Nebraska City Public

SchoolsGreg Peterson – Sterling High School, Sterling Public SchoolsDan Schnoes – Yutan Public SchoolsHarv Wewel – Ainsworth High School, Ainsworth Public SchoolsLance Fuller – Sunrise Middle School, Kearney Public SchoolsDave Gordon – Lexington High School, Lexington Public SchoolsPam Cohn – Marrs Elementary School, Omaha Public SchoolsJeff Alfrey – Harry Andersen Middle School, Omaha Public

SchoolsTammy Pickering – Grand Island Public SchoolsMike Wortman – Lincoln High School, Lincoln Public SchoolsMark Armstrong – Kearney Sr. High School, Kearney Public

SchoolsPatrice Zalesky – Papillion-LaVista South High School, Papillion-

LaVista Public SchoolsRyan Sis – LaVista Jr. High , Papillion-LaVista Public SchoolsTom Anderson – Blair High School, Blair Community Schools

20 Year AwardKevin Madsen – Kearney Sr. High, Kearney Public SchoolsJohn Weitzel – St. Paul High School, St. Paul Public SchoolsRick Johnson – Falls City Middle School, Falls City Public

Schools

25 Year AwardKent Mann – Grand Island Sr. High, Grand Island Public Schools

30 Year AwardMike Harvey – Arnold Public Schools

NAESP LongevityAwards 2009-2010

NSASSP LongevityAwards 2009-2010


ENVIRONMENT

Many of us can remember when computers first en-tered classrooms. Often, the teacher put the mostfearless and computer-savvy student on the com-

puter and said: “figure it out for the rest of us.” Now comput-ers and other technology have become second nature to studentsand many of us are immigrants to their technologically domi-nated existence. Students have the expectation that their class-rooms and teaching and learning will not only be enhanced bytechnology, but dominated by technology.

A similar movement is building with youth related to “Green”and preserving the environment. It started with thoughts aboutconserving natural resources and recycling andquickly has evolved to passionate discourse onglobal warming and reducing our carbonfootprint. Students have the expec-tation that the adults who they in-teract with on a daily basis willdemonstrate the same passionthey have for “Going Green.”

So it becomes incumbenton the educators of today’syouth to model the tenantsof “Going Green.” If wedon’t feel competent doingso, our students will quicklypush us to competency.

Recently, Trane introducedthe BTU Crew to theTonganoxie USD 464 School Dis-trict in Kansas. Sixth graders par-ticipated in the curriculum deliveredby their science teachers assisted byTrane staff. The students were fully engagedin monitoring the results of the energy efficiency im-provements made to their school facilities. The students moni-tored and calculated the energy consumption reductions and costsavings, as well as, the resulting reductions in carbon footprint.

The students became so invested in the process, the projectand the results, that they began lobbying the Governor andKansas Legislators to fund similar facilities improvements inschools throughout the state of Kansas.

The students are aggressively pushing their teachers and ad-ministrators to continue efforts to reduce consumption of en-ergy, thereby benefiting the environment.

An immediate way for us to pick up the “Go Green” mantra is

through “greening” of our school facilities resulting in creatinghigh performance schools. Some of the facilities measures thatwill save energy, reduce operating costs and benefit the envi-ronment include:

• High-efficiency HVAC systems that improve indoor air qual-ity, increase fresh air ventilation, and improve the classroomlearning environment;

• High performance lighting systems that provide optimallighting levels;

• Low-flow water fixtures that conserve water and reducesewage;

• District-wide HVAC control automation systemsthat enable operations staff to centrally mon-

itor and control HVAC systems to optimizeenergy and operational efficiencies

while ensuring comfortable andproductive learning environ-ments;

• Improvements to thebuilding envelope (high effi-ciency windows and doors,tuck pointing, and roofs) toreduce air and moisture infil-tration and heat loss.

School districts across thecountry are reaping the bene-fits of “Going Green.” Four

school districts in rural Virginia,where funding for facilities im-

provements is hard to come by,completed HVAC and lighting upgrades

in their schools. The facilities upgrades re-sulted in much improved learning environments

and the equivalent of planting 1,521 mature trees, re-moving 1,310 cars from the roads, powering 259 homes and sav-ing 15,637,914 pounds of CO2, 198,451 pounds of acid rain,66,150 pounds of smog, 13,841,174 gallons of water, and793,803 gallons of gasoline. These districts are making signifi-cant contributions to an improved environment.

According to the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council, useof sustainable/Green design principles in new construction canproduce annual savings of 30 percent to 40 percent on annualutility costs in schools. Savings of 20 percent to 30 percent canresult when remodeling school facilities using sustainable designprinciples.

Green Light to Go GreenBY DAVE RAYMOND and DENNY VAN HORN, TRANE



NCSA REPORT

The NCSA delegation has worked hard to makemeaningful and substantial improvements tothe healthcare system serving the vast major-

ity of educators in Nebraska. We strive to provide a planthat provides viable plan options and individual choicesfor members. EHA currently serves more than 70,000members, including 32,000 employees and their familiesor approximately four percent of Nebraska’s total popu-lation. A true strength of the EHA is represented by thesolid partnership between the Nebraska State EducationAssociation (NSEA), the Nebraska School Boards Associ-ation, and the Nebraska Council of School Administra-tors. Each organization works together collaboratively toprotect and improve your health plan.

As we move forward it is also appropriate to reviewseveral notable advances that have improved the EHAPlan. The transition to the four-tier rate structure hasprovided increased opportunities for members to selecta health plan in accordance to their specificindividual and family needs. NCSA was instru-mental in the move to contract for an EHAPlan Advocate. Kurt Genrich oversees EHAbenefit plans for more than 250 school dis-tricts and colleges in Nebraska and providescommunications with plan participants in-cluding newsletters, webinars, and school dis-trict and conference presentations. Kurt workswell with our valued BC/BS representatives inserving Nebraska schools.

This past July EHA Board members unanimouslypassed a resolution to sponsor a pilot wellness program.The program components include health risk assessmentsas well as participant health and wellness behavior mod-ification plans. Following the evaluation of the pilot pro-gram a decision will be made as to the potential toinitiate a statewide wellness program.

At the March 16, 2010 EHA Board Meeting to finalizethe 2010-11 renewal rates, several decisions were madeto further enhance consumer options for plan members.As some health plans have removed the opportunity forretirees to continue to participate after retiring, the EHAcontinues to value retirees as members. Recent EHABoard action will now afford retirees to select from threeplan options, effective with renewal on September 1,

2010. This action truly reflects the EHA commitment toour retirees and will allow for retirees to make decisionsbased on their individual needs. We have and will con-tinue to explore health insurance issues for this popula-tion of our EHA membership.

Active plan members will also have additional oppor-tunities effective with renewal September 1, 2010. Mem-bers will now have the opportunity to select from twoplan choices within an EHA group. In addition, EHA forthe first time, will offer what is defined as a reducedbenefit plan for approximately half of the cost of the tra-ditional plan. This plan is designed for those that tradi-tionally have not been able to access EHA plans throughtheir employers. We are excited about these new oppor-tunities for plan employers and participants.

NCSA continues to champion the concept of additionalconsumer options and plan choices for all members in ad-dition to providing an affordable health plan. For the past

six years EHA has minimized premium rate increases toless than ten percent, which compares favorably and islower than the national average. We are confident thatthe 2010-11 renewal rate of 4.5 percent will also fallbelow national trends. We have great appreciation for thestrides made within the EHA and will work hard to con-tinue to address your health plan needs. �

Educators HealthAlliance (EHA) UpdateBY DR. MIKE DULANEY, Executive Director; and DR. DAN ERNST, Associate Executive Director

Dulaney

Ernst


APPRECIATION

Ever since Herb Schimek’s re-tirement late last year, thewebpage on the NSEA web-

site that made the announcementhas been flooded with well-wishersand sentiments about Schimek, in-cluding the times they spent withhim and the things he’s accom-plished. And Herb Schimek has ac-complished much in his years as ateacher, Director of Government Re-lations at NSEA and lobbyist.

Before taking on lobbying forpublic education, Schimek startedout as a classroom teacher, spend-ing two years in Colorado and sixyears in Hastings, NE, teaching his-tory and debate. He began workingfor the NSEA in July 1971, and thefollowing years would mark events and undertakings thatSchimek would mark as small personal victories.

“I feel that some of my greatest accomplishmentswere helping to improve the retirement system and en-suring fair dismissal practices for teachers. When we firststarted out, it [the retirement system] was a very pitifulsystem and today I think it’s an admirable system.”

Schimek was an essential part of the push to pass thestate’s first fair dismissal law in the 1970s and has con-stantly fought to better public education and rights forteachers ever since.

When asked about some of his most treasured memo-ries during his time as a lobbyist, Schimek said, “One ofmy greatest memories is the general feeling of real im-provement for the retired school employees. [The sys-tem] was just so pitiful and now they can retire with agood feeling and a security that they didn’t have before.Some of the good feelings I have are that not one ofthese retirement bills was passed by myself, but with thecooperation and help of school administrators, schoolboards, etc.; they made it possible for these things tohappen.”

As for future plans, Schimek doesn’t plan on com-pletely slipping into retirement, but he does plan on en-joying it.

“Well at the present time, I’m representing WestsidePublic Schools as their lobbyist. I’ll probably do sometravel in the future and catch up on a lot of good booksthat I haven’t been able to read.” �

NCSA Honors LongtimeAdvocate

Craig Christensen, NSEA Executive Director, looks on as Herb Schimekreceives award from Mike Dulaney, NCSA Executive Director, and MattFisher, Chair, NCSA Executive Board.

Administrators’ Days2010

July 28-30Holiday Inn – Kearney

Keynote Speakers:Michael Fullan – Thursday AMTodd Whitaker – Thursday PMIan Jukes – Friday AM


LEADERSHIP

In view of the serious economic challenges facing

the state’s public schools, the Nebraska Council of

School Administrators and the Nebraska Association

of School Boards have recently collaborated with ESU 16

Administrator Marge Beatty in an effort to make her es-

sential finance planning process available to districts

statewide. We are inviting you to join us in this venture.

You may already be aware of the process Marge has

used with several districts in her ESU, and if so, you

know how dynamic the school-community interaction

has been in creating a clear, shared vision of what the

education program should look like in those districts.

Perhaps the most compelling element of the planning

process is that it has focused efforts not on what should

be cut, but on what should be kept…what is “essential.”

Even if there were no financial “cliff” looming, we believe

this process would be invaluable to schools as a tool to

strengthen communication with the public and to en-

courage positive community involvement in their

schools.

In order to make the “School-Community Partnership

for Essential Finance Planning” available to all districts,

we need people who are willing both to be trained and

to commit the time necessary to facilitate the process in

a school district. The training requires only one day and

would be offered May 11th at the NCSA office in Lincoln.

Facilitating the process requires approximately twelve

hours that would need to be scheduled to meet the

needs of the school-community group involved. Addi-

tional time would be necessary to compile the resulting

report for that district. In return for that labor, the fa-

cilitator will be paid by the district a fee that has been

established in advance by us. There would be no charge,

of course, if the facilitator would choose to forego the

fee when working with his or her home district or with

the districts within his or her ESU.

You’ve either been nominated and/or have expressed

an interest in becoming part of the cadre of people

trained to facilitate this process. Once you have partic-

ipated in the training, we will ensure that our members

know that you are qualified to assist them in developing

their school-community plan for the future.

If you are interested in working with us—and we

hope you are—we would appreciate it if you would con-

tact either Kelly Coash Johnson (402-476-8055,

[email protected]) or Burma Kroger (402-423-4951,

[email protected]) by April 10th to let us know

of your intentions. �

School Community Partnership forEssential Finance Planning

Going Green in school facilities is awin-win situation. It improves the learn-ing environment, reduces costs and helpsto reduce the carbon footprint. It issound instructionally, provides benefit tothe taxpayers, and is the responsiblething to do.

The Nebraska Legislature has givenschool districts budgetary tools that couldbe of help in funding the facilities up-grades needed to “Green” facilities andproduce high performance learning envi-

ronments. These financial tools include,but are not limited to, voter approvedbonds, bonding using the Qualified Capi-tal Purpose Undertaking Fund (QCPUF)and Performance Contracting. Add to thisthe availability of the Build AmericaBonds and rebates from Utility Compa-nies. Use of these tools separately or incombination may provide the fundingequation needed to complete “Green” fa-cilities improvement projects.

There will be no better time to begin

the process of upgrading school facilitiesto produce high performance classroomsand students. You have the green light.Your students are behind you at the in-tersection and they are impatiently wait-ing for you to move forward with the“Greening” of their school environment.Their engines are racing and they arehonking their horns. Don’t let them passyou by. �

Green Light to Go Green…(continued from page 16)


CALENDAR OF EVENTS

APRIL1 NCSA Executive Board 9:00 a.m. NCSA Lincoln14 NASA Region I 4:00 p.m. York Country Club York14 NASA Region V 10:00 a.m. ESU #16 Ogallala14 NSASSP Region II 5:30 p.m. Tiburon Shark Club Omaha14 NASBO Golf Tournament 1:00 p.m. Dakota Dunes Sioux City15-16 NASBO State Convention 8:00 a.m. Marina Inn Sioux City15-16 NASES Spring Conference 1:00 p.m. Sandhills Convention Ctr North Platte20 NAESP Region IV 12:00 p.m. Drew Heady’s House Hastings21 NSASSP Region III 5:00 p.m. Fairplay Golf Course Norfolk21 NAESP Region III 5:00 p.m. Fairplay Golf Course Norfolk21 NSASSP Region IV 3:00 p.m. ESU #10 Kearney21 NAESP Region I 5:30 p.m. Evening with Friends Milligan21 NAESP Region II 5:30 p.m. Lo Solo Mio Omaha28 NSASSP Region I 5:30 p.m. Evening with Friends Milligan29 NASES Region IV 12:00 p.m. ESU #10 Kearney

MAY7 NASES Region III 12:00 p.m. TJ’s Norfolk14 NASES Region II 9:00 a.m. Plattsmouth Central Office Plattsmouth19 NASA Region II TBD TBD TBD28 NASES Region I 9:30 a.m. Crete Central Office Crete

JUNE2 NAESP Executive Board 9:00 a.m. NCSA Lincoln2 NSASSP Executive Board 6:00 p.m. TBD Grand Island2 Hal Urban Workshop 8:30 a.m. GI Senior High Grand Island3 Hal Urban Workshop 8:30 a.m. Sandhills Convention Ctr North Platte11 NASES Region II TBD TBD TBD

NATIONAL CONVENTION DATESNAESP – April 8-11, 2010 – Houston, TX

CASE – July 9-11, 2010 – San Francisco, CAASBO – September 24-27, 2010 – Orlando, FLCASE – November 5-7, 2010 – San Diego, CAAASA – February 17-19, 2011 – Denver, CO

NASSP – February 25-28, 2011 – San Francisco, CANAESP – April 7-10, 2011 – Tampa, FL

Administrators’ Days 2010July 28-30 — Holiday Inn — Kearney

Bronze Sponsorships

Gold Sponsorships

Silver SponsorshipsARCHI + ETC. LLCStacy LaVigne6500 Holdrege St., Ste 007Lincoln, NE 68505402-429-7150; fax: [email protected]

Awards UnlimitedLarry King1935 O St., Lincoln, NE 68510402-474-0815larryking@awardsunlimited.comwww.awardsunlimited.com

Cannon Moss Brygger& Associates, P.C.Bradley Kissler2535 Carleton Ave., Ste AGrand Island, NE 68803308-384-4444; fax: [email protected]

Nebraska Public AgencyInvestment TrustBecky FergusonPO Box 82529, Lincoln, NE 68501402-323-1334; fax: [email protected]

RBC Capital MarketsNate Eckloff1200 17th St., Ste. 2150Denver, CO 80202303-595-1206; fax [email protected]

AmeritasAl Eveland5900 O St., 1st FloorLincoln, NE [email protected]

CDIPaul Copeland130 South Town Centre Blvd.Markham, Ontario L6G [email protected]

DLR GroupPat Phelan, Whitney Wombacher400 Essex Ct.,Omaha, NE [email protected]

Energy EducationKaren Mullins5950 Sherry Lane, Ste 900Dallas, [email protected]

Learning TogetherJulie Smith5509 B W. Friendly Ave.Ste 201Greensboro, NC 27409866-921-0000julie@learningtogether.comwww.learningtogether.com

Horace MannCindy Dornbush10612 Monroe Street, #4Omaha, NE [email protected]

National InsuranceMike Boden9202 W. Dodge Rd., Ste 302Omaha, NE [email protected]

National Institute ForDirect InstructionKurt EngelmanPO Box 11248Eugene, OR [email protected]

NLAFBarry Ballou455 S. 11th St.Lincoln, NE [email protected]

SchoolFusionCarson Apps999 18th St., Ste 2150South TowerDenver, CO [email protected]

Smart TechnologiesChris Kidwell20 South Clark St.Chicago, IL [email protected]

TRANEDanny Szegda5720 S. 77th St.Ralston, NE [email protected]/omaha

Virco, Inc.Matt KirklandPO Box 6356Lincoln, NE [email protected]

Wells FargoCristina Castro-Matukewicz1919 Douglas StreetOmaha, NE 68102402-536-5710cristina.v.castromatukewicz@wellsfargo.comwww.wellsfargo.com

John Baylor Test PrepJohn BaylorP.O. Box 30792Lincoln, NE 68503402-475-7737john@johnbaylortestprep.comwww.jonbaylortestprep.com

D.A. Davidson & Co.Dan Smith1111 N. 102nd Ct., Ste 300Omaha, NE [email protected]/ficm

JostensDon Bartholomew309 S. 8th St.Broken Bow, NE [email protected]

Sports ExpressJoey Carder425 Cedar St.Pleasant Dale, NE [email protected]

PRSRT STD.U. S. POSTAGE

PAIDLINCOLN,NEPERMIT NO. 951

455 So. 11th Street, Suite A • Lincoln, NE 68508-2105

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Nebraska Council of School Administrators

HSA (Health Savings Account)HRA (Health Reimbursement Arrangement)

Learn more about your Medical Expense Reimbursement Plan options

Encouraging participation in more affordable and sustainable plan design options

Making the plan more affordable for employees to retire early

Transitioning to a high deductible option for new hires

Promoting “consumerism” in health care decisions

Our Medical Expense Reimbursement Plans have helped hundreds of school districts and educators save by:

Your New EHA Medical Plan Options + Our HRA or HSA________________Savings for both District and Employee

800.597.2341

NIS has helped implement over 447 governmental/school district Medical Reimbursement plans in 7 states since 2002. Put our expertise to work for you. Give either of us a call or send an email

Mike BodenSteve Ott

ncsa today magazine, spring 2010

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