Summary of April 2, 2014 Meeting

The final meeting of the 2013-14 school year for the Superintendent’s Teacher Advisory Council – called together by Superintendent Steve Joel – was held at Lincoln Public Schools District Office on April 2. Here is a summary of the highlights.

Superintendent and School Board General Update

Don Mayhew, president of the Lincoln Board of Education:

“Thank for coming and giving your time, and being a part of this group…We have big initiatives coming and getting feedback from teaching staff is crucial…We’re heading into a golden age for LPS, and you’re all a part of it…Even more important, thank you for the work that you do everyday, in and out of your classrooms…I think the recent success of our bond issue indicates that our community loves our schools and loves our teachers.”

Steve Joel, superintendent of LPS:

“We work very, very hard here, not because it’s a job – but because it’s a mission. And it’s great to be part of that.”

Highlights of Joel comments:
  • The bond issue received overwhelming support from the community – and LPS staff and teachers were a major part of that endeavor.
  • One of the first bond issue priorities is developing and constructing the high school Career Center: “It’s the most intense construction project we’re involved in right now.”
  • Currently, it appears the LPS budget “should look pretty good again” with the Legislative session coming to a close. The down side of that – is that LPS is targeted as one of the school districts receiving significant state equalization funding.
  • This year LPS is being more aggressive in offering contracts earlier to strong candidates for teaching positions.

Technology Plan update

Steve Joel, superintendent of LPS:

“We are looking at some second order change with technology – and that means the changes will be embraced and feared…But we are committed to this track. This is were America is going…In the next five years we will see transformation with teaching and learning.”

Kirk Langer, director of Technology at LPS:

Langer said several major projects are happening in LPS Technology:

  • The Technology Plan – with the emphasis on learning and not technology. The bond issue will allow LPS to get the infrastructure – the wires in the walls – in place for digital classrooms.
  • The new Student Information System: “We will do everything we can to make sure you’re supported in this change…Here’s how I would explain this…All of you are very good cooks. Throw you into a kitchen that is not yours, and you’ll need to look around and become familiar with it. But you all know how to cook.”
  • New web conferencing environment that allows personalized learning and staff development according to your time schedule.
  • Next school year, the school district will pilot a full digital curriculum for math at one LPS middle school.

Update for behavior programs

Jane Stavem, associate superintendent for Instruction: “You will see some fundamental shifts in the coming years…We have been looking at different models to handle some of the more serious behavior issues in our schools….and to increase our building capacity to serve more students.”

She explained there will be retraining and relearning – with a close look at what some students need to succeed. “For example, you’ll see us widening out the time at Sherrill to a full day so we’ll have fewer transition issues. We’ll bring in music, arts, library media, technology, so they won’t miss those experiences.”

Phases of the three-year transition:

  • Next school year a new behavior model will be implemented at the Sherrill Education Center.
  • The following school year that model will be utilized to expand into a program to be held in the remodeled facility at South 40 and South streets.
  • Then, the third year, the model will be further expanded to include the Yankee Hill facility.

Teacher Advisory Council questions and concerns

Question: For the math pilot project, what devices are you considering?

Langer Answer: For the pilot, we will purchase the devices necessary to support the curriculum program.

Question: When you talk about technology allowing tasks on our time line, what are the expectations for teachers? Are we expected to work in the evenings/on weekends? Does every teacher has to have a website?

Stavem Answer: We don’t want our teachers working 24/7…We will be creating rules and structures appropriate for some of this new technology.

We are working on bringing consistency to what teachers have online, setting up reasonable expectations and best practices for a teacher, a minimum standard of care…but also equipping you with what you need to meet those expectations.

Question: How do we handle all the various computer problems in our schools? Who should we contact when we have computer problems?

Stavem Answer: You should contact the Help Desk…That’s our primary way of tracking the problems…It’s hard to generalize, because the situation at our schools vary…Please understand that the school district – and LPS Computing Services – is doing their best to support and help our teachers. We’re going to be realistic: We are working through some difficulties. But we’re going to be optimistic. We will get through this. Our approach is optimistic. This will work.

I recognize that this could be something of a bumpy ride, and that it might feel uncomfortable sometimes…There will never be a perfect time, but we must move ahead…We learn this as we go, we can’t do it all at once…We need a new mind set…We want to walk this journey together.”

Question: I’m concerned as a teacher about the number of assessments that we are doing.

Stavem Answer: We’re monitoring and reviewing this issue. What do we need to maintain our success as a school district? Where can we pull back, but what do we need to continue? How do we use our data teams and PLCs more effectively?

Updated April 4, 2014