Summary of October 2, 2013 meeting

The first 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 Oct. 2. Here is a summary of the highlights.   The two remaining meetings will be held at LPS District Office: Jan. 8 and April 2. 

Presentation about Superintendent’s Facilities Advisory Committee:
Co-chairs Connie Duncan and Keith Prettyman

Co-chairs Connie Duncan and Keith Prettyman explained that the Advisory Committee included 90 school and community members who worked hard, met this past spring, summer and fall – and discussed and compiled a list of needs for facilities and infrastructure at Lincoln Public Schools.

“This is something like a Christmas list,” Duncan explained.  “It’s everything we want and perhaps need, but we know we won’t have the funding to pay for everything.”

Recommendations from the Advisory Committee were focused on five major areas:

Safety and Security

  • Implementing solutions to secure buildings entrances and control all other building access in every school.  Solutions may vary from school to school and include relocating office spaces, adding keyless entrances and/or keyless doors.
  • Examining the traffic flow at existing schools with appropriate governmental organizations followed by implementing solutions to address needs at high priority sites such as cutouts, drop-off and pick-up loops, and one-way traffic plans.
  • Utilizing cameras to enhance security in high-priority areas.
  • Providing the tools necessary for crisis communication.

Technology

  • Increasing the capacity of the district’s fiber network to ensure timely delivery of curriculum content to all district locations and the ability to support an anywhere/anytime use of collaborative and creative software environments.
  • Upgrading wireless infrastructure for every classroom and instructional area, as necessary.
  • Providing every classroom with equipment essential for interaction with digital curriculum content.

Student services

  • Accommodating the need to emphasize small flexible spaces close to classrooms to meet student needs in new and existing facilities.
  • Providing for appropriate space for community partners.
  • Planning for adequate space for preschool and early intervention in all elementary schools.
  • Providing space for specialized programming (music, art, etc.) within the school day to meet unique instructional space and storage needs.

Career Academy

  • Fully funding the construction of a High School Career Academy.

Facilities and infrastructure

  • Funding the construction of new facilities, including the potential expansion of existing facilities, for elementary and middle school needs based on enrollment projections.
  • Continuing to invest in sound maintenance practices and upgrades promoting equity through the community.
  • Considering potential community utilization when designing new or renovating existing facilities, in order to accommodate children’s family and neighborhood needs.

Comments from superintendent about recommendations

LPS Superintendent Steve Joel explained that the Board of Education is now  taking a closer look at the recommendations – recognizing there are needs throughout the school district – and working to prioritize the list.  “We have $250 million worth of needs – and about $150 million available for a potential bond issue that would not raise the tax levy.”

He noted school district needs that include:

  • Incredible student growth throughout the community and school district.
  • Growing concerns about students with behavior and mental health issues
  • Increased use of technology to deliver lessons and curriculum
  • Finding $13 million in funding for the high school career center (tentatively proposed to open in the fall of 2015)

Superintendent General Update

This year’s budget:  “This was a good year for our budget and state aid from the State Legislature,” Joel said.  “The philosophy is that the dollars go where the kids go and it worked well.”

He cautioned about the ongoing discussion in the State Legislature that is looking at major tax reform in Nebraska that could impact state aid to education.

Security:  “We have ramped up security training and a general awareness of threat assessment – what does a threat look like,” Joel said, also noting the arrival of new Security Director Joe Wright.  “We will have security cameras in our high schools, and we’re looking at more secured entrances…Many of us grew up in public education with the philosophy that schools should be open and engaging…but those days are gone.  We’re saddened by that, but we must be taking security very seriously. We don’t want to live in fear, but we must be vigilant.”

Student enrollment: “We have 943 more students this year, and are currently expecting another 700 more next year.  We’re seeing growth everything.”

Teacher Advisory Council questions and concerns

Question: Is it really that expensive to cover the cost of mounting projectors in our classrooms?
Answer:  We know we need to be working toward these kinds of solutions, but yes, it is very expensive and labor intensive. 

Question:  Is there any way to address the issue of the changing channel for the public access channel on cable TV?
Answer:  Time Warner has made many changes with the educational access channel.  Currently the public education access channel can be viewed on channel 80 – and viewers will need a special “box” to view the access channels.  LPS is working to find ways to make video content more accessible to a wider group of citizens.

Question:  There are concerns about the growing number of students with mental health issues, and a teacher’s time and ability to handle these problems.
Answer: We know that there are some dramatic changes happening right now.   First, I might suggest that you have a conversation with your principal and talk about whether it’s worth the investment for more time from a social worker in your school….The school district is also looking into different programs and models for handling these kinds of issues.  Stay tuned.

Question:  As the LPS student population becomes more ethnically diverse, what are we doing to create more diversity in staff, teachers and administrators?
Answer: This is very difficult work and we’ve tried many different solutions.  Currently we are looking to grow our own – by identifying high school students of color who have an interest in teaching, and finding ways to help them through college – and then offer them a job.

Updated October 7, 2013