The Chanticleer Way: Morning Assemblies Set the Table for Success at Ord Elementary by Tyler Dahlgren
“The Nebraska Way”…Our Way by Jeremy Knajdl, NASBO President ..................................................................... 7
NCSA Celebrates Outgoing Commissioner of Education Dr. Matt Blomstedt by Tyler Dahlgren
Affiliate Awards
Leaning into Purpose with Nebraska Administrators: Mike Meyerle and Brent Hollinger by Tyler Dahlgren 13
3 Ways to Give Your School an Engagement-Boost by Hannah Miller ........................................................................................................ 16
Guereca Settles in to Executive Director Role with Stand For Schools by Tyler Dahlgren, Communications Manager .................................................. 18
Research for the Real World: Gretna Principal Hellbusch Explores Principals’ Perceptions of Their Role in Teacher Engagement by Dr. Jennifer Hellbusch and Dr. Nick Pace
Calendar of Events
The mission of the Nebraska Council of School Administrators (NCSA) is to be an effective 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 11th Street, Suite A, Lincoln, NE 68508. Telephone 402.476.8055 or 800.793.6272. Fax 402.476.7740.
Annual membership dues are $335 (active members), $125 (associate members), or $50 (student members). NCSA Today is published quarterly. Send address changes to NCSA, Membership, 455 South 11th Street, Suite A, Lincoln, NE 68508. Copyright ©2019 by NCSA. All rights reserved.
Chair – Kevin Wingard
Vice Chair – Patrick Moore
Immed. Past Chair – Brad Jacobsen
NASA Representatives
President – Dr. Melissa Poloncic
President Elect – Dr. Dan Schnoes Past President – Kevin Wingard
NASBO Representatives
President – Jeremy Knajdl
President Elect – Dr. Bill Robinson Past President – Dr. Liz Standish
NAESP Representatives
President – Josie Floyd President Elect – Pam Lowndes Past President – Erin Gonzalez
NASES Representatives
President – Misty Beair
President Elect – Betsy Skelcher Past President – McKayla LaBorde
NSASSP Representatives
President – Kenny Loosvelt
President Elect – Nate Seggerman Past President – Patrick Moore
Dr. Michael S. Dulaney Executive Director/Lobbyist
Dr. Dan E. Ernst Associate Executive Director/Lobbyist
Amy Poggenklass
Finance and Membership Director
Megan Hillabrand
Professional Development Manager
Tyler Dahlgren
Communications Manager
Jen Sylvester
Executive Administrative Assistant
Brenda Petsch
Administrative Assistant
The opinions expressed in NCSA Today or by its authors do not necessarily reflect the positions of the Nebraska Council of School Administrators.
Editor’s Note: This feature story ran on the Nebraska Public School Advantage website in late September. NPSA is an online magazine devoted to highlighting the many successes happening every day in Nebraska’s public schools, and recently passed the 300-story milestone. To read on, visit www.nebraska-advantage.org, and share your school district’s successes with Tyler@NCSA.org.
It’s another morning in Ord, early enough for headlights that shine through a comfortably crisp air that signals the beginning of fall.
It’s a Wednesday, “Hump Day” as it’s come to be known, but they don’t need clever sloganeering to manufacture enthusiasm at Ord Elementary, where toe-tapping, upbeat music greets students as they pile out of minivans, sedans and school buses.
Between the outdoor speaker system and the steady stream of vehicles stands the school’s counselor, Colin Lansman, who
spends every morning opening doors and welcoming kids with a handshake and a warm smile.
“This is the best 15 minutes of my day,” Lansman said. “It’s all about relationships. That’s where it starts. Before we can ever invite the students into our story, or expect them to trust us, we have to let them know that we want to be a part of theirs.”
Lansman is dressed, on this morning anyway, how you would expect a school counselor to dress, but it’s not uncommon to see him donning the school’s mascot or some other crazy get-up. He’s even greeted students from the roof before bellowing a rendition of “Happy Birthday” to Principal Doug Smith.
“He’s dynamic,” Smith said of Lansman. “One of the most kidfocused educators I’ve ever been around.”
Superintendent Dr. Heather Nebesniak says the same for Smith, who carried on the morning assemblies during the
pandemic by broadcasting over the intercom or by standing in the middle of the school, which has a unique, open-concept structure, and utilizing his booming voice. In fact, Nebesniak has been astounded by the Ord staff since she arrived here in 2018.
has been immeasurable and undeniably invaluable, both for students and teachers.
Each assembly is a fresh start, an opportunity to be better than the day before.
“Not everybody starts their day great, but we can control how everybody starts their time here at school,” Lansman said.
P.E. teacher Dexter Goodner appreciates the fresh air and, right on brand, the exercise. But his appreciation for this innovative exercise runs much deeper than that. He sees students cheering wildly for his football team after a big win or clapping like crazy for one of their peers celebrating a birthday and feels both invigorated and grateful to be in Ord.
"The administration is fairly new in its time together, but there are strong cultural and historical ties to our district throughout the staff," she said. "That makes us very community-centered."
They’re all Chanticleers here, and this is their collective morning crow. A tradition that started a dozen years ago, these morning assemblies have become an integral piece to the school’s special culture.
“The best part about our morning assemblies is seeing all of your friends,” said fourth-grader James Edwards. “It makes you really happy and gets you excited for the day.”
Sure there are teachers carrying cups of coffee, but the morning assemblies render caffeine pretty much useless.
“Walking around and talking with friends, it gives you energy,” said fifth-grader Jackson Johnson.
The ritual begins with a walk, which the students and their teachers take together.
That stroll leads into the assembly, which is led on most days by Smith, though it’s not unusual for other staff members to step in. It’s a daily celebration of student birthdays, the school’s sports teams and other extracurricular groups. And it always includes a message from Mr. Smith, who arrives on most mornings around six to prepare for the day in a peaceful hour of quiet.
“It’s a message that is clear, concise, and gets us all on the same page so that we know how to either live our life or start our day or what we’re working on that particular week,” Smith said.
The motivator behind the assemblies, Smith explained, was to encourage kids to interact socially while ultimately setting the table for their success. What it’s done for the school’s culture
“We have the best staff, and the best kids,” said Goodner. “They just bring it every day. Mr. Smith talks about that all the time, about how the kids really bring it. They do, and their entire community is behind them.”
Ord isn’t a perfect community, Lansman concedes, but there’s no place like it. He grew up always knowing he’d end up back here, raising a family of his own and teaching at this school, but can’t put a finger on what makes this place special.
“I guess it’s just ‘The Chanticleer Way’,” Lansman said. “There’s no place I’d rather be.”
Dr. Nebesniak ended up in Ord because of “The Chanticleer Way.” She knows that may sound a little cheesy, but it’s true. When it came time for the former principal to step into a superintendency, Nebesniak weighed all of her options carefully. She did her research.
One day, her husband surfed his way across the web and onto Ord Elementary’s Facebook page. He saw the morning
“This is the best 15 minutes of my day. It’s all about relationships. That’s where it starts. Before we can ever invite the students into our story, or expect them to trust us, we have to let them know that we want to be a part of theirs.”Colin Lansman
“Not everybody starts their day great, but we can control how everybody starts their time here at school.”
assemblies, all the great things happening in the district, and it wasn't difficult to imagine his family calling this place home.
“I think we want Ord,” he said. His wife saw what he saw and agreed.
“It became apparent, very early on, that they had dynamic, student-centered administrators and teachers, and really special students,” Nebesniak said. “You could hear it and feel it just by reading about the pride they had in the things that they did for their kids.”
The final vehicle to pull up to Ord Elementary is a big, yellow school bus.
Students step off, one-by-one, and high-five their favorite counselor. They instantly find an extra pep in their step, stepping to the tune of the music towards the school. Their smiles grow wider.
“Nobody gets left out here,” said sixth-grader Hunter Miller. “They’ll always help you out if you’re feeling down.”
The kids gather with big groups of friends, they laugh and wave at the photographer, making him feel perfectly at home in a place he’d never been before. One student takes off
their Chanticleers wrist band, and asks Mr. Smith to give it to their guest.
Now how cool is that?
“This, in a way, lends our students to be open to sharing goodness with other people,” Nebesniak said. “It sets such a strong foundation for the student experience at our school, a framework that says this is a good place where you belong. It’s empowering.”
When it comes time, the students begin their morning walk. They circle the building and come to a stop on a slab of pavement near the playground, where Mr. Smith awaits with his daily message, one he’s been working on since the break of dawn.
The message is always carefully crafted, intentional and thoughtful.
Most importantly, it’s always well-received.
“I don’t have the hard data to show this makes a difference,” Nebesniak said. “But I know, in my heart, that it does. Teaching, after all, is a work of heart. You have to go with that heart.”
It’s a new day in Ord, and there’s no place they’d rather be. ■
I recently sat in a session at the State Education Conference with the NCSA Ambassadors; Keith Rohwer, Cinde Wendell, and Kyle McGowan, along with the NCSA Communication Manager, Tyler Dahlgren, presenting on “The Nebraska Way”. After attending the conference and having the weekend to reflect on it, “The Nebraska Way” really embodies what education is all about in Nebraska. It’s about work ethic: rolling up our sleeves and getting to work, day in and day out. It’s about integrity and doing what is in the best interest of children, especially when no one is looking. It’s about doing whatever it takes to help kids succeed, no matter the amount of time it takes. It’s about helping each other out, not for the kudos or recognition or appreciation, but because it is just the right thing to do.
Like many of you, I am a lifelong Nebraskan. I grew up on a small family farm where I learned the value of “The Nebraska Way”. Much like education, the hours were long, there was a lot of hard work involved, the pay wasn’t very good, and you did more with less, but at the end of the day, there was always the satisfaction of a job well done and being able to see what you accomplished. A lot of days don’t turn out as you had hoped, but you get right back up the next day and go do it again knowing that the next day brings new hope and new challenges.
As I looked around the room, the attendance for this session wasn’t stellar by any means. I have attended plenty of sessions at the State Education Conference where there was standing room only. And still, there were the ambassadors and Tyler telling the stories about the great things that are happening in our public schools. They were there telling these stories to whoever was willing to listen, no matter the size of the audience.
Being leaders in the education community, we are aware of the great things going on in our schools. But ask yourself, “Do the people outside the school community really know?” Sure, we all have our local groups of school supporters, but does anyone else, even the casual follower, know about the great things happening in our public schools? That is where local advocacy for your schools plays such an important role.
Celebrating your school’s successes, no matter how small they may seem at the time, can make all the difference in letting your community know what is truly happening in your school. This could be something as simple as a Facebook post, a Tweet, a story in your school newspaper, or even a story in your local newspaper. You are out there telling your story.
That brings me to advocating for our schools with our legislative leaders both at the state and national levels. There is currently a lot of misinformation out there about what is and is not going on in our schools. A lot of the information that is out there is about issues that are taking place in other states, not necessarily in Nebraska. Do not let your Senator “assume” that certain events are happening inside of your schools or that certain subject matters are being taught. Let them know about “The Nebraska Way” and how things really work in our schools and what really is (or isn’t) being taught. Don’t allow them to “assume” that an isolated incident or ideology is the way it is in all schools all the time. Communication with your representatives could be a simple email offering your help with any information they may need, an invite to tour your school, or even directing them to the several short videos that tell our success stories. What better way to help combat that misinformation than with your story?
Of course, advocacy could take the form of testifying in front of a legislative committee in support of or opposition to a bill that has been introduced to the legislature. While this is something that may be out of your comfort zone, I know it is out of mine, but it may be the best way to make your voice heard. This past June, I had the privilege of taking part in the NCSA Educators Academy for Legislative Advocacy. Dr. Dulaney did a phenomenal job of condensing what is essentially an eight-week college course down to an intense day and a half of training. During this training, you will learn about the legislative process, a bit of legislative history, and even go through a mock hearing. This opportunity is truly unique to Nebraska, so if you can find the time and take advantage of this opportunity in the future, I would highly recommend it.
We live “The Nebraska Way” each and every day when it comes to caring for our kids and giving them the best education. Our education system in the state of Nebraska is second to none because of all of your efforts. So, go out and let people know about “The Nebraska Way” of doing things, because if we don’t, “The Nebraska Way” could become someone else’s way. Stay safe, stay strong, and take care of yourself and each other. ■
Time flies.
One minute, you’re on an elevator headed to the very top of the U.S. Bank Building to interview Nebraska’s Commissioner of Education over lunch at The Nebraska Club. The next, you’re snapping photos at a reception held in the NCSA Offices to celebrate Dr. Matt Blomstedt nearing the end of a nine-year tenure.
Time really does fly, but I was fortunate enough to interview the commissioner no less than 20 times in the six years in between. I’ll always remember that second one, maybe because we were 20 stories above Lincoln, but more likely for how nervous I was.
It was my second time sitting down with Dr. Blomstedt. Our first interview, in November of 2016, was in a crowded restaurant with Dr. Dulaney and Deputy Commissioner Brian Halstead seated around the table. This time, we’d be alone, a one-onone conversation for a new segment we’d call “Catching Up With The Commissioner.” I was going to have to carry the conversation and pretend like I knew what I was talking about.
The education arena was foreign to me. Since high school, I had written about sports and only sports. I didn’t know my subject matter. Not yet, anyway. I was learning as fast as I could, but AQuESST, strategic plans, and the state budget might as well have been written in hieroglyphics.
Over chicken salad sandwiches, I began our second interview, which would last about 30 minutes. When it was over, my conversation with the Commissioner shifted to Husker baseball, vacation destinations, and our hometowns.
We left The Nebraska Club well over an hour later. I wasn’t nervous anymore. I had an article to write.
In the six years since, Dr. Blomstedt has been nothing but gracious with his time. I’ve hounded him for interviews and tagged along as he toured schools in Northeast Nebraska. I’ve covered the NCSA/NDE Advocacy Team on their trips to Capitol Hill, and we’ve crossed paths at many different events across the state.
In each of Dr. Blomstedt’s interactions with people, the ones that I observed, he was as kind and courteous as he was with a young communications specialist trying his best to learn the ropes in a new field.
The celebration of Dr. Blomstedt’s time as Nebraska’s Commissioner of Education was held on November 29th. Attendees, including Senator Lynne Walz and NCSA and NDE staff, showed their appreciation and had a chance to thank Dr. Blomstedt for his service.
Chair Kevin Wingard opened the celebration, and Executive Director Dr. Mike Dulaney followed, remarking on the commissioner’s journey, beginning with his time as Executive Director of NRCSA and then as the first CEO of the ESUCC. Dr. Blomstedt thanked everyone and said a few words of his own.
I’ll leave you with the highlights.
“A lasting image that we will all have in our heads is of Matt and Governor Ricketts on the TV screen at the onset of and throughout the pandemic. There was no pamphlet or book, no instructions on how to deal with a pandemic. They just did the best they could, and who among us could say we could have done better? I personally don’t think I could. Matt was the right leader at the moment.”-Dr. Dulaney
“Matt put out a lot of fires over the years to make things happen as he did. He leads quietly; that’s his style. He’s always been a quiet leader. It’s been nine years. Matt has stood the test of time, and he’s done a good job.”-Dr. Dulaney
his PBIS team to establish “The Eagle Way” of being safe, respectful, and responsible. Through this program, students are recognized and rewarded for following the school-wide expectations. The students enjoy the positive praise and the overall student behavior has improved significantly.
Mr. York also implemented a Family Literacy Program in O’Neill. The program has been a solid success, bringing resources, support, and education to many families within the district.
Jim York has been selected as the Nebraska Distinguished Principal of the Year by the Nebraska Association of Elementary School Principals. Mr. York is the Elementary Principal for O’Neill Public Schools in O’Neill, NE. He has also served as principal and athletic director in Thedford and K-12 guidance counselor in Thedford as well as a third and fourth-grade teacher.
Mr. York received his Master of Science in PK-12 Administration from Wayne State College. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education K-8 from Wayne State and a Master of Science in K-12 Counseling from Chadron State College. He is currently working on his education specialist endorsement to be conferred in the summer of 2024. Mr. York is an active member and leader in numerous professional organizations including the Nebraska Council of School Administrators, Nebraska Association of Elementary School Principals, Nebraska Association of Secondary School Principals, and a number of others.
Mr. York has led the implementation of MTSS in two separate buildings throughout his career. Through that work, his students have achieved significant improvements in their reading proficiency. In addition, Mr. York has worked with
Tricia Wiseman, ELL/Title Teacher, spoke of Jim’s servant leadership: “Jim is a servant leader. He leads by example and is always willing to roll up his sleeves and dig in to help out the teachers in his building so that all students can be successful. There have been countless times that I have observed Mr. York filling in as a substitute for teachers, paraprofessionals, custodian staff, and van drivers.” His willingness to serve extends into his community as well.
Jill Broderson, Assistant Principal at O’Neill Elementary states that “Jim is very active in the community by coaching soccer, baseball, and softball. He is not only a great role model for his own children but also for the 400 kids at school by showing he is the same leader in school as on the field. Mr. York teaches CCD on Wednesday nights for church and is an active member of the Knights of Columbus.”
Congratulations to Mr. Jim York on his distinguished leadership as an Elementary Principal in O’Neill Public Schools. The Nebraska Association of Elementary School Principals is honored to select Mr. York as the NAESP Nebraska Distinguished Principal of the Year for 2022. ■
“I’m very proud of the relationship I have with NCSA and the collaborative work that’s taken place. The fact that I wasn’t a superintendent or a principal or a teacher provided me with a unique perspective and glimpse into this world. Thank you for letting me in, because there’s now nothing closer to me than education in the State of Nebraska.”-Dr. Blomstedt
“It’s just really, really amazing what happens every day in our schools, and we need to be constantly proud of that. Even in the toughest times, I believe we’ve done remarkable things.”-Dr. Blomstedt
From all of us at NCSA, thank you Dr. Blomstedt! ■
The Nebraska Association of Elementary School Principals has elected Jenn True as the 2022 Outstanding New Principal of the Year.
Jenn True has been in education since 2008 when she began her career as a third-grade teacher and junior high volleyball coach at Grand Island Northwest. Mrs. True continued teaching and coaching at different levels in both elementary and middle schools, utilizing her leadership skills on school improvement teams, curriculum reviews, teacher development programs, and more for the next decade. In 2019 Mrs. True started her administrative career as the K-5 principal at Emerson Elementary in Kearney. Since becoming a principal, Mrs. True has continued to grow in her leadership capacity serving as the NAESP Region IV President, NAESP Public Relations Coordinator, on the Buffalo County Early Childhood Core Group, and on multiple Kearney Public Schools district committees.
In talking about Mrs. True’s determination to help those around her succeed, Mark Johnson, Principal at Sunrise Middle School in Kearney, stated, “She always strives to do whatever it takes to make those around her better. In the past four years, she has served our district in so many different ways. She has been a member of the KPS District Security Committee, the KPS Social Emotional Behavior Committee, and the KPS Assessment and Academic Intervention Committee, to name a few. Recently she was charged with the task of helping a team of teachers bring the district together on choosing an ELA curriculum amidst some controversy with the subject matter of the materials. Mrs. True became someone that others listened to for advice and guidance and helped point the teachers, as well as the community, in the right direction.”
Dr. Jane Strawhecker, UNK Professor in the Department of Teacher Education, spoke on Mrs. True’s ability to create a culture of community and pride. Dr. Strawhecker said, “One step inside the Emerson building, and people will sense a strong feeling of community and school pride. In fact, Mrs. True knows every Emerson student by name. Jenn shows others how much she loves her job in that she is often the first person to greet them before the school bell and holds an important presence during the lunch hour. Her optimism and enthusiasm are truly contagious! When presented with
a challenge, Jenn responds with grace, creative problemsolving, and utmost professionalism”
A teacher at Emerson Elementary, Taylor Peters, highlighted Mrs. True’s capacity as a leader and advocate for our profession. She said, “On a personal level, for the past 6 years I have viewed Mrs. True as a mentor, colleague, and friend. She is constantly helping me develop my leadership skills and encouraged me to pursue a master's degree in administration. I will always look to her as an example of hard work and dedication to the education profession.”
Mrs. True received her Bachelor of Arts in Education in 2007, having graduated from UNK with endorsements in early childhood and elementary education. She went on to further her education, receiving a Master of Arts in PreK-Grade 12 Reading in 2012, and then in School Principalship in 2018, both from UNK.
Congratulations to Mrs. Jenn True for her outstanding performance as an Elementary School Principal at Emerson Elementary School in Kearney. The Nebraska Association of Elementary School Principals appreciates her contributions to the profession and is very proud to name Jenn True of Kearney Public Schools the Outstanding New Principal of the Year! ■
The Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals has selected Sean Molloy as the 2022 Outstanding New Principal of the Year. This award is presented annually to a principal who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in their school, region, and at the state level. The winner will have demonstrated their enthusiasm for the principalship with support from students, parents, teachers, and peers.
Mr. Molloy has been in education since 2012 and started in an elementary classroom at Kahoa Elementary in Lincoln Public Schools. He was also an instructional coach at Clinton Elementary in LPS. In 2019, Mr. Molloy became the Principal at Jefferson Intermediate in Fairbury, and in 2021 he became the Secondary Principal at Fairbury High School. Mr. Molloy
has been a member of the Nebraska Council of School Administrators (NCSA) for four years and has belonged to the Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals (NSASSP) and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), each for two years.
Stephen Grizzle, Superintendent at Fairbury Public Schools, praised Mr. Sean Molloy by saying, “He combines many great qualities together, such as enthusiastic creativity, empathy for the students, staff, and patrons of the district, effective personnel management through mentoring and accountability, the desire to stay abreast of best-practice pedagogy, and all with, an infectious passion for work. He maintains his focus on our students’ academic progress and eliminates barriers to their success. During my time with Mr. Molloy, I have watched him grow as an administrator and educator and marvel at what our students and staff are able to accomplish through his leadership.”
Fairbury High School Math Teacher Julie Petersen commented, “All of the little things quickly add up, but the greatest influence has been his presence. Students and staff witness him not only supervising commons areas, but he is also frequently in the classrooms. He comes in to observe a lesson, check in with students, and leave a note of encouragement for the teacher. Furthermore, Mr. Molloy has created a healthy relationship with students by designing a type of respect balanced with admiration.”
Eliana Livingston a Fairbury High School student, states, “I can say without a doubt that Mr. Molloy is one of a kind, an inspiration, and one of my biggest role models. He puts his all into every aspect of his job and it shows. Students respect him because he is personable and fair. He has earned respect and adoration from the student body by supporting us in everything we do.”
Mr. Sean Molloy received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in 2011, and also earned a Master of Education in Educational Administration from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in 2015. He also received his Education Specialist Degree from Doane University in 2021. In 2022, he was named the NSASSP Region I New Principal of the Year and also serves as the Region I Treasurer.
Congratulations to Sean Molloy for his outstanding performance as a Secondary School Principal at Fairbury Public Schools. NSASSP appreciates the contributions to the profession and is proud to name Sean Molloy of Fairbury Public School the 2022 New Principal of the Year! ■
The Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals has selected Ryan Hogue as the 2022 Assistant Principal of the Year. This award is presented annually to a principal who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in their school, region, and at the state level. The winner will have demonstrated their enthusiasm for the assistant principalship with support from students, parents, teachers, and peers.
Mr. Hogue has been in education since 2001 when he started his career as a Social Studies and Physical Education Teacher at Deshler Public Schools. In 2008, Mr. Hogue then moved into an administrative role in Broken Bow Public Schools working as the Assistant Principal and Activities Director for 10 years. Currently, Mr. Hogue has been working as an Assistant Principal and Activities Director in Kearney Public Schools and has served in that capacity since 2018. For fifteen years, Ryan Hogue has been a member of the Nebraska Council of School Administrators (NCSA), the Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals (NSASSP), and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). Mr. Hogue has been an active member of the NSIAAA (Nebraska State Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association) for 20 years and has been their Fall convention coordinator since 2018. In 2014, he was recognized as the NSIAAA District IV Activities Director of the Year and in 2019 he received the State Award of Merit from this association.
Dr. Chris Loofe, Director of Finance at Kearney Public Schools, praised Mr. Hogue, noting, “He has been instrumental in securing funding for our indoor scoreboard updates. Through his leadership, he not only paid for those boards in full in two years but he is also projected to wipe out the negative balance in his concessions update account by the end of the year. As his former principal, I can say without hesitation that Mr. Hogue is supportive, hard-working, and intelligent.”
Kearney High student Quinten Shaffer commented, “I have the honor of interacting with Mr. Hogue daily. I am an athlete, a leader of student activities, and involved in multiple clubs and societies. Mr. Hogue always goes the extra mile to help support all students regardless of activity or academic pursuit, even if
that requires more of his time. Mr. Hogue always encourages each student to not be afraid to try new things and to give their best effort. Mr. Hogue also is a big supporter of equality and assuring all students have opportunities to excel.”
Lerrin Rowe, Health and Physical Education Teacher at Kearney High School states, “Since arriving 4 years ago, Ryan has taken the time to make our facility one of the top facilities in the state with new branding and technology. In addition to this, Ryan has taken the time to sit down with us as teachers and coaches and get our feedback on how we want to operate at Kearney High. In this process, he has continued to show me that he truly wants what is best for us all, including our students.”
Mr. Hogue received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Secondary Education in 2001 from Peru State College and earned his Masters of Education in Educational Leadership in 2008 from Doane College. In 2020, Hogue received his Educational Specialist Degree from Doane College. Mr. Hogue states, “I appreciate all of the support that my wife Jenny has provided me in my career in education and will enjoy seeing my children Addison who is 5, and Hudson who is 2 learn in Nebraska’s great educational system!
Congratulations to Ryan Hogue for his selection as the Assistant Principal of the Year for the state of Nebraska. The NSASSP appreciates his ongoing contributions to our profession and is proud to name Ryan Hogue NSASSP Assistant Principal of the Year. ■ NSASSP Announces Distinguished
previously taught Social Studies and Mathematics in Amherst. He was an Adjunct Lecturer for 20 years for the History and Education department at UNK.
Roger Thomsen has been active in many professional organizations such as the Nebraska Council of School Administrators (NCSA) and the Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals (NSASSP) for 18 years. He also is a member of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). Mr. Thomsen was awarded the Region IV Outstanding New Principal in 2008 and the Region IV Principal of the Year in 2010 and 2013. In 2017 he received the Region IV Middle/High School Principal of the Year and in 2018 he received the Nebraska State Middle/High School Principal of the Year.
Mr. Roger Thomsen states “I believe I have always been helpful to younger administrators, professional to peers, and a team leader to my staff. At the state level, I would say my biggest impact has been reaching all members in the Region IV principals group.”
Former UNK Student and current Social Science Teacher at Broken Bow Middle school Keaton Kleespies, states, “These awards and recognitions are not why Roger does his job. He goes to work every day because he loves the kids, he loves the profession, and wants to make a positive impact on each and every student. Roger is always looking for ways to benefit students, both inside and outside of the classroom. He is always trying to learn more and improve in the field of education, which directly benefits the students at Amherst Public School and UNK.”
Mr. William Schmidt, Assistant Principal at Horizon Middle School of Kearney Public Schools stated, “Roger is a fantastic educator, and he is an outstanding family man. He understands the value of family and has helped me and others to understand the important balance between work and family. Roger has grown in his leadership capacity in the 10 years I have known him.”
Roger Thomsen has been selected as the recipient of the Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals Distinguished Service Award. Roger received his undergraduate education from the University of Nebraska at Kearney where he received his Bachelor of Science in Education in 1995. He also received his Master of Arts in Educational Administration from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 2002 and his Education Specialist K-12, Superintendent Degree in 2011. Mr. Thomsen is currently serving as the Junior/Senior High School Principal at Amherst Public Schools and has been in that position since 2004. He
Stacy Ringlein, Resource Specialist at Amherst, noted, “Throughout the years, he has always been involved. He has been a coach and class sponsor but now, as principal, he attends and supervises all activities. As a Resource Specialist, he attends my students’ IEP meetings and is very supportive of my program. Mr. Thomsen is visible in the classrooms too. He is seen daily in classrooms or hallways. Students see Mr. Thomsen as they enter the building in the morning and as they leave after school!” ■
There’s a parallel in the career arcs of Mike Meyerle and Brent Hollinger, the subjects of this installment of Leaning into Purpose with Nebraska Administrators, and it comes with a notion that’s tried and true.
Once bitten by the bug, the coaching itch is darn near impossible to shake.
It was the late 80s, and Hollinger was majoring in Fisheries and Wildlife at the University of Nebraska. He envisioned a career spent around wildlife. Maybe as a fisheries biologist or a game warden.
Around the same time, Meyerle was studying broadcasting at Kearney State. His career aspirations would land him in the booth, where he’d call the biggest games courtside for bigger audiences.
Each grew up in small-town Nebraska, Meyerle in Holbrook and Hollinger in Ravenna. Neither imagined they’d ever
enter the education profession, let alone rise to the role of superintendent, but the job market for a young broadcaster was underwhelming and life at the fish hatchery wasn’t quite what Hollinger had envisioned.
It was time for a course shift, and there was one common denominator pulling the two towards education like a magnet: The pigskin.
“I kept getting an itch to coach football,” Hollinger said. “I really had a desire to be a coach, so I flipped majors heading into my senior year at UNL and picked up science education and coaching.”
Five-and-a-half years after his post-secondary journey started, Hollinger embarked on a new one, as an educator and coach. The latter came easy, but, even as the son of a superintendent, Hollinger wasn’t expecting to become so passionate about teaching in such a short amount of time.
“Once I started, I just fell in love with it,” he said. “I fell in love with the art of teaching and building relationships with kids. It was fascinating to me what you can get out of a young person,
whether you’re coaching them on the football field or teaching them physics.”
Fast forward 32 years and Hollinger is still in love with it all. He’s served as superintendent of Cross County Community Schools in Stromsburg for 14 years.
Meyerle, meanwhile, had always been interested in social studies and, you guessed it, football. After shelving his broadcasting dreams, he figured he’d put those interests to good use and parlay them into a meaningful career.
“Once I got to college, I started to run around with more and more education majors,” he said. “That probably swayed me as much as anything, to be honest.”
After graduating with a teaching degree, he moved from Kearney to Diller, a dot on the map in Southeast Nebraska where he taught social studies and served as the varsity football head coach.
“It’s been a great place for me,” said Meyerle. That might be a bit of an understatement. Meyerle’s been at Diller-Odell for 32 years. He hung up the whistle after 19 successful years at the helm of the football program. He’s been a principal, an activities director, and, for the last decade, a superintendent.
While there’s no question that coaching drew both Meyerle and Hollinger to education, it’s the students that have kept them in the profession for three decades.
They discovered their selfdescribed purpose by way of an enticing perk. Lessons learned coaching on the gridiron have been put to good use along the way.
“Building relationships with kids on the football field directly applied to doing the same in a classroom or also as an administrator,” Hollinger said. “Especially as a principal, because you’re out and about a lot more.”
He misses coaching. They both do and would pick up a whistle on a whim if they could. Little things fill the void. Hollinger, for example, helped start the youth football program in town and coached the junior high team when his son was on it. Meyerle had a front-row seat to his daughter Madelyn
helping Diller-Odell’s volleyball team to 118 wins and two state championships as a four-year starter.
Over time, though, the day-to-day duties of a school administrator became their underlying passion.
“There are a lot of frustrating things about this job, especially the last couple of years, but what gets me out of bed each morning are the students,” Hollinger said. “I love kids. I love building those relationships.”
Hollinger likes the financial obligations that come with being a superintendent, too. He sees it as a challenge.
“What gets me excited is finding what I can do from the financial side of things to best support our teachers and staff,” he said. “What can we do here to best give them a great working environment so that they are fired up and giving their best in the classroom each and every day? Answering that question is what motivates me.”
Meyerle’s main priority is making both the people around him and the overall environment better. He believes he’s done that at Diller-Odell.
“That’s really what keeps me going,” Meyerle said. “You want to leave things better than you found them. That’s really my ‘why.’”
It’s those motives that pulled the two into administrative work. After a conversation with his father, Hollinger decided to pursue a master’s in administration from UNL. At the time, he was teaching at Waverly and finding himself on various leadership committees.
The path he was on just felt right. Meyerle, too, started seeing himself as more and more of a leader in the Diller-Odell district. He had a vision for where the school could go and how it could improve.
“Administration does come with distinctive responsibility,” he said. “With that, you do get to be put in a role of more clout, more say, more power, whatever you want to call it, in dealing with the Board and the vision of the school district. That was appealing to me.”
Meyerle wants the atmosphere in his schools to be laid back and fun. It’s likely that mindset was passed on from his two greatest mentors, longtime Dundee County superintendent and former Holbrook principal/coach Dallas Watkins and former Sterling principal and Holbrook teacher/coach Greg Peterson.
“Those guys made school fun, and I think that’s rubbed off on me,” he said. “They’re both still good friends to this day.”
For Hollinger, the educators who made the greatest impact in his life are the ones who coached him. Those relationships, like the ones with students and staff he’s valued so much throughout his career, are still held near and dear. In fact, he still keeps in touch with his old football coach and science teacher. The two speak regularly.
He thinks back to being a 23-year-old teaching physics and chemistry to a room of 18-year-olds and smiles.
“Those kids are now in their upper forties, and I’ll run into one of them from time to time and we never talk about what they learned in class,” Hollinger said. “It’s always just about the fun stories they had.”
Diller-Odell and Cross County are both stationed in farming communities. Small towns that are immensely proud of their schools.
Hard work, Meyerle said, defines his student body.
“They’re typical, small-town, Midwestern kids,” he said. “We have high expectations for them. They’re kids, so they make mistakes, and part of our job is to help them, correct them, and teach them when that happens. But our kids are really great, and that stems from the community and their home lives.”
Not only products of their environment, but reflections of it, too. Hollinger said much of the same.
“We have great kids,” Hollinger said. “A lot of what you inherit at a school is basically the culture of the communities you serve in some ways. Stromsburg is a very proactive, very proud, and very energetic place. So the kids are just fun to be around.”
than their all.”
Contrary to what most people believe, children haven’t changed over time. They simply have more going on. In 1987, Hollinger said there was nothing to worry about outside of sports. There weren’t cell phones and all the challenges they present, and there wasn’t social media.
“We maybe had an Atari in somebody’s basement, but that was about it,” Hollinger said. “I will say a kid is a kid. Today’s kid is the same kid that I taught 30 years ago. You support them, you love them, you give them structure, and they thrive.”
The recipe hasn’t changed, and it’s always worked.
“Kids haven’t changed as much as the times have changed,” Meyerle added.
They certainly have. Mostly for the better, but they’ve turned quite often into trying times lately. The pandemic brought with it many headaches, and, for school administrators across Nebraska, an unneeded additional weight.
Wellness, for themselves and their staffs, became important. The network around them did too. In an eye-opening way.
“I couldn’t do this job without my peers and the support I receive from them,” said Hollinger. “I lean on them often. They call me and I call them. You better have that support system around you, because this job can be pretty lonely at times.”
Peer support is golden, Meyerle said.
“Your network of associates and colleagues, that’s everything,” he said. “I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have a solid network of colleagues to bounce ideas off.”
If you’re planning on asking either Meyerle or Hollinger about the teachers in their buildings, set aside an extra slice of time for the answer.
“I can’t speak highly enough about our teachers at Cross County,” Hollinger said. “We have teachers who are here for the right reason. They have a collective kids-first attitude.”
Meyerle said he’s very proud of his school. All Nebraskans should be proud of theirs, too, he continued.
Meyerle recounts the 2020 state volleyball finals, when Madelyn and her team of Griffins rallied from an 8-1 deficit to take the fifth and final set, sending a large legion of DillerOdell fans into a frenzy.
“That said a lot about our kids,” he said. “They aren’t going to back down, and they’re never going to give anything less
“I always tell the Board the best thing I can do is hire the best people I can find and then leave them alone and let them work,” he said. “I don’t say this lightly, the relationship between the School Board, the administration, the teachers, and the communities of Diller and Odell is the foundation for our success.”
“Stromsburg is a very proactive, very proud, and very energetic place. So the kids are just fun to be around.”
Schools are a place of hope for many young students. Whether it be hope for a state basketball championship, college admission, or hope for a warm meal, the core of young peoples’ lives usually revolves around the school. For many school staff, however, this place of opportunity can be draining and lead to burnout.
According to a recent Gallup study, 31% of U.S. teachers are engaged at work. Gallup categorizes engagement in 3 ways: engaged, disengaged, and actively disengaged. Think of it this way:
A school employee sees a piece of paper on the floor in the hallway. An engaged employee will pick up that piece of paper and throw it in the recycling. A disengaged employee will just walk past that piece of paper and act like they never saw it. An actively disengaged employee is the person who threw that trash on the floor in the first place.
With 31% of U.S. teachers feeling engaged at work, more than two-thirds of educators are going through the motions of the MILLER
Leaning into Purpose (Continued from page 15)
Cross County sits in the middle of a cornfield three miles south of Stromsburg and six miles north of Benedict. The two towns come together to love and support their Cougars.
“Both just absolutely love what we do and are very, very supportive,” Hollinger said. “That’s probably what’s kept me
Meyerle: Vincenzo’s in Lincoln.
Hollinger: The Drover in Omaha. The Alley Rose in Kearney. Misty’s on Havelock in Lincoln.
Meyerle: The Goo Goo Dolls. Been to about 10 concerts.
Hollinger: Garth’s #1 on the list, but few people know that I had a mullet in the eighties and my favorite band from then, and still to this day, is Mötley Crüe. (Our request for a photograph of said mullet was denied)
Meyerle: I like social studies, so I like Westerns. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. For a comedy, definitely Caddyshack
Hollinger: Star Wars, all of them. The Last of the Mohicans is second on the list.
here these 14 years. It’s so fun when you’ve got that kind of support.”
Diller-Odell and Cross County, two great places to be. For a couple of football coaches-turned-superintendents, it’s right where they belong. ■
Meyerle: I’m old, so Cheers. Close second is Seinfeld. Hollinger: Cheers. Still watch reruns.
Stuck on an island with books from one author, who is it?
Meyerle: Jon Meacham is a historian who writes books of such nature.
Hollinger: I’m not a huge book reader, so I’ll go with InFisherman Magazine.
Meyerle: “Losing hurts worse than winning feels good.” Hollinger: I always say “Get ‘Er Done.”
workday or acting out their unhappiness with others. This not only affects morale among the staff but also the students’ ability to learn in a welcoming environment.
Using the research and training conducted by Gallup, TeamMates Mentoring Program has been working on ways to increase engagement across its chapters and matches. In 2022, TeamMates’ National Office staff underwent a major staff change, resulting in 41 staff members, 63% were new to the organization. After several months of training and engagement-building activities, the TeamMates staff took the Gallup Q12 Engagement Survey. The results showed 89% of TeamMates staff were engaged.
TeamMates is a school-based program focused on building friendships between students and safe, caring adults. Matches meet in school during the day for about 30 minutes to an hour to play a board game, work on a project, go for a walk, or just talk. TeamMates staff do not work directly in the schools, but they do support school staff as they run their local TeamMates program.
Here are some ways TeamMates has been able to boost engagement:
According to Gallup’s article “Six Things Engaged Schools Do Differently”, great principals build and sustain a culture that includes meaningful recognition. To build meaningful recognition, Gallup recommends that it must be timely, specific, and individualized. In TeamMates, each manager asks their employees how they individually appreciate the recognition. One employee may feel special with a public thank you, while someone else may want a simple note from the principal.
TeamMates uses the CliftonStrengths Assessment with its staff members to see how each person’s individual strengths contribute to the team as a whole. Several school districts in Nebraska implement CliftonStrengths, but if yours doesn’t— that’s okay! Think of how your individual team members shine. Teachers are more engaged when they have the opportunity to do what they do best every day.
Gallup’s new book, The Blind Spot, talks about the rising unhappiness leaders didn’t see. The book focuses on what makes a great life, and Gallup’s research indicates there are 5 aspects that all people have in common: community, work, social, physical, and financial.
Gallup CEO, Jon Clifton, wrote “volunteering is not just good for the people you are helping; it is also good for you.” The same can be said for mentoring. In 2022, 92% of TeamMates mentors reported leaving their mentoring time in a better mood than when they arrived.
Several school districts across Nebraska allow their teachers time to mentor students through their local TeamMates chapter. Hershey Public Schools has close to 520 students and almost 75 total staff members in the district. TeamMates of Hershey has about 80 mentor-mentee matches ranging from third through 12th grade. More than 50% of those mentors are school staff members.
“A day doesn’t go by when you don’t see a TeamMates mentor and mentee going down the hall, going on walks, playing board games, smiling, laughing, chatting, communicating together, so it’s a great culture and has been a positive experience,” said Jane Davis, superintendent of Hershey Public Schools. “I really feel it’s a great connect between the school and the community.” ■
For more tips on strengths-based leadership and mentoring, visit TeamMates’ online magazine, the Do Good News , at dogoodnews.teammates.org. To learn how you can strengthen or implement TeamMates in your district, contact TeamMates’ Program Manager, Vicky Howick at vhowick@teammates.org
“A day doesn’t go by when you don’t see a TeamMates mentor and mentee going down the hall, going on walks, playing board games, smiling, laughing, chatting, communicating together.”
Dunixi Guereca loves a good scrap, especially when it’s over something he really believes in.
Guereca believes in Nebraska’s public schools. It’s what drew the Californian back to The Heartland to serve as the new Executive Director of Stand For Schools.
“I knew that here in Nebraska, it was one of the last bastions of truly public education, and that was rooted in a statewide love of their schools,” Guereca said. “So when I saw the Stand For Schools opening, I felt like that was something that I could absolutely get behind. It’s a good fight.”
A first-generation Mexican American, Guereca grew up in Southern California in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. After a few years of attending the California Maritime Academy, he stumbled into activism and began lobbying for various causes at the California Capitol Building.
As it turns out, he had a knack for it. He was cut out for the Capitol life.
“I realized, ‘Hey, I’m pretty good at this. I’m pretty good at building coalitions and talking with people and lobbying. Maybe I shouldn’t be on a boat for 10 months out of the year,’” Guereca remembers thinking.
One of his buddies was playing football a thousand miles and some change away for the University of Nebraska at Kearney
(UNK) Lopers. He successfully talked Guereca into enrolling. He would soon get his first taste of Midwest America.
It wouldn’t be his last.
Guereca attended UNK then UNL, and both experiences pushed him closer to a career in political campaigning and advocacy. Knowing Nebraska so well swayed him to go for the job with Stand For Schools.
“I’ve been all over the state having conversations with folks, and one thing that always stuck out to me was that wherever we’d go, the first place they’d always take you was their schools,” Guereca said. “It was that love of their local schools that transcended political ideology, age, everything. Everyone loved their public schools in Nebraska.”
Growing up in Los Angeles, he saw firsthand the damage that can be caused by charter schools. He saw the devastating effect that privatization can have on communities.
“That, combined with what I saw in Nebraska, made me think ‘You know what? Let’s keep that good thing going,’” he said. “Not only is there a lot of love, but the schools here actually perform well. It’s a high-performing state.”
It comes back to the old “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” adage, he continued. He’s also been impressed with directives pertaining to equity, special education, and mental and behavioral health that have been established in Nebraska. When Nebraskans talk about educating the whole child, they mean it.
“Schools are pillars of the community, and through that, what you see is that there are issues that schools are forced to address, like food insecurity for example,” Guereca said. “We’re the richest country in the world, but almost 20 percent of our kids suffer and don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Especially in communities where resources are scarce, mental health is a huge issue. Those needs are all addressed at our local schools, so really ensuring that they’re getting the resources they need is so important.”
The reality is that schools aren’t, he explained. That’s part of the fight. Part of what brought him back to Nebraska, where charter schools simply don’t fit.
“At the end of the day, it’s about taking resources away from the public system,” Guereca said. “With the geography and
“What’s invigorating for me is hearing the great things that are happening. Stand For Schools wants to make sure that those good things keep happening.”
the population distribution of the state, privatization just isn’t going to work out here.”
For charter schools to succeed, he continued, they need to be situated in an area that has an educated, unemployed workforce. That’s not Nebraska. Here, schools are struggling to fill teaching positions. Charter schools would only exacerbate that struggle.
“It would pull teachers out of public schools that are already having trouble filling those positions,” he said. “Not only would you be taking money out of the public school system, you’d also be taking teachers and personnel, too. It doesn’t address anything. It actually worsens the situation by depriving our local schools of both financial resources and personnel.”
Guereca joined the fold at an interesting time. He foresees a very difficult legislative session ahead, and believes proponents of public education need to come together to win the fight.
“Our team, we’re getting ready to create a coalition of folks from all across the state who are going to be ready when the time comes to stand up and say to a legislator ‘We love our public schools and we need more resources, not less,’” Guereca said, noting that school administrators will be a key player in Stand For Schools’ coordinated effort. “School administrators see everything firsthand. They have to deal with these budgetary and personnel constraints. They need to have an active voice and they need to be ready to speak up because they’re the subject matter experts. They’re the ones day in and day out who deal with these problems. Their voice carries weight.”
Nebraskans in the education arena are no strangers to collaboration.
“What I’ve seen is the will to do it,” Guereca said.
Now it’s time to get in lockstep. There’s too much misinformation and false narratives regarding what’s happening in public schools in the media, he said. Disinformation happens when there’s a void of information.
School districts and administrators hold the key to flipping the narrative.
“There’s a lot of great things happening in Nebraska’s public schools, and we need to keep talking about them constantly,” Guereca said. “Talking about them to the parents, a built-in, captivated, internal audience. If these parents are hearing about all the awesome and incredible things that are happening in our schools, they’ll be able to rebuke misinformation when they’re out at a barbeque or a church group or wherever they hear it.”
If you can’t tell by now, Dunixi Guereca isn’t one to back away from a challenge. I told you he loves a good scrap. He also views himself as a product of “The American Dream.” Every citizen, he said, should have the opportunity to live out that dream and to have the same opportunities he was afforded.
“I’m a coalition builder and an organizer at heart,” he said. “What’s invigorating for me is hearing the great things that are happening. Stand For Schools wants to make sure that those good things keep happening.” ■
I am a sucker for trying new foods. I like to travel and really check out the local cuisines. One of the things on my bucket list is to be able to try street food on every continent. That’s something I’m working towards. I love to travel. I love experiencing new cultures. That’s just who I am and hopefully something I’ll be able to keep doing.
AASA – Feb. 16-18, 2023 – San Antonio, TX
ASCD – Mar. 31-April 3, 2023 – Denver, CO
NAESP – July 10-12, 2023 – National Harbor, MD
NASSP – July 12-15, 2023 – Denver, CO
ASBO – Oct. 19-22, 2023 – National Harbor, MD
Dunixi Guereca
“...almost 20 percent of our kids suffer and don’t know where their next meal is coming from.”
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Department of Educational Administration (EDAD) faculty conduct leading research and outreach related to the most pressing and complex challenges and opportunities in the education field and support students in connecting theory to practice. Below is a summary of recent hands-on research published by a UNL EDAD faculty member and his doctoral student. Please contact them directly for questions and comments.
By Dr. Jennifer Hellbusch and Dr. Nick Pace
In the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic and increasing concerns around teacher burnout, Jennifer Hellbusch, an elementary principal for Gretna Public Schools, examined what many would describe as the inverse of burn out, teacher engagement. Dr. Hellbusch’s study, entitled, “Engagement is Everything”, was the culminating project of her doctor of education (EdD) dissertation in the UNL Department of Educational Administration. The study explored how principals view themselves as responsible for teacher engagement and what actions they take to promote and maintain positive teacher engagement.
Dr. Hellbusch recalled, “As a former teacher and current principal, I have worked in nine different buildings, two districts, and with many different principals. With each, I’ve observed how teacher engagement was valued or cast off by principals, and if it shifted, grew, or declined for teachers.”
Many researchers have pointed to the impacts teacher engagement can have on students. For example, according to researcher Belinda Williams, “teacher engagement is a prerequisite for student engagement” and “teacher’s work and
student’s work are linked...” Tim Hodges, senior consultant for the Gallup Organization, contends that teacher engagement is “a key driver of student engagement.” Dr. Hellbusch says she was driven to learn how principals see their responsibility in promoting teacher engagement because few have examined how principals see this responsibility and how they act on it.
Dr. Hellbusch conducted extensive interviews with nine elementary and secondary school principals with varying levels of experience, serving in a growing Midwestern school district. In-depth interviews with the principals revealed six themes, which Dr. Hellbusch briefly summarizes as:
1. Supporting Teachers: Principals discussed providing time, structures, and resources as a means to engage teachers.
2. Building and Sustaining Relationships: Principals described intentional efforts to build and maintain personal and professional relationships with teachers as well as promoting teachers’ relationships with other teachers.
3. Communicating: Principals shared ways they emphasize constant communication and listening and ways they use electronic communication.
4. Providing Professional Development: Principals described working hard to provide meaningful PD experiences that gave teachers ownership of what they were learning and aligning those experiences with district missions and expectations. Principals in the study also shared the importance of online learning experiences and other forms of PD to support teacher engagement.
5. Developing Teams: Principals described extensive efforts to develop and guide building level, grade level, and department teams. They explained how they work to provide focus and organization to teams through offering support, building and sustaining relationships, ongoing communication, providing meaningful professional development, developing teams, and fostering school culture.
6. Fostering School Culture: Across interviews, principals discussed the implementation, sustainability, and traditions all related to culture with virtually everything they do.
Dr. Hellbusch says the study provided powerful implications for her practice as a leader and offers important guidance for principals.
“I think the themes are things that all principals feel on some level. The key is being intentional about putting the themes into practice.”
Hellbusch recommends district level administrators and school boards consider defining what they mean by teacher engagement and discussing local expectations for how principals should carry out those responsibilities.
“It’s important to communicate those expectations and priorities and to encourage principals to collaborate with each other about the ways they’re supporting teacher engagement. We have lots to learn from each other and our unique philosophies around promoting engagement,” she said.
Hellbusch also notes Educational Service Units and professional organizations can support the engagement of teachers through professional development and networking opportunities for teachers and principals. At the university and college level, ensuring teacher engagement is taught as a part of administrative curriculum will support preservice principals in promoting teacher engagement. Legislators may establish frameworks to prepare and support principals while
advocating for programs and policies that also support teacher engagement. Finally, the general public can support teacher engagement by understanding the responsibilities of principals while also supporting and recognizing teachers themselves.
Hellbusch hopes capturing the voices and perspectives of principals helps provide opportunities for principals to learn about teacher engagement and learn from one another for the vital work ahead. Dr. Nick Pace, who supervised Hellbusch’s dissertation project says the project reflects the kind of practical, hands-on research the Department of Educational Administration supports students in completing, “Dr. Hellbusch’s study is a great example of what we call a Dissertation in Practice, that addresses real world challenges and opportunities for school leaders. This work really matters.” In reflecting on the research and her own practice, Dr. Hellbusch recalled a quote that became the title of the study. “One principal told me ‘Teacher engagement is everything.’ As I think about my own work, that’s why I’m here.” ■
Contact Information:
Dr. Jennifer Hellbusch, jhellbusch@gpsne.org
Falling Waters Elementary, Gretna Public Schools
Dr. Nick Pace Nick.Pace@unl.edu
UNL Department of Educational Administration
Stacey Anderson stacey.anderson@americanfidelity.com 3100 SW Huntoon, #102 Topeka, KS 66604 (800) 365-1167 americanfidelity.com
Boyd Jones Construction
Emily Bannick ebannick@boydjones.biz 950 So. 10th Street, Ste. 100 Omaha, NE 68108 402-553-1804 boydjones.biz
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Nebraska Liquid Asset Fund
Barry Ballou balloub@pfmam.com 455 So. 11th Street Lincoln, NE 68508 402-705-0350 nlafpool.org
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TeamMates Mentoring Program DeMoine Adams dadams@teammates.org 11615 Centennial Rd. #200 La Vista, NE 68128 TeamMates.org
Trane Matt Foertsch mfoertsch@trane.com 11937 Portal Road, Ste. 100 LaVista, NE 68128 402-718-0721 www.tranetechnologies.com
UNANIMOUS Matt O'Gorman matt@beunanimous.com 8600 Executive Woods, Ste. 300 Lincoln, NE 68512 402-423-5447 beunanimous.com
Piper Sandler & Company
Jay Spearman Jay.Spearman@psc.com 11422 Miracle Hills Drive, Ste 408 Omaha, NE 68154 402-599-0307 www.pipersandler.com
Renaissance Heather Miller heather.miller@renaissance.com 2911 Peach Street Wisconsin Rapids, WI 55494 800-338-4204 ext. 4712 renaissance.com
Software Unlimited, Inc. Corey Atkinson caa@su-inc.com 5015 S. Broadband Lane Sioux Falls, SD 57108 605-361-2073 su.inc.com
University of Nebraska High School
Shauna Benjamin-Brice highschool@nebraska.edu 206 South 13th Street, Ste. 800 P.O. Box 880226 Lincoln, NE 68588 402-472-1922 highschool.nebraska.edu
