Spring 2021

A PUBLICATION OF THE NEBRASKA COUNCIL OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

FROM COLLABORATION COMES LB 322: NCSA, education community back "game-changing" safety bill

Spring 2021

www.NCSA.org

EPISODE 3

HOW YOU CAN HELP host a digital screening

engage parents and families;

download discussion

with your staff, school board,

invite them to watch and share

questions and resources at

and community

resources available to them

iloveps.org/toolkit

STREAM ONLINE FREE at iloveps.org/TMI

C ONTENTS

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From Collaboration Comes LB 322: NCSA, education community back "game-changing" safety bill

BY TYLER DAHLGREN

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Checking in with the Commissioner: One Year into the Balancing Act, Nebraska Continues to Move Forward

BY TYLER DAHLGREN

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Transitioning from Safety Crisis Teams to Psychological First Aid Teams (PFA)

SALLY CARLSON, CESAR TORRES, AND DR. JOLENE PALMER

10 2020 - A Year Worth Celebrating!

BY SARA PAIDER

11 In Difficult Times, Look for JOY

BY BRAD JACOBSEN

12 The Mind Inside: Episode Three introduces

viewers to levels of support that live beyond the surface and the heroes who stop at nothing to provide it

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NCSA Administrative Assistant Connie Hilker Retires

14 Research for the Real World

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19 Sponsorship

Another tool to help discuss mental health in your community Calendar of Events

NCSA Mission

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.

NCSA EXECUTIVE BOARD 2020-2021

Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Mark Adler Vice Chair. . . . . . . . . . Ross Ricenbaw Immed. Past Chair. Dr. Terry Houlton NASA Representatives President. . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Edwards President-Elect. . . . . . . Kevin Wingard Past President . . . . . . . Dr. Mark Adler NASBO Representatives President. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pam Roth President-Elect. . . . . . Dr. Liz Standish Past President . . . . . . . Erin Heineman NAESP Representatives President. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sara Paider President-Elect. . . . . . . Erin Gonzalez Past President . . . . . Tammy Schaefer NASES Representatives President. . . . . . . . Lona Nelson-Milks President-Elect. . . . McKayla LaBorde Past President . . . . . Dr. Laura Barrett NSASSP Representatives President. . . . . . . . . . . Brad Jacobsen President-Elect. . . . . . . Dustin Mitchell Past President . . . . . . Ross Ricenbaw NARSA Representative President. . . . . . . . . Dr. Dallas Watkins NCSA STAFF 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 Specialist Carol Young 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.

SPRING 2021 NCSA TODAY

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LE GI S LA T UR E

From Collaboration Comes LB 322: NCSA, education community back “game-changing” safety bill

By TYLER DAHLGREN, NCSA Communications Specialist One by one they approached the podium, leaders in their respective corners of the education community bound by their testimony in support of a bill that could change the landscape of student safety and security in all of Nebraska’s schools.

Introduced by Senator Matt Williams and brought to public hearing on Feb. 9, LB 322 calls for the statewide adoption of the School Safety and Security Reporting System Act. Given that each district across the state is mandated to have a threat assessment team, the bill enacts a logical and efficient next step in the safety process while providing a crucial link between those teams and students with information regarding potential crises, threats, and/or danger.

“There’s three things that I want you to think about as we move forward with this,” Senator Williams said in his opening statement. “First, the demonstrated need that we all recognize. The safety of the kids in our schools is one of the reasons our public and private school systems are as successful as they are. Secondly, we have in front of us a proven solution that has become the national model. The last is cost. I don’t think we can afford not to do this.”

NCSA Executive Board Chair and Ralston Public Schools superintendent Dr. Mark Adler provides testimony in support of LB 322 at the State Capitol on Tuesday, Feb. 9. The bill was supported from groups across the education community.

Testimony for LB 322 came from all sides. From NDE State School Security Director Dr. Jolene Palmer and NCSA Executive Director Dr. Mike Dulaney, the drivers behind the bill. From the Nebraska Catholic Conference’s Jeremy Ekeler, UNL’s Dr. Mario Scalora and Boys Town’s Ginny Gohr.

From Millard Public School’s Bill Jelkin, Omaha Police Department Captain Steve Cerveny and Ralston Superintendent Dr. Mark Adler, who, along with his wife Joni initiated the Be Kind campaign following the suicide of their 15-year-old son, Reid, in early 2016 after a period of bullying that went on far too long.

It was quite fitting, the overwhelming backing from the education community of a bill that was itself born from the willingness of leaders to come together in collaboration for the safety of students in all corners of the state.

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NCSA TODAY SPRING 2021

The proven solution exists in the form of a report line. Nebraska conveniently is already home to one of the nation’s finest in the Boys Town Hotline, which has housed Safe2Help, a pilot program proven effective in Douglas County, for the last couple of years. When Palmer was making her initial push for a statewide report line after the legislature mandated each district in the state to have a security assessment completed on them in 2014, the suggestion to team with Boys Town was made not once, but twice. First by Susan Payne, founder of Safe2Tell Colorado, whose model inspired the formation of Nebraska’s, and then by Governor Pete Ricketts after states were encouraged to assemble task forces for school safety in the aftermath of the Parkland, Fla. shooting that left 17 dead in 2018. Modeling the program after Colorado’s was a nobrainer for Palmer, who tweaked the name slightly because of the willingness from students to “help” a peer rather than to “tell” on a peer.

“While attending a school report line summit, I learned there were two trains of thought with school safety report lines,” Palmer said. “There was everybody that went with the Safe2Tell Colorado model, and there were the people who wished they had gone with the Safe2Tell Colorado model.”

LE GISL ATURE Palmer credits Boys Town for taking the idea and running with it, partnering with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and OPD and writing the grant that funded the pilot study.

Boys Town credits the OPD Foundation for their important role in supporting the program. That was three years ago.

Now, the model is tried and true, built perfectly for statewide expansion.

Report line operators field calls for an array of issues like suicide, drug use and sales, and bullying. Depression among students has been on a noticeable uptick since the pandemic broke last year.

“Research shows that in over eighty-percent of the time there’s been mass targeted violence, information had been leaked to someone,” Palmer said. “We call that leakage, and that leakage is what we’re hoping students, staff and parents will call and report.”

“There’s a comfortability young people feel with this model,” said Gohr, Director of the Boys Town National Hotline. “With all kinds of threats, not just school violence or suicide, the whole premise of our system is being more anonymous and sharing information that the kids know somebody needs to have knowledge about. That’s the important thing.”

One efficient report line connected to threat assessment teams at every school district in the state. “It’s like a case management tool in that it follows the process all the way through in an automated way,” Gohr, whose staff receives thorough training in threat deescalation, explained. “Safe2Help brings people together and bolsters communication.”

The pilot program has seen positive outcomes in each of the 470 calls that have come through the report line so far. Out of those calls, 87 were made by students concerned that a peer was having suicidal ideations. Statewide expansion would boost that number considerably, and that’s the goal.

Those interventions are invaluable.

“There have been some unintentional outcomes that have been very positive, mainly the number of cases where interventions have been made when there’s been suicide ideation,” said Palmer. “The number of students who have been bullied to the point of turning to taking their own lives, where other students have picked up on that and called and shared that information. Those are lives saved.”

The more calls, the better.

“We want more calls and we want more tips” said Margaret Vacek, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at Boys Town.

“The more tips we receive, the more opportunity we have to make a difference.”

Senator Matt Williams, center, addresses the group of testifiers following the Feb. 9 hearing on LB 322.

The model is at once proactive and preventative.

“The report line is all about targeted school violence,” said Palmer. “There could be a time when somebody has information about a mass shooting or some kind of situation down the road where they could call the report line and say ‘I know this is going to happen.’”

Callers remain one-hundred percent anonymous. It’s that anonymity that might persuade a student with information to call Safe2Help, as opposed to 911. Coincidentally, Safe2Help Nebraska serves as a cog in the school-to-prison pipeline.

Ekeler, Associate Director of Education Policy for the NE Catholic Conference, testified that successful passage of LB 322 and the statewide utilization of a singular report line would take some stress off the shoulders of overworked administrators.

“I worked through the ESSA process with public schools as a non-public referee representative of the state,” Ekeler told the Education Committee. “When you get LEAs in public schools working together with non-public schools, really special stuff happens. When you have money coming from DC that you can get all the way to the student, that’s amazing.

We need something similar here for school safety, for sure.

Continued on page 6 >>

SPRING 2021 NCSA TODAY

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CO MMI S S I O N ER ' S R EPO R T

Checking in with the Commissioner: One Year into the Balancing Act, Nebraska Continues to Move Forward

By TYLER DAHLGREN, NCSA Communications Specialist With the one-year mark of living life in a pandemic in the rearview mirror, school districts across Nebraska hardly have time to take a glance back at the road they’ve just travelednot with so much ahead on the horizon.

The same can be said for the Nebraska Department of Education, whose yearlong balancing act has included guiding districts with support, suggestions and resources while abnegating decision-making to the local level.

The latter has paid off, said Commissioner of Education Dr. Matt Blomstedt, who joined us in mid-February for the third time since the onset of the pandemic. When COVID-19 cases peaked around Thanksgiving, schools were able to make their own calls on staying physically open or, if need be, going remote for whatever period of time they deemed necessary.

“They weren’t seeking our permission on a regular basis,” Blomstedt said. “I hope that folks have felt empowered to be able to do that. The flip side is in the protocols around masking and how to continue to stay safe. That’s been the balancing act.”

With local control comes local pressures, Blomstedt explained. The department strongly recommends masking and the ongoing use of safety protocols, though he understands that there might be local pressure to remove such ordinances.

“I’m proud of superintendents, administrators and board members for being able to balance that,” Blomstedt said.

“We’ve kept schools open better than almost any state in the country as a result. Partnerships formed have been paying dividends.”

Collaboration, just like it was when we spoke to Blomstedt in the fall, is at an all-time high and rising. NDE knew from the beginning that partnerships would be paramount in enduring and overcoming the pandemic’s challenges.

“With social services, the food security and all the different issues there, we needed as many partners at the table as possible and that started early on,” he said. “It’s been critically important in a response at the community level. We built from that, and I appreciate NCSA being a part of the Do Right, Right Now campaign.”

From Collaboration Comes LB 322: NCSA, education community back “game-changing” safety bill (continued from page 5) We can work together for this.”

The fiscal note for LB 322 is close to $900,000, approximately $160,000 of which would go towards the software. There are 360,000 K-12 students in Nebraska, Senator Williams pointed out, equating to only $2.50 per student.

“I would challenge all of us to think about it that way,” Williams urged. “The balance of the fiscal note is people, and that’s why this program has proven itself successful. These people are highly-trained professionals. They operate twenty-four seven.”

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With a bill she worked so hard on now on the floor, Palmer finds it impossible to express the importance of the collaboration that helped it get there.

“I can’t think of a better and more effective working relationship than what NDE School Safety and NCSA have,” Palmer said. “NCSA came along and gave us a huge boost with our first safety summit, and I can’t put a price tag on that relationship, just like I can’t put a price tag on Safe2Help.

Both of those ventures have a large payout in terms of school safety, and that’s what is key and vital.” ■

C O MMIS S IO NE R'S REP ORT Dr. Blomstedt plans to continue to scale up supports offered

by NDE, notably in communication and uniform messaging for districts that have reached out and expressed their desire to be a part of those united efforts. Doing so will ensure that leaders don’t feel alone in their messaging to their communities.

Uncertainty is tough on educators, and we’ve been treading water in a bottomless pool filled with it for the last calendar year. Uncertainty has taken a toll on the staff at NDE, too, but Blomstedt praises the agency’s flexibility and devotion to keeping districts afloat.

“We’ve learned some new tricks, I guess is one way to put it, in managing the day-to-day needs as they relate to the pandemic and also normalizing the expectations of what the environments might look like,” Blomstedt said, noting the remarkable job schools have done in improving circumstances, too. “Everyone’s at a point where they would love to be back to whatever normal looks like, but we’ve learned quite a bit and they have improved along the way throughout the year. We’ve all gotten better at this.”

Continuous improvement has been made possible by looking forward, no matter what lies ahead.

“The goal hasn’t changed,” Blomstedt said. “The goal of educating our students every day and engaging them every day hasn’t changed, but our strategies had to. Once folks have felt the freedom to do that, they’ve really stepped up to the plate.”

Individual departments inside the agency continue to evolve with the circumstances, too. At the beginning of the school year, NDE collectively took an approach of flexibility with mindfulness around balance. While the results haven’t always been perfect (nothing in the COVID-19 world is), their measures have been effective. Each day schools are in session is a success.

“The staff at NDE have done remarkable things, probably even more remarkable than people realize,” said Blomstedt.

“We’re also in our second legislative session in the pandemic, and I’m not sure if people realize the amount of time that the department staff spend in that arena, all across the board.”

In addition to building the Launch Nebraska website and inventing new commissioner’s guidance resources and everything else, NDE is making a move to a new building. In fact, by the time this article is published, the agency will be in its new quarters. Following along with the new staff theme, flexibility will be utilized through the moving process.

“In the long run, the new space will serve us all the better, and we hope to have a grand opening someday where we can celebrate that,” Blomstedt said. “Our physical space will be changing to meet the future needs of the state.”

Speaking of the legislative session, Blomstedt is monitoring several bills that could benefit education in the state if passed.

The department has always valued the working relationship with not only the Education Committee, but all leadership in the legislature. What struck Blomstedt about Senator Lynne Walz assuming the role of Chair of the Education Committee is her spot on the Health and Human Services Committee, too.

“Senator Walz is taking over at a really opportune time to focus on the impacts of the pandemic on children and families from a well-being standpoint,” Blomstedt said before listing off a handful of bills he’s closely following in an array of areas across the educational landscape. “It provides us an opportunity to provide some leadership, and not just from the department but from educators across the state that have been working very hard on those topics. It will be reflected, I believe, in the type of ways Senator Walz is likely to take the Education Committee.”

In the meantime, Dr. Blomstedt encourages schools to continue doing what they’re doing; to keep on keeping on for students across the state.

“Continue to hope, and have some hope that we keep managing it as well as we have,” Blomstedt said. “I don’t have any reason to believe that we won’t.” ■

“The goal of educating our students every day and engaging them every day hasn’t changed, but our strategies had to. Once folks have felt the freedom to do that, they’ve really stepped up to the plate.”

— Dr. Matt Blomstedt, Commissioner of Education

SPRING 2021 NCSA TODAY

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SCHOOL S A FETY AND S EC U R IT Y

Transitioning from Safety Crisis Teams to Psychological First Aid Teams (PFA)

By SALLY CARLSON, Ed.S, PFA Training Consultant CESAR TORRES, Bullying and Cyber-Bullying Research Associate DR. JOLENE PALMER, NDE Director of School Safety and Security Nebraska School Safety is trying to build “systems” around safety that incorporate many facets: Prevention, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery. Psychological First Aid for Schools connects to all of these facets of the cycle….. and works in the before, during, and after phases of an incident or event and is an evidenced-based practice. It will be part (not the whole) of the school emergency operations plan. PFA connects to the Incident Command System which each school develops to respond to situations that might arise.

Crisis Teams take care of the aftermath of an incident/event.

They help in the response and they assist with the recovery pieces. An incident is any event that has a stressful impact sufficient enough to overwhelm your usual coping strategies.

Incident or event refers to just about anything a school could encounter, natural or human-made incidents, natural or accidental deaths, suicides, natural or human-made disasters, etc. The PFA training covers the response and recovery to these types of incidents. PFA for schools provides emotional support and coping information to students and staff to reduce distress and anxiety. The model trains participants in 8 core actions which are supported by research as being helpful and effective for people at all developmental levels including those with special needs – and is always provided in a practical, respectful, and culturally informed manner.

Participants will learn how to respond to students and staff in non-intrusive ways, provide practical assistance, as well as providing physical and emotional support to those who have been affected. Participants will learn to recognize stress reactions and utilize coping strategies to reduce stress and promote adaptive functioning. Further, participants will learn how to identify needs and concerns, gather information for planning interventions, and provide appropriate resources and services. Other topics covered during this training will be memorials, communication to and working with staff, students, school board, parents, community, and media throughout an incident/event.

NDE Safety and Security will be providing training to the ESU coordinated PFA teams. The end goal is to develop ESU coordinated PFA teams to serve all schools in the ESU, taking the burden off local school districts to work through 8

NCSA TODAY SPRING 2021

their own adverse incidents/events. The ESU coordinated team would consist of at least one person from every school district in the ESU. When a school district has an adverse incident occur, a team from the ESU PFA would go to that school for whatever length of time needed to assist and provide the strategies of Psychological First Aid to students and staff. We will be creating a model memorandum of understanding as an example between districts and ESUs and possible agreements that can guide this endeavor. This transition will be a process and it will take time to get the infrastructure set to support schools. The implementation process will take up to five years before all PFA teams are trained and ready to respond.

In the transition, PFA for school level training will be provided in a similar manner as the Crisis Team training has occurred in the past. Trainings will be held in central locations where schools can send teams or individuals to receive PFA training at the school level. Dates and locations for those trainings will be shared in the same way as in the past and also can be found at education.ne.gov/safety (safety website.) Just as in the past, the district will be responsible for the cost of this training. At the current time all training is virtual, and will move to in-person once the pandemic is past.

The end goal is to eventually minimize or even phase out the crisis team at the local school district level and become guided by the principles of Psychological First Aid. It can be a financial burden on local school districts to keep their crisis teams current with best practices; however a school district may choose to continue to have their own PFA team. School level PFA training will be provided one or two times per year going forward. More information will be forthcoming. (education.ne.gov/safety) Many administrators have indicated their wish for assistance during the response and recovery parts of an incident. They have stated it is very difficult to grieve themselves, and yet to be responsible to maintain normalcy and assist their staff, students, and even in some cases parents through the recovery process.

Providing psychological support is based on similar principles of providing medical care. If there is an injury, it must be

S C HO O L S A FE T Y A ND S ECURI TY treated immediately. Psychological First Aid is very similar, immediate attention is provided to prevent further harm or traumatization. Just like a wound, unaddressed mental health needs can lead to life changing outcomes such as increased dropout rates, lower academic achievement, disrupted peer relationships and impact overall well-being. Psychological First Aid is done with the intent of providing ongoing support to allow students to emotionally heal and return to normalcy. This minimizes the amount of school disruption and the negative effects on students’ academic and social achievement (Brymer et al, 2012). Schools are typically the first service agencies to resume operations after a disaster/ emergencies, as a result, a prompt return to normalcy will have far reaching effects into the community.

While providing help to students is critical, an important part of recovery is making sure teachers and staff are also cared for. During an event, teachers and staff often focus all their energy on protecting and caring for their students and forget about the trauma they experienced. In order to help others, one has to be physically and mentally well in order to provide proper and effective care. Responding to a crisis may be overwhelming, especially over time and may lead to compassion fatigue, which can have a negative impact on one’s cognitive, physical, social, emotional, and professional well-being (Teater & Ludgate, 2014). For this reason, it is important for administrators to support their staff by starting the conversation of self-care, not only during a crisis, but as part of the school environment.

Providing Psychological First Aid is important for all students, however specific students may be more vulnerable than others. Younger students due to their cognitive, emotional, and social immaturity are more likely to experience negative outcomes following a traumatic event, especially if not treated. Similarly, students who have had previous trauma or who have a disability are more susceptible.

The community expects that school personnel will respond to crisis incidents and events competently and appropriately. Psychological First Aid for Schools utilizes the best available evidence to empower all students and staff and supports the critical goal of educational achievement (Brymer et al, 2012). ■

NASBO

Virtual State Convention Session Topics Include: • • •

NDE Update including ESSER II State Economist Forecast State Auditor’s Office Update

April 21-23, 2021 Virtual Event • • • •

Legislative Update Legal Hot Topics from Perry Law and KSB School Law Information for New Bookkeepers And More!

R e g i s t rati o n i s n ow o p e n !

Visit ncsa.org for more information and to register.

SPRING 2021 NCSA TODAY

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AF F I LI A T E L EA D ER S H I P

2020 - A Year Worth Celebrating!

By Sara Paider, NAESP President

It is hard to believe that spring is around the corner and the craziest time of the school year is almost upon us. Who would have thought when we were all frantically planning in July and August of last year that we would be at this point in the year.

“This point” for some schools remains on-line learning and for others learning in-person. No PAIDER matter what the learning platform is, I would like to personally congratulate you and THANK YOU for a job very well done!

It took countless hours of planning, brainstorming and preparing to be able to successfully reach this point.

I think most Nebraska educators and leaders would tell you that we are a group of hardworking professionals that roll up our sleeves when challenges arise and create a plan to get the job done successfully. Boy has this past school year ever proven that statement! I am very proud of not only the district I serve, but all districts in the state for the perseverance shown in very difficult times.

When I reflect back on this past year, there are lots of things that come to mind. When COVID first hit, life as I knew it was different and different is hard. On March 16, 2020, my life as well as so many others in education became different.

The thought of not having students and staff in the building was so heart-wrenching. I kept hoping the nightmare would end and we would all land back in school with only 4 or 5 weeks of learning to make up, instead of an entire quarter.

But as COVID continued, it became inevitable that was not going to be the case. I was mad, frustrated, sad, and scared. Scared for my own family and their safety, but also scared for all of the students and staff’s safety and mental health. There were tears upon tears as I struggled to figure out how to lead our school through this unknown.

However, it soon became clear that I wasn’t alone in creating this plan. None of us were. The staff at my school was amazing due to their resiliency, grit, and determination to provide our students with a top-notch educational experience remotely. Honestly, it was all of us. All the staff in my building as well as staff in school buildings miles across the state. We were all in this together and we all networked to build a plane as it was currently flying through the air, which is not an easy task! But we did it and I don’t believe it ever crashed...maybe a bumpy landing here and

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there but in the end, we were able to get it back up in the air and continue with the task at hand of educating our students.

Outside of school, COVID also made me appreciate my family more than I ever had! When life is crazy and as leaders, we are at school all day and well into the evening some days, I actually had time to sit down and have meaningful conversations with my family. We had time to do the things we love like hunting, fishing, and camping. We roasted hotdogs and smores on our patio and watched the sunset...something we had never done in the spring before due to lots of activities. In the end, I was able to reconnect with my family that all too often gets neglected due to the demands required of being an educational leader.

“I am very proud of not only the district I serve, but all districts in the state for the perseverance shown in very difficult times.”

— Sara Paider, NAESP President

COVID has been hard on everyone from all different backgrounds for lots of reasons. My thoughts go out to all those that have been impacted by COVID, whether it’s been the loss of a loved one, illness, or financial stress. I hope all those negatively affected are able to find the help, support, and perseverance to continue Even though COVID has been hard, I do believe there have been some positive impacts. It has pushed educators to think outside the box to provide our students with a safe and excellent education. It required them to collaborate, network and have meaningful conversations. It also pushed me and others to slow down and focus on our families.

These positive impacts to me make 2020 a year worth celebrating! ■

A FFILIA T E LE A DERSHI P

In Difficult Times, Look for JOY

By Brad Jacobsen, NSASSP President

Much has been written and shared about COVID-19. Rules, directed health measures, protocols, changes, and challenges. What a year! Just over a year ago, we were experiencing the loss of every day school and the ‘end’ of so many things we have come to love and appreciate. We missed events, sports seasons, awards ceremonies, concerts, and milestones. Yes, we may have been able to rebuild or JACOBSEN offer them in some form or another, but we experienced major loss. That’s the reality.

I remember driving up to the Devaney Center on March 12, 2020 to watch the Ashland-Greenwood Bluejays (and my son) play in the State Basketball Tournament. As I approached the building as one of the approximately 150 family members that could attend, I had tears streaming down my face. Why? Kids and communities LOST a lot. This is not just about fans at the State Tournament, it was just a piece of all the pieces that come together to make the educational experience what it is. That experience was taken away, limited, or different.

A college basketball coach recently discussed the toll COVID-19 has had on his team. He described that a coach seldom enjoys a victory because they are constantly evaluating how they can get better and worried they may lose the next one. When experiencing a loss, a coach beats themselves up until the next game. The cycle repeats itself over and over again. Players, however, usually enjoy victories. They celebrate with one another and on school or college campuses they celebrate with other students. This year, because of the pandemic, when players have won they go back to their dorm rooms. They don’t go out with family for dinner. They don’t celebrate with the other students.

They keep their ‘bubbles’ small to avoid exposure and keep their season going. When they lose, again players now don’t have those friends to help them bounce back. Much like a coach, they only have their teammates around. Players are a lot like coaches, and it is taking the joy out of it for them.

I really felt that was insightful. As a former coach, I didn’t want my players to win and not celebrate and feel joy. As a school leader, I don’t want my teachers or my students to not experience joy. I really don’t want them to continue to “beat themselves up” when they experience loss or failure. And, yet, I think this may be somewhat true. Being reflective in nature, I am hopeful that we can find ways to allow our students, our teachers, and our community to experience all parts of their educational process

and again find JOY. I hope we can bring them joy and that they can share that joy with their classmates or colleagues.

We hear a lot about being intentional at expressing appreciation and thankfulness for what we have, having lost much of it a year ago. There is probably not a school or family that hasn’t or isn’t experiencing the ultimate loss of a loved one due to the effects of COVID. Now more than ever, I challenge you to be equally intentional at allowing our students and teachers to experience wins and celebrate together, and to experience losses and lean on each other to bounce back. We need others in great times and times of prosperity and we need others, too, when things are struggling or we experience loss or failure.

“This is not just about fans at the State Tournament, it was just a piece of all the pieces that come together to make the educational experience what it is. That experience was taken away, limited, or different.”

— Brad Jacobsen, NSASSP President

At Ashland-Greenwood, we have held an event called Kindness Week the past several years. This takes place annually in February/March. It is a week-long event filled with activities and reminders of kindness, acceptance, and the importance of relationships. This year, Kindness Week took place March 15-19 to take time to be intentional about celebrating and being joyful about still being in school and all of the great things we get to share with one another before this year is done.

As you finish off 2021, I urge you to acknowledge the loss that we experienced at the end of the 2020 school year and embrace and recognize the opportunities we have in front of us to experience JOY. Have fun at your academic awards night, graduation rehearsal, prom, baseball games, unified track meets, and state competitions or whatever you have on your school calendar! Find the JOY! Share the JOY! Be the JOY! ■

SPRING 2021 NCSA TODAY

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ME N T A L H E A L TH

The Mind Inside: Episode Three introduces viewers to levels of support that live beyond the surface and the heroes who stop at nothing to provide it We’re introduced to four courageous students who deal with a myriad of issues at home, barriers to success at school like drug abuse, sexual assault, food insecurity, self-harm and attempts at suicide.

The Mind Inside: Episode Three Director and Executive Producer Sally Nellson Barrett (right) and Andrew Marinkovich, Director of Photography for I Love Public Schools, visit with the stars of the newest installment in the docuseries, North Platte Public Schools Student Services Director Brandy Buscher, to the left of Nellson Barrett, and the district’s SRO Jay Johnson, to the right of Marinkovich. (Photo courtesy of I Love Public Schools)

From the opening scene, the filmmakers at I Love Public Schools lift the audience from the comforts of wherever they’re viewing The Mind Inside: Episode Three and drop them into the middle of a different world.

For educators, this world will feel heartbreakingly familiar.

The film focuses on North Platte Public Schools, where more than half of the students in the district live at or below the poverty line.

Like the previous two episodes in the docuseries, the newest installment doesn’t have to drum up the theatrics or dramatize what’s happening on the screen to give viewers an idea of what it’s like to live a day in the life of Buscher or Officer Johnson. The two even allow us into their homes at different points in the film, a tender look at how much those family gatherings around the breakfast or dinner table mean before or after another long day.

There’s 4,000 students in North Platte, and while there might only be two of them, there’s dedicated and devoted professionals in similar positions across the state.

This film captures their spirit in a beautiful way.

Masterful storytellers who take us on a journey to North Platte, I Love Public Schools lets this particular story tell itself.

They were able to poignantly do so from the perspectives of two school super heroes whose hearts are exposed and on full-display throughout the 50-minute film.

This is Student Service Coordinator Brandy Buscher’s world.

It’s school resource officer Jay Johnson’s world. And here, beyond the essential needs like food and clothes, lie deeper, more complicated levels of support that far too many kids rely on to survive.

For viewers who live their lives outside of the realm of education, the film helps to better understand the importance of that support and the prominent role school districts play in ensuring the well-being of their students.

Director Sally Nellson Barrett and crew followed Buscher and Johnson for the better part of 20 days, most of which were spent tirelessly pinballing from one dire situation to the next.

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North Platte SRO Jay Johnson, left, and Director of Student Services Brandy Buscher, right, allow viewers into their world during The Mind Inside: Episode Three, the latest installment in I Love Public Schools’ eye-opening and honest examination of mental health in Nebraska’s Public Schools. (Photo Courtesy of I Love Public Schools)

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Officer Jay Johnson and North Platte Director of Student Services Brandy Buscher go to tremendous lengths to ensure the safety and well-being of students, as depicted in The Mind Inside: Episode Three, which takes us into the lives of the two school superheroes.

It’s an honest lap around the obstacle-laced course that schools must maneuver, more often than not, completely behind the scenes.

It’s an eye-opening ride for the viewer, or, in this bended analogy, the passenger.

Buscher and Officer Johnson, the film’s protagonists, bravely drive the locomotive. In the pits of our stomachs, we feel every sharp turn and every sudden stop and start. It’s coincidental, tagging them as the metaphorical drivers of the story, because, for many kids, it’s their drive that keeps the wheels spinning.

I Love Public Schools is the vehicle, one that rides so honest and true that it’s easy to become immersed in the film to the point that you forget you’re watching something on a screen.

It feels like more than that.

And that’s because for North Platte, its students and for districts all across the state, it is. These are real-life challenges that must be faced head-on when the sun rises at the start of every day. It feels real, and for those who closely follow I Love Public Schools, that’s what you’ve come to expect from these filmmakers.

Powerful. Honest. Real. The Mind Inside: Episode Three is all of the above. ■

NCSA Administrative Assistant Connie Hilker Retires It is with well wishes that NCSA announces the retirement of Mrs. Connie Hilker, who served diligently as the office’s Administrative Assistant since being hired in March of 2018.

Connie quickly became an essential member of the NCSA team, and was always a friendly and productive member of the team who would go CONNIE out of her own way to assist members and fellow staff members in any way possible.

Working at NCSA was meant to be, said Hilker, who remembers feeling right at home during her first interview.

“I was squeezing my hands in my lap under the table and trying not to smile too wide, as this was the job I wanted,”

Hilker said. Two weeks later, she was a part of the staff, and, indeed, right at home.

“I have enjoyed the fact that we can all laugh and have a good time, while at the same time doing all that we can to make things better for our members,” she said.

Getting to know those members from across the state and forming relationships with the rest of the staff have been highlights for Hilker, who wishes she would have found NCSA sooner. “At least I did have the opportunity to be a part of a great organization,” she said. “It is now my turn to retire, and while I am excited, this is truly bittersweet.”

Congratulations to Connie Hilker, and, from all of us, thank you for your service to NCSA! ■

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P ART N E RS H I P

Research for the Real World At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Department of Educational Administration, our faculty are conducting leading research and outreach related to the most pressing and complex challenges and opportunities in education today. Below are three summaries of recent hands-on research published by UNL EDAD faculty. Contact them to learn more.

Zuckerman and O’Shea examine how mental models shape school leadership

By Sarah J. Zuckerman and Cailen O’Shea https://journals.sagepub.com/ doi/full/10.1177/105268462096 6063

ZUCKERMAN

What does it mean to be a good school leader?

As part of their research for the Nebraska Department of Education, Drs. Sarah J. Zuckerman of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Cailen O’Shea of North Dakota State University (UNL, Ph.D., 2020) sought to examine how principals’ mental models of what it means to be a“good leader,” might inform their selection and implementation of instructional leadership strategies. Their study, published in the Journal of School Leadership, “Principals’ Schema: Leadership Philosophies and Instructional Leadership,” identified five mental models, or schema: relational leadership, leading by example, distributed leadership, servant leadership, and facilitative leadership. The researchers found that most principals described utilizing at least two of these mental models, suggesting that school leaders draw on multiple schemas in carrying out their leadership tasks.

Despite this variety of leadership schema, principals reported using similar instructional leadership strategies.

However, their schema appeared to influence how they carry out their tasks and what they focused on. For example, relational leaders tend to focus on preserving positive relationships with teachers during feedback.

“The big takeaway was that it isn't just instructional leadership practices, but how they are done,” Zuckerman said. “The study raised questions about the need for a

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deeper understanding of these qualitative differences and about where messages come from that shape leaders’ mental models.”

She continued, “This study raises questions about our own roles as faculty in crafting messages about good leadership, whether they are consistent throughout principals’ preservice training, and how our programs contribute to school leaders’ schema in ways that influence student achievement. Likewise, this study suggests a need to collectively craft coherence in messages to principals about leadership and expectations for high quality school leadership in ways that support instructional leadership to increase the impact of our efforts at improving principal practice as a lever for student achievement.”

Sarah J. Zuckerman, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in educational administration at the University of Nebraska– Lincoln. Her research uses qualitative methods to investigate state-level educational policy implementation and schoolcommunity partnerships, particularly in the context of rural communities. She’s on Twitter @DrSZuckerman.

O'SHEA

Cailen O’Shea, Ph.D., is a 2020 graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and an assistant professor of educational leadership and higher education at North Dakota State University. Follow him on Twitter @COShea44. His research focuses on principal leadership and innovation of instruction.

Yeah, But What About This Kid?

By Grace Dearborn & Scott Sturgeon https://www.consciousteaching.com/thiskid/ We’ve all heard the stories of a student with extreme, volatile, or dangerous behaviors with whom nothing has worked. The practical answers, the actual solutions to help kids like this are not always easy or available and it occurred to Grace Dearborn that the answers are missing in current educational literature, training, and practice. So, with the help of Scott Sturgeon, associate professor of practice at UNL, they shared answers in their book,

PA RT NERSHI P “Yeah, But What About This Kid?” The book gives teachers, mentors, and administrators the strategies and structures they need to succeed with their most challenging and vulnerable students. It provides the missing pieces for both creating effective classroom and school wide disciple systems, as well as improving interventions and support for Tier 3 students and the educators who work with them.

“Success in education is found all over the country, in every kind of school, with all types of challenges,” Sturgeon said.

“Such successes share some common threads. This book is our attempt to make these threads visible and replicable.”

The most important takeaway is that adults change first.

Sturgeon said if we want a different outcome from students we are serving, we can only control ourselves and all of our focus should be making changes to ourselves and the environment to provide an opportunity for change with the student.

Dr. Sturgeon joined the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2020 as an associate professor of practice. He earned a BA, MA in Education with a Specialization in Comprehensive Arts Education, a Graduate Certificate in Urban Schools, and EdD from UNO. He also earned his MA in Educational Leadership from Doane University. Since 2017, he served as an Executive Director and Principal Supervisor, providing coaching and supervision to more than 20 principals in various settings and levels across the Omaha Public Schools. He has co-led the OPS New Principal Institute and served as the district contact for the Wallace Foundation Principal Pipeline Professional Learning Community. Follow him on Twitter @SturgeonDr. Who Should Get “Ineffective”?

A Principal’s Ethical Dilemmas on Teacher Evaluation

By Taeyeon Kim, Charles Lowery https://doi.org/10.1177/155545 8920976718 It’s no secret that school principals play a critical role in evaluating teachers and providing feedback, but highKIM stakes evaluation policies at the local and state levels can create ethical dilemmas for principals.

In this case, Dr. Taeyeon Kim, assistant professor of educational administration at UNL, and Dr. Charles Lowery, associate professor of educational studies at Ohio University, reveal an underresourced rural school principal has to report a certain number of “ineffective” teachers to meet a requirement from the district teacher evaluation, even though the principal does not think any teacher in his school deserves to receive an “ineffective” rating.

Drs. Kim and Lowery sought to discover more about the practical ethical dilemmas in school leadership. Their study, “Who Should Get “Ineffective”? A Principal’s Ethical Dilemmas on Teacher Evaluation'' can be used to help students and practicing principals unpack complicated dilemmas coming from high stakes accountability policies and principals’ daily practice and ethos.

The purpose of this paper was a resource for a principal preparation program. Dr. Kim said she found her virtual case informed by the real world dilemmas and questions to discuss for class activities offers critical insights for both leaders and leadership educators to understand the complexity of political economy that shapes accountability policies and how this environment can undermine humanity that educational leaders want to carry on.

“I want to highlight that utilizing case-driven discussions in leadership preparation is valuable to help educational leaders navigate problems and solutions in a real situation,” Kim said. “For example, my colleague Dr. Shavonna Holman at UNL adopts a virtual simulation approach to help future leaders develop and apply skill sets to solve problems. My JCEL article serves a similar role and guides leadership educators to challenge adult learners by situating them within a complicated dilemma situation to navigate the roots of the problem and possible solutions as leaders.”

Dr. Kim joined UNL in 2020 as an assistant professor of educational leadership. Her research focuses on how leaders’ voices and strategies intersect with school organizations and policy contexts. Specifically, she examines policy enactment in school settings whereby leaders and educators interpret and transform policy, and leadership development in school organizations by applying learning theories.

Dr. Lowery serves as associate professor of educational studies at Ohio University, where he studies moral democratic agency of school leaders, transformational leadership, and qualitative research methods. ■

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The Nebraska School Mental Health Initiative was launched to promote strong mental health services in our schools; to provide resources and training to increase access; and to promote early intervention and wrap around services for youth and families.

Presented By:

A special thank you to our partners!

Thank you to our sponsors!

Platinum:

Gold:

Reception:

Silver:

For more details and to register visit: www.thekimfoundation.org/nebraskaschool-mental-health/

This year's conference is virtual!

June 2: 8:45 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. (CST) June 3: 8:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (CST)

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Another tool to help discuss mental health in your community A Message From I Love Public Schools

‘The Mind Inside’, an I Love Public Schools docuseries, explores the landscape of mental health issues in Nebraska schools. EPISODE THREE follows the journey of two school heroes who take on the often daunting task of connecting vulnerable children and families with the necessary support to keep their kids engaged in school.

With earnest accounts from students and guardians, the stories presented in this episode uncover how inherited trauma, generational poverty, drug abuse, neglect, and other home dynamics complicate the path to academic success. See how one school provides refuge for families, intervenes to protect the welfare of students, and navigates through systems of support to offer hope for the future.

As educators, these stories will not be new or unfamiliar to you. The stories represent some of the mental health struggles you and your coworkers experience with students and families every day. Now, because of COVID-19, your role is evolving rapidly to match what students are carrying with them. This film, its message, and your stories combined are vital to helping others better understand where mental health and student success converge.

Use our film as a way to create discussion and share your experience with your community. We invite you to host digital screenings of this film with students, staff, and parents. We hope this series helps build more empathy and awareness of what you, your students, and their families face every day.

This film, its message, and your stories combined are vital to helping others better understand where mental health and student success converge.

Now more than ever, we thank you for your work supporting students and guiding them into success.

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO SPREAD THE WORD • Display the poster provided and host a digital screening in your school community – screen this film with your staff, school board, and community groups • Encourage others to view the film online; send an email to your parents about the films • Share the film online via your social media channels - use the hashtag #ilovepublicschools and link to iloveps.org/TMI • Brief your staff on three talking points about the role your school plays to address mental health needs of students and families • Engage community partners that support your school, host a virtual Lunch and Learn with the film - refer the film and encourage others to participate in this conversation Visit iloveps.org/toolkit to download a screening guide that includes discussion questions and more.

CATCH UP ON THE SERIES - AVAILABLE ONLINE: iloveps.org/TMI EPISODE ONE and TWO lay the foundation for the series, establishing what life looks like in public schools today and how mental health impacts the classroom. For a deeper understanding of mental health today and the significant behavioral impact technology and social media have on students, explore the full episodes and shorts in this series. ■

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Mark Your Calendar

2021

JULY 28–30 | KEARNEY, NE CALENDAR OF EVENTS APRIL April 6

GRIT – Cornhusker Marriott – Virtual Event

April 21-23

NASBO State Convention – Virtual Event

April 29-30

NASES Spring Conference – Holiday Inn – Kearney

JULY July 28-30

Administrators’ Days – Younes Conf Center - Kearney

*Region meeting dates can be found on the NCSA website.

NATIONAL CONVENTION DATES NAESP – July 8-10, 2021 – Chicago, IL

AASA – February 14-16, 2022 – Nashville, TN

NASSP – July 15-17, 2021

ASCD – March 18-21, 2022 – Chicago, IL

ASBO – October 13-16, 2021 – Milwaukee, WI

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Ameritas Mary Nelson marynelson@ameritas.com 6940 O Street, Suite 406 Lincoln, NE 68510 402-305-1747 ameritas.com

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Modern Images Bradley Cooper brad@champshots.com 13436 So. 217th Street Gretna, NE 68028 402-991-7786 misportsphotography.com

National Insurance Steve Ott sott@nisbenefits.com 9202 W. Dodge Road, Ste. 302 Omaha, NE 68114 800-627-3660 nisbenefits.com Nebraska Liquid Asset Fund Barry Ballou balloub@pfm.com 455 So. 11th Street Lincoln, NE 68508 402-705-0350 nlafpool.org OnToCollege John Baylor john@ontocollege.com P.O. Box 30792 Lincoln, NE 68503 402-475-7737 ontocollege.com Trane Andy Vinckier AVinckier@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

Cheever Construction Doug Klute Cheever Construction 3425 North 44th Street Lincoln, Nebraska 68504 402-477-6745 dklute@cheeverconstruction.com Edgenuity - Odysseyware Crystal Church, Ed.S 8860 E. Chaparral Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85250 314-750-0494 crystal.church@edgenuity.com edgenuity.com Johnstone Supply Kim Cafferty 4444 S. 108th Street Omaha, NE 68116 402-339-2342 kim.cafferty@johnstonesupply.com johnstonesupply.com Software Unlimited, Inc. Corey Atkinson caa@su-inc.com 5015 S. Broadband Lane Sioux Falls, SD 57108 605-361-2073 su.inc.com TeamMates Mentoring Program Beth Roberts broberts@teammates.org 6801 “O” Street Lincoln, NE 68510 877-531-8326 teammates.org

BRONZE SPONSORSHIP SEAM (Secure Enterprise Asset Management, Inc.) Levi Hentges levi@seamservices.com 3101 N 1st Ave Sioux Falls, SD 57104 605-274-7326 www.SeamServices.com

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