Spring 2015

NCSA TODAY A PUBLICATION OF THE NEBRASKA COUNCIL OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

Exposé on Two Retired School Administrators

Now Members of the Nebraska Legislature

See It and Speak Up… Save a Life

NDE Suicide Prevention Training

Nebraska Council of School Administrators

SPRING 2015

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CONTENTS

2 Exposé Retired School Administrator Senator Roy Baker

3 Exposé Retired School Administrator Senator Rick Kolowski

BY JOLENE PALMER

EHA Field Representative Traveling Nebraska

NASBO Representatives President . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rick Haney President-Elect . . . . . . .Jeff Schneider Past President . . . . . . .Kelli Ackerman

BY GREG LONG

6

Meeting the Needs of Today’s Learners

BY ROD ENGEL

7

Education Reform and the Impact of the Principal

BY RYAN RICENBAW

9

NSPRA and NCSA Partner to Provide Additional Benefits to Members

BY KALA MORRISSEY

11

Chair . . . . . . . . . . . .Dr. Mike Teahon Vice Chair . . . . . . . . . .Brian Tonniges Immed. Past Chair . . .Dr. Chris Stogdill NASA Representatives President . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mike Apple President-Elect . . . . . . .Kyle McGowen Past President . . . . . .Dr. Mike Teahon

4 See It and Speak Up…Save a Life

5

NCSA EXECUTIVE BOARD 2014-2015

Hastings Elementary School Honored

NAESP Representatives President . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rod Engel President-Elect . . . . . . .Mark Johnson Past President . . . . . . . .Mike Janssen NASES Representatives President . . . . . . . . . .Sally Giittinger President-Elect . . Wendy Kemling-Horner Past President . . . . . .Dr. Brenda Tracy NSASSP Representatives President . . . . . . . . . .Ryan Ricenbaw President-Elect . . . . . . . . . .Troy Lurz Past President . . . . . . .Brian Tonniges

COURTESY OF HASTINGS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

12

Educators Health Alliance

BY DR. MIKE DULANEY AND DR. DAN ERNST

NARSA Representative President . . . . . . . . . .Dr. Larry Sweley NCSA STAFF Dr. Michael S. Dulaney Executive Director/Lobbyist

7 12 14

National Convention Dates Calendar of Events 2015 Administrators’ Days

Dr. Dan E. Ernst Associate Executive Director/Lobbyist Megan Hillabrand Event Coordinator Amy Poggenklass Finance and Membership Director Carol Young Executive Administrative Assistant

NCSA Mission

Michelle Smith Administrative Assistant

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.

Dr. Virginia Moon Consultant, Lobbyist

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 $40 (student members).

NCSA Today is published quarterly. Send address changes to NCSA, Membership, 455 South 11th Street, Suite A, Lincoln, NE 68508. Copyright ©2015 by NCSA. All rights reserved.

The opinions expressed in NCSA Today or by its authors do not necessarily reflect the positions of the Nebraska Council of School Administrators.

SPRING 2015 NCSA TODAY 1

EXPOSÉ

Senator Roy Baker

G

BLOMSTEDT, Commissioner of Education

reetings to my colleagues in education.

It is my great pleasure to serve you as a Senator for the State of Nebraska.

I enjoyed a 42-year career in education before retiring in 2010 as superintendent of the Norris School District. In 2012-13, I came back as the interim superintendent for Beatrice. For more than 15 years, I have also served as a search consultant, first for Ray and Associates of Cedar Rapids Iowa, and since 2010 as a partner in Baker and Rastovski School Services.

My roles have included teacher, coach, principal, and 37 years as a superintendent. My beliefs about how things ought to be in and for our schools evolved over the course of my career. Each of the 49 Nebraska Senators brings her or his unique background and life experiences to the Legislature. I bring expertise in matters of education and school finance, and I am gratified to have the opportunity to serve on the Education Committee.

Progress in the Education Committee has been tedious. As of the date of this writing, the Committee has completed the hearings on all of the bills referred to us, but we have key issues to resolve in executive session before advancing key measures to the floor of the Legislation for debate. That five of the eight Committee members are new to the Legislature likely has impacted the pace.

After much discussion, the Committee reached a compromise regarding the use of lottery funds after June 30, 2016. Some of the programs currently funded will now continue to be funded by lottery funds, rather than allocating most to new innovative programs as initially proposed to us.

Sen. Kolowski worked for months on LB 343 and I was pleased to help him move his bill out of committee. LB 402, providing distance learning incentives for sending districts, is now part and parcel of LB 343.

The ensuing issues discussed here may be resolved by the time you read this edition of the NCSA Today. I believe it is time to thoroughly re-examine our state’s system of school finance, Senator

2 NCSA TODAY SPRING 2015

either by a review commission (LB 323) or by the Committee in the summer. The landscape has changed significantly since the report issued in 1990 that led to the TEEOSA formula—population shifts, increase in poverty, and ag land values, to name a few. We have yet to take action regarding changes to the Learning Community provisions. I support honoring the recommendations agreed upon by all eleven Learning Community school districts.

Senators are expected to not only represent the constituents in our own respective Legislative Districts, but also to act in the best interests of all Nebraska citizens. We are also elected based on voters’ perception of our ability to exercise our own judgment and common sense. As a superintendent, I was committed to finding win-win solutions. Voting on divisive issues in the Legislature is by nature win-lose, when no compromise can be reached. In those situations, my vote will make some people happy while disappointing others.

I am asked on a daily basis how I am going to vote on upcoming issues. My response is that I intend to listen to the testimony and research the issues before committing. The better school board members I worked with in my career understood it was best not to promise their vote prior to board discussion. I support the same principle in the Legislature.

One of the pleasant aspects of serving in the Legislature is the comaraderie that exists among the Senators. For the most part, we can disagree on issues and remain cordial. Every day, there is a strong sense of shared responsibility to make good decisions that will impact the lives of all Nebraskans. n

Baker confers with Legislative Aide Janet Anderson.

EXPOSÉ

Senator Rick Kolowski

I

t is a pleasure to take some time to share an educational update with my fellow members of NCSA. Thank you for all your dedication to the students and families of Nebraska.

As the current state senator of Nebraska Legislative District 31 (Southwest Omaha, Millard and Elkhorn districts), I represent families that send students to some of the highest performing high schools in the state (Millard West, Millard South, Millard North, Skutt Catholic, Elkhorn High, and Elkhorn South). The major business of southwest Omaha is quality education!

I enjoyed a 41-year career in public education before retiring in 2008 as the founding principal of Millard West High School.

Since 2008, I have worked as an educational consultant primarily concentrating on secondary schools using the NASSP “Breaking Ranks” material. My roles have included teacher, coach, department head, curriculum coordinator, assistant principal, secondary school director, and principal.

My 38 years in the Millard Public Schools have proven to be extremely valuable and the people, processes and programs I was

able to work with have been extremely helpful in my legislative work. Three other major areas of experiences have proven invaluable in my background. Those include 14 years on the Board of Directors of Phi Delta Kappa (President 1999-2001), eight years as a board member of the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District (Chair 2010-2012), and four years as a board member of the Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties (Chair 20092011).

I am currently in my third year in the Legislature after being sworn into office in January, 2013. I majored in Government at Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Illinois (1966) and earned my M.S. at the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1970, and my Ph.D. at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 1978. I have greatly enjoyed the past three years of putting theory into practice. I serve on the Education, Natural Resources, and Nebraska Retirement Systems Committees. Each committee has its particular challenges and the learning curve has been steep and fast.

I have the pleasure of serving with Senator Roy Baker in the Nebraska Legislature. Senator Baker has been an outstanding addition to both the Legislature and to the Education Committee.

He has sufficiently outlined the number of issues we are dealing with during this current session. My approach will take an additional direction as I have decided to explain why I wanted to run for office. I will also elaborate on my priority bill—LB 343 and explain what I see as highlights of this legislation.

When I ran as a candidate in 2012, I wrote a legislative candidate statement that is best summarized by three stated goals. First was the goal to continue the American dream for all who seek it.

Second, I would work to make a positive difference through both relationships and proposed legislation. Third, I would work to improve the quality of life of everyone I would represent and for all citizens in Nebraska. (To read further about these statements, please refer to my legislative site http://news.legislature.ne.gov/dist31/ category/column/.)

As a member of the Education Committee (current Vice-Chair), we have a range of responsibilities. To me, two of the most important tasks deal with the adequate funding for K-12 education in our state, and having open and continuous communication be-

Senator Kolowski confers with Legislative Aide Anna Wishart.

(continued on page 5)

SPRING 2015 NCSA TODAY 3

P ROG RAM SPOTLIGHT

See It and Speak Up‌Save a Life

BY JOLENE PALMER, NDE School Safety Director

D

Palmer

uring the 2014 Nebraska Legislative Session, LB 923 was passed. It became Nebraska Statute 79-2,146 which mandates all essential school personnel be provided at least one hour of suicide prevention training each school year. LB 923 identified four partners in the development of the suicide prevention training; Nebraska State Suicide Prevention Coalition, Nebraska Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, The Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska, and the National Alliance of Mental Illness Nebraska. NDE also involved representatives of DHHS Behavioral Health, Boys Town, KIM Foundation and Nebraska Association of Schools Boards (ALICAP).

The intent of the law is to equip school personnel with information that could save the life of a student; recognizing signs and symptoms of suicidal behaviors and methods of responding to students in crisis. The positive relationships between staff and students create opportunities for school personnel to be critical components of a suicide prevention plan.

The target audience for this training is any school staff member having contact with students, although the statute specifies all public school nurses, teachers, counselors, school psychologists, administrators, school social workers, and any other appropriate personnel are legislatively mandated to participate. The potential exists for any staff member to develop relationships with students.

They are also privy to many student conversations.

The goal is to develop a systems approach to the suicide prevention training statewide. The systems approach will provide equal access to quality training for all school staff members statewide, while also creating statewide focus, common language, and prevention message. It will assist schools to ensure staff members will have adequate training in their mobility school to school. Systems will allow training construction across public and

Staff members are encouraged to watch for, be aware of, and follow through when something seems like even just one red flag.

Speak up and possibly save a life.

4 NCSA TODAY SPRING 2015

non-public schools, and also include education majors in higher education across our state. A system will afford the collection of statewide data to support and inform future decisions about youth suicide awareness and prevention training and build Nebraska training emphasis based on the data collected.

Programs selected for inclusion will be listed on the National Registry for Evidence-based Programs (NREPP) and Practices, or National Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) Best Practice Registry, or recommended for use by the Nebraska DHHS Division of Behavioral Health and approved by the National Suicide Prevention Resource Center (content) and NDE (process).

A five-year plan of approved training has been created to assist schools in meeting the requirement until the suicide prevention partners have had the opportunity to develop statewide training opportunities for schools. At the end of the first five years, evidence-based programs available statewide will again be assessed to determine the next five-year school personnel suicide prevention plan.

Late in the spring each year, all NDE staff and ESU staff will be provided the opportunity and encouraged to pilot the approved training for the upcoming year.

This will serve a twofold purpose. First it will afford the opportunity for area representatives to complete the training so they can assist staff in schools. Second, it will enlarge and strengthen the construction of the suicide prevention system in the event a staff member becomes an employee of a school district.

As staff members build trusting relationships with students, they become gatekeepers for students who may have thoughts of hurting themselves. The design of this statute is to provide one more layer of prevention and protection for students. Staff members are encouraged to watch for, be aware of, and follow through when something seems like even just one red flag. Speak up and possibly save a life. n

HEALTH CARE

EHA Field Representative Traveling Nebraska

BY GREGORY LONG, EHA Field Representative

T

Long

his year alone I have traveled over 30,000 miles in Nebraska meeting with schools such as Gordon-Rushville, Chadron, Hastings, Holdrege, Ogallala, Kearney, Norris, Omaha Public Schools, Lincoln Public Schools, Hastings, Norris, Ravenna, Bennington, Blair, and Arlington to name a few. Being the only field representative of the state, it can be challenging but the rewards are endless. It is my continued goal to reach out and offer my services to our members. Assisting constituents with specialized questions regarding their coverage, as well as meeting with as many school districts and their employees to discuss the ever-changing world

of health care coverage. The latter is also an important function of my responsibility.

I believe the EHA and the membership work together to offer the best insurance program not only in Nebraska but nationally. We accomplish this the “Nebraska Way” through cooperation and working together for the good of our members.

If your school district is interested in scheduling a meeting and discussing topics related to the EHA, please contact me at (402) 440-1358 or at greg@ehaplan.org to schedule a meeting. n

Senator Rick Kolowski…(continued from page 3) tween all the educational players in the state. The TEEOSA formula is the financial engine that impacts school districts across Nebraska. That formula is now 25 years old and part of our 2015 discussions have dealt with a relook at the impact of that funding with the current stated needs within our school districts and communities. Those needs were part of the stimulus that led me to the ideas behind LB 343 in order to positively impact our investing in quality career and college readiness initiatives for all Nebraska students. (Note: LB 343 was merged into LB 525 during General File debate.)

I began the early planning for LB 343 during the last months of the 2014 legislative session. I shared the concepts of this idea with some legislative colleagues and with a variety of superintendents in our state. My office team and I formed a working committee of educators and education supporters to share ideas and seek solutions to any identified roadblocks to our plan. As we talked to superintendents, we heard one very common theme —the increased costs of working with ever-rising numbers of students in poverty, and also students needing English language learner assistance has not allowed districts to start or add to the college and career readiness programs they desired for their students. Also, the past history of having an incentive category added to TEEOSA only to have it later taken out of the formula, has proven to be very detrimental to the long range budget planning for our districts.

Basically, LB 343 creates a second tier of K-12 school funding outside of TEEOSA. The programs that could be used by school districts include, but are not limited to, dual enrollment, advanced placement, international baccalaureate, and career academics. We would support collaboration by requiring school districts to work through their local educational service units for distance learning opportunities and for funding application.

Grants will also be available through the Nebraska Department of Education to install or expand such programs within their districts.

The heart of this legislation is simply this—districts will receive reimbursement for each student who successfully completes any of these programs. These programs all have outside source credentialing components and only a passing grade of proven mastery will qualify a district for some reimbursement. Therefore, LB 343 is not about body count, it is about mind count.

LB 343 emphasizes local control with accountability and responsibility. The leadership of a district decides their district’s level of involvement. We had 100 percent support from all across our state at our hearing. We look forward to a successful passage of LB 343 to assist all districts to better challenge their students. n

SPRING 2015 NCSA TODAY 5

AF F IL IATE LEADERS HIP

Meeting the Needs of Today’s Learners

BY ROD ENGEL, NAESP President

H

Engel

ow are you meeting the academic and social emotional needs of the learners within your school? Meeting the needs of all learners within your school is a challenging task to say the least.

These challenges extend far beyond reading, writing, and arithmetic. We are working diligently to create environments that are physically and psychologically safe for all learners when an increasing number of our students’ home lives are the exact opposite. We have more students living in foster care and/or with family members other than their biological parents. We have more students living in poverty than ever before. How do we meet the needs of these learners?

As we face many barriers in education, we must do everything we can to remove those in which we can control. As we look for those barriers in which we can remove for students, it takes us back to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The physiological (survival-food, shelter, etc.) and then the Safety/Security (physically & psychologically safe, economic security, etc.) needs must be met first before much else matters for those students living within poverty or foster care. With the increasing number of students facing these challenges, this also increases the need to provide more social emotional learning opportunities for students. I must also mention the number of our students that are highly competitive that have been involved in youth sports since the day they took their first steps. Okay that might be an extreme statement but I think you get where I am going.

We are also seeing an increasing number of students that struggle to manage their emotions even though they have supportive home environments. How are we addressing the social emotional needs of our students?

Now that we have talked about so many of the barriers within the lives of our students we can move on to solutions… Actually this is the point where you think I am leading you to one great answer to this challenge. I am not! Sorry to lead you this far into this article without a great solution. I am also searching for ways to support the needs of our learners. What I hope you get out of this article is a few resources in which you can find additional support for your school as you continue to build supportive environments for your students and teachers.

Many of our schools have continued to implement quality character education programs along with social skill instruction. Many of you have included this within a Positive Behavioral Support Plan within your building

6 NCSA TODAY SPRING 2015

or district. Is your plan comprehensive addressing all the needs of your learners? Does your plan include the muchneeded social emotional learning? Can we look at our plan as a comprehensive plan for character education?

Does the plan include core ethical values such as responsibility, respect, caring, honesty, and fairness? What about some of the performance values like diligence, best effort, perseverance, critical thinking, and positive attitudes? Where does the social emotional learning fit into our plan? Have we included all of these parts into our common language of instruction? Should it be included?

These are just a few of the things that I have spent significant time looking into and trying to formulate a plan of attack to build a comprehensive plan for our school. This is a job for our school and community to work towards and my role is to lead the process. It will take time, energy, and funding to get our supports fully in place. Then we will continue to tweak the plan along with our instruction to continually improve. I have also realized that we must build in time to our daily schedules dedicated to character education if it is important.

When you start looking at developing a program or evaluating your current program you can find resources to help. I have found www.character.org, www.pbis.org, and www.casel.org to be extremely valuable resources.

Here is a list of resources: www.character.org • Provides guidance for character education including the 11 Principles of Effective Character Education. www.casel.org • Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning Guide to Effective Social Emotional learning Programs • Provides a list of effective Social Emotional Programs www.pbis.org • School, community and home support for PBIS programs Additional sites: http://www.competentkids.org http://www.modelprogram.com n

AF F IL IATE LEADERS HIP

Education Reform and the Impact of the Principal

BY RYAN RICENBAW, NSASSP President

T

Ricenbaw

he discussion of education reform continues its momentum nationally as Congress continues to debate the reauthorization of ESEA. As I type, my twitter notifications are going crazy with the current debate of ESEA. I am writing this article for all principals in Nebraska. The reputation of “quality” education in the public sector continues to be at the center of the debate, and the push for major alternatives, such as charter schools. Federal or state control? State or local control? How much is too much? The question remains, “What role do principals play in education policy?” How can our voices be heard? Are we reliant enough on our state legislature to take on the federal government? Do our own legislators know what we think as principals in schools? Building leaders must be intentional and speak on behalf of our own students, schools, communities and the public education mission. More importantly, we must continually educate and update ourselves on the issues and continue to take a more active role in a crucial time in the history of public education. We must have a voice.

Reach out, they will listen. Continue to be educated on the trends and the conversations. How can we stay ahead of the “hidden messages” that will rarely be in the headlines. How can we be best informed? How will you communicate your voice? I encourage you to check out the resources offered by NASSP at this link:

Make your voice heard! Take action today! (NASSP Blogs, 2015) NASSP has been active in providing these opportunities for principals to make a difference. The “grass roots” initiative is another vehicle that can open doors for our voices to be heard.

What is the Federal Grassroots Network?

NASSP’s Federal Grassroots Network brings together individuals who want to build close relationships with their members of Congress to inform them of how policies they create in Washington impact education in their districts and states. The network provides NASSP members with: • Weekly email updates on the latest news, research and resources regarding federal education policy • Quarterly conference calls led by NASSP Government Relations staff to brief network members on federal policy updates and to allow members to share state and local policy updates • Access to Federal Grassroots Network on edWeb (http://www.edweb.net/federalgrassroots ) an online community community where members can facilitate their own conversations on how to advance the collective advocacy agenda of school leaders. (NASSP Blogs, 2015) n

https://www.votervoice.net/NASSP/Home The Principal’s Legislative Action Center provides draft letters on important issues before Congress and suggestions for contacting your local and national media as well. The Action Center also provides information on: • Issues facing education • Bills and legislation • Local, state, and federal officials • Local and national media • Congressional schedules • Capitol Hill basics

NATIONAL CONVENTION DATES NAESP – June 30-July 2, 2015 – Long Beach, CA ASBO – October 23-26, 2015 – Grapevine, TX CASE – October 26-31, 2015 – Atlanta, GA

WE ARE PLEASED TO PARTNER WITH MODERN IMAGES AS THE OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER FOR NCSA

AASA – February 11-13, 2016 – Phoenix, AZ NASSP – February 25-27, 2016 – Orlando, FL ASCD – April 2-4, 2016 – Atlanta, GA

misportsphotography.com SPRING 2015 NCSA TODAY 7

NCS A PARTNER

NSPRA and NCSA Partner to Provide Additional Benefits to Members

BY KALA MORRISSEY, President-elect, Nebraska Chapter of National School Public Relations Association

I

Morrissey

n this day and age of overflowing inboxes, social media and other fast-paced, ever-changing digital communications, it may seem like communicating with parents and community members is more difficult than ever. Schools must keep in mind that although things are much more face-paced and immediate, keeping parents and community informed is more important than ever.

Communication research tells us individuals have to see something seven times before they remember it.

However, communicating the same message seven times can seem redundant and time consuming. The Nebraska Chapter of National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) can help with this.

The Nebraska Chapter of National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) is a professional organization of those dedicated to the communication efforts of schools in Nebraska. NSPRA members are comprised of school PR professionals, superintendents, principals, school administrators and other staff that are charged with communicating to district parents, staff and community from across the state.

The Nebraska Chapter of NSPRA is excited to now be partnering with NCSA. Through this partnership NSPRA members will be able to bring their communication expertise and be a resource for NCSA and school administrators.

NSPRA members enjoy benefits of monthly meetings, professional development opportunities, a member listserv and practical tips on how to handle communication issues similar to reaching your audience seven times.

Have a bubbling issue? Not sure how to answer a media inquiry? NSPRA is here to help. NSPRA members take pride in offering strategic, practical and effective communication techniques to others throughout the state. Reach out to NSPRA and let us help.

Surviving a School Crisis Conference – Coming May 27 In addition to monthly meetings, NSPRA regularly hosts conferences that are open to all school profes-

sionals. This year, the Nebraska Chapter will be offering the “Surviving a School Crisis” Conference on May 27th.

The conference will feature keynote Rick Kaufman, a nationally respected consultant on crisis management and communications. Mr. Kaufman formerly served as the Executive Director of Public Engagement and Communications for Jeffco Public Schools. In April, 1999, Rick led the Crisis Response Team during the Columbine High School tragedy in Littleton, CO. Mr. Kaufman will walk participants of the NSPRA Surviving a School Crisis Conference step-by-step through planning for a crisis, crisis management, response and communication. Mr. Kaufman’s humor and wit will keep

participants engaged, learning and having fun. The afternoon will consist of table-top exercises where attendees can put their skills to the test. The day will end with a panel discussion from school administrators from across the state who have experienced different crisis situations.

In addition, attendees of the conference are invited to watch the Sarpy County Mass School Shooter Exercise that will take place on May 28. This exercise will give school districts in Sarpy County the opportunity to practice their crisis response and student reunification practices.

The conference is perfect for an individual or for a whole crisis team. Attendees will receive a flash drive with sample crisis plans, crisis letters, and helpful handouts for students and families that can be tailored and used in other districts.

For more information on the conference or to register, check out the NCSA website at http://www.ncsa.org/.

Attend the NSPRA May 27-28 conference and check out NSPRA. You won’t be disappointed. n

SPRING 2015 NCSA TODAY 9

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HONOR S AND RECO GNITION

Hastings Elementary School Honored COURTESY OF HASTINGS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

O

n Friday, March 6, 2015, Hastings Public School’s Lincoln Elementary held a celebratory assembly in recognition of being named a Model Professional Learning Community at Work by the company ALL Things PLC. A Professional Learning Community engages in an ongoing collaborative process where educators work to collect and research ways to achieve better results from the students they serve. PLCs operate on an understanding that the key to improved student learning comes from continuous job-embedded learning for educators.

The designation of being a Model PLC is conferred to schools that demonstrate a commitment to the Professional Learning Community concepts, implement those concepts for at least three years, present clear evidence of improved student learning, and provide examples of that improvement.

Four years ago, Lincoln principal Montessa Muñoz said there was only a shared commitment to learning for all students, not a collaborative culture

focused on results. This was evident in the student achievement data from state testing. Since then, a school improvement team was formed to look at results of scholastic assessments and utilize those results to set goals. Now, students and staff track data on a weekly basis for Reading and Math and on a monthly basis for Writing and Behavior. Charts with critical information are posted visibly throughout the building. Growth toward individual, class, and school goals is celebrated and recognized frequently. In the last three years, the school has seen a cumulative proficiency increase from around 30 percent to upwards of 90 percent.

During the assembly on Friday, HPS School Board President Jim Boeve, noted, “This award you’re receiving today is not an award for what happened last week, this is not an award for what happened last month or even last semester. This award took a long time.”

LINCOLN ELEMENTARY DEMOGRAPHICS Number of Students: 316 Percent Eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch: 85% Percent of Limited English Proficient: 20% Percent of Special Education: 20% n

SPRING 2015 NCSA TODAY 11

NCSA REPORT

Educators Health Alliance

BY DR. MIKE DULANEY, Executive Director; and DR. DAN ERNST, Associate Executive Director

T

Dulaney

Ernst

he Nebraska Council of School Administrators (NCSA), the Nebraska Association of School Boards (NASB), and the Nebraska State Education Association (NSEA), have worked together since 1999 to make the Educators Health Alliance (EHA) insurance plan affordable and successful. NSEA formed the original statewide healthcare network for educators 45 years ago. The EHA insurance coverage plan is with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska and includes more than 70,000 education employees, early retirees and their dependents. The successful efforts of the EHA can be showcased once again as the 2015-16 rates will increase by 1.9 percent for all benefit options plus no changes in EHA plan deductibles, coinsurance, or copays.

The 2015-16 plan year that begins September 1, 2015 marks the 13th consecutive year the rate increases have been less than 10 percent. Although that mark in itself does not appear to be an outstanding feat, we must note that the EHA has kept increases far below national trends. Recent year rate increases include: 2015-16 1.9 percent, 2014-15 2.3 percent, 2013-14 6.4 percent, 2012-13 2.9 percent, and 2011-12 0 percent. The Affordable Care Act was enacted in March 2010 with the primary goal to decrease the number of uninsured Americans and to reduce the overall costs of healthcare. Although we can dispute the overall success of the program we do know that it has driven healthcare costs higher. The EHA has worked diligently to maintain rate stability while maintaining quality insurance options for members while minimizing the volatility of today’s healthcare market.

There are a number of factors that have contributed to the rating decisions and include: • A twelve-member board representing NCSA, NASB, and NSEA governs the healthcare plan; • EHA Board members actively participate with the insurance provider in the renewal process. The transparency within the process affords the EHA to define their products and provide plans designed to best meet members needs; • The wise use of medical services and maintenance of healthy practices has resulted in favorable claims experience; • The EHA’s efforts to review dependent eligibility verifications; • The EHA Wellness Program has assisted members to achieve higher levels of wellness; • Participation, collaboration, and cooperation are tenets espoused by the EHA Board and they continue to review cost-saving measures and best practices to meet the needs of members.

Economy of Scale is an insurance term that refers to the number of members enrolled in a plan. The Economy of Scale for the EHA Plan (70,000 members) stabilizes the insurance risk over the entire group and allows the EHA to negotiate and obtain the highest quality, costeffective health coverage for its members. NCSA is pleased to be an active participant in the Educators Health Alliance and will continue to work to provide quality and meaningful health insurance for members. n

CAL ENDAR O F EVENTS JUNE

AUGUST

5 12 23

28

NSTA Summer Conference—Holiday Inn, Kearney NASCD Summer Conference—Embassy Suites, Lincoln NCSA/TRANE Golf Tournament—Yankee Hill Golf Course, Lincoln 25-26 NASPA Summer Retreat—Lied Lodge, Nebraska City

JULY 29-31 Administrators’ Days—Younes Conf. Center, Kearney

12 NCSA TODAY SPRING 2015

NASES Workshop—Cornhusker Marriott, Lincoln

SEPTEMBER 2-3 16

Labor Relations—Embassy Suites, Lincoln School Law Update—Holiday Inn, Kearney

Gold Sponsorships Ameritas Investment Corp. ESUCC Dallas Watkins dallas.watkins@ameritas.com 5900 O Street, 1st Floor Lincoln, NE 68510 800-700-2362 ameritas.com

Dave Ludwig dludwig@esucc.org 6949 S. 110th St. Omaha, NE 68128 402-597-4866 esucc.org

Boyd Jones Construction

First National Capital Markets

Mark Pfister mpfister@boydjones.biz 333 South 9th Street Lincoln, NE 68508 402-318-4794 boydjones.biz

D.A. Davidson & Co. Paul Grieger pgrieger@dadco.com 1111 N 102nd Ct., Ste. 300 Omaha, NE 68114 800-942-7557 davidsoncompanies.com/ficm

DLR Group Curtis Johnson cjohnson@dlrgroup.com 6457 Frances St., Ste 200 Omaha, NE 68106 402-393-4100 dlrgroup.com

EHA Wellness Howie Halperin howie@ehawellnessprogram.org 256 N 115 St, Ste. 7 Omaha, NE 68154 402-614-0491 ehawellness.org

Craig Jones craigjones@fnni.com 1620 Dodge St., Ste. 1104 Omaha, NE 68197 402-598-1218 fncapitalmarkets.com

Great Plains Safety and Health Organization Mick Anderson andersonmd@unk.edu Rm 220E WSTC – UNK Campus 1917 W. 24th St. Kearney, NE 68849 308-865-8258 www.greatplainssafety.com

Horace Mann Cindy Dornbush cindy.dornbush@horacemann.com 10612 Monroe St., No. 4 Omaha, NE 68127 402-680-9382 horacemann.com

Humanex Ventures Katie Lechner katie.lechner@ humanexventures.com 2900 S 70th St., Ste. 100 Lincoln, NE 68506 402-486-1102 humanexventures.com

Insuring Success Family Heritage Product Provider Ty Christensen tchristensen@legacyservices.com 12117 Grover Street Omaha, NE 68144 402-960-5387 familyheritagelife.com

National Planning Corporation Brian Luther brian@compassfr.us 500 Central Park Dr., Ste. 204 Lincoln, NE 68504 402-467-0531 compassfr.us

Nebraska Liquid Asset Fund Barry Ballou balloub@pfm.com 455 S 11th St. Lincoln, NE 68508 402-705-0350 nlafpool.org

John Baylor Test Prep

Nebraska Public Agency Investment Trust

John Baylor john@johnbaylortestprep.com P.O. Box 30792 Lincoln, NE 68503 402-475-7737 johnbaylortestprep.com

Becky Ferguson becky.ferguson@ubt.com P.O. Box 82529 Lincoln, NE 68501 402-323-1334 npait.com

Modern Images

Nebraska Safety Center

Bradley Cooper brad@champshots.com 13436 S. 217th St. Gretna, NE 68028 402-991-7786 misportsphotography.com

Mick Anderson andersonmd@unk.edu West Center, 220E Kearney, NE 68849 308-865-9393 www.unk.edu/offices/ safety_center

National Insurance Steve Ott sott@nisbenefits.com 9202 W. Dodge Rd., Ste. 302 Omaha, NE 68114 800-627-3660 nisbenefits.com

Silver Sponsorships

TRANE Dave Raymond dave.raymond@trane.com 5720 South 77th St. Ralston, NE 68127 402-452-7762 trane.com/omaha

Unanimous

Awards Unlimited

Bes-Tech, Inc.

Software Unlimited, Inc.

Larry King larryking@awardsunlimited.com 1935 O Street | Lincoln, NE 68510 402-474-0815 awardsunlimited.com

Tony Zimmerman tzimmerman@bes-tech.net 4640 So. 59th St. | Omaha, NE 68117 402-502-2340 bes-tech.net

Corey Atkinson rph@su-9nc.com 5015 S. Broadband Lane Sioux Falls, SD 57108 605-361-2073 su.inc.com

Bronze Sponsorships Kearney Visitors Bureau

University of Nebraska High School

Sarah Focke | sfocke@visitkearney.org PO Box 607 | Kearney, NE 68848 800-652-9435 | visitkearney.org

Charlotte Seewald | cseewald@nebraska.edu 1520 N. 20th Cr. | Lincoln, NE 68588 402-472-1922 | highschool.nebraska.edu

Will Hays will@unanimousagency.com 8700 Executive Woods, Ste. 100 Lincoln, NE 68512 402-423-5447 unanimousagency.com

Wells Fargo Heather Kudron heather.h.kudron@ wellsfargo.com 1919 Douglas St. Omaha, NE 68102 402-536-2090 wellsfargo.com

PRSRT STD. U. S. POSTAGE PAID LINCOLN, NE PERMIT NO. 951

Nebraska Council of School Administrators 455 So. 11th Street, Suite A • Lincoln, NE 68508-2105 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Plan to attend the

2015 ADMINISTRATORS’ DAYS July 29-31, 2015 Younes Conference Center | Kearney, Nebraska For more information and to register online: www.ncsa.org Featured Speakers:

Dr. Adolph Brown

Angela Maiers

Michael C. Anthony