Highlights of 11/13 Lincoln Board of Education Meeting

 

Highlights of 11/13 Lincoln Board of Education Meeting

 

The Lincoln Board of Education held a regular meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 13, at Lincoln Public Schools District Office, 5905 O St.  The Board will hold its next regular meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 27.

Property purchases and land exchanges – approved

The Lincoln Board of Education Tuesday approved two land purchases that involve property in Lincoln that could serve as potential future elementary school sites for Lincoln Public Schools. 

“Our school district has a legacy of planning ahead and making wise decisions about land purchases well in advance of when they are needed,” said Liz Standish, associate superintendent for Business Affairs at LPS.  “We own property throughout this growing community, so we will be well prepared when we set our new facility priorities into the future.” 

Land purchase:  The Board approved a $1.5 million purchase of real estate, potentially suitable as an elementary site, generally located south of Rokeby Road between 70th and 84th streets.  The land is currently owned by Rokeby Holdings, Ltd.   The purchase calls for payment of $1.5 million – plus additional development costs.

Land exchange: In order to better utilize and develop the Wilderness Hills Area, the Board agreed to exchange portions of LPS property with property owned by Lincoln Federal Bancorp Inc. – through what is called a Land Exchange Agreement.  The exchange will leave LPS with a 17.7-acre land parcel in Wilderness Hills – a potential elementary school site – located between 27th and 40th streets, and Yankee Hill and Rokeby Road.

Strategic Plan Update: Support for Educators

One of the major goals in the Lincoln Public Schools Strategic Plan approved by the Board of Education last year – focuses on support for educators: Steps to research and implement strategies to recruit, hire, develop, support and retain the highest quality and diverse staff.  The Board heard an update Tuesday on progress for that goal from: Eric Weber, associate superintendent for Human Resources; Sarah Salem, director ofContinuous Improvement and Professional Learning; and Pat Hunter-Pirtle, director of Secondary Education.

Support for new teachers:

  • Mentoring Program with supports for new hires with features such as: mentoring minute, welcome packet, mentor training, mentoring handbook, monthly topics – and mentors for a full year.
  • Welcome Breakfast that featured information, welcome bags – and more.
  • Website for new teachers.
  • Website for new teachers focused on professional learning.
  • Partnered to revamp the Tenure Course Alignment with: Instructional Practices, Creating an Environment for Learning, and Meeting the Needs of Exceptional Learners.
  • Create a Google Community of new teachers.
  • Peer Observation: New teacher and an assigned staff member observe a different teacher in action at a different location to learn how experienced teachers use the materials to drive instruction, differentiate learning experiences, handle behavior situations, and gather new ideas that are pertinent to their learning environment.

Leadership development

LPS is also focused on expanded leadership development and continuity planning (building the principal pipeline), that includes leadership cadres for coordinators and associate principals who are aspiring to be principals – and teachers interested in leadership. 

Recruit a staff reflective of student diversity

New and ongoing strategies include:

  • Early hires/early access to candidates.
  • Student teacher pipeline.
  • New group called Talent Ambassadors: 15 administrators and teachers who serve as ambassadors and recruit for LPS.
  • Future multicultural teacher workshop.
  • Multicultural dinner reception.
  • Assistance with H1B Visas.
  • The Career Academy, conversations with students in the K-12 Education Pathway.
  • Transition to Teaching Program through the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
  • Relationships with recruitment programs throughout the area.
  • Regional recruiting and advertising.

Newly annexed property

The Board of Education assigns school attendance areas to property newly annexed to the city of Lincoln. The Board proposed that attendance areas for newly annexed property – near North 84th and Holdrege streets – would be Meadow Lane Elementary School, Culler Middle School and Lincoln East High School. The Board will take a final vote on the issue Nov. 27.

Fruits and vegetables

Bids were requested from interested vendors to provide frozen and canned fruits and vegetables for use by LPS Nutrition Services for all schools.  Recommended vendors – that would provide purchases of about $517,000 worth of food – are:  

  • Churchfield Trading Company (Boise, Idaho) – $49,607.55
  • Sysco Lincoln (Lincoln, Nebraska) – $79,635.39
  • J.R. Simplot Company (Boise, Idaho) – $339,170.70
  • Simco Foods (Los Angeles, California) – $48,864.00

The Board will take a final vote on the issue Nov. 27

Policy change approvals

Revisions were approved for the following LPS policies:

  • Performance appraisal of superintendent: Revision removes some language about superintendent appraisals that is repetitive in LPS policies.
  • Line of responsibilityRevisions provide a second option for the superintendent to consider when appointing staff to run the district in his/her absence – using some discretion rather than just relying on rank order among associate superintendents to serve in the role.
  • Administration:  Revisions will correct a grammatical error.

Staff Celebration

The Lincoln Board of Education Tuesday recognized: Tracy Way, Family and Consumer Sciences teacher at Lincoln Southwest High School, recently honored with Nebraska’s 2018 Spirit of Advising Award from the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) student organization. 

Public Comment…

Two Lincoln citizens gave public comments Tuesday evening. To view the meeting go to: Livestream.com/lpsorg 

To view the entire Board meeting;
Go to: Youtube.com/user/lpsorg


Published: November 13, 2018, Updated: November 13, 2018