Glathar, Blake appointed to new positions at Lincoln Public Schools

Lincoln Public Schools announced on Monday two new appointments to help support the goals of fostering existing focus programs, as well as building new focus programs to provide high school students in Lincoln more educational options.

Beginning with the 2020-21 school year, Kurt Glathar will move to the principal position at The Career Academy (TCA). James Blake has been named the director of Strategic Initiatives and Focus Programs, which includes overseeing the Science Focus Program and the Arts and Humanities Focus Program.

Glathar will join Josh Jones at TCA who was recently named the interim director with the retirement announcement of current director Dan Hohensee.

Glathar served the last two years as the principal of the Science Focus Program and the Arts and Humanities Focus Program. Prior to that role, he was the principal at Northeast High School for 14 years, and has served in an administrator position at various school districts since 1988. Glathar began his education career at Beatrice High School as a teacher and coach in 1985. He obtained his master’s degree in Educational Administration and his bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The need for additional focus programs at LPS was identified as part of the work done by the High School Task Force and the Superintendent’s Facility Advisory Committee. To aid in accomplishing that goal, LPS has appointed James Blake as the director of Strategic Initiatives and Focus Programs. In addition to working with community partners to develop new focus programs, Blake will lead the current Science and Arts and Humanities focus programs.

Blake has served as the K-12 science curriculum specialist for LPS since 2014 and is currently co-chair of the LNKSE STEM Ecosystem. Prior to his current role, Blake also served as the director of science education for the Nebraska Department of Education and director of Nebraska Science Olympiad. Blake began his career in education as a science teacher at North Star High School in 2003. He obtained his doctorate in Educational Administration, his master’s degrees in Secondary Education and Plant Molecular Biology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and his bachelor’s degree in Biology from Buena Vista University in Iowa.

“There has been a tremendous amount of work done through community partnerships and collaboration to identify our needs and find solutions to address those needs,” LPS Associate Superintendent for Instruction Matt Larson said. “With Kurt and James in these key leadership roles, we will be able to further our mission of connecting students with their passion, help them succeed and graduate.”

Glathar and Blake will officially begin their new positions July 1.

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