LPS Citizens Academy sparks community engagement and insightful collaboration

Mandy Haase-Thomas spends her daytime hours helping students increase their knowledge through her role at Lincoln Children’s Museum.

She watched her own world of information grow this fall during the Citizens Education Academy.

Haase-Thomas was one of 20 area residents who completed the Lincoln Public Schools program. Community members learned a library-sized number of facts about the school district during the free outreach initiative. They toured buildings, listened to presentations from district leaders and formed new friendships over a four-month span.

“As a community member and parent of a Lincoln Public Schools student, this opportunity helped expand my knowledge on key topics including the district’s budget management, government relations and support services for both public and non-public school students,” Haase-Thomas said. “Each session provided the opportunity to hear from a number of passionate staff, students and LPS leadership dedicated to supporting students and families. A strong sense of pride and unwavering commitment to meeting the needs of students was clearly evident as part of the interactive sessions.”

John Neal felt LPS leaders also benefited from the academy. Neal is the associate superintendent for civic engagement and has worked at LPS since 2002. He was happy to watch the constructive interaction between citizens and the school system each month.

“I feel like the greatest impact is that participants will gain a better, deeper understanding of the school district and an increased sense of ownership in local schools,” Neal said. “Beyond this main goal, I think that participants, by sharing what they learned through their experience, can pass along their understanding to an even wider range of family and friends.”

This is the first time the school district has hosted the academy since the COVID-19 pandemic. Lincoln residents 18 years of age and older could apply for this year’s academy. Participants who attended two or more of the four sessions included Haase-Thomas, Janet Chung, Angelina Cunning, Lane Deines, Laura Espejel Rangel, Yazmin Gamez, Joe Goddard, Terri Ifland, Tricia Manley, Kathy Miller, Elina Newman, Keri Lyn O’Bryant, Claire Oglesby, Jess Parker, Lindsay Rogers, Leslie Ryan, Mackenzie Savaiano, James Shafer, Nicole Steward-Streng and Dayne Urbanovsky.

Goddard represented the Nebraska Dyslexia Association at the meetings. He had been skeptical of public schools prior to this fall, but his views changed after watching how well his children have been taught and treated in LPS buildings. 

“I gained profound respect and appreciation for the remarkable people at LPS,” Goddard said. “The academy sessions humanized the system for me, showing me the heart behind what can sometimes appear a bit bureaucratic.”

He said the academy provided further evidence of those educational merits.

“Before, it was easy to think of LPS as just buildings, budgets, taxes, curriculum, textbooks, processes and challenges,” Goddard said. “Now it’s impossible to see it as anything other than a collective of exceptional, approachable people who are experts dedicated to the betterment of our children and community.”

Steward-Streng shared those sentiments. She is a social science researcher who moved to Lincoln with her family in 2021. She signed up for the academy to learn more about the district her child attends.

“I gained a 30,000-foot view of LPS and felt like I got a better understanding of what the district prioritizes and how decisions are made,” Steward-Streng said. “Each session provided information on where to explore different topics further and who to contact with questions. The sessions also introduced me to things in the district that I didn’t know existed, and I gained a better understanding of how to access and utilize the programs/services provided throughout the district.”

Goddard and Steward-Streng also felt they benefited from how the academy was arranged. Participants toured Humann Elementary School, Northwest High School, Park Middle School and Steve Joel District Leadership Center at the sessions. They then listened to presentations about everything from special education to school finance.

“The structure of the academy was very helpful for me as a parent of a district student,” Steward-Streng said. “When my family moved to Lincoln a few years ago, we came with the plan of having our kiddo attend elementary school in LPS, but were unsure about secondary education. The building tours and various speakers gave me information that made me very confident that LPS has programs that could take my child through graduation.”

“The educators, administrators and fellow community members gave me an appreciation for the effort and resources that go into ensuring a quality education for our students,” Goddard said. “The hands-on activities, discussions and presentations throughout the sessions really brought to life the challenges and opportunities faced by our schools. All of us attending were blown away at how much LPS does for students and the community, and what it takes to make that happen.”

Goddard said his time at the academy was filled with positive moments.

“Attending the Lincoln Public Schools Citizens Education Academy was an incredibly enriching experience for me,” Goddard said. “Over the four sessions, I gained a deeper understanding of our local education system and its inner workings.”

LPS organizers said they hope the academy will help springboard more community involvement and partnership with the school district. 

“I hope that it will encourage participants to continue to engage with the district by watching or attending board meetings, serving on school or district committees, advocating for or against issues impacting schools, and maybe, running for school board someday,” Neal said.

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