Nebraska Public School Advantage News

Nebraska Public School Advantage News

Scripted for Success: Small pocket of northeast Nebraska is rich with One-Act talent and tradition

Scripted for Success: Small pocket of northeast Nebraska is rich with One-Act talent and tradition

January 28, 2022
By Tyler Dahlgren Chapter 1: Setting the Stage After a decades-long run of One-Act brilliance, the trophy case walls at Wausa and Hartington-Newcastle are starting to close in. In early December, “Wausmond” (the school started a play production co-op with nearby Osmond four years ago) brought home the C-1 title from the State Play Production Championships in Norfolk, its 13th in the last 16 years...Read More

Two-generation approach helps Learning Community make lasting impact in Omaha: "The family learns best when they learn together"

Two-generation approach helps Learning Community make lasting impact in Omaha: "The family learns best when they learn together"

January 24, 2022
​ By Tyler Dahlgren Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties exists to create opportunities for metro children and their families, and CEO Dr. Brad Ekwerekwu refers to the organization’s approach to doing so as holistic. With on-site programming at their North Omaha and South Omaha centers, a steady, collaborative presence in several elementary schools and an innovate Parent University...Read More

Nebraska’s ESUs gather in Kearney for a day of PD around mental health: “It’s become a priority for us, because it’s a priority for our schools.”

Nebraska’s ESUs gather in Kearney for a day of PD around mental health: “It’s become a priority for us, because it’s a priority for our schools.”

January 21, 2022
By Tyler Dahlgren Three times each year, Nebraska’s 19 Educational Service Units (ESUs) gather under the same roof for a day of invaluable professional development, addressing a rotating assemblage of issues in education. ESUCC has seven subgroups that select those focuses based on data gathered and input from districts across Nebraska, ensuring relevance at each ESUPDO event. On Jan. 12 at ESU...Read More

The Avenue Scholars Series: A Conversation with Dr. Ken Bird

The Avenue Scholars Series: A Conversation with Dr. Ken Bird

January 20, 2022
By Tyler Dahlgren This all started with lunch. The year was 2008. Dr. Ken Bird had just retired after 16 years serving as superintendent of Westside Community Schools, the same district in which he got his start as a special education teacher in the fall of 1970. After 38 years in education, you’d have thought Bird would be in for a rest. Then the phone rang. It was Walter Scott, an iconic Omaha...Read More

Lee Perez's Road to Purpose: No success goes uncelebrated in Nebraska Teacher of the Year's classroom

Lee Perez's Road to Purpose: No success goes uncelebrated in Nebraska Teacher of the Year's classroom

January 4, 2022
By Tyler Dahlgren It was March 2020, Lee Perez’s first day educating in a totally remote setting, and the teacher’s hands were shaking. His palms were sweaty, too, but that wouldn’t matter much. It’s not like Perez’s students would notice over Zoom. No, it was the other things they’d pick up on if he let them. The uncertainty, the nerves, the worry. They were unavoidable, but Perez was intent on...Read More

The Greatest Assist: Unified basketball game between Ashland-Greenwood and Milford draws big crowd and bright lights

The Greatest Assist: Unified basketball game between Ashland-Greenwood and Milford draws big crowd and bright lights

December 22, 2021
By Tyler Dahlgren Presley Hobbs lights up when you ask him about the highlight reel from Saturday’s unified basketball game between his Ashland-Greenwood Bluejays and the visiting Milford Eagles. To properly tell the story, though, we first have to set the stage. A cold Saturday afternoon, one of those days just made for basketball. A packed gymnasium, where standing room only literally meant...Read More

Learning in a Winter Wonderland: O'Neill Elementary decks the halls with holiday spirit

Learning in a Winter Wonderland: O'Neill Elementary decks the halls with holiday spirit

December 20, 2021
By Tyler Dahlgren When a simple door decorating contest turned O’Neill Elementary into a winter wonderland, with snowmen, bright lights, colorful trees and cheery music, principal Jim York wasn’t surprised. When it comes to kids, his staff doesn’t tend to go about things halfheartedly. They certainly weren’t going to underdo Christmas. “Let’s go big or go home,” fifth-grade teacher Crystal...Read More

The OWLS on Campus: ESU 16 program built on partnerships helps prepare students for bright futures

The OWLS on Campus: ESU 16 program built on partnerships helps prepare students for bright futures

December 13, 2021
By Tyler Dahlgren The weight room overlooking McDonald-Belton Gymnasium is a busy place on the campus of Mid Plains Community College in North Platte, a hub where iron is tossed and sweat is spilled. Renovated into a state-of-the-art facility in 2014, it’s also a place where relationships are formed. Lifting instructor Camden Grasmick, known to the Knights he trains and everyone else around...Read More

Future Educators' Day draws more than 50 high school students to ESU 6

Future Educators' Day draws more than 50 high school students to ESU 6

November 15, 2021
By Tyler Dahlgren The first ever Future Educators’ Day attracted more than 50 area sophomores, juniors and seniors to ESU 6 in Milford last Monday for a fast-moving event that gave the students an inside-look at life as a teacher. The line-up of presenters, including ESU 6 staff (April Kelley, Michelle Rayburn, Nichole Hall and Vicki Taylor) and representatives from three post-secondary...Read More

One Day with the Commissioner: Venturing to northeast Nebraska with Dr. Matt Blomstedt

One Day with the Commissioner: Venturing to northeast Nebraska with Dr. Matt Blomstedt

November 3, 2021
(Publisher's Note: This article was first published for the Nebraska Council of School Administrators) By Tyler Dahlgren Last Thursday, NCSA communications specialist Tyler Dahlgren joined Nebraska Commissioner of Education on a tour of schools in northeast Nebraska, and the rolling highways lined with fall foliage provided the perfect setting for an interview. There’s a lot of ground to cover...Read More

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