Metro Omaha Education Discussion

[Brad]

I just did some searching around and found sever houses under 80,000 in the the hillside neighborhood 76th and Western st.

[Coyote]

Senator's Bill Would Merge District 66 Into OPS Boundary

State Sen. Ernie Chambers said he's working on a legislative bill that would eliminate District 66 and move its territory into that of Omaha Public Schools. Chambers said the merger proposal would complement the LB1024 that divides OPS into three separate districts. LB1024 is temporarily on hold for now, pending a court decision.

Other State Legislature news can be found in the Lincoln Forum.

[joeglow]

I just did some searching around and found sever houses under 80,000 in the the hillside neighborhood 76th and Western st.

Have you ever volunteered with the Salvation Army? Catholic Charities? All I am saying is that there are a LOT of people in this city would could not afford an $80,000 house. I am not attacking Westside, per se. Rather, I am hearkening back to what I learned in the education classes I took at UNL (when I was an education major). The single greatest thing that creates disparity in schools was the presence of district lines coupled with the vast majority of funding for public schools coming from within these districts. I still remember a video we saw highlighting the problem in Kansas City. They showed a couple schools in inner city Kansas City and then a couple schools 4-5 miles away. This, coupled with a picture of the district boundaries made it clear why the schools were in the shape they were. They showed the music department at one school with a budget of (and I am not kidding) $89. They then showed another schools with a budget well into the thousands of dollars.

I know people get attached to their districts. I can understand people in Westside wanting to keep control of their schools. However, something NEEDS to be done with the allocation of money for schools. Like I said, I like Hawaii's idea where all money for schools is collected at the state level and then sent out to the school districts.

And Coyote, thanks for posting what I said. I do not think Westside parents are opposed to minorities. Rather, I think they want to see their kids get all the money paid in property taxes there. I think they tend to forget about the social contract we all have for providing an equal public school education to ALL students.

[Brad]

First off, If Ernie created this learning community then why does westside need to be merged in. They are all going to share the same money anyways.

Second, there is a lot more to education than money. Discipline and parental involvement are every bit as important money. Westside parents are very involved and that is one of the things that makes the school so good.

I am going to say it again! You Don't Destroy Something So Good, Use It As A Roll Model!!!

[Coyote]

Now you are finally articulating a point of view that can be discussed Mr Glow. But there is a difference in the perfect (utopian society) world and dealing with what we have inherited and how we can move from our inheritance to the future - which has to be legislated. Added to this is the change in transportation issues from 50 years ago (Rural School System) to what we find today (consolidation). Then we have to consider how we fund our educational systems and how we administer them. (Recently even Dana College and Midland Lutheran has considered common administration). We take small steps - but at least this is finally in dialogue.

[joeglow]

First off, If Ernie created this learning community then why does westside need to be merged in. They are all going to share the same money anyways.

-I agree. If they can do the learning community and collect taxes at that level, there is no need for this.

Second, there is a lot more to education than money. Discipline and parental involvement are every bit as important money. Westside parents are very involved and that is one of the things that makes the school so good.

-I also agree. However, sometimes in life, you are forced to address a problem where it is flat out impossible to attain the ideal solution. As sad as it is, there is NO WAY you can get as many of the parents in poorer parts of a town to have the involvement that you see in nicer parts of town. However, this is NOT the fault of the children. Thus, you need to do what you can with all feasible alternatives. In this case, more money WOULD make a difference, if it was spent in the right areas (i.e. NOT on a new admin building or more administrators).

I am going to say it again! You Don't Destroy Something So Good, Use It As A Roll Model!!!

-True. But if what you say is true, it is NOT the money that makes Westside successful. Thus, using a more equal method of allocating school financing would not affect their performance.

[Brad]

Westside will still be a great school with the learning community, there is plenty of support to keep things going, and I am not talking financial sport.

Just like I think Millard, Elkhorn and Ralston are better off out of OPS, Papillion is better without Bellevue and OPS might be better broken up. When The westside Administration makes a Decision for JR High and SR High, they are making it for one school, OPS tries to keep a consistant "Standard" for all its schools, which is not always the best for different parts of town.

[Brad]

Sarpy challenge to schools law

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=163 ... nd=1890481

With a legislative debate on deck over the metro schools dispute, State Sen. Abbie Cornett of Bellevue is establishing herself as an opponent of a current controversial law and a new proposed solution.

At a press conference this morning in Bellevue, Cornett criticized the learning community law approved last year and said she would introduce a bill this session to remove Sarpy County from the school district cooperative.

Cornett also criticized an alternative proposed by 10 metro superintendents, including three from Sarpy County. That plan would freeze school district boundaries and focus on improving achievement among at-risk students.

[Coyote]

Metro Schools Issue Will Challenge New Legislative Session

Last year, the body passed LB 1024, which will split Omaha into three districts as part of a larger learning community in Douglas and Sarpy counties. Sen. Ron Raikes helped guide the legislation through the Unicameral, and he was re-elected to chair the Education Committee in 2007.

Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers, who wrote the law, took to the floor to joke about Raikes' re-election. "I'd like to say I support Senator Raikes, but I'd also like the committee to be divided into three parts," Chambers said, which got a laugh.

Raikes said there are 10 days of bill introduction, and he said he expects the "gamut will be covered on 1024 and other issues."

[Coyote]

Metro school plan praised

Concepts for legislation being crafted by 10 Douglas and Sarpy County superintendents include financial incentives for teachers who choose to work in challenging schools, opportunities for a longer school day or an extended school year and a strengthened commitment to preschool for disadvantaged children.

Omaha Superintendent John Mackiel and Westside Superintendent Ken Bird said Tuesday that they had received positive feedback from community members on the details that have been shared so far. The Omaha school board will be asked to endorse the superintendents' proposals today. Other districts' boards will be asked to do the same thing next week. Meanwhile, lawyers for the metro school districts are crafting legislation that is expected to be introduced soon.

[Coyote]

Bellevue Only Dissenting Metro Superintendent

Ten metro-area superintendents got together Thursday afternoon to take one more look at a proposal they plan to forward to the Legislature, but Bellevue is not on board.

The superintendents' plan:

• Mandatory integration of schools.
• Paid busing for interdistrict student.
• Appointment of a state student achievement coordinator who would work on closing the achievement gap.
• Longer school days for children who aren't making the grades.
• Delete provisions of 1024 that segregate.
• Create way to determine school capacity in every building.
• Metro-wide teacher development.
• Metro-wide community involvement in education choices.
• Interdistrict magnet schools creation.
• Statewide data research to support each student and each teacher.
• Cooperation among districts to share best practices.
• Financial incentives for teachers to be better prepared to teach.
• Strengthened commitment to special programs for disadvantaged students.
• Help Nebraska lead the nation in creating inclusive education across the metro.
• Takes an educational, not a political, perspective.

Sens. Ernie Chambers and Ron Raikes said the plan won't work because it doesn't have consequences for underperforming school districts.

[joeglow]

Plus, it does nothing to address funding of the schools, as I understand it.

[Coyote]

School plan Lincoln-bound

This morning, the superintendents will meet with the state senator expected to carry their plan to the legislative floor. By next Wednesday, a bill will be introduced to the Legislature - setting off new scrutiny, debate and competition with other proposals. Monday, the plan got a name: the Nebraska Student Advantage Act.

The Bellevue district is not involved. Instead, it supports an effort to have Sarpy County removed from the learning community law approved last year.

• The seven-member Student Achievement Council would be the policy-setting body for metro districts' joint efforts.
• The 11-member Superintendent Executive Board would essentially be the administration behind the plan. The board would regulate, among other things, a voluntary integration plan, creation of specialty schools and a teacher development program.

State Sen. Gail Kopplin, who is expected to sponsor the plan, has said the superintendents' proposals should have a chance in the Legislature. Kopplin is a former Gretna superintendent and vice chairman of the Legislature's Education Committee.

[Coyote]

Lutz: Superintendent's Plan Is Best For Students, Teachers
Senator To Introduce Plan Next Week

"The changes the superintendents have come up with focus on how they could improve the educational process for all students. It's refreshing," Kopplin told KETV NewsWatch 7. Lutz said the first objective of the superintendents' act calls for a reduction in the achievement gap among metro students. To that end, the act calls for a data tracking system to keep tabs on students moving within and between districts.

The act would also implement a voluntary integration plan that calls for establishing specialized focus schools, and supporting current integration and option-enrollment plans, while giving priority to students from low-income families.

The metro schools want to keep the present district boundaries and create a new board made up of all the individual district superintendents, backed up by a council of school board members from each district.

The act would give incentives for teachers, such as student loan forgiveness and professional development programs.

[Uffda]

Supt plan

· Deletes the harmful LB 1024 provisions that segregate students, and creates a framework for true student inclusion and integration throughout the entire metro area:
· Creates a systematic way of determining school building capacity and opens seats in every school building for inter-district students.
· Provides fully-funded transportation for inter-district students.
· Provides metro-wide teacher professional development to assure better teaching skills for all students in all schools.
· Creates inter-district magnet school pathways and permits the establishment of inter-district focus schools where students from all districts can have expanded access to unique programs.
· Requires state-wide data research and data collection on an individualized student basis, so as students move every school district, school and teacher has consistent information to support individual students.
· Supports the appointment of a State Student Achievement Coordinator whose focus is on implementation statewide of programs and services to close the achievement gap.
· Designs a cooperative venture between all school districts to share best practices, so students are assured access to the educational expertise of the entire metro area.
· Anticipates implementation of financial incentives for teachers to become better prepared to teach in inclusive learning environments.
· Anticipates opportunities or longer school days or an extended school year.
· Anticipates strengthened commitment to special programs for disadvantaged children throughout the entire metro area.
· Carries the strength that unity brings. It is a statutory commitment to a metro-wide team approach, collaboratively sharing the education knowledge base all the school districts together have built.
· Gives Nebraska the opportunity to be at the forefront nationally by voluntarily choosing to create an inclusive metro-area plan.
· Takes an educational, not a political, perspective

[Coyote]

Lawmakers focus on metro school dispute

The future of the Omaha Public Schools again is a primary issue facing the Legislature. Wednesday, three key lawmakers introduced major proposals that take different approaches toward OPS's operation. Four such possibilities are on the table for this session. Two of the four options this year aim to keep OPS intact.

Legislative Bill 547, would keep OPS from being broken into three districts and freeze other school district boundaries in Douglas and Sarpy Counties. LB 440, introduced Tuesday by Sen. Don Preister of Omaha, would repeal the OPS breakup but preserve the rest of the learning community law passed last year. LB 641 does away with the breakup of OPS into three separate districts, as approved last year. In part, LB 473 takes steps in response to claims that OPS residents are not properly represented under the learning community structure.

[Brad]

Nebraska school districts call for stand-down in lawsuit

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2 ... d=10103589

LINCOLN - The Omaha school district sought to extend an olive branch to the state this morning in hopes of resolving an ongoing school finance lawsuit.

At a press conference in the State Capitol rotunda, Omaha Superintendent John Mackiel and officials from three other districts suing the State of Nebraska called for a stand-down in their lawsuit.

The four districts in the Nebraska Schools Trust - Omaha, Grand Island, Lexington and South Sioux - said they wanted a school finance dialogue outside the court.

Such a stand-down has been discussed before. To this point, it has not been enough to pull both sides out of court.

Gov. Dave Heineman has pressed the districts to drop their lawsuit entirely. He says he doesn't want any discussions used against the state in the lawsuit.

Mackiel had a simple response to that concern: Both sides can agree to not use their discussions in the suit.

[Brad]

Learning Community progresses with boundary lines

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2 ... d=10173328

The structure of the Omaha-area learning community is starting to take shape with the drawing of election districts for the new cooperative's governing board.

The election commissioners in Douglas and Sarpy Counties finished their work this week and forwarded a map of the six election districts to the Nebraska Secretary of State's Office.

The boundary lines for the learning community coordinating council are politically important in the community. Minority representation on a potentially influential board is at stake. Board members of the 11 metro-area school districts will vie for a limited number of council seats.

The 18-member council will have some oversight of education issues involving poor students and joint school projects among school districts and will have authority over new property tax levies.

Twelve members will be publicly elected in November 2008, with two members being chosen from each learning community district. The six other members will be chosen by and from among metro-area school boards.

With the districts in place, the filing period is open for people wanting to run for election. Those interested can file with the Secretary of State's Office.

[Brad]

Westside Focus School To Take Students From Across Learning Community

http://www.ketv.com/education/15002862/detail.html

It will be the first school in the Omaha metro's new learning community to take students from several different districts. Third-, fourth- and fifth-graders will attend classes next fall at the Underwood Hills School, near 90th Street and Western Avenue, and the theme of the center will be leadership through technology and communication.

More than 225 applications have already been submitted for 120 slots, and there's still a month before the application deadline.