PART N E R S P OTL I G H T
Lead Nebraska: Building our Nebraska Ed Leadership Pipeline By Dr. John Skretta, ESU 6 Administrator
SKRETTA
In the summer of 2022, Educational Service Unit 6, headquartered in Milford, Nebraska, and serving 16 districts across a five-county area, was one of the identified grant recipients awarded $150K in ESSER funds as part of a broader Nebraska Department of Education initiative that distributed $1.3 million to school districts and ESUs for innovative proposals to address educator shortage issues across the state.
We’ve known for some time that we have an enormous challenge in educator workforce development and that we need to think about how we can leverage resources at a regional level and connect with strategic partners. ESU 6 had already attempted a number of recruitment and retention-related initiatives to support area schools, including a Future Educators Day that was profiled in November 2021 by Nebraska Public School Advantage. Our school district superintendents and principals had identified cultivating leadership potential in outstanding teachers as a critical need within their districts, and they logically sought help from their ESU to be able to combine forces and commit some additional effort and energy to the project. UNL Educational Administration and the Nebraska Council of School Administrators have partnered with ESU 6 to make the project possible. Both the higher education institution and the membership association had identified similar challenges and were seeking logical ways to make a positive impact on leadership development. Enter Lead Nebraska and the first group of Lead Nebraska Fellows. Lead Nebraska is a multifaceted, educational leadership development program that consists of a series of four fullday seminars over a semester incorporating expert teaching, best practice recommendations, research-based evidence in educational practice, and practical advice from experts in the field. The first cohort of 18 teacher leaders representing
20
NCSA TODAY SPRING 2023
schools from across ESU 6 convened in the spring of 2023. The lead teacher, chief facilitator, and leadership guru masterfully designing and delivering each session is UNL Associate Professor of Practice, Dr. Scott Sturgeon. Dr. Sturgeon draws upon substantial field experience as a veteran OPS principal who is able to distill leadership lessons from years at the classroom and building level, navigating challenging situations to ensure excellent student learning outcomes. Each meeting of the Lead Nebraska Cohort contains a separate thematic focus for aspiring school leaders, ranging from continuous improvement and curriculum leadership to operations, finance, and human resources administration. We simply would not be able to do what we are doing without the instrumental support and integral involvement of NCSA as a partner. The members of the initial cohort have been provided student memberships in NCSA. NCSA Associate Executive Director Dr. Dan Ernst said, “Leadership development and support is a primary function of our association, and NCSA is proud to participate in this initiative. We welcome similar initiatives, and know that in a challenging time for educators everywhere, it’s imperative that we do what we can to support and strengthen our educational leaders.” Fellows in the Lead Nebraska cohort were selected through a referral, application, and review process overseen by the partnering entities. The teacher leaders were recommended by their district administrators and selected based on having demonstrated leadership potential within their respective roles in their local school districts, as well as having identified interest in pursuing a formal pathway to administrative credentialing via a graduate program of study. Commenting on the participants, UNL Educational Administration Department Chair Dr. Nick Pace described the Fellows as “Some of the best and brightest educators in the ESU 6 region. When you meet them, it’s easy to see why they’ve been tapped on the shoulder as future principals and leaders. It’s impossible not to be inspired by their commitment to students and by the Leadership Luminaries who share wisdom and insight every month. As Nebraska’s land grant research university, we are committed to growing the next generation of leaders from within communities across the state.”