Winter 2021

A PUBLICATION OF THE NEBRASKA COUNCIL OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

SILVER LININGS (WITHOUT A PLAYBOOK): Collaboration, Coordination and Determination Help Districts Stand Strong in Pandemic Winter 2021

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C ONTENTS

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Silver Linings (Without a Playbook): Collaboration, Coordination and Determination Help Districts Stand Strong in Pandemic

BY TYLER DAHLGREN

Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Mark Adler Vice Chair. . . . . . . . . . Ross Ricenbaw Immed. Past Chair. Dr. Terry Houlton

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NASA Representatives President. . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Edwards President-Elect. . . . . . . Kevin Wingard Past President . . . . . . . Dr. Mark Adler

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NASBO Representatives President. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pam Roth President-Elect. . . . . . Dr. Liz Standish Past President . . . . . . . Erin Heineman

NCSA Launches “Healthy Communities, Safe for Schools” PSA Campaign

BY TYLER DAHLGREN

NCSA EXECUTIVE BOARD 2020-2021

Statewide, Mental Health Professionals Persevere to Provide Stability in the Face of Pandemic’s Uncertainty

BY TYLER DAHLGREN

13 Eat Dessert First, Use All the Crayons and Never Lose Your Sense of Wonder

BY PAM ROTH

14 Equity in Education: A Leadership Standard

BY DR. KIM SNYDER & RYAN RICENBAW

16 Research for the Real World

BY MEG RICE 19 Get Schooled on Concussions

BY TYLER DAHLGREN

20 Affiliate Awards

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23 Sponsorship

BC

Mental Health Benefit Enhancement

BY GREG LONG

Calendar of Events

NCSA Mission

The mission of the Nebraska Council of School Administrators (NCSA) is to be an effective leader for quality education and to enhance the professionalism of its members. NCSA Today is a benefit of membership in the Nebraska Council of School Administrators, 455 South 11th Street, Suite A, Lincoln, NE 68508. Telephone 402.476.8055 or 800.793.6272.

Fax 402.476.7740.

Annual membership dues are $335 (active members), $125 (associate members), or $50 (student members). NCSA Today is published quarterly. Send address changes to NCSA, Membership, 455 South 11th Street, Suite A, Lincoln, NE 68508. Copyright ©2019 by NCSA. All rights reserved.

NAESP Representatives President. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sara Paider President-Elect. . . . . . . Erin Gonzalez Past President . . . . . Tammy Schaefer NASES Representatives President. . . . . . . . Lona Nelson-Milks President-Elect. . . . McKayla LaBorde Past President . . . . . Dr. Laura Barrett NSASSP Representatives President. . . . . . . . . . . Brad Jacobsen President-Elect. . . . . . . Dustin Mitchell Past President . . . . . . Ross Ricenbaw NARSA Representative President. . . . . . . . . Dr. Dallas Watkins NCSA STAFF Dr. Michael S. Dulaney Executive Director/Lobbyist Dr. Dan E. Ernst Associate Executive Director/Lobbyist Amy Poggenklass Finance and Membership Director Megan Hillabrand Professional Development Manager Tyler Dahlgren Communications Specialist Carol Young Executive Administrative Assistant Connie Hilker Administrative Assistant The opinions expressed in NCSA Today or by its authors do not necessarily reflect the positions of the Nebraska Council of School Administrators.

WINTER 2021 NCSA TODAY

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P AN D E M I C R ES PO N SE

Silver Linings (Without a Playbook): Collaboration, Coordination and Determination Help Districts Stand Strong in Pandemic

By TYLER DAHLGREN, NCSA Communications Specialist

coordination and a heavy dose of determination as their guiding light. Guiding light to where? They're paving the path to an answer every single day. For every day students file in through the entrance doors is a success.

And here we are, more than nine months later, still in the thick of it, hoping the end is in sight but operating in revolutionary ways that ensure the education of each and every child in Nebraska will go on even if it isn’t. By any means necessary.

South Sioux City Community Schools Director of Operations and Maintenance Doyle Smith uses the Clorox Total 360 Electrostatic Sprayer to sanitize a classroom in the early stages of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Make it all a game, The Quarantine Game, and then challenge your student body and community to come out victorious.

Come to quick terms with the fact that not everybody is going to agree with every mandate but craft your messaging to cater to the greater good, knowing all along that if the greater good is greater for your student body, everybody will eventually climb on board.

View it as a challenge. A chance to prove even further what everybody knows. That your school district is a cornerstone of the community and that teaching is a noble profession and that educators are vital to society.

School districts throughout Nebraska plunged headfirst into an unprecedented pandemic in March of 2020. The world as we knew it was tipped upside down, but through it all, schools stood strong. They weathered the storm by showing remarkable flexibility, adaptability and, perhaps above all, courage. They were shoved, abruptly and without notice, into a world of impossibilities and used collaboration,

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NCSA TODAY WINTER 2021

From left to right, Harney Elementary teachers Meghann Pucelik, Jessica Delaney and Katie Thompson stand in front of their school with signs made for students passing by as part of SSC’s Reverse Parade on May 21.

For this edition of the NCSA Today Magazine, I set off to shine light on the overlooked successes that Nebraska’s schools have seized from uncertainty since March of 2020, and, frankly I walked away perplexed. Perplexed at how so much was done in such a short amount of time. Perplexed at the endurance of administrations and the bravery of teaching staffs and the audacity of folks not in the know who still question if schools have done ENOUGH. Perplexed, after I connected virtually with three separate school districts in

PA NDE MIC RESP ONSE different parts of the state, at how I was going to condense three eye-opening interviews into one magazine article.

The answer, I’ve finally conceded, is that I’m not. Those districts, South Sioux City and Chadron and HowellsDodge, were so candid and what they’ve experienced and how they’ve navigated the pandemic were so emblematic of what occurred across the state that I would be doing them a major disservice by thumping out a thousand words, putting a bow on it and sending it off to print.

“Each day we have students in school is a success.”

We talk often of schools being the hubs of their communities, and that’s no different in South Sioux City, said Strom.

“One of the pieces that I don’t think people really realize is how big school is in the social and emotional development of children,” he said. “They realize it now. Our teachers missed their kids, and our kids missed their teachers.”

So I’m going to share some highlights with you here, and then publish the conversations in their entirety on the Nebraska Public School Advantage website in a miniseries we’ve coined “Conversations on COVID-19”, starting January 1.

My hope is that you’ll be inspired to share your own district’s story, because, believe me, that’s a story people need to hear.

South Sioux City: The Cardinals’ special culture has been on display in this magazine before. In the summer of 2018, SSC graced the NCSA Today cover for the district’s innovative approach to school security. When I contacted superintendent Todd Strom and communications director Lance Swanson about being involved in a story that was to spotlight some of the successes or silver linings to come out of the last nine months, it was no surprise to hear back right away. It was also no surprise that seven members of the district’s administration team joined in on the roundtable discussion.

That’s how South Sioux City operates. It’s all-hands-ondeck, and it’s that team approach, the willingness to band together and rely on one another for support, that’s helped them weather nine months of unrelenting uncertainty.

“It’s just like any family,” said Strom. “We do fight with each other once in a while, but from day one of this we knew that we were going to have to be honest with each other, offer grace and, above all, support to one another.”

The Nebraska Department of Education reached out early on and asked SSC to serve as a prototype for the work being done with Launch Nebraska. That was a no-brainer, said Strom. Several different committees were formed, committees that make quick decisions and keep everyone in the know, from staff to students to families and the community. And because of some creative measures and an undying determination to keep school in session, the Cardinals have made it to December.

“As far as silver linings, I would say the fact that we’re still in session,” said Student Services Director Becky Eckhardt.

Cardinal Elementary Reading Teacher Lynn Paulsen holds a sign encouraging her students to dive into books after schools across Nebraska were forced to go remote due to Coronavirus.

Near the end of the interview, Swanson made sure to give credit to a group that he couldn’t forget to mention.

“Our maintenance and custodial staff’s jobs changed overnight,” Swanson explained. “They became professionals in infection control and many of them were trained in the Clorox 360 application. They’re right there on the front lines, and we appreciate that more now than we ever have.”

Chadron: Jerry Mack starts every school year with an assembly during which he addresses the seniors. After all, the high school principal believes it’s ultimately them who he works for. “They’ve earned this position, and we do give special privileges to the seniors,” Mack said.

In the fall of 2020, special privileges include special influence. That’s just the way it is. With great power comes great responsibility, and when it came to following pandemic protocols, Chadron leaned on their leaders to set an example.

Continued on page 7 >>

WINTER 2021 NCSA TODAY

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PA NDE MIC RESP ONSE

The South Sioux City High School Choir doesn’t let the mask requirement hinder their ability to perform. Extra-curricular activities were a big motivator for students to closely follow pandemic protocols.”

Over time, it became a game. The Quarantine Game. And the Cardinals grew to be very good at it.

“I chose to start the year not talking about the science or the data or what face masks can prevent,” Mack explained.

“We purely hit it from a quarantine point of view. We called it the quarantine game, and if you want to stay in school, if you want to participate and not lose those memories we lost last spring, like graduations and proms, then you need to play the game.”

Mack said that Chadron’s sports teams led the charge in the school’s hallways early on, and eventually wearing a mask and social distancing when possible became a contest. The district worked very closely with public health and, while one neighboring district had over 100 high school students quarantined, kept their own numbers extraordinarily low.

Students, Mack explained, have been resilient as can be since March. That goes for teachers, too. It’s been incredible to watch educators in the district adapt and show flexibility to accomplish amazing things.

“Relationships, really, ended up being the most important thing, and the most important ingredient for positive relationships is trust,” he said. “I think our parents and our community members trust what we do with students and the quality that we provide.”

Howells-Dodge: Superintendent Mark Ernst sends out an alert to families of students each and every week, a recorded

message thanking the Howells and Dodge communities for doing their part in following the procedures necessary to keep kids in class and school in session.

“It’s not a scare tactic,” he said. “It really is just a way to say thanks and an ask to continue to help us all out.”

Ernst himself has a sixth, fourth and first-grader, and doesn’t ever want to see the disappointment he saw on their faces back when schools shut down last spring again. A day or two off from school is fun, sure, but extended absence wears on a young student.

“After a while, they miss their activities, they miss being in the building and learning,” Ernst said. “So that’s my push, my plea to people to keep following the rules and the three Cs. Whatever we need to do to keep our kids in the building.”

In mid-November, after eight months of riding the pandemic’s rollercoaster, Ernst could see the wear on the faces of his educators. Coronavirus is burning people out.

But he’s steadfast in his belief that sticking together and building each other up is the best cure for exhaustion.

“This has validated in-person learning and shown you can’t replace a teacher with a computer,” he said. “I can’t speak enough about my staff and staffs around the area. Whatever we have to do to keep kids in the building, we’re going to do it. I think the overwhelming majority of administrators and educators in Nebraska have that mindset.” ■

WINTER 2021 NCSA TODAY

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PRO MO T ING O UR S CHOOL S

NCSA Launches “Healthy Communities, Safe for Schools” PSA Campaign

By TYLER DAHLGREN, NCSA Communications Specialist In early November, NCSA launched the “Healthy Communities, Safe for Schools” public service announcement campaign, a collaborative effort with school districts and communities across the state to encourage social distancing and the utilization of face masks to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Additionally, NCSA and its six affiliate organizations pledged $10,000 to the “Do Right, Right Now” campaign, a statewide, unified response to COVID-19. The affiliate organizations are: Nebraska Association of School Administrators (NASA), Nebraska Association of School Business Officials (NASBO), Nebraska Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), Nebraska Association of Special Education Supervisors (NASES), Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals

(NSASSP) and Nebraska Association of Retired School Administrators (NARSA).

The PSA campaign has seen early traction, with several school districts across the state participating early on.

The model for the videos utilizes NCSA’s greatest asset, school superintendents and administrators, who deliver the #MaskUpMoveOn message alongside another “community celebrity”, be it the mayor, a member of Chamber of Commerce, a famous alumna or well-known and recognizable business owner from their community.

Millard Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Jim Sutfin, for example, was joined on the field at Buell Stadium by 1997 Millard North graduate and 2001 Heisman Trophy-winner Eric Crouch.

While early momentum has been encouraging, more videos are needed. If you would like to contribute a PSA, email Communications Specialist Tyler Dahlgren at news@ncsa. org for assistance. ■

WINTER 2021 NCSA TODAY

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ME N T A L H E A L TH

Statewide, Mental Health Professionals Persevere to Provide Stability in the Face of Pandemic’s Uncertainty

By TYLER DAHLGREN, NCSA Communications Specialist When examining how the Coronavirus pandemic’s ripple effects have impacted the landscape of education in the state of Nebraska, one group of professionals’ transition to living and operating in a continuous state of unknown has been, at once, confounding and inspiring.

For mental health professionals, flexibility has long been the name of the game. The best can adapt to any situation, bend in any which way to benefit a student. Many wake up without a clear view of what their day might look like.

KRAUS

“Usually, folks that are in the school business are pretty flexible, given behavioral challenges, given full classrooms without a ton of resources,” said Paul Kraus, a psychotherapist with ESU 6. “As a whole, educators and instructors are very flexible, but this was a test of that flexibility.”

For the students they work with, the ones who desperately require their services to make it through their own days, stability is an indispensable necessity. The same way in which school psychologists thrive on pliability, students depend on routines.

“There’s a certain comfort that comes from knowing what to expect day to day from your environment and the people in that environment,” said Stuart Clark, Director of Special Education at ESU 1. “You also have the uncertainties that arise for students who are less advantaged, maybe they don’t have stable homes where their basic needs CLARK are able to be met. For many students, school provides that. To take that away, to untether them in that way, impacts them holistically.”

So you can imagine the scramble that took place when schools shut their doors and took a fast turn to remote learning in March. And the planning for a fuzzy fall semester that ensued, that was a series of shots in the dark, too. But across the state, mental health professionals prepared the best they could, and they did so with intention.

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NCSA TODAY WINTER 2021

BUSCHER

“Our principals and our leadership didn’t have a summer,” said Brandy Buscher, Director of Student Services for North Platte Public Schools. “We thought about it (the fall semester) every day. Planning for something you can’t predict, that was the hardest part. We could do a million scenarios, and still what happened could have been different.”

For many school districts, the decision between going in-person or remote was left up in the air well into the summer months as the pandemic took turn after turn, very few of which seemed to be for the better. Licensed Mental Health Practitioner’s (LMHP), like they did at the outset of the pandemic, played an excruciating round of the waiting game. Many of the students who required their services were from unstable households, and establishing contact was nearly impossible.

“You have kiddos you’re just worried about, and the saving grace is that you see them every day, and you know teachers and principals and counselors are checking in with them,” said Buscher, who called it nearly impossible to maintain constant contact with all students. “Student safety was my immediate concert. I had to take a mental Xanax, almost, and really chill myself out and say ‘I can’t control that.’”

Kraus, for example, learned through the spring just how tenacious you had to be in scheduling online sessions with kids. Once the face-to-face, or, rather, screen-to-screen connection was established, maintaining their focus was a tall task of its own.

“You would have siblings pop in and I met a lot of pets, too, which was kind of fun, but it really was quite a challenge,” said Kraus. “Additionally, you always have to ask who’s all in the room to understand the degree of confidentiality that that kiddo had in speaking with you.”

Throughout the fall, there’s been a blend, in schools across the state, of students in the classroom and connecting from a remote location. It’s not ideal, said Clark, but the evolved ability to adapt on the run has been a small silver lining to come out of the last nine months.

ME NT A L HEAL TH “During this difficult time, these challenges are also an opportunity for us to be better at reaching kids and utilizing more than just a traditional means of instruction,” Clark added.

“The ability to connect and have strong relationships really helps individuals stand out as educators, whether they’re mental health practitioners or classroom teachers, and it’s that ability to connect with people that really shows you whether they’re going to be helpful for students. What I’ve seen is a general comfort level grow when adults have to interact with kids through screens.”

Masks, though Buscher feels students have adapted to wearing face covers as well as, or better than, adults, have been a challenge for students with extended needs. One of her coworkers is good friends with the mother of a sixth-grader with autism who came home from the first day of school this semester and proclaimed his teachers all hated him.

“The more they examined the issue, the more they realized that kids can’t see facial expressions,” Buscher said. “So to this kid, everybody looked mean and crabby. Those were things nobody thought of. We didn’t consider how kids who take things very literally were going to interpret masks.”

As the pandemic enters its ninth month with no signs of dying off immediately without the help of a vaccine, Buscher, Clark and Kraus all reported an increase in the number of students who require mental wellness services. Contrary to the conclusion you might come to having initially heard that, though, a spike in services isn’t necessarily a negative thing.

“The better the environment that the child is in, the more stable and the more normalized feelings of anxiety are within the group, the more likely kids are to talk openly about the feelings they’re having,” said Clark. “If you’re somebody who is experiencing anxiety, and you keep that to yourself, you’re much less likely to successfully navigate or overcome those feelings than if you have a network of support around you.”

In North Platte, cases have surged recently after staying down early on. Lobbies in banks and fast food restaurants are closing and more and more layoffs have consequently followed. Buscher was recently having a conversation with a group of homeless liaisons who reported that the number of bags of food being sent home from the high school food pantry is down to 15 a week, staggeringly less than the 30 to 40 bags that were going home earlier in the year.

“I think that what’s happening is our kids who are really struggling have chosen that remote learning path, so we’re not seeing them,” she said. “If you give kids the option of working online, then the kids who likely need our (mental health) services the most are not coming into the building.

That’s been a helpless feeling.”

Nationally, there’s numerous reports that indicate a spike in alcohol and drug use since the break of the pandemic. With so many students stuck at home, those figures are alarming.

“For families that had difficulties pre-COVID, nothing got better during COVID,” said Kraus.

Mental health professionals have had to perfect the art of juggling. There’s so many different modes of learning and teaching at play now, with more being added each week. It’s almost funny to look back to March and consider how large a learning curve Zoom was. Now, teachers and LMHP’s alike are masters of the online instruction craft.

“Certainly, health professionals have had to have roller skates on in terms of dealing with their regular jobs, plus all the impacts of COVID-19,” said Kraus. “And space, too. Every building we visit typically has a COVID-specific area now, in conference rooms and in those extra spaces where myself or another outsider might regularly visit with a kid or do speech therapy with a kid. Those few rooms that were available are gone, now. We struggle to find space because COVID needs its own dedicated space for safety’s sake.”

Buscher brings a goal of introducing something new to the school district that can benefit students into each new school year. This year, letting go of those ambitions has been a struggle. She’s had to learn to show herself grace. COVID has wiped out any forward momentum for the 2020-21 school year, she explained. Instead, schools have funneled onehundred percent of their focus into making it from day-to-day, week-to-week.

“We can help kids by keeping them safe and trying to keep school open,” Buscher said. The simple fact is that we don’t know what the immediate future is going to look like. “For students with mental illness, that’s torture,” said Kraus. “It’s horrible, not knowing what’s coming next. And the mental health of staffs has been affected, too. For them to be able to continue to put on a smile and present themselves as though things are going to be alright, kids need to see that and feel that.”

In many regards, schools are facing off with COVID-19 on sturdier footing than they had in the spring. At the same time, said Clark, the battle has been going on for so long that it’s really starting to wear.

“It’s offered us an opportunity to demonstrate genuine authenticity in terms of how we’re managing it ourselves,” Clark continued. “It’s something we’re all going through, and while you need to maybe be stronger, you don’t need to be a rock that doesn’t ever reveal that struggle. We can relate to each other on a level that supersedes the teacherstudent dynamics. It’s just two individuals, two human beings experiencing the same thing right now, which is mess, uncertainty, fear and anxiety, but we’re still moving forward.” ■ WINTER 2021 NCSA TODAY

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Eat Dessert First, Use All the Crayons and Never Lose Your Sense of Wonder PAM ROTH, NASBO President

I have several plaques in my office that frequently remind me to put the day and its demands into the proper perspective. (That doesn’t necessarily mean I succeed, even a small portion of the time, to get the day into the proper perspective.)

ROTH

The first one was given to me by my daughter and grandson one Christmas.

I smile every time I look at it.

It reminds me that on at least one occasion I was “the cool mom”. Periodically when my daughter lived at home, I’d tell her and my husband that we were going out for supper and supper was going to be ICE CREAM. One day, shortly after an ice cream supper when my daughter was in high school, she told me one of her friends had commented that they wished their mom was like me and would let them have just ice cream for supper. Especially this year, the plaque reminds me that periodically, I need to do something, even something small, to take care of myself because there is a lot of life I have no control over.

The next two plaques I found in the Target dollar aisle. It’s amazing what can be found in a “dollar aisle”. The first of these two says: I bought it because it reminded me of a very important lesson I’m still trying to learn. Before my daughter started kindergarten, I had a picture she’d colored hanging in my office (I remember it as being a picture of an elephant). Someone that stopped in my office commented about the picture and my response was, “She’s getting better at staying inside the lines.” I will never forget their next response, “Why do we think it’s so important for kids to learn to stay in the lines?” Anyone who knows me,

knows I’m a rule follower. If you ask me to color an elephant it will be gray, not purple with pink polka dots or some other interesting color/design, and I’ll do my best to stay within the lines. However, life frequently presents us with situations where the best solutions can only be found by going outside the normal lines and trying to see things from a whole new perspective. Where would education in Nebraska be this school year if we all only saw elephants as gray and we never tried coloring outside the lines? I have been amazed at how creative curriculum staff have been to come up with ways of providing education that even a year ago we wouldn’t have considered an option.

The other plaque says: This one reminds me of a trip years ago with my daughter. When she was eight, we visited my parents in Arizona and the four of us drove to the Grand Canyon. Game Boys were all the rage at that time. I remember my daughter sitting on a boulder with her back to the Grand Canyon playing on her Game Boy. If you are a parent, you can probably understand my frustration. How do you explain to a child how special something like a trip to the Grand Canyon is?

Of course, on any given day, I can just as easily turn my back on the simple beauty of the world around me. Unless I make a conscious effort, I can let the items on my work to-do list consume my thoughts as I drive to and from work and I can completely miss experiencing the beauty of the fall colors, etc. (I hope you took the time to enjoy this year’s fall colors, they were spectacular!)

The last plaque isn’t in my office. It is only in my mind, but I’m on the lookout. My youngest granddaughter will start kindergarten next year. She’s says she’s excited about going to kindergarten because she wants to plant flowers and learn to garden. I’ve always wondered why it’s called kindergarten, so her comment got me Googling. If you Google kindergarten, the results will tell you that the word kindergarten comes from the German language. Kinder means children and garten means garden. The term dates Continued on page 14 >>

WINTER 2021 NCSA TODAY

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E QU I T Y I N E D U C A TI O N

Equity in Education: A Leadership Standard DR. KIM SNYDER, Director of Statewide Teacher and Principal Support RYAN RICENBAW, Nebraska Leadership and Learning Network Specialist

unrestricted by race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, or political affiliation.

SNYDER

RICENBAW

Nebraska has always been a state that stands out in its approach to education and has never wavered in its commitment to doing what is right for students in Nebraska.

The Nebraska Teacher and Principal Performance Standards (NTPPS) highlight this commitment by including an expectation of equitable opportunities and access for all students in Nebraska: “Each student deserves equitable access to effective teachers and principals who hold a genuine belief that each child can learn and grow.” To the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE), educational equity means, in part, that “all students have meaningful access to the educational resources they need at the right moment, at the right level, and with the right intensity.” The NDE also believes these opportunities and outcomes must exist for all Nebraskans, including but not limited to, and

The impact of equity in education can only be determined by the disruption of inequities that exist. Inequities that exist in schools across the country have been exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. School leaders must not squander the opportunity to disrupt these inequities, which begins with a leader’s understanding of his or her relationship to the inequities. Personal awareness and context are required.

Laura Aguada-Hallberg and Louise J. Santiago, authors of the Equicentric Leadership Model, describe equity as “an individual’s felt sense or a result of one’s lived experiences.”

For school leaders, procuring a personal awareness surrounding equity is a fundamental responsibility. Due to the current state of expectations, educational leaders (and educators in general) are rarely able to prioritize a process of reflection to better understand who they are and the experiences that have shaped them. Yet it is self-reflection that leads to an awareness that is requisite when approaching issues of equity. Aguada-Hallberg and Santiago highlight critical points regarding awareness: “Without awareness, leaders are constantly in a reactive state and are unable to understand how their biases affect their responses, and self-awareness is an opportunity to recognize and call out experiences we've internalized, as well as understand when we move in and out of positions of power.”

Eat Dessert First, Use All the Crayons and Never Lose Your Sense of Wonder (continued from page 13) to the 19th century and Friedrich Froebel who started the first kindergarten. The word kindergarten was invented by Froebel and symbolizes his vision of early childhood education: “Children are like tiny flowers; they are varied and need care, but each is beautiful alone and glorious when seen in the community of peers.” For me, that creates an awesome visualization.

The plaque I see in my mind is of a little blond-haired girl running through the middle of a field of assorted flowers in every color imaginable. I hope my granddaughter won’t be disappointed that kindergarten may not involve planting flowers and gardening, but I hope kindergarten and all of her other years in school not only teacher her reading, writing and arithmetic, but help her realize the importance of: “Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.”, “Life is about using the whole box of crayons.” and “Never lose your sense of wonder.” For me, these are important lessons I’m still trying to learn! ■

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NCSA TODAY WINTER 2021

E Q UIT Y IN E DUCATI ON

Equity-driven leadership begins by disrupting inequities. Not only has Nebraska made a commitment to this disruption, but also to the support and development of equity-driven leaders. One challenge that exists is the varied context and perceptions of equity throughout Nebraska’s schools.

Inequity is not simply about demographics. It cuts a much deeper and wider swath and the impact is felt by far too many of our students. Equity-driven leadership can only exist within an iterative system where leaders are constantly mining data for answers to questions. Yet, actually finding answers is not the most important. As Lloyd Alexander once stated, “We learn more by looking for the answer and not finding it than we do from finding the answer itself.” Good systems are able to identify the questions that are not being asked. Great systems continue to look for more questions, even when the initial questions are answered. Leaders must seek support and collaborate with colleagues and continually ask, “What are we missing?” The sustainability of equity in education, like all other “initiatives,” is dependent on the system itself.

One example of a systems approach to addressing inequities can be found right here in the Midwest. Des Moines Public Schools is partnering with The Leadership Academy (formerly known as New York Leadership Academy) to create a systemic process to guide district leaders through data-gathering experiences and communication exercises.

The power in this experience comes not from just focusing on what they are able to see, but more from what they are not seeing. The impact of this work being led by The Leadership Academy work can be found in the commitment to an ongoing collaborative leadership development process and the support provided after the initial experience and beyond. Too often, education organizations can fall short in their good intentions due to a lack of commitment over time. When long term commitments do exist, such as new principal networking opportunities through NCSA

or leadership coaching through local Educational Service Units (ESUs) for example, prioritizing the time is extremely difficult, especially during a global pandemic. An example of this is the “Leadership Triads” model in the Fremont area.

This work with area district leaders has been successful because the districts in the area prioritized it, but the impact of the pandemic, like everywhere else, has forced a shift in priorities. In any effective system, priorities are going to change, circumstances are going to change. Effective systems are just that because it is able to proactively respond to changes. However, a commitment to the disruption of inequity has to be much more than a priority. It must be an agreed upon value that is embraced, embodied, and embedded in all we do for the students in Nebraska.

“Each student deserves equitable access to effective teachers and principals who hold a genuine belief that each child can learn and grow.”

— Dr. Kim Snyder, Director of Statewide Teacher and Principal Support

School leaders and educators must continue to prioritize their own growth through self-reflection and collaboration, to create a school culture seeped in equity-minded decision making. It is through the support of equity and the support of each other that Nebraska’s educators can forge a path to sustained, systemic shifts needed in education. ■

NCSA Spearheads Formation of the Nebraska Association of Professors of School Leadership In an effort to continue to bridge K-12 and postsecondary institutions, NCSA recently formed the Nebraska Association of Professors of School Leadership. The association, which includes professors and staff from postsecondary educational administration programs at colleges and universities across the state of Nebraska, held its charter meeting on October 20, and has continued to grow and meet since. ■

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P ART N E RS H I P

Research for the Real World

MEG RICE, Department of Educational Administration Communications Specialist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Department of Educational Administration, faculty and students conduct leading research and outreach into the most pressing and complex challenges in education today. Here are three recently published examples of our faculty’s hands-on research.

XIA

Title: Xia and colleagues explore relationships between central offices and principals “Tight, Loose, or Decoupling? A National Study of the DecisionMaking Power Relationship Between District Central Offices and School Principals” https://journals.sagepub.com/ doi/10.1177/0013161X19851174

Do district central offices and principals have the same level of influence on school decisions? What does the district– principal power relationship look like? These questions are what drove Dr. Jiangang Xia’s research. In his recent publication, “Tight, Loose, or Decoupling? A National Study of the Decision-Making Power Relationship Between District Central Offices and School Principals,” Xia and his colleagues explored the influences central offices and principals have and estimate their power relationship.

Finally, the team found that when setting student discipline policies, the principals’ and districts’ influences have no relationship to each other at all.

“We found that district and school administration and leadership practices closely follow policy and accountability requirements,” Xia said. “Curriculum and instruction areas used to present a loosely coupled relationship between district central offices and schools, but now are tightly coupled areas. The school accountability movement may not have tightened up schools, but it definitely has tightened up districts.”

This study is among the first to examine the decision-making power relationship between districts and principals. The findings open up several directions for future research, but there is still a lot to explore.

Dr. Jiangang Xia is an associate professor at UNL. He teaches graduate-level courses in the areas of leadership theory, quantitative research methods, data-informed school improvement, and dissertation research. His research interests focus on PK-12 school leadership/organization theories in general and school decision-making power relationships, leadership distribution, and leadership processes in particular.

Their research found that there are dynamic associations between principal influences and district influences. There is no one single power relationship across all decision areas; instead, there are different decision-making power relationships between district central offices and school principals.

Title: Kim examines Transformative learning and principals “Becoming skillful leaders: American school principals’ transformative learning” https://doi.org/10.1177/174114 3218802596

When it comes to making decisions on core areas of schools, such as performance standards, curriculum, and PD opportunities, districts and principals have a tightly coupled power relationship, meaning one does not lose influence as the other gains influence. In fact, districts’ and principals’ influence can reinforce each other for the good of the school.

are inseparable.”

In the areas of personnel and budget, their analysis revealed the relationship between the district and school was a loose coupling. When it comes to things like evaluating teachers, hiring teachers, and spending school budgets, a principal’s influence is much higher than the district’s. While they are responsive to each other, they are also distinctive from one another.

How do school leaders make actual changes in their leadership practices? Transformative learning is one crucial way. It is important for school leaders because it can lead to meaningful learning that qualitatively changes their leadership practices. Dr. Taeyeon Kim explores how school principals experience transformative learning as part of becoming leaders and how these

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NCSA TODAY WINTER 2021

KIM

“If learning is about change, then, for school principals, learning and leadership development

PA RT NERSHI P experiences ultimately influence their leadership practices and perceptions.

Using qualitative data collected from 12 school principals in the United States, her analysis revealed that school leaders’ transformative learning started with “disorienting dilemmas” triggered by emotionally and cognitively challenging unexpected events. Critical reflections then followed—asking “why” their knowledge and skills did not work. Throughout this process, school principals established strong foundations of leadership assumptions and strategies by changing and expanding their views of themselves and others.

Commenting on her takeaways from this article, Dr. Kim said, “As an educator of the leadership preparation program, it is important to understand that adult learners’ lived-experience beyond formal learning settings is a critical resource for leadership development. When those experiences can be used to challenge the pre-existing structure and frames of reference, transformative learning occurs.”

Dr. Kim joined UNL in 2020 as an assistant professor. Her research focuses on how leaders’ voices and strategies intersect with school organizations and policy contexts.

Specifically, she examines policy enactment in school settings whereby leaders and educators interpret and transform policy, and leadership development in school organizations by applying learning theories.

Title: Rural school leaders as champions and cheerleaders of collaboration in schoolcommunity partnerships “The Role of Rural School Leaders in a School-Community Partnership” https://tpre.ecu.edu/index.php/ tpre/article/view/41/50 ZUCKERMAN

Schools play a central part in rural communities, making them a central institution for not only educational, but also community renewal, resilience, and vitality. School-community partnerships create spaces for school leaders to engage with community members in purposeful ways to support collective action for the common good. To do so, rural school leaders must traverse the boundaries between constituents and build bridges.

Given the many demands on rural school leaders’ time and attention, questions remain as to how they engage in boundary-spanning leadership. Dr. Sarah Zuckerman sought to answer this question.

In a recent case study, Dr. Zuckerman explored the roles of six rural district and school leaders in a regional schoolcommunity partnership that spanned eight school districts and over 30 communities. These leaders included a superintendent, three principals, an afterschool director, and a school board member. Dr. Zuckerman found that formal leadership roles shaped the boundary-spanning efforts of school and district leaders as visionary leaders, champions of collaboration, cheerleaders to motivate others to get involved, and as amplifiers of youth voice.

While each school and district leader were passionate about improving outcomes for youth through collaboration, their formal roles worked to facilitate or constrain their ability to engage in partnership efforts. For the afterschool director, who brought together many organizations to provide weekly and summer enrichment programs, collaboration was already part of his job. Both the superintendent and the school board member reported more “latitude” about where they invested their time and their public roles appeared to facilitate their efforts as boundary-spanning leaders.

For the principals, despite the recognized importance of their engagement in the partnership to support change, the realities of accountability pressure limited their ability to engage in efforts not directly tied to student achievement outcomes.

“While rural principals are viewed as important boundary spanners for school success,” Zuckerman said, “this study adds to the research that suggests contemporary accountability pressures limit the ability of rural school leaders to engage with locally developed goals and suggests that superintendents, as community leaders, play important roles not only in boundary spanning, but buffering principals from external pressure.”

Sarah J. Zuckerman, Ph.D., is a current assistant professor in educational administration at the University of Nebraska– Lincoln. Her research uses qualitative methods to investigate state-level educational policy implementation and schoolcommunity partnerships, particularly in the context of rural communities. ■

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PR OGRA M S PO TL I G H T

Get Schooled on Concussions TYLER DAHLGREN, NCSA COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST Karen McAvoy developed the Teacher Acute Concussion Tool, or TACT, as we’ll refer to it for the remainder of this article, as a vehicle to deliver Get Schooled on Concussions Return to Learn material directly to teachers in classrooms across the United States.

The product is inarguably excellent, designed to assist educators in both the identification and management of concussions among students. It does those things so well, in fact, that Peggy Reisher, Executive Director of the Brain Injury Association of Nebraska, wishes more districts across the state would utilize TACT. “The thing I worry about is that people might not realize how simple it is,” said Reisher. “It’s the best tool that we’ve seen out there, because it does not require teachers to go through any pretraining. As long as you know your password, you can utilize the tool when you notice a student in your classroom struggling with what REISHER might be a brain injury. It gives you step-by-step instructions on how to help manage that kid based on your teaching style.”

It’s a one-of-a-kind asset, Reisher explained. Oh, and, now, it’s free of cost. Before the pandemic broke, McAvoy and her team were charging for the program. It’s intellectual property after all, so that made sense.

“She’s also got a heart the size of Texas,” said Reisher. “She decided that she’s got this great product that nobody will be able to purchase during COVID times, and yet kids are still going to have concussions.”

So McAvoy started offering the program at a reduced price.

A very reduced price of around $5,500. BIA of Nebraska discovered grant funds shortly after that made the tool available to all of Nebraska-at no cost through 2020. Reisher and BIA-NE are hoping for the same rate for 2021, too.

“It is a really great value that people don’t realize they’re getting for free,” Reisher said. “That’s why I’m feeling passionate about opening eyes across Nebraska to this amazing tool they don’t have to pay for.”

Studies have long shown that students do better in the classroom. COVID-19 has reinforced those findings, Reisher added. The same goes for students with a concussion.

Returning to learning is the most effective way to recover from a brain injury, no matter how small the first step back is.

“Kids with concussions don’t belong on the couch,” Reisher said. “They need to be engaged in a graduated format, and the idea of ‘Well, let’s wait until they’re all better and then let’s play catch-up’ is just not helpful to students. If anything, it creates more anxiety.”

McAvoy has even added differentiated instruction into the TACT toolkit, specified for students stuck at home during the pandemic. Additionally, TACT is designed to work for all ages.

“It’s not just for high school sports, not just for high school football players,” Reisher explained. “It’s for the kindergarten teacher, the high school teacher. These are really simple strategies for any teacher at any age.”

The word “concussion”, Reisher said, is more understood now than it ever has been before, and the sports world is to thank for that, but concussions extend far beyond the playing field. Not long ago, Reisher worked with a youth detention center and screened 25 students, 72 percent of whom tested positive for brain injuries.

“The majority of those injuries were because of assaults, they were because of car accidents and falls,” she said. “They had nothing to do with sports. Many times, when we think about kids that are having trouble in school, we’re not asking the bigger question, which is ‘How many times has this kid been beaten at home, or within a gang?’”

Brain injury detection and management has come a long way, but there’s still plenty of ground to cover.

“I just can’t impress upon enough how precious of a gift this is for teachers,” Reisher said of TACT. “And right now, they don’t know it. So what can we do to make sure they know it?”

They can start by visiting getschooledonconcussions.com/ Nebraska today. ■

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AFF I LI A T E AWAR D S

NAESP Announces National Distinguished Principal From Nebraska The Nebraska Association of Elementary School Principals is pleased to announce that Kirk Kuxhausen, Elementary Principal with Mitchell Public Schools since 2004, has been named this year’s National Distinguished Principal from Nebraska.

Katherine Urbanek, Mitchell Superintendent praises Kirk’s work, “Kirk has been an instrumental leader in creating a school district earning an Excellent rating by AQUESTT standards, but more importantly, has been a leader in creating a culture of care, commitment, and high expectations.

He exemplifies all that one would want in an elementary principal: he is caring, passionate, involved, and most of all, committed to doing what is best for kids. He believes in forming connections with students and families, and through these connections, he is able to build a community of respect and responsibility. Mr. Kuxhausen models what it truly means to be an excellent educator and a person dedicated to the lives of children.”

Jenny Bohl, a teacher at Mitchell Public Schools shares her insight, “What sets Mr. K apart is his outstanding rapport with students and their families. I do not know many elementary school principals who spend every recess playing quarterback on the football field. He takes the time to get to know his students and makes up, and remembers, nicknames which these kids fondly carry with them to high school. He selflessly gives his time and gets students involved.” Jill’s leadership has been obvious during her career as a Principal. He has been active in Nebraska Council of School Administrators, Nebraska Association of Elementary School Principals, even serving as President, Secretary, and Treasurer of Region V. NAESP is extremely proud to have Kirk represent our organization as NDP. He is very deserving of this recognition. Congratulations, Kirk! ■

NAESP Announces Outstanding New Principal of the Year Sheree Stockwell, Elementary Principals with Grand Island Public Schools has been named Nebraska Association of Elementary School Principals, New Principal of the Year for 2020-2021.

Sheree has served as a principal at Jefferson Elementary School in Grand Island since 2017.

During this time, she moved her school from one side of town to the other while their new building was constructed, implemented a new instructional approach and served on the district emergency and safety team. Her passion of developing future leaders has made an impact both locally and statewide.

Dr. Toni Palmer, Chief of Leadership and Learning at Grand Island Public Schools praises Ms. Stockwell. “She is always advocating for what is in the best interest of the students and has gained the trust, respect, and support of others through her willingness to learn and grow alongside others, model and provide personalized professional learning, and relentless focus on continuous improvement. She cares deeply about her work, the impact on others, is always improving in her practice, and inspires others to do the same.”

Congratulations to Sheree Stockwell for her outstanding start as an Elementary School Principal. We appreciate her early contributions to our profession, and are proud to name her New Principal of the Year for 2020-2021. ■

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A FFILIA T E AWARDS

NSASSP Announces Outstanding New Principal of the Year The Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals has selected Dr. Christopher Loofe as the 2020 Outstanding New Principal of the Year. Chris has been the Principal at Kearney High School since 2018. During this time he has served as a member of the AdvancEd review team as well as a member of a Cognia review team.

Dr. Kent Edwards, Kearney Superintendent commends Chris’s work. “Chris has quickly established himself as a leader and a valuable team member within our school system who has demonstrated an ability to motivate, train, and equip staff to facilitate student success within any 9-12 setting. Chris possesses a skill set that is both wide and varied and he is always willing to take on new challenges and master new skills. He maintains the highest level of professionalism and is a positive role model for his colleagues. I believe that his motivation, leadership capability, and ability to think globally will always set Chris apart.”

Congratulations to Dr. Chris Loofe for his outstanding performance as a Secondary School Principal at Kearney Public Schools.

NSASSP appreciates his contributions to the profession and are proud to name him the 2021 New Principal of the Year! ■

NSASSP Announces Assistant Principal of the Year The Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals has selected Brad McMillan as this year’s Assistant Principal of the Year. Brad has served in his position of Assistant Principal and Activities Director of Waverly High School since 2014.

According to his principal, Dr. Megan Myers: “Brad is the ultimate professional with his conduct both at work and in his personal life. He is quick to smile and bring a smile to those around him, and is adept at handling any situation that might come up throughout the day. Brad has an unbelievable work ethic and works tirelessly to build up our activities program. He has earned the unwavering respect of the entire Waverly/District 145 community and is so deserving of recognition for his hard work.”

Congratulations to Brad McMillan, NSASSP Assistant Principal of the Year! ■

NSASSP Announces Distinguished Service Award Recipient The Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals has selected Steve Adkisson as this year’s Distinguished Service Award Recipient. Steve started his career in education as a business education teacher in Hartington Public Schools in 1987. His administrative track began in 2012 as the Principal at Fillmore Central Middle School adding the position of Athletic Director in 2013 where he has remained to this day.

Mark Norvell, Fillmore Superintendent was happy to sing his praises, “Steve is a top-level principal and is dedicated to doing what is best for kids in our district. He has tremendous respect amongst his staff, his students, and the community. We are very fortunate to have him here at Fillmore Central.”

Jennifer Stengel, a Fillmore Central teacher commends Steve’s leadership : “When I think of Mr. Adkisson, the first word that comes to mind is servant. If you were to walk through the halls of Fillmore Central Middle School, you would quickly see why.

He is present, and this makes all the difference to both the students and the staff as he consistently puts others’ needs before his own. He realizes that those within his building have a vital job to do, and his greatest strength is making sure that his people are equipped to do this important work.”

Congratulations to Steve Adkisson for being honored as the 2021 NSASSP Distinguished Service Award Winner! ■ WINTER 2021 NCSA TODAY

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E H A UP D A TE

Mental Health Benefit Enhancement

By GREG LONG, EHA Field Representative

In October 2020 the Educators Health Alliance passed a mental health benefit enhancement effective 9/1/2021. This benefit reduces out-ofpocket charges to our members looking for services in the Mental Health field.

There will be no member cost shares for in-network outpatient office visits for mental illness and/or substance dependence and abuse covered services.

LONG

The following types of in-network office visits will be paid at 100% • Individual • Group • Family • Marriage counseling Services need to be from an in-network provider. The benefit is for outpatient office visits for mental health or substance abuse. These services will be paid at 100% If you have any questions regarding the EHA and would like to schedule an EHA meeting, please contact Greg Long at greg@ehaplan.org. ■

CALENDAR OF EVENTS JANUARY Jan. 30 & Feb. 6

Emerging Administrators – Virtual

FEBRUARY February 4

NASES Legislative Conference – VirtualRCH

APRIL April 6

GRIT – Cornhusker Marriott – Lincoln

April 21-23

NASBO State Convention – Embassy Suites – Lincoln

April 29-30

NASES Spring Conference – Holiday Inn – Kearney

JULY July 28-30

Administrators’ Days – Younes Conf Center - Kearney

*Region meeting dates can be found on the NCSA website.

NATIONAL CONVENTION DATES

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AASA – February 18-19, 2021 – Virtual

NAESP – July 8-10, 2021 – Chicago, IL

ASCD – March 26-29, 2021 – Washington, D.C.

ASBO – October 13-16, 2021

NCSA TODAY WINTER 2021

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