Spring 2016

NCSA TODAY A PUBLICATION OF THE NEBRASKA COUNCIL OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

Big Marijuana: Big Deal?

The Hon. Doug Peterson Nebraska Attorney General

Nebraska Council of School Administrators

Spring 2016

www.NCSA.org

TAKING LONGER TO GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE IS

WeIGHING NEbRASKa dOWN.

ST UD

EN

BT DE

T

It’s taking students across Nebraska longer than ever to graduate from college—which means they’re taking longer to get jobs and start their lives, and they have more debt when they finish. That’s why the University of Nebraska created Commit to Complete, a program to help students graduate sooner. Prepare your college-bound students for their first year—encourage them to graduate on time and make choices that will move them forward faster.

Find out how to be part of the solution:

CommitToComplete.com/Advisors

CONTENTS

2 The Education Pipeline

BY GREG ADAMS

3 AQuESTT: Building Stronger School-Community Partnerships to Expand Learning in Nebraska

BY JEFF COLE

4 Big Marijuana: Big Deal?

BY THE HON. DOUG PETERSON

7

I Am Not a Leader

BY MARK JOHNSON

9

500 and Counting

BY TROY LURZ

10

The Career Academy – The Power of You

BY DR. DAN HOHENSEE

11

Changing the Landscape of Insurance One Member at a Time

BY GREG LONG

12

Nebraska Welcomes Partnership with the Attorney General

BY MIKE DULANEY AND DAN ERNST

NCSA EXECUTIVE BOARD 2015-2016 Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ryan Ricenbaw Vice Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike Apple Immed. Past Chair . . . Dr. Mike Teahon NASA Representatives President . . . . . . . . . . Kyle McGowan President Elect . . . . . . . Dr. Mike Sieh Past President . . . . . . . . . Mike Apple NASBO Representatives President . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Schneider President Elect . . . . . . . . John Brazell Past President . . . . . . . . . Rick Haney NAESP Representatives President . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Johnson President Elect . . . . . . Jim Widdifield Past President . . . . . . . . . . Rod Engel NASES Representatives President . . . . Wendy Kemling-Horner President Elect . . . . . . . Missy Dobish Past President . . . . . . Sally Giittinger NSASSP Representatives President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Troy Lurz President Elect . . . . . . Steve Adkisson Past President . . . . . . Ryan Ricenbaw NARSA Representative President . . . . . . . . . . . . Dave Kaslon NCSA STAFF Dr. Michael S. Dulaney Executive Director/Lobbyist

4 7

Calendar of Events and National Convention Dates

Dr. Dan E. Ernst Associate Executive Director/Lobbyist Megan Hillabrand Event Coordinator Amy Poggenklass Finance and Membership Director Carol Young Executive Administrative Assistant

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 $40 (student members).

NCSA Today is published quarterly. Send address changes to NCSA, Membership, 455 South 11th Street, Suite A, Lincoln, NE 68508. Copyright ©2016 by NCSA. All rights reserved.

Michelle Lopez Administrative Assistant Dr. Virginia Moon Consultant, Lobbyist The opinions expressed in NCSA Today or by its authors do not necessarily reflect the positions of the Nebraska Council of School Administrators.

SPRING 2016 NCSA TODAY 1

ACCELERATE NEBRAS KA

The Education Pipeline

BY GREG ADAMS, President/Executive Director, Accelerate Nebraska

N

Adams

ebraskans expect a lot of our K-12 and postsecondary education system. They expect it to prepare students to be productive, gainfully employed citizens in a world where change is a constant.

Being prepared eighty years ago meant having an eighth-grade education. In the post-World War II era, it meant earning a high school diploma. In today’s economy, it means having some level of education or training beyond high school.

Over the last several months, Accelerate Nebraska has been working with FSG, a Seattle social impact research and consulting group, to examine Nebraska’s “education pipeline” from high school to career. The purpose of the research was to identify strengths and weaknesses in the pipeline. The following three key findings come out of this study.

First, not enough high school students are graduating ready for college or a career. At first look, the data indicate that Nebraska’s K-12 education system has done a decent job of meeting the challenges of preparing students for the 21st century. Nebraska’s high school graduation rate is the best in the nation. A large number, 88%, of its eleventh graders take the ACT in anticipation of going on to a postsecondary education, and the state’s average ACT score ranks 24th in the nation. The number of students who go on to college is the nation’s seventh highest.

A deeper look, however, reveals problems that must be addressed. Though Nebraska’s high school graduation rate is the best in the nation, too many students, especially those who are minority and low-income, score below passing on the 11th-grade state math assessment. In addition, about half of the students who start their postsecondary education at one of the state’s six community colleges are placed in noncredit-bearing developmental math classes, reducing their odds of completing a certificate or degree. Again, low-income and minority students struggle the most. The achievement gap between white and minority and low-income students has to be addressed to ensure that all students graduate with the knowledge and skills they need to be successful.

The second key finding is that Nebraska’s postsecondary institutions have to improve their retention and completion rates. As more students aspire to an education beyond high school, our postsecondary institutions are faced

2 NCSA TODAY SPRING 2016

with the challenge of educating more students who are not academically ready for college. Freshman retention rates vary across our institutions. Our community colleges rank fourth in the nation in retaining their students, at 57%. Nebraska’s public four-year postsecondary institutions rank 19th in retention. Nebraska’s postsecondary institutions have responded to the demand, and data shows steady improvement. Still, they have work to do.

Finally, Nebraska must address imbalances in the labor market. The state’s unemployment rate is the envy of most other states. This low rate, however, coupled with only a slight growth in population, has led Nebraska businesses to call for more skilled workers. The FSG study indicates that this demand for more skilled labor is centered on jobs that require an associate degree or less. These will make up 70% of all jobs in Nebraska by 2020. To meet this demand, our community college retention and completion rates must improve. At the same time, steps must be taken to keep the students we educate in Nebraska. Our education institutions have been working with some success to move students through the education pipeline toward baccalaureate degrees. But once those students graduate, they may not find the career opportunities and wage rates that will keep them here. The “brain drain” in Nebraska is real and must be addressed.

In summary, Nebraska has a good education system, but the state cannot afford to let good get in the way of better. We should expect our K-12 schools to continue to prepare students for success in obtaining a postsecondary education. At the same time, they should also reconsider the role of vocational-technical curriculums to give students the skills in demand in the labor market. Degreegranting institutions need to continue and augment their efforts to ensure their more diverse student populations are successful. The state, in turn needs to foster the creation of jobs with competitive wages that will keep these graduates in our state.

In all of these efforts, the goal must be to narrow the achievement gap. The health of Nebraska’s economy demands that all students graduate with the skills and knowledge they need to be successful. To do this, all sectors of the “pipeline” must recognize where there is weakness and misalignment and begin the fix. n

CO MMUNITY PARTNERS HIP

AQuESTT: Building Stronger SchoolCommunity Partnerships to Expand Learning in Nebraska

BY JEFF COLE, Assistant Vice President at Nebraska Children and Families Foundation

N

Cole

ebraska’s public education system is once again leading the nation. Record high graduation rates and ACT scores, narrowing achievement gaps and near full employment suggest Nebraska’s long-term investments in a quality public education system are yielding substantial benefits.

Importantly, while other states are juggling regulation of competing public and charter systems along with unworkable mandates and assessment regimes imposed by the recently replaced (and reviled) No Child Left Behind law, Nebraska educators have the opportunity to develop and refine a next generation assessment system— AQuESTT—that can serve as model for other states.

Created by the Nebraska Department of Education in response to LB 438, AQuESTT stands for Accountability for a Quality Education System, Today and Tomorrow. In a departure from other state level accountability systems, AQuESTT uses input from a variety of measures—not just test scores and graduation rates—to promote and reward continuous improvement for schools and progress for children in every corner of our state.

As Nebraska’s education leaders, you are all familiar with last year’s roll out of AQuESTT and the role that it plays in classifying all Nebraska schools and supporting continuous school improvement. What is less well known is that this new accountability framework also creates pathways encouraging more and deeper community involvement in perhaps our most important collective re-

Beyond School Bells worked with education leaders to develop a video explaining how AQuESTT provides opportunities for businesses to work with schools and extend learning into the community. You can check out the video in the following:

http://beyondschoolbells.org/videos/

sponsibility – educating the next generation of citizens.

By identifying six key tenants of a quality education, AQuESTT highlights multiple pathways to support a wellrounded education. These six tenants are: • Positive Partnerships, Relationships and Student success • Transitions • Education Opportunities and Access • College and Career ready • Assessment • Educator Effectiveness How do these six tenants open up schools for greater community collaboration? Through AQuESTT’s evidencebased analysis, or EBA, community partners have the opportunity to contribute to a school’s final classification— alongside test scores and graduation rates. Based on responses to surveys and interviews measuring the depth of work around these six key tenants, the EBA creates an opportunity for community partners to work with school leaders to support progress, and continuous school improvement around key areas critical to educational excellence.

For example within the tenant of Transitions, schoolcommunity partners can offer school-based and community-driven summer programs that support learning during the important transitions between grades. Indeed these same school-community partnerships can and are providing expanded learning opportunities during the afterschool hours to help bridge the out of school time educational opportunity gap that so closely mirrors socio-economic status.

In the tenant of Education Opportunities and Access, the role of school-community partnerships in providing expanded learning opportunities is clear. A similar case can be made for the role that outside groups can play in supporting Positive Partnership tenant, through internships, mentorships, adult led club activities and other opportunities for community members to show that they value their community’s youth and are investing in their growth. (continued on page 4) SPRING 2016 NCSA TODAY 3

CO MMUNITY PARTNERS HIP AQuESTT: Building Stronger School-Community Partnerships to Expand Learning in Nebraska (continued from page 3) Often the traditional school day is so packed with activities and learning that it is difficult for community partners to meaningfully support student growth. However, by broadening the time frame when supports that directly impact student learning occur, the six tenants of AQuESTT create meaningful opportunities to validate a community’s contribution to non-school learning which plays such a crucial role in youth development. By expanding the focus to the learning outcomes such as Positive Partnerships or College and Career Ready, AQuESTT validates partnerships that can and are leading to innovative out of school time learning opportunities that support a robust and positive educational environment across every Nebraska community.

Much of our work at Beyond School Bells, Nebraska’s statewide afterschool network housed at Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, is aimed at supporting state and community efforts to develop and sustain these vital partnerships enhancing and expanding student learning and providing engaging, hands-on learning experiences during those critical hours when young people are out of school and their parents are still at work. AQuESTT gives these fertile, non-school “hours of opportunity” for community partnerships a much deserved validation and extends an invitation to community partners to support a rich educational environment for all Nebraska youth.

Looking into the future, as this new system takes hold, we see AQuESTT incentivizing and validating creative partnerships broad-

ening our communities’ education zones. For example in the College and Career Ready tenet, we see new opportunities emerging for businesses to work with schools to develop clubs, internships, and field experiences that expose youth to the career opportunities, and relevant academic preparation required, available in their communities. These out of school time activities can provide young people with engaging, hands-on experiences complementing classroom instruction and extend learning into the community. Similarly, in an evolving Assessment tenant, AQuESTT creates new opportunities for communities to develop measurement tools including portfolios capturing the impact of community-supported learning, learning which directly supports and enhances classroom instruction.

Beyond School Bells embrace of AQuESTT is based on our understanding that in today’s society, with all its complexity, challenges and inequities, we simply cannot expect schools to meet all youth development and educational needs alone. On their own, schools never have and certainly can’t today. When we see AQuESTT rolling out across the state, we see a new invitation, a new opportunity for communities and schools to work together to provide ALL of the supports, that ALL children need to be successful in school and become the productive citizens Nebraska needs. It is an invitation to help shape the future that none of us can afford to refuse. n

CA L ENDAR OF EVENTS MARCH 31-Apr. 1

NASES Spring Conference

Harms Center

Scottsbluff

NASBO State Convention AQuESTT

Holiday Inn Younes Conf Center

Kearney Kearney

NSTA Summer Conference NASPA Summer Retreat Student Discipline Workshop NCSA/TRANE Golf Tournament NASCD Summer Conference

Holiday Inn Conf Center Lied Lodge TBD Yankee Hill Golf Course Berean Church

Kearney Nebraska City

Administrators’ Days

Younes Conf Center

Kearney

APRIL 14-15 18-19

JUNE 3 16-17 20 21 23

Lincoln Lincoln

JULY 27-29

Region Meeting dates can be found on the NCSA mobile app and NCSA website.

4 NCSA TODAY SPRING 2016

FEATURE

Big Marijuana: Big Deal?

BY THE HON. DOUG PETERSON, Nebraska Attorney General

I

Peterson

did not anticipate being immersed in the public policy debate over legalizing marijuana before I became Attorney General. However, once I took office, three things made marijuana a front-and-center issue: Nebraska filed a lawsuit against Colorado; a bill was introduced to legalize medical marijuana; and another bill was introduced that minimized the penalties for the possession of marijuana edibles. Soon, I found myself reading numerous medical articles and mental health studies, to gain an understanding of exactly what the future impact could be on Nebraskans. I was specifically concerned about the potential harm to our young people.

In Colorado there are over 1,000 licensed retail marijuana businesses. Multiple news outlets have reported that nationwide, in 2015 alone, the recreational pot industry made over $5.4 billion. The industry is very creative, marketing its marijuana products in not only natural leaf form, but also edible products such as candy bars, pixie sticks, gummy bears, cookies and power drinks. They use product names like Kushy Punch, Monkey Bar, Orange Kush Soda, Dixie Rolls, Ganja Joy, and Cheeta Chews. It is obvious that the industry is targeting a very young market and it’s working. Their efforts have been successful. Data compiled by the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area shows that marijuana used in Colorado was 55 percent above the national average among teens and young adults. According to recent data collected in Colorado, the highest age bracket for the entry into the use of marijuana is the range of age 10 to 14. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that high school students are more likely to use marijuana than any other illegal drug. 36.4 percent of 12th graders have tried marijuana and 29.8 percent of 10th graders had experimented with marijuana. Not surprisingly, these percentages are notably higher in states that have either medical marijuana laws or recreational marijuana laws.

Not only is the marijuana industry creative in their marketing forms, the industry recognizes that the true commercial value of their product is found in its strong potency. The commercial market is producing the strongest THC potency seen in the world. The 2014 High Times reported 15 strains of cannabis plants with a Delta 9 THC strength factor of 23 percent. (Delta 9 THC produces the high.) The top cannabis plants tested in 2015 and reported by High Times were over 25 percent THC. In com-

parison, the standard THC factor prior to the Colorado open market was typically below 8 percent. This degree of strong potency has made the Colorado product extremely popular in markets outside of Colorado. In 2015, law enforcement reported that Colorado marijuana had been exported to at least 36 states.

In the last year, I have traveled to dozens of counties throughout Nebraska meeting with law enforcement and prosecutors to better understand some of the criminal issues they are dealing with. During those trips, I have spoken to students in as many high schools as possible.

Typically, I will speak to an assembly or a government class. During those meetings we will commonly discuss marijuana. In speaking with several school administrators, they tell me they believe legalization of marijuana in Colorado has had a significant impact on how students view the use of marijuana. Administrators explain that it is common for students to minimize the effect of marijuana based on the fact that if it were dangerous it would not have been legalized in Colorado. Students are also aware that the penalties in Nebraska are more severe for a minor in possession of alcohol than they are for the infractions issued for the possession of marijuana, so it must not be that big of a deal.

What is most disturbing about the marijuana industry is how it unabashedly targets these young people. From a business profit model it makes sense, you go after the young people as quickly as possible to turn them into early users of the product and then they will continue to use into adulthood. Does that sound familiar? Do you remember Joe Camel? We despised the fact that big tobacco used our young people in this manner, the problem is that when it comes to the marijuana industry and the potency of the product, the potential harm to young people is so much more. If the marijuana industry is targeting our youth, it is imperative that we as adults fully understand the risk of harm caused by marijuana.

According to a study done by Northwestern University/Harvard Medical School, MRI studies confirmed that casual marijuana use did cause structural harm to the brain. The study was done using casual marijuana users versus nonusers in the age range of 18 to 25. The MRI test showed “Significant shape differences were detected in the left nucleus accumbens and right amygdala� of those (continued on page 6) SPRING 2016 NCSA TODAY 5

FEATURE Big Marijuana: Big Deal? (continued from page 5) who were recreational users. These shape differences were specifically found in brain regions associated with emotion and motivation. Co-Senior study author, Hans Breiter, M.D., commented, “This study raises a strong challenge to the idea that casual marijuana use isn’t associated with bad consequences.”

Equally concerning is the long-term impact on young people’s mental health. Numerous studies have confirmed that the impact of regular THC exposure on an adolescent brain makes them more susceptible to serious mental health conditions such as anxiety disorder and schizophrenia. The state of Nebraska and many other states are currently in a poor position to properly address many mental health issues that face our communities. As far as social cost, it’s difficult to understand the progressive logic of legalizing recreational drugs when it is undisputed that such usage will only exacerbate our current mental health treatment crisis.

Both medical and psychiatry associations have evaluated the impact of marijuana on young people and have taken strong positions in opposition to legislation for recreational use. In 2015, the American College of Pediatrics issued a report setting forth several medical concerns regarding marijuana usage by adolescents. They noted the damage caused to the lungs, to the brain, and particularly the risk caused to the mental health of regular marijuana users. In the report it noted: “In chronic adolescent users, marijuana’s adverse impact on learning and memory persists long after the acute effects of the drug wear off. A major study published in 2012 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, provides objective evidence that marijuana is harmful to the adolescent brain.”

The college also noted an extensive study regarding marijuana’s impact on IQ. Participants started in the study at age 13 and were given their final IQ test at age 38. The participants who used

cannabis heavily in their teens continued through adulthood, showing a significant drop in IQ between ages 13 and 38. The study was considered notable because it tested 1,000 individuals before the first use of marijuana and then had a significant time period to measure the impact over 20-plus years. Additionally, in 2014, The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry came out strongly against any legislation legalizing marijuana, noting that: “Marijuana’s deleterious effects on adolescent brain development, cognition, and social functioning may have immediate and long term implications, including increased risk for motor vehicle accidents, sexual victimization, academic failure, lasting decline in intelligence measures, psychopathology, addiction, and psychological and occupational impairment.”

Obviously, you do not hear the marijuana industry reporting this information. In order to have continued success, it is imperative for this industry to do everything it can to legitimize its business model, and convince most people that marijuana is not harmful.

Just like any other free market enterprise, the impairment industry is retaining well-recognized lobbying groups, attempting to associate with legitimate business interests, and engaging the services of former law enforcement officials to give the perception that they are “doing it the right way.” In order to expand a multibilliondollar business, it’s critical that the industry spend millions of dollars to create the illusion of legitimacy to persuade all Americans that a legal marijuana market “is really not that big of a deal.”

As Nebraskans, we care deeply about our youth and the safety of our communities. Because we understand the serious risk that these potent marijuana products pose to our students, it will be imperative that we all work together to prevent our youth from being consumed by the marijuana industry. It is the only responsible response. In short, we need to make students aware that it is a big deal both for today and for their future.

To access sources and additional information please see the digital version at ncsa.org/publications/ncsa-today. n

Please join us for the

NASBO Annual State Convention April 14th-15th, 2016 Holiday Inn - Kearney, NE

Check out ww w.ncsa.o rg fo r mor e infor mation an d registra tion!

6 NCSA TODAY SPRING 2016

AF F IL IATE LEADERS HIP

I Am Not a Leader

BY MARK JOHNSON, President, NAESP

I

Johnson

’ve been struggling a lot lately. Something has really bothered me, and I can’t quite get past it. In fact, each day I go through a battle and I fight hard, but it seems that I am losing more than I am winning. It is hard for me to talk about even now, but the only way I’m getting through it is somehow thinking that others might be dealing with the same thing. So I’m going to put myself out there and hope for the best.

When I took the job as a principal, I thought I was going to be a leader. But I’m finding out more and more each day that I have been nothing more than a manager.

It’s not that I don’t have good intentions. I truly wake up every day thinking this will be the day I will lead my building!! But ten minutes after the bell rings, my day turns into something like this: • Someone stops me to see if I’m done with the state testing schedule yet. “I’ve got it started, but not done quite yet. Give me til the end of the week.”

• A teacher wonders if I’ve addressed the bullying situation from yesterday. “I’ve talked to two of the students, but haven’t talked to the rest. Then I’ll call the parents. Should be done today.”

• A para tells me they will be gone tomorrow because their mom was in the hospital last night. “I’m very sorry to hear that. Of course, you need to be with her.

I’ll try and find someone to help cover.”

• Someone from HHS shows up, also unannounced, and wants to talk to two of your students. “Sure, I will get them for you. Of course, I am aware of the situation. Yes, I will sit in on the interviews.”

• A guy who pops in unannounced because he was “in town” and wants me to invest in his fundraiser because it’s “absolutely the best one out there” and can he have just “five minutes of your time.” “Thanks for stopping by. We’ve already had a fundraiser this year.

Yes, I’ll look at these fifty brochures. Sure, I’ll put this chocolate in the lounge. No, I don’t want to hand out any stickers.”

• Reading an email about spending money on a new writing program, and deadline is two days. Reply: “Ok, I will get right to work on this. Had a meeting with teachers yesterday so I’ll get the budget put together.”

• Reading another email about scheduling a bus for an upcoming field trip.

• Reading another email about an upcoming meeting I need to attend.

• Reading another email about an upcoming meeting I need to attend.

• Reading another email about an upcoming meeting I need to attend.

You get the idea.

I want to share my vision with everyone I see. I want to stop at nothing to make sure the dream I have for this school becomes a reality. I want to make sure every single decision I make, every single step I take, brings myself and everyone else toward the consummation of this mission. I want to help build a positive climate at school and establish a culture of mutual respect among all who walk through its doors. I want to encourage the teachers, and help them build upon their strengths. I want to establish meaningful relationships with each and every student, and help them realize their true potential.

Does anyone else feel this same way? Does anyone else want to stop being merely a manager and pledge to becoming the leader that you know you were born to be?

I make this promise, right here and now, while I am typing these very words, while you are reading them, that I will do whatever it takes to be the leader that I promised I would be when I took this job as a principal. The leader that doesn’t let the “day-to-day stuff” become the priority instead of the necessity. The leader that fights for what is right. The leader that the teachers, the staff, the students, are begging me to be. n

NATIONAL CONVENTION DATES ASCD—April 2-4, 2016—Atlanta, GA NAESP – July 6-8, 2016 – National Harbor, MD ASBO—Sept. 23-26, 2016—Phoenix, AZ CASE/NASDSE—Sept. 25-27, 2016—Milwaukee, WI AASA – March 2-4, 2017 – New Orleans, LA

SPRING 2016 NCSA TODAY 7

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A F FILIATE L EADERS HIP

500 and Counting

BY TROY LURZ, President, NSASSP

A

Lurz

s with many of you, I joined NSASSP/NCSA for the professional development opportunities, the advocacy, to be informed about the goings-on in our great state, and to simply belong. Along the way, and after some industrial-strength coaching, I was encouraged to look into the leadership roles within our association. My journey started at the regional level and culminated with the State Office as affiliate president.

I was encouraged by the collective efforts being demonstrated by our members, their membership, and by their leadership. Although each region has a unique clientele and represents an area of the state that is slightly different from the others, there is a common theme. Nebraska schools are doing good things for our students. This is true in all areas of the state. I was able to witness this first hand. As you are aware, there are five regions in our state. I made it my mission to visit all five regions this year. What a treat!

As part of our work within the Executive Board, I was also fortunate to dialogue and discuss with professionals from other states. After having the opportunity to visit with our colleagues in those states, I am reassured that we are doing it right in Nebraska.

I would like you to meet your region presidents. They are: • Gale Dunkhas from Falls City High School representing Region 1 • Mark Smith from Fremont Senior High School representing Region 2 • Jake Luhr from Norfolk Senior High School representing Region 3 • Brian Fleischman from Overton Public Schools representing Region 4 • Thomas Perlinski from Bayard Senior High School representing Region 5 I asked each of these gentlemen a battery of questions about their experience and history that brings them to the presidency in each of their regions.

Why do you belong to our organization?

Brian Fleischman offered, “In any profession, membership in professional organizations is important. I feel in education the importance of this is heightened. Too often we feel like we are on an island with situations we encounter. Having the ability to gain insight from the whole

membership allows us the opportunity to have a solid line of support with daily issues. I know when I began at Overton eight years ago I had to decide whether to be part of the Secondary or Elementary Principals group. At the time I felt more comfortable with the Secondary side and I haven't regretted this decision once. Our NSASSP organization provides great supports for principals and has been a wonderful resource over the years.”

Why Did You Run for President?

Gale Dunkhas offered, “My goal was to grow membership in my region.... I am lucky to have a strong administrative team in my district but I have supplemented my ‘tool box’ with the experience and leadership from my region. Principals in all schools can benefit from professional membership. I believe in collaborative leadership.

Being a member of Region 1 leadership team has allowed me to work with strong leaders and build professional relationships in education.”

What do you wish to leave behind? What will be your legacy?

Thomas Perlinski said, “As far a legacy, I am not too concerned about that. I hope people say I care about education and that my little piece of that as a principal and region president helped other educators help students become lifelong learners.”

Jake Luhr added, “I hope to leave behind the idea that no one is perfect in our profession. There is no room for egos and attaining leadership for control or power. We lead to have a greater impact on students, teachers, and education as a whole. Take calculated risks, think outside the box and challenge the status quo.”

What challenges or obstacles do you face as a region?

Mark Smith said, “Energizing regional membership is the challenge. Region 2 has the largest number of secondary administrators in the state. We also have the largest number of members to the state affiliates. So many great things are happening in our region. The challenge is to present the regional membership with a convincing argument that regional involvement is worth their time. Our regional administrators face all the same struggles that are faced throughout the rest of the state. Some of them (continued on page 12) SPRING 2016 NCSA TODAY 9

P ROG RAM SPOTLIGHT

The Career Academy – The Power of You

BY DR. DAN HOHENSEE, Director of The Career Academy

W

Hohensee

hat an incredible opportunity! Give juniors and seniors in high school the chance to explore a potential career and/or college pathway, connect with business and industry, and earn dual credit in their potential field of interest. The impetus and realization of The Career Academy (TCA) can be credited to a variety of innovations and conversations. TCA is a greater whole created from the sum of many parts that started back almost twenty years ago.

In 1996, Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) started the Science Focus Program followed incrementally by the Arts and Humanities, Information Technology, and Entrepreneurship focus programs, all in place by 2006. All of these programs featured a small community of learners leaving their home high schools to focus on particular courses of study during part of their high school day. Even with these four in place, there was an ongoing demand in LPS for additional focus programs in other areas such as manufacturing and teaching.

In 2007, Southeast Community College (SCC) began their Southeast Nebraska Career Academy Program (SENCAP). Partnering with 37 school districts throughout the SCC region, SENCAP is able to provide dual credit courses and career exploration opportunities while students are still in school during their junior and senior years. The pathways that were offered in the individual high schools were oftentimes academically oriented with classroom and online course opportunities.

The Career Academy is the result of all of these innovations, conversations, and dreams. The definitive conversation for TCA occurred between Dr. Steve Joel, superintendent of Lincoln Public Schools, and Dr. Jack Huck, president of Southeast Community College, sometime during the 2011-12 school year.

Dr. Joel had just left Grand Island Public Schools where the groundwork had been laid for the Career Pathways Institute.

Dr. Huck and SCC had an established record as the SENCAP pro-

10 NCSA TODAY SPRING 2016

gram was growing throughout the SCC region. The educational and economic timing was just right for a joint venture and was solidified with the signing of the Interlocal agreement in October of 2013.

The Career Academy is a joint venture between LPS and SCC that enables juniors and seniors to enroll in one of 16 different career/college pathways to earn dual credits, certifications, and real world experiences. Students attend the uniquely designed facility on the SCC campus at 88th & O Street for two hours of their school day to become fully immersed in their pathway. The students earn fifteen high school credits per semester while earning anywhere from five to ten SCC quarter credits in pathway courses that lead to certifications, two-year degrees, or articulate to a four-year degree.

One of the true advantages for students at TCA comes from the incredible equipment at the facility. Almost every pathway at TCA has specialty equipment that makes the student experience unique to TCA. Whether it’s the health science simulation lab, the culinary kitchens, or the IT networking sandbox, students engage in hands-on, real-world learning in the labs and the classroom. The other unique advantage at TCA is the access to over 200 business and industry people who are part of our pathway support teams. These real-world networking experiences are invaluable for students to develop the soft skills related to career and college readiness.

One of our favorite sayings at TCA plays off of an old cliché—“It is both what you know and who you know” that will help you make your mark in the real world. The Career Academy—Believing in the Power of You! n

HEALTH CARE

Changing the Landscape of Insurance One Member at a Time

BY GREG LONG, EHA Field Representative

I Long

n today’s insurance industry there are some unorthodox terminologies discussed such as health care utilization, projected trend, medical inflation, and most recently the Affordable Care Act. In the insurance world these terms are extremely important but to the average consumer the focus is predominately premium, out-of-pocket cost, and how it will impact their family budget. My mission as your state representative for the Educator's Health Alliance is to continue to put a human touch on insurance and insure security to the life of our members. My philosophy and that of the EHA is understanding, listening, and valuing the members and school districts across the state of Nebraska. This ideology is vital to the success of our healthcare plan, and separates the Educators Health Alliance from our fellow competitors in the insurance world.

Over the past three years as your field representative, I have been traveling all over Nebraska and it has been my privilege to meet all the members. I enjoy answering individual questions, educating members on existing healthcare plans, and exploring the best healthcare options that fit our members' needs.

My involvement and our services have evolved over the past few years. The EHA now offers a wide variety of healthcare options that allow schools to offer the most competitive plans at the lowest possible premium. One choice members now have is the Dual Option Plan. This plan combines the $3,100 deductible or the $1,650 PPO plan, with one of the following PPO plans: $500, $750, $950, or the $1,250 deductible. Increasing the selection for the Dual Option has allowed districts to offer more than just the PPO coverage. Schools with these plans give the member flexibility and the ability to pick a plan that fits their family’s best interest.

How does having a choice help the members and the school districts of the EHA? In response to it was a win, win for the employer and member. The Dual Option is a possible avenue for the EHA membership. For a school district the Dual Choice is cost neutral to budgets.

Schools who previously offered the $750 PPO plan and have paid their negotiated premium will continue to pay that premium. Now the member can choose between each plan and manage their healthcare. The difference is the premium savings that is passed onto the member to

help with out-of-pocket cost.

Currently within the EHA underwriting guidelines, if a school pays 100 percent of the individual/family premium without offering cash as a replacement to health insurance, the school is on a 95 percent premium level.

When offering the Dual Option, the district must give the premium savings between the two offered plans to the member in the form of a tax-free deposit into a health savings account. This keeps the district at a 95 percent rate and also reduces the overall out-of-pocket cost to the member and could possibly be saving families thousands of dollars over the span of years due to healthcare cost.

In the most simplistic example, a member that routinely meets the out-of-pocket maximum of $4,250 for an individual under the $750 deductible, the same member would now be paying $3,100 in the high deductible option for the same coverage with an immediate savings of $1,150 yearly. If you dig deeper into this issue, the member will also be receiving the premium savings from the school district, as stated previously, which is deposited into an HSA. This amount currently is over $900 a year for a district, which offers both the $750 PPO and the $3,100 HSA, qualified High Deductible. If you add in the HSA assistance from the school district, your saving has increased to $2,050 a year! If you spread this out over the same ten years, your total savings is more than $20,000.

This is real savings that is offered under the dual option by the EHA. It is these options that are changing individual lives across Nebraska as we move forward.

The EHA does not try to influence a school district to change coverage or influence decision making when offering healthcare options to employees. The goal of the EHA is to educate and present options for schools so that our school districts and members are offered the best in healthcare in the state of Nebraska. In 2013 there were only ten school districts statewide offering the dual option. As of 2016, there are now 86 schools that have made the switch. If these plans interest your school district, I would be happy to come out to your school to present these options. You can reach me at greg@ehaplan.org or by cell at 402-440-9633. n

SPRING 2016 NCSA TODAY 11

NCSA REPORT

Nebraska Welcomes Partnership with the Attorney General

C

Dulaney

Ernst

ommunication has been a key component of the member services offered through the Nebraska Council of School Administrators. Our legislative information service is one example of this ongoing effort toward timely communication with our membership. We also strive to be a conduit for communication with our partner organizations and agencies.

The most obvious example is our commitment to include an open-ended dialogue with our friends at NDE, such as Commissioner Matt Blomstedt, and the ESUCC, most notably from Dave Ludwig, Executive Director.

Recently, NCSA instigated a partnership in communication with Mr. Doug Peterson, Nebraska’s Attorney General, along with his capable staff. Mr. Peterson is a native Nebraskan and grew up primarily in Lincoln. He practiced law in Nebraska prior to his election in 2014 as our state’s Attorney General.

The Nebraska Department of Justice and Office of the Attorney General operates, in many respects, as the “State’s law firm.” The office is headed by the Attorney General, an elected constitutional officer, and is a diverse organization of highly specialized attorneys and support staff.

Several months ago we had an opportunity to discuss a number of issues with Mr. Peterson, not the least of which is his continued concern about the traffic of highgrade marijuana flowing through our state. Legally operated pot stores in Colorado now exist near the Nebraska border. The impact has been felt by local law enforcement agencies and frequently discussed by our state’s Attorney General. In addition to the drug problem, Mr. Peterson has promoted education and understanding of such weighty issues as human and labor trafficking, dan-

Be sure to catch the podcast interview with Mr. Doug Peterson, Attorney General, conducted by Mr. Sam Stecher, Superintendent at East Butler Public Schools, and Mr. Mark Johnson, Principal at Bryant Elementary School (Kearney). Listen at: http://ncsa.org/ncsa-radio gerous synthetic drugs, and improved investigatory skills in cases involving child abuse.

Mr. Peterson believes, and we certainly concur, that an open dialogue between his office and school administrators would enhance awareness of the important legal issues facing our society and potentially impacting the students and parents in our communities.

NCSA members will have an opportunity to hear from our Attorney General at the upcoming Administrators’ Days in July. We will have periodic featured articles from Mr. Peterson in both the NCSA Today magazine and online at ncsa.org. The first of these articles appears in this edition (page 5).

We encourage our members to reach out to him about concerns and issues you are encountering at your school building and/or school district. This communication will be helpful to all concerned and may very well make a difference in the lives of the students we care about. n

500 and Counting (continued from page 8) also face some very unique challenges. Several of the larger districts provide a means of networking and collegiality, so many of those administrators find it hard to give up another evening or weekday several times a year to be involved. I certainly don't blame them, but I do think our region could be so much more with their involvement.”

We have a great infrastructure within the NCSA. Our collective 12 NCSA TODAY SPRING 2016

network encourages collegiality and forges strong alliances among the affiliates. Again...we are doing it right.

NSASSP is strong. We currently have just over 500 members and counting. This is contrary to the national trend of declining numbers. We are unique in both our structure and in our support.

Thank you for being part of the NSASSP/NCSA affiliates. You matter to us. n

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TRANE Dave Raymond dave.raymond@trane.com 5720 So. 77th Street Ralston, NE 68127 402-452-7762 trane.com/omaha

National Insurance Steve Ott sott@nisbenefits.com 9202 W. Dodge Road, Ste. 302 Omaha, NE 68114 800-627-3660 nisbenefits.com

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Bronze Sponsorships Kearney Visitors Bureau

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