The longer I live, the more I realize that “trust” is the #1 ingredient in any meaningful relationship. Simply put, human beings like to spend time around people they can trust. Don't you like to surround yourself with people you can count on? Unfortunately, we seem to live in an era where you can’t always trust those you encounter. A person’s “word” doesn’t always align with their actions.
Trust often takes a long time to develop. However, it can vanish in an instant. The only way I really know how to establish trust is to do what you say you’re going to do. If you tell someone you’re going to pick them up at 3:30, be there at 3:28. If you promise someone you’re going to pay them back on Tuesday, do it. If you say you’re going to bring a gallon of milk home after work, bring a gallon of milk home...no matter what.
Trust is too often taken for granted. We sometimes think we’re too busy to honor all of our commitments. Once trust is lost, it is impossible to earn back in full. Like so many things in life, trust is won/lost in the nitty gritty details. Trust is earned and lost in the day-to-day functions of individuals, teams, and organizations. Talk doesn't cook rice....your actions speak so much louder than your words...be reliable.
As we head into the 2018 legislative session, “trust” is going to be a huge factor. I believe a big part of the political and financial mess we have regarding school funding is lack of trust between state lawmakers and school leaders. Some state lawmakers don't understand how schools are funded and they don't trust schools to cut their local tax requests if/when they receive more money. Many school leaders don't trust that lawmakers will actually fund public schools like the school funding formula calls for and therefore won't cut local tax requests in a year they might be able to because they are so worried about next year because they have been burned so many times in the past. We lack viable sustainability. We lack long-term vision. We lack trust. We need to be able to look past the next 6-12 months. We can only do that if we vastly improve the level of trust.
I've lost trust in Republicans and Democrats. I want Nebraskans leading Nebraska and Americans leading America. I'm extremely disenchanted with Republicans and Democrats. Give me Nebraskans/Americans I can trust to serve their voters instead of their political parties.
I'm not a big "new year's resolution" kind of guy...way too much of that stuff is just talk. However, as we close in on 2018, I plan to emphasize trust more than ever with my family, my inner circle, and those I work with. I want to be known/remembered for someone that always did what he said he was going to do.
What does "trust" mean to you?
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
A Pep Talk for Educators
This is an open letter to any/all educators in the great state of Nebraska and beyond. Thanks for all you do!
YOU are more important today than you’ve ever been. HOW you do things, WHAT you say, WHEN you follow up, WHY you go to work each day defines your legacy. This year’s freshman class will retire in/around 2068….what they learn in your classrooms this semester will play a huge role in the next 50+ years of their lives….they may very well reference something you’ve said to them or taught them at their retirement reception….it is impossible to accurately measure the impact you make and will continue to make long after you retire….
This year’s incoming kindergarten class will retire in/around 2077….they will learn to read, write, critically think, problem-solve, and work with others over the next few years….skills they will take with them forever….don’t you think your jobs are important? Give it your best effort every minute of every day! I began kindergarten 40 years ago this past August….I still remember things Mrs. Thigpen said to me….how she made me feel….what you do and how you do it matters!
I grew up in a challenging environment with a single mama and needed all the “educational heroes” available to assist in my development. There were numerous times that my brothers and I needed a whole lot more from our teachers and school staff than spelling lists, math assignments, and reading homework.
I was lucky to have several educational heroes that helped me on my journey.
Mrs. Tanner in 1st grade at South Ocala Elementary in September 1978 could tell I needed a little extra attention from time to time and would often subtly check on me with a quick hug, a visit by the chalkboard eraser cleaning tree, etc. She helped give me confidence even though I couldn't tie my shoes and was much slower to learn letters and basic sight words than most of my classmates. I didn't really learn to read until 3rd grade.
Ms. Orlet in 10th grade math at Ocala Forest High School in February 1988 taught me that every day matters and that eyes were always upon you to do the "right thing." She helped me better deal with pressure and high expectations. She was a calming influence during a very non-calm part of my life.
Coach Wayne Yancey at Forest High School from 1986-1990 on a regular basis but the most memorable discussion was on the bus ride home from a baseball tournament in Miami in April 1989 while he had a big ol’ chew of Red Man in his mouth! He taught me to "control what I can control" and to not let all of the things going on around me distract me from my goals. He taught me how to relax a little and not blame myself for mistakes of others. When I came to York in 2009, the theme I spoke about with my staff on the first day of meetings that August was "control what you can control!"
Mrs. Olive Burns at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas in 1993-94. She taught me to grow up! She made me solidify my work ethic and passion for education as a way to make a better life for myself and my family. She made me do away with the excuses and focus on results. She taught me that "pretty good isn't good enough!"
I share these stories because YOU have the ability to have the same kind of impact on kids today, tomorrow, and EVERY DAY in your classrooms and programs. YOU can make the world a better place one person at a time!
NEBRASKA needs YOU – not just your classroom, school, district, or community!
o 318,000 students in our K-12 schools this year
o 45% living in poverty
o EDUCATION is the equalizer….YOU shape the future!
Do you give an A+ effort every day? Do you work the room and interact with ALL of your students? Do you only seem energetic and amazing during walk-throughs and observations? Are you all talk and no action? Are you a Negative Nellie or an Enthusiastic Emily? Do you inspire or intimidate kids?
How will YOU be REMEMBERED? By your students? By your colleagues?
Your jobs are tough....but don't give up. Stay focused on WHY you got into this wonderful profession in the first place. "The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing" and in this profession, that is ALWAYS our students. Be better today than you've ever been....not for yourself but for your students. THANK YOU for what you do!
YOU are more important today than you’ve ever been. HOW you do things, WHAT you say, WHEN you follow up, WHY you go to work each day defines your legacy. This year’s freshman class will retire in/around 2068….what they learn in your classrooms this semester will play a huge role in the next 50+ years of their lives….they may very well reference something you’ve said to them or taught them at their retirement reception….it is impossible to accurately measure the impact you make and will continue to make long after you retire….
This year’s incoming kindergarten class will retire in/around 2077….they will learn to read, write, critically think, problem-solve, and work with others over the next few years….skills they will take with them forever….don’t you think your jobs are important? Give it your best effort every minute of every day! I began kindergarten 40 years ago this past August….I still remember things Mrs. Thigpen said to me….how she made me feel….what you do and how you do it matters!
I grew up in a challenging environment with a single mama and needed all the “educational heroes” available to assist in my development. There were numerous times that my brothers and I needed a whole lot more from our teachers and school staff than spelling lists, math assignments, and reading homework.
I was lucky to have several educational heroes that helped me on my journey.
Mrs. Tanner in 1st grade at South Ocala Elementary in September 1978 could tell I needed a little extra attention from time to time and would often subtly check on me with a quick hug, a visit by the chalkboard eraser cleaning tree, etc. She helped give me confidence even though I couldn't tie my shoes and was much slower to learn letters and basic sight words than most of my classmates. I didn't really learn to read until 3rd grade.
Ms. Orlet in 10th grade math at Ocala Forest High School in February 1988 taught me that every day matters and that eyes were always upon you to do the "right thing." She helped me better deal with pressure and high expectations. She was a calming influence during a very non-calm part of my life.
Coach Wayne Yancey at Forest High School from 1986-1990 on a regular basis but the most memorable discussion was on the bus ride home from a baseball tournament in Miami in April 1989 while he had a big ol’ chew of Red Man in his mouth! He taught me to "control what I can control" and to not let all of the things going on around me distract me from my goals. He taught me how to relax a little and not blame myself for mistakes of others. When I came to York in 2009, the theme I spoke about with my staff on the first day of meetings that August was "control what you can control!"
Mrs. Olive Burns at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas in 1993-94. She taught me to grow up! She made me solidify my work ethic and passion for education as a way to make a better life for myself and my family. She made me do away with the excuses and focus on results. She taught me that "pretty good isn't good enough!"
I share these stories because YOU have the ability to have the same kind of impact on kids today, tomorrow, and EVERY DAY in your classrooms and programs. YOU can make the world a better place one person at a time!
NEBRASKA needs YOU – not just your classroom, school, district, or community!
o 318,000 students in our K-12 schools this year
o 45% living in poverty
o EDUCATION is the equalizer….YOU shape the future!
Do you give an A+ effort every day? Do you work the room and interact with ALL of your students? Do you only seem energetic and amazing during walk-throughs and observations? Are you all talk and no action? Are you a Negative Nellie or an Enthusiastic Emily? Do you inspire or intimidate kids?
How will YOU be REMEMBERED? By your students? By your colleagues?
Your jobs are tough....but don't give up. Stay focused on WHY you got into this wonderful profession in the first place. "The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing" and in this profession, that is ALWAYS our students. Be better today than you've ever been....not for yourself but for your students. THANK YOU for what you do!
Monday, December 4, 2017
An Open Letter to Husker Football Fans
An Open Letter to Husker Football Fans:
I love Nebraska. This is a special place. The Huskers are my 2nd favorite team only because I was born in Tallahassee and grew up in Florida. You see, Florida State University will always be my #1 school but I do root for Nebraska as well.
It is from the perspective as a die-hard and life-long Seminoles fan that I offer the following thoughts on Coach Frost and the future of Nebraska Football.
Husker fans, you are lucky! You get to welcome home one of your own. Enjoy it. Be respectful of his family and their need for normalcy. Don’t bother his wife and child. Give his parents some space. Understand that even Husker legends need to be able to breathe a little bit on their own.
My “fanhood” has recently been kicked in the stomach. For the first time in over 40 years, Florida State is conducting a search for a head football coach. It’s a reminder of what a huge BUSINESS college football has become. Florida State’s former coach chose to take a job at Texas A&M, a place that pales mightily in comparison of tradition and accomplishments. However it turns out, he will make over $20,000 a day, every day, for the next 10 years in a guaranteed contract.
We live in a day and age when head coaches like Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, the guy who just left FSU for Texas A&M, and others are akin to hired assassins. They go to the highest bidder. Their agents hold universities and booster clubs hostage. It’s a big-time business.
But, now, Nebraska has a chance to avoid all of that. Coach Frost is back home in his dream job. He wants to be here and could end up being here for 12-18 years depending on how long he wants to coach. Give him support. Be patient. It’s highly unlikely, despite how good he is, that Nebraska will go 12-0 next year like his UCF team did this year. In fact, a 7-5 record in Lincoln in 2018 might be worthy of some “coach of the year” honors. It will take a few years but enjoy the journey. Embrace the process of going in the right direction.
When Nebraska gets “back” to where they’ve been, it will be that much sweeter for you. You won’t have to look over your shoulder when another big job opens up because you have your guy and your guy has you. This is meant to work. This is how it is supposed to be. A Nebraskan leading Nebraska. It worked out pretty well when a guy named Osborne from Hastings was at the helm!
Watch out how you handle yourself on social media. Don’t vent just to vent. Don’t attack this new coaching staff at the first sign of adversity. They’re going to get the train rolling again but first, they need to get it back on the track and that can sometimes be a little bumpy.
While most college football fans won’t admit it to you, you’re now the envy of many fan bases. You don’t have a hired gun as your coach. You have a Nebraska guy at the helm. Someone who understands the culture of this state. Someone who knows how we value work ethic, integrity, and pride. Someone who cares about you. Someone who appreciates Nebraska. Cornhusker wins will be so much sweeter in the coming seasons.
My guys in Tallahassee will be fine. They’ll hire a great coach that can recruit well. They will win lots of games. However, whoever the new coach is for my beloved Seminoles won’t be one of our own. He’ll be another hired gun. What I wouldn’t give for a Seminole legend like Warrick Dunn, Derrick Brooks, Charlie Ward, or Chris Weinke to be our head coach but that’s not in the cards.
This is going to be a tremendous ride Nebraska. Don’t forget the tough times you’ve endured over the last 15 years. They will hopefully make you appreciate the next 15 years a lot more. “Winning” is hard to do. The 1970’s, 1980’s, and 1990’s are over. They’re not coming back. No fan base is entitled to 11-win seasons and championships every year. It’s a grueling process.
I will be rooting loudly for Coach Frost, his staff, and the Husker Football Program. This is going to be so fun to watch a Nebraskan do things the “Nebraska way” that I have come to love and admire so much.
Go Big Red!
I love Nebraska. This is a special place. The Huskers are my 2nd favorite team only because I was born in Tallahassee and grew up in Florida. You see, Florida State University will always be my #1 school but I do root for Nebraska as well.
It is from the perspective as a die-hard and life-long Seminoles fan that I offer the following thoughts on Coach Frost and the future of Nebraska Football.
Husker fans, you are lucky! You get to welcome home one of your own. Enjoy it. Be respectful of his family and their need for normalcy. Don’t bother his wife and child. Give his parents some space. Understand that even Husker legends need to be able to breathe a little bit on their own.
My “fanhood” has recently been kicked in the stomach. For the first time in over 40 years, Florida State is conducting a search for a head football coach. It’s a reminder of what a huge BUSINESS college football has become. Florida State’s former coach chose to take a job at Texas A&M, a place that pales mightily in comparison of tradition and accomplishments. However it turns out, he will make over $20,000 a day, every day, for the next 10 years in a guaranteed contract.
We live in a day and age when head coaches like Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, the guy who just left FSU for Texas A&M, and others are akin to hired assassins. They go to the highest bidder. Their agents hold universities and booster clubs hostage. It’s a big-time business.
But, now, Nebraska has a chance to avoid all of that. Coach Frost is back home in his dream job. He wants to be here and could end up being here for 12-18 years depending on how long he wants to coach. Give him support. Be patient. It’s highly unlikely, despite how good he is, that Nebraska will go 12-0 next year like his UCF team did this year. In fact, a 7-5 record in Lincoln in 2018 might be worthy of some “coach of the year” honors. It will take a few years but enjoy the journey. Embrace the process of going in the right direction.
When Nebraska gets “back” to where they’ve been, it will be that much sweeter for you. You won’t have to look over your shoulder when another big job opens up because you have your guy and your guy has you. This is meant to work. This is how it is supposed to be. A Nebraskan leading Nebraska. It worked out pretty well when a guy named Osborne from Hastings was at the helm!
Watch out how you handle yourself on social media. Don’t vent just to vent. Don’t attack this new coaching staff at the first sign of adversity. They’re going to get the train rolling again but first, they need to get it back on the track and that can sometimes be a little bumpy.
While most college football fans won’t admit it to you, you’re now the envy of many fan bases. You don’t have a hired gun as your coach. You have a Nebraska guy at the helm. Someone who understands the culture of this state. Someone who knows how we value work ethic, integrity, and pride. Someone who cares about you. Someone who appreciates Nebraska. Cornhusker wins will be so much sweeter in the coming seasons.
My guys in Tallahassee will be fine. They’ll hire a great coach that can recruit well. They will win lots of games. However, whoever the new coach is for my beloved Seminoles won’t be one of our own. He’ll be another hired gun. What I wouldn’t give for a Seminole legend like Warrick Dunn, Derrick Brooks, Charlie Ward, or Chris Weinke to be our head coach but that’s not in the cards.
This is going to be a tremendous ride Nebraska. Don’t forget the tough times you’ve endured over the last 15 years. They will hopefully make you appreciate the next 15 years a lot more. “Winning” is hard to do. The 1970’s, 1980’s, and 1990’s are over. They’re not coming back. No fan base is entitled to 11-win seasons and championships every year. It’s a grueling process.
I will be rooting loudly for Coach Frost, his staff, and the Husker Football Program. This is going to be so fun to watch a Nebraskan do things the “Nebraska way” that I have come to love and admire so much.
Go Big Red!
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
An Inside Look at Snow Day Decisions and More!
I love snow and freezing weather. I really do. I’m 45 years old and I still like to go sledding. No joke. It's not always a pretty sight when I go sledding, but I love it! I guess growing up in Florida and having Christmas every year in 85 degrees will do that to a guy!
One thing I don’t love is making decisions about whether or not to have a late start or snow day when inclement weather is upon us. It’s an exhausting experience both physically and mentally. No matter what we decide, we upset people. It’s often a “no-win” situation that we just try and make to the best of our ability.
There are SO many factors in play. First off, and most importantly, you think about the safety of your students, those that ride school buses, those that drive themselves, and everyone in between. You think about making sure you meet Nebraska’s Rule 10 guidelines for accredited public schools needing to be in session for a certain amount of hours. You think about all of your students that might be stuck at home on a snow day. Not all of our kiddos get to enjoy snow days with hot chocolate, puzzles, X-Box, movies, and a lunch date with mama. Many of our kids live in poverty and spend snow days in a freezing house with no food or adult as their parent(s) have to work. You also think about the fact that YPS is a “business” and each contract day costs us about $22,000. These are not easy decisions.
This is Nebraska. You can't call off school every time it's cold or a little bit snowy. We would never get in the 1,080 required hours of school we need for accreditation. You have to have school on some days that some folks think you shouldn't. It is what it is.
When we experience snow and/or ice overnight, Troy Rowe and myself wake up around 4:00 AM. I take off in my truck and usually head north and east to check roads, look for drifts, see how icy the conditions are, etc. Troy heads south and west. We are looking to see if our buses can make it on their routes. We are checking visibility. Troy is normally in contact with the County Roads Department to see what their thoughts are. I am normally in communication with the National Weather Service out of Hastings to get up-to-the-minute forecasts and accumulation totals.
Troy and I visit on the phone by 4:30 AM to compare notes. I then begin to text superintendent friends in the area to see what they’re thinking. I usually communicate with Holly in Hampton, Josh in Seward, Tim at Centennial, Brent at Cross County, and sometimes Damon in Aurora. We try to get a decision made by 5:15 AM so that we can begin to put the word out. We have school staff that often arrive by 6:15 AM so we need to get the word out quickly. Plus, we are sensitive to the fact that many of our students’ families will have to figure out daycare arrangements if we have a snow day.
The worst kind of “weather event” is when forecasters and news reporters tell us about huge, massive, and threatening storms that are headed our way! I will never forget in 2010-11 that “Snowmageddon” was headed for us. We heard about it for days. I don’t remember the exact details but I do know that numerous schools across the state were announcing on a Tuesday that they were not going to have school the next day due to this massive storm that was bearing down on us. Here in York, we waited and waited. We did NOT want to announce a closing before any white stuff hit the ground!
Well, the day got later and later….school dismissed. We had not closed yet for the next day. Every passing hour, more and more schools closed. There was still no snow on the ground. By 9:30 PM that Tuesday, we gave into peer pressure and announced that were closed the next day even though there was still no snow on the ground. I barely slept a wink that night….I remember thinking that it better snow and snow and snow! I woke up at 4:00 AM and there was no snow on the ground. There was no snow on the ground at 5:00 AM or 7:00 AM or 9:00 AM. I was feeling like an idiot! Finally that day, around 1:00 PM, we got about 2-inches of snow. It was NOT “Snowmageddon.” We could have had school! When our school calendar only allows for two snow days before make-ups have to be scheduled, you don't want to waste any!
Another “weather event” that I will NEVER forget is January 6, 2014. It was a Monday. It was the first day back to school after Christmas Break for pretty much every school district in Nebraska and it was bitterly cold. We had no snow or ice but we had cold, cold weather.
The whispers of schools thinking about closing “due to cold weather” began that Saturday, January 4th and they increased on the morning of Sunday, January 5th. I couldn't believe my ears. Closing because it is cold? What? This is Nebraska. This is January. Yes, it can get kind of cold from time to time! Wow!
I texted dozens of superintendents the early afternoon of Sunday, January 5th to see what they were thinking. Every single one of them was adamant they were going to have school the next day. By 4:30 that afternoon, everything changed. Several school districts feared their buses would gel over and not start in the morning due to “severely cold weather.” Two superintendents tried to start their school buses around 3:30 that afternoon and they would not start. That’s when it began. Several school districts cancelled for the next day due to “severely cold weather.” The weathermen on TV were having a field day. It was “bone chilling cold” and “dangerously frigid” everywhere you turned! Schools began to close like dominoes!
I was in constant contact with Troy Rowe, our transportation director. He assured me over and over again that our buses would be fine in the morning. You see, we are very lucky to have a covered and insulated bus barn; something most school districts do not have. It never gets below 38-40 degrees in there. Plus, our buses get fueled with an additive to helps prevent gelling in cold weather. We decided that even though it was cold, that we were going to have school.
We posted on social media our decision to have school. Boy, did the claws come out! We were vilified on the YPS Facebook page, all over Twitter, on the Facebook pages of many adults and students, as well as on the Facebook pages of several TV stations. We were called every bad name you could imagine. I thought my defensive coordinator in college had already called me every evil name in the book back during my playing days, but I was wrong. We were accused of putting our kids’ lives at risk. It was nasty.
What people didn’t realize, and we should have done a better job of stating, is that most of the school districts that closed did so because of their buses NOT being in a covered and insulated building. Most school buses are left outside in the elements. Those districts couldn’t guarantee their buses would start. We could.
We knew kids would not be walking to school anyway. We have tons of walkers to school in the fall and spring when the weather is nice but hardly any on cold days in the winter. Families get that stuff figured out and make arrangements with each other, neighbors, etc. We assumed most families would make arrangements so their children wouldn’t have to walk. We figured that if teenagers had an unreliable vehicle they drove to school, that their parents would make sure they had made arrangements to get them to school on cold, cold days. We also knew/know that parents can keep their kids at home if they choose to do so. Parents have to be the #1 provider and protector of their children. That should never change.
That decision came down to us knowing our buses would start and that many of our kids would be much better off in a warm school building with hot food and a structured environment that they might not have at their houses. We were also coming off a 10-day Christmas Break.
I rode one of our buses that morning. It was cold but not horrible. Everything went fine with all of our routes. We had right at 89% of our kids in school that day, which is less than our average daily attendance of 96%. Some families elected to keep their kids at home, which is ALWAYS their right. From what I can remember, we were one of just four or five districts in the state in session that day.
Here’s the REAL KICKER, however. I don’t remember the exact temperatures and wind chills from 1-6-14 but I do remember that we had one day later that same month and two days in February 2014 that were COLDER….and you know what….EVERYONE had school on those days….there wasn’t the media build-up and ALL school districts were in session. Closing due to “bone chilling cold” or “dangerous wind chills” wasn’t even mentioned after January 6, 2014.
In a perfect world, we love to call snow days the night before if/when possible. On many occasions, it is bad enough at 10 PM to make the call for the next day. We always try to communicate our decision as soon as we can. It really stinks when you are “supposed” to get snow overnight and everyone wants you to call a snow day before any snow actually hits the ground. We don’t plan on closing school due to “forecasts” very often because we’ve been burnt several times.
Sometimes, we go with a 2-hour “late start” because this allows our buses and teenage drivers a little extra time and daylight to navigate some tricky areas. Sometimes, we will first announce a late start and have that turned into a snow day. It’s a strategy that can buy us another hour or two to get an updated forecast, see how many roads can be cleared by county and city workers, etc.
We hate to, but sometimes even have an "early dismissal" due to weather. We had this last December when an ice storm moved into town and we felt it was best to dismiss at 1:30 to allow plenty of time to get people home safely while it was still daylight. These decisions are not made lightly.
We do our best when these decisions are made. We're not perfect. You won't always agree. Our parents always have the right to keep their children at home if/when they think we are having school on a dangerous day.
Growing up in sunny and hot Florida, I never thought I would be in charge of snow day decisions! How ironic is that?
Go Dukes!
One thing I don’t love is making decisions about whether or not to have a late start or snow day when inclement weather is upon us. It’s an exhausting experience both physically and mentally. No matter what we decide, we upset people. It’s often a “no-win” situation that we just try and make to the best of our ability.
There are SO many factors in play. First off, and most importantly, you think about the safety of your students, those that ride school buses, those that drive themselves, and everyone in between. You think about making sure you meet Nebraska’s Rule 10 guidelines for accredited public schools needing to be in session for a certain amount of hours. You think about all of your students that might be stuck at home on a snow day. Not all of our kiddos get to enjoy snow days with hot chocolate, puzzles, X-Box, movies, and a lunch date with mama. Many of our kids live in poverty and spend snow days in a freezing house with no food or adult as their parent(s) have to work. You also think about the fact that YPS is a “business” and each contract day costs us about $22,000. These are not easy decisions.
This is Nebraska. You can't call off school every time it's cold or a little bit snowy. We would never get in the 1,080 required hours of school we need for accreditation. You have to have school on some days that some folks think you shouldn't. It is what it is.
When we experience snow and/or ice overnight, Troy Rowe and myself wake up around 4:00 AM. I take off in my truck and usually head north and east to check roads, look for drifts, see how icy the conditions are, etc. Troy heads south and west. We are looking to see if our buses can make it on their routes. We are checking visibility. Troy is normally in contact with the County Roads Department to see what their thoughts are. I am normally in communication with the National Weather Service out of Hastings to get up-to-the-minute forecasts and accumulation totals.
Troy and I visit on the phone by 4:30 AM to compare notes. I then begin to text superintendent friends in the area to see what they’re thinking. I usually communicate with Holly in Hampton, Josh in Seward, Tim at Centennial, Brent at Cross County, and sometimes Damon in Aurora. We try to get a decision made by 5:15 AM so that we can begin to put the word out. We have school staff that often arrive by 6:15 AM so we need to get the word out quickly. Plus, we are sensitive to the fact that many of our students’ families will have to figure out daycare arrangements if we have a snow day.
The worst kind of “weather event” is when forecasters and news reporters tell us about huge, massive, and threatening storms that are headed our way! I will never forget in 2010-11 that “Snowmageddon” was headed for us. We heard about it for days. I don’t remember the exact details but I do know that numerous schools across the state were announcing on a Tuesday that they were not going to have school the next day due to this massive storm that was bearing down on us. Here in York, we waited and waited. We did NOT want to announce a closing before any white stuff hit the ground!
Well, the day got later and later….school dismissed. We had not closed yet for the next day. Every passing hour, more and more schools closed. There was still no snow on the ground. By 9:30 PM that Tuesday, we gave into peer pressure and announced that were closed the next day even though there was still no snow on the ground. I barely slept a wink that night….I remember thinking that it better snow and snow and snow! I woke up at 4:00 AM and there was no snow on the ground. There was no snow on the ground at 5:00 AM or 7:00 AM or 9:00 AM. I was feeling like an idiot! Finally that day, around 1:00 PM, we got about 2-inches of snow. It was NOT “Snowmageddon.” We could have had school! When our school calendar only allows for two snow days before make-ups have to be scheduled, you don't want to waste any!
Another “weather event” that I will NEVER forget is January 6, 2014. It was a Monday. It was the first day back to school after Christmas Break for pretty much every school district in Nebraska and it was bitterly cold. We had no snow or ice but we had cold, cold weather.
The whispers of schools thinking about closing “due to cold weather” began that Saturday, January 4th and they increased on the morning of Sunday, January 5th. I couldn't believe my ears. Closing because it is cold? What? This is Nebraska. This is January. Yes, it can get kind of cold from time to time! Wow!
I texted dozens of superintendents the early afternoon of Sunday, January 5th to see what they were thinking. Every single one of them was adamant they were going to have school the next day. By 4:30 that afternoon, everything changed. Several school districts feared their buses would gel over and not start in the morning due to “severely cold weather.” Two superintendents tried to start their school buses around 3:30 that afternoon and they would not start. That’s when it began. Several school districts cancelled for the next day due to “severely cold weather.” The weathermen on TV were having a field day. It was “bone chilling cold” and “dangerously frigid” everywhere you turned! Schools began to close like dominoes!
I was in constant contact with Troy Rowe, our transportation director. He assured me over and over again that our buses would be fine in the morning. You see, we are very lucky to have a covered and insulated bus barn; something most school districts do not have. It never gets below 38-40 degrees in there. Plus, our buses get fueled with an additive to helps prevent gelling in cold weather. We decided that even though it was cold, that we were going to have school.
We posted on social media our decision to have school. Boy, did the claws come out! We were vilified on the YPS Facebook page, all over Twitter, on the Facebook pages of many adults and students, as well as on the Facebook pages of several TV stations. We were called every bad name you could imagine. I thought my defensive coordinator in college had already called me every evil name in the book back during my playing days, but I was wrong. We were accused of putting our kids’ lives at risk. It was nasty.
What people didn’t realize, and we should have done a better job of stating, is that most of the school districts that closed did so because of their buses NOT being in a covered and insulated building. Most school buses are left outside in the elements. Those districts couldn’t guarantee their buses would start. We could.
We knew kids would not be walking to school anyway. We have tons of walkers to school in the fall and spring when the weather is nice but hardly any on cold days in the winter. Families get that stuff figured out and make arrangements with each other, neighbors, etc. We assumed most families would make arrangements so their children wouldn’t have to walk. We figured that if teenagers had an unreliable vehicle they drove to school, that their parents would make sure they had made arrangements to get them to school on cold, cold days. We also knew/know that parents can keep their kids at home if they choose to do so. Parents have to be the #1 provider and protector of their children. That should never change.
That decision came down to us knowing our buses would start and that many of our kids would be much better off in a warm school building with hot food and a structured environment that they might not have at their houses. We were also coming off a 10-day Christmas Break.
I rode one of our buses that morning. It was cold but not horrible. Everything went fine with all of our routes. We had right at 89% of our kids in school that day, which is less than our average daily attendance of 96%. Some families elected to keep their kids at home, which is ALWAYS their right. From what I can remember, we were one of just four or five districts in the state in session that day.
Here’s the REAL KICKER, however. I don’t remember the exact temperatures and wind chills from 1-6-14 but I do remember that we had one day later that same month and two days in February 2014 that were COLDER….and you know what….EVERYONE had school on those days….there wasn’t the media build-up and ALL school districts were in session. Closing due to “bone chilling cold” or “dangerous wind chills” wasn’t even mentioned after January 6, 2014.
In a perfect world, we love to call snow days the night before if/when possible. On many occasions, it is bad enough at 10 PM to make the call for the next day. We always try to communicate our decision as soon as we can. It really stinks when you are “supposed” to get snow overnight and everyone wants you to call a snow day before any snow actually hits the ground. We don’t plan on closing school due to “forecasts” very often because we’ve been burnt several times.
Sometimes, we go with a 2-hour “late start” because this allows our buses and teenage drivers a little extra time and daylight to navigate some tricky areas. Sometimes, we will first announce a late start and have that turned into a snow day. It’s a strategy that can buy us another hour or two to get an updated forecast, see how many roads can be cleared by county and city workers, etc.
We hate to, but sometimes even have an "early dismissal" due to weather. We had this last December when an ice storm moved into town and we felt it was best to dismiss at 1:30 to allow plenty of time to get people home safely while it was still daylight. These decisions are not made lightly.
We do our best when these decisions are made. We're not perfect. You won't always agree. Our parents always have the right to keep their children at home if/when they think we are having school on a dangerous day.
Growing up in sunny and hot Florida, I never thought I would be in charge of snow day decisions! How ironic is that?
Go Dukes!
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Scare Tactics and Politicized Messages
We live in a time where words like "fake news" and "alternative facts" are thrown about on a regular basis. We have to navigate too many Netflix scams, email viruses, online banking hacks, fake Twitter accounts, and social media alerts. It's hard to know what is real and what needs to be avoided and ignored.
Groups that so desperately want to cash in on "school choice" and "school reform" are beating their drums again in Nebraska in hopes that the "Average Joe" will believe what they're putting out. A new approach they're using this fall is to try and paint Nebraska's public schools as failures because of a change in our statewide assessment system, often called NeSA (Nebraska State Accountability). In 2017, our state moved away from the NeSA-Reading exam, where 82% of the state's students had met/exceeded proficiency in the past, to a more rigorous English/Language Arts Assessment (ELA) that is geared towards tougher college and career ready standards.
Across the state, and here within YPS, we saw scores drop significantly on this new English/Language Arts assessment when compared to NeSA-Reading results from prior years. It doesn’t mean our kids are performing poorly all of a sudden or that our teachers forgot how to teach. In fact, lower proficiency levels have happened in all other states, without exception, where standards have been re-aligned to college and career ready benchmarks. No comparisons can be made between this year’s new English/Language Arts scores and any previous scores. This is a baseline year and you will see major improvements in future years throughout YPS and the entire state just like we did when the NeSA-Reading test began.
Yet, you will see grandstanding "choice advocates" that will send out "press releases" and social media clips wanting you to believe that poor Nebraska kids can't read and write. They will then try and convince you that they have the "solution" with their privatization efforts that have failed time and time and time again in other places.
I’ve always been for “choice” but can never see being for “privatization” where individuals, donors, investment groups, politicians, and others try to turn education into a “for profit” business venture using state dollars for charter schools, vouchers, and opportunity scholarships. What worries me about “school choice” groups are that some of them don’t tell you they’re really about “privatization,” exclusion of others, and making a profit; while shouldering zero accountability to local taxpayers.
It would be a tremendous mistake to offer up money from the limited state budget we have to enhance privatization/choice options like charter schools with vouchers and tax credit scholarships that don’t have the same accountability that public schools have to follow. They don’t have to have publicly elected boards, don’t have to have annual audits, don’t have to adhere to open meeting laws, manage spending lids, and they get to pick and choose which students they serve, while public schools gladly welcome one and all. They get to take who they want, do what they want, and spend state money while likely damaging the public school system through even less funding.
Nebraska already offers lots of "choice" and an option enrollment program that not many other states allow.
* Over 22,000 students use their “option enrollment choice” throughout the state.
* Within YPS, we have students from seven school districts that use their option in or out choice with us.
* We currently have about 30 more students that option in as opposed to optioning out.
* Over 37,000 students using their “non-public school choice” with an estimated 8,000+ of them being “home-schooled.”
* YPS has about 35 home-schooled students living within our boundaries.
Public education is always going to be a "work in progress." There will always be tons of success stories to share and some challenges to overcome. The "success" we strive for is a journey; not a destination. Come visit us and see for yourselves.
Privatization of public education isn't needed in Nebraska. Chadron isn't Chicago. Bennington isn't Boston. York isn't New York. Alliance isn't Atlanta.
Groups that so desperately want to cash in on "school choice" and "school reform" are beating their drums again in Nebraska in hopes that the "Average Joe" will believe what they're putting out. A new approach they're using this fall is to try and paint Nebraska's public schools as failures because of a change in our statewide assessment system, often called NeSA (Nebraska State Accountability). In 2017, our state moved away from the NeSA-Reading exam, where 82% of the state's students had met/exceeded proficiency in the past, to a more rigorous English/Language Arts Assessment (ELA) that is geared towards tougher college and career ready standards.
Across the state, and here within YPS, we saw scores drop significantly on this new English/Language Arts assessment when compared to NeSA-Reading results from prior years. It doesn’t mean our kids are performing poorly all of a sudden or that our teachers forgot how to teach. In fact, lower proficiency levels have happened in all other states, without exception, where standards have been re-aligned to college and career ready benchmarks. No comparisons can be made between this year’s new English/Language Arts scores and any previous scores. This is a baseline year and you will see major improvements in future years throughout YPS and the entire state just like we did when the NeSA-Reading test began.
Yet, you will see grandstanding "choice advocates" that will send out "press releases" and social media clips wanting you to believe that poor Nebraska kids can't read and write. They will then try and convince you that they have the "solution" with their privatization efforts that have failed time and time and time again in other places.
I’ve always been for “choice” but can never see being for “privatization” where individuals, donors, investment groups, politicians, and others try to turn education into a “for profit” business venture using state dollars for charter schools, vouchers, and opportunity scholarships. What worries me about “school choice” groups are that some of them don’t tell you they’re really about “privatization,” exclusion of others, and making a profit; while shouldering zero accountability to local taxpayers.
It would be a tremendous mistake to offer up money from the limited state budget we have to enhance privatization/choice options like charter schools with vouchers and tax credit scholarships that don’t have the same accountability that public schools have to follow. They don’t have to have publicly elected boards, don’t have to have annual audits, don’t have to adhere to open meeting laws, manage spending lids, and they get to pick and choose which students they serve, while public schools gladly welcome one and all. They get to take who they want, do what they want, and spend state money while likely damaging the public school system through even less funding.
Nebraska already offers lots of "choice" and an option enrollment program that not many other states allow.
* Over 22,000 students use their “option enrollment choice” throughout the state.
* Within YPS, we have students from seven school districts that use their option in or out choice with us.
* We currently have about 30 more students that option in as opposed to optioning out.
* Over 37,000 students using their “non-public school choice” with an estimated 8,000+ of them being “home-schooled.”
* YPS has about 35 home-schooled students living within our boundaries.
Public education is always going to be a "work in progress." There will always be tons of success stories to share and some challenges to overcome. The "success" we strive for is a journey; not a destination. Come visit us and see for yourselves.
Privatization of public education isn't needed in Nebraska. Chadron isn't Chicago. Bennington isn't Boston. York isn't New York. Alliance isn't Atlanta.
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
The Importance of Veterans Day
Veterans Day is a special time to pause and give thanks to our active and retired military personnel. We are very excited to host another community Veterans Day Program at YHS on Friday at 9:30 AM. Our PreK-5th grade principal, Kris Friesen, has done an excellent job of coordinating this important event.
I taught and coached on the military base at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas from 1994-1998. This was during a "time of peace" but I still got to see first hand the sacrifice that the soldiers and their families made/make. I saw dads leaving their wives and children behind for months at a time to go to specialized training all over the world. I saw mamas and young children moving every 9-10 months from military base to military base.
We all know what happened on September 11, 2001 and how our world has changed since that terrible morning. My love and admiration for the military has only escalated since that point. The courage and bravery they display to help protect our freedoms are amazing. Just think about the trials and tribulations that our Veterans experienced during World War I and II, the Korean War, in Vietnam, Desert Storm, and all other battles/wars.
Our Veterans deserve our admiration and respect every day of the year, not just on a special day each November. We can't forget about the families of our Veterans either. The mamas that stay up at night wondering if they will ever see their son/daughter again. The wives/husbands that live on pins and needles each time the phone rings while their loved one is deployed. The children that don't get to spend time with their parent(s) that are protecting our freedoms all over the globe.
I hope everyone takes some time to thank our Veterans. I hope everyone acknowledges the sacrifices they make so we can live in this great country with the opportunities and freedoms we have.
Veterans Day is an important time to reflect, remember, and thank all of the brave men and women that have served, and continue to serve. The United States of America is not perfect. We have many issues that need to be addressed. We are experiencing a tumultuous time in our nation's history. Our Veterans deserve our respect more than ever right now.
THANK YOU to all Veterans and active military personnel and your families. I pray for you each night and am thankful for your courage and dedication.
I taught and coached on the military base at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas from 1994-1998. This was during a "time of peace" but I still got to see first hand the sacrifice that the soldiers and their families made/make. I saw dads leaving their wives and children behind for months at a time to go to specialized training all over the world. I saw mamas and young children moving every 9-10 months from military base to military base.
We all know what happened on September 11, 2001 and how our world has changed since that terrible morning. My love and admiration for the military has only escalated since that point. The courage and bravery they display to help protect our freedoms are amazing. Just think about the trials and tribulations that our Veterans experienced during World War I and II, the Korean War, in Vietnam, Desert Storm, and all other battles/wars.
Our Veterans deserve our admiration and respect every day of the year, not just on a special day each November. We can't forget about the families of our Veterans either. The mamas that stay up at night wondering if they will ever see their son/daughter again. The wives/husbands that live on pins and needles each time the phone rings while their loved one is deployed. The children that don't get to spend time with their parent(s) that are protecting our freedoms all over the globe.
I hope everyone takes some time to thank our Veterans. I hope everyone acknowledges the sacrifices they make so we can live in this great country with the opportunities and freedoms we have.
Veterans Day is an important time to reflect, remember, and thank all of the brave men and women that have served, and continue to serve. The United States of America is not perfect. We have many issues that need to be addressed. We are experiencing a tumultuous time in our nation's history. Our Veterans deserve our respect more than ever right now.
THANK YOU to all Veterans and active military personnel and your families. I pray for you each night and am thankful for your courage and dedication.
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
"WHY"
I'm a huge fan of Striv and Taylor Siebert. He's a great small-town, entrepreneur success story. One of the neatest things Striv does, and they do many awesome things, is a podcast series on high school teachers/coaches called "Why I Coach." These are well-done as they allow high school coaches the opportunity to explain why they do what they do. They're really cool. Look for them at @strivsports if you haven't seen/heard any. Danyel and Glen of YHS have been featured already this fall.
It got me to thinking about my "why." What do I enjoy about being a superintendent? Why do I come to work every day? Why do I fight through the seemingly endless battles?
It's real simple for me....our students. Our kids. Period. All day long. Every day. Kids. I'm a country music fan but I think Metallica has a song titled, "Nothing Else Matters" and that's how I look at students. They're my "why." Case closed. End of story. Shut the book.
I love visiting our classrooms and seeing all of the important things our students and teachers are working on. It's so humbling to visit lower elementary classrooms and watch students as they learn new skills. This year’s kindergarten class will retire in/around 2077. They are learning to read, write, critically think, problem-solve, and work with others over the next few years. They will take these skills they're learning in little 'ol York, Nebraska all across the state, nation, and globe. As professional educators, we get to be a part of that. Wow! That's a "why" for sure!
I love seeing kids mature from 6th graders, when they are so excited just to get to middle school, to 8th graders that can't wait to get to high school. I love the independence and confidence that our students gain in these "middle years." It is awesome to see the development our students make from 9th-12th grade. Today's high schoolers do so much more than they did when I graduated in 1990. Today's high schoolers are super talented and masters at multi-tasking and time management. In my opinion, today's kids are just flat out better and more well-rounded than they've ever been in many, many instances.
It is amazing to visit our classrooms and see what our students are capable of. They're learning math and science concepts in 7th grade that I learned in 10th grade. They're putting together presentations and projects that look like they could come from a professional agency. We have students guest writing columns for the York News-Times. We have kids helping area businesses design websites and logos. We have amazing young people that I am lucky to be around!
Our students give me energy. I feed off their enthusiasm and goals. I truly enjoy watching them grow and develop. I loved watching our volleyball girls play their tails off on Monday night as they defeated Columbus after losing to them earlier in the season. I can't wait to go watch our Mock Trial kids compete in Lincoln on November 9th. I'm stoked for this year's One-Act Play and plan to see it multiple times. You bet your last dollar I will be cheering loudly on Friday night (in my lucky shorts and polo) as the YHS football team competes in the quarter-finals. I'm excited about our choir and band concerts in December. I can't wait until speech season. There are always so many things to look forward to!
Yes, as a superintendent, there is lots of stress, drama, problems, issues, and disasters. Yes, you get burned out from time to time. Yes, you feel like giving up sometimes. Yes, you have those dark days and sleepless nights where you wonder what the heck you've gotten yourself into. Yes, there are times you think about a career change. Yes, you sometimes lose perspective.
However, you have to do your best to come back to your "why." When your "why" is kids, it makes it easier to deal with all of the "clutter." Many of you know my affinity for the quote from Pat Riley that says "The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing." Well, when your "main thing" is kids, you can put up with all the other things that come your way.
I'm thankful to be in a servant leadership role where I get to help others make our organization the best it can be for our kids. York Public Schools is all about "finding a way" to get things done for our students. Every student. Every day. Find a way. That's our culture. That's who we are. That's what we do. That's our "why."
It got me to thinking about my "why." What do I enjoy about being a superintendent? Why do I come to work every day? Why do I fight through the seemingly endless battles?
It's real simple for me....our students. Our kids. Period. All day long. Every day. Kids. I'm a country music fan but I think Metallica has a song titled, "Nothing Else Matters" and that's how I look at students. They're my "why." Case closed. End of story. Shut the book.
I love visiting our classrooms and seeing all of the important things our students and teachers are working on. It's so humbling to visit lower elementary classrooms and watch students as they learn new skills. This year’s kindergarten class will retire in/around 2077. They are learning to read, write, critically think, problem-solve, and work with others over the next few years. They will take these skills they're learning in little 'ol York, Nebraska all across the state, nation, and globe. As professional educators, we get to be a part of that. Wow! That's a "why" for sure!
I love seeing kids mature from 6th graders, when they are so excited just to get to middle school, to 8th graders that can't wait to get to high school. I love the independence and confidence that our students gain in these "middle years." It is awesome to see the development our students make from 9th-12th grade. Today's high schoolers do so much more than they did when I graduated in 1990. Today's high schoolers are super talented and masters at multi-tasking and time management. In my opinion, today's kids are just flat out better and more well-rounded than they've ever been in many, many instances.
It is amazing to visit our classrooms and see what our students are capable of. They're learning math and science concepts in 7th grade that I learned in 10th grade. They're putting together presentations and projects that look like they could come from a professional agency. We have students guest writing columns for the York News-Times. We have kids helping area businesses design websites and logos. We have amazing young people that I am lucky to be around!
Our students give me energy. I feed off their enthusiasm and goals. I truly enjoy watching them grow and develop. I loved watching our volleyball girls play their tails off on Monday night as they defeated Columbus after losing to them earlier in the season. I can't wait to go watch our Mock Trial kids compete in Lincoln on November 9th. I'm stoked for this year's One-Act Play and plan to see it multiple times. You bet your last dollar I will be cheering loudly on Friday night (in my lucky shorts and polo) as the YHS football team competes in the quarter-finals. I'm excited about our choir and band concerts in December. I can't wait until speech season. There are always so many things to look forward to!
Yes, as a superintendent, there is lots of stress, drama, problems, issues, and disasters. Yes, you get burned out from time to time. Yes, you feel like giving up sometimes. Yes, you have those dark days and sleepless nights where you wonder what the heck you've gotten yourself into. Yes, there are times you think about a career change. Yes, you sometimes lose perspective.
However, you have to do your best to come back to your "why." When your "why" is kids, it makes it easier to deal with all of the "clutter." Many of you know my affinity for the quote from Pat Riley that says "The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing." Well, when your "main thing" is kids, you can put up with all the other things that come your way.
I'm thankful to be in a servant leadership role where I get to help others make our organization the best it can be for our kids. York Public Schools is all about "finding a way" to get things done for our students. Every student. Every day. Find a way. That's our culture. That's who we are. That's what we do. That's our "why."
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Perspective from Special Olympics Flag Football
This past weekend was amazing as we were so fortunate to help host the Special Olympics Nebraska Flag Football Tournament. Thanks to EVERYONE that helped us show the Nebraska Special Olympians what a great place York is. Watching the flag football games and the teamwork and support the Special Olympians gave to each other was inspiring.
We had student and staff helpers from YPS, Hampton, Aurora, Lincoln, and GINW. We borrowed equipment from High Plains, McCool Junction, Seward, Hampton, and Cross County. We had parents and students and community members step up and work hard all weekend. York College Baseball players and coaches worked all day on Sunday and were amazing.
The York County Visitors Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, downtown businesses, and Todd Kirshenbaum helped roll out the red carpet. York Office Supply donated a great “welcome” banner. Wal-Mart helped with a donation. Culligan Water, Pieper's Potties, and Kopcho's Sanitation all helped out as well.
Our banks and service clubs donated funds to offset expenses. Donn Athcison came out and took some amazing pictures. Dickey’s BBQ and LunchTime Solutions delivered delicious meals to the competitors and coaches. The YPS Foundation and “student travel group” provided great food for fans and officials. My favorite part of the weekend was working with my son, Bo, as he helped me with all of the setup and cleanup. He was a huge help!
We had about 45 Special Olympians join us for our Friday night football game vs GINW. They loved the atmosphere and I think we picked up some York Duke fans out of the bunch!
I got to see two of my former students from West Point Elementary compete in the games. One plays for West Point and the other for Fremont. I was able to make a new friend named Brian in Minden. I can still see his smile and sense of pride from his work in Saturday morning's skills competition. I got to see James from here in York win a medal on Saturday and feel so good about it he was still wearing it on Sunday. I enjoyed getting to know the Omaha Bears and visiting with them about their trick plays and defensive strategies.
Everywhere I looked, I saw joy. I saw tremendous competitors that cared about each other. I saw athletes that just wanted to play. I saw appreciation and support all over the place. I saw many of our students from YHS showing tremendous poise, patience, and kindness as they helped the competitors.
It was a "Top 10" weekend for me. I smiled more this past weekend than I have in a long time. I learned a lot from the Special Olympians and am so appreciative of them coming to York. They have it figured out. Their positive attitudes are contagious.
Thanks again to everyone that helped and/or came out to watch and support. It was such a special weekend!
We had student and staff helpers from YPS, Hampton, Aurora, Lincoln, and GINW. We borrowed equipment from High Plains, McCool Junction, Seward, Hampton, and Cross County. We had parents and students and community members step up and work hard all weekend. York College Baseball players and coaches worked all day on Sunday and were amazing.
The York County Visitors Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, downtown businesses, and Todd Kirshenbaum helped roll out the red carpet. York Office Supply donated a great “welcome” banner. Wal-Mart helped with a donation. Culligan Water, Pieper's Potties, and Kopcho's Sanitation all helped out as well.
Our banks and service clubs donated funds to offset expenses. Donn Athcison came out and took some amazing pictures. Dickey’s BBQ and LunchTime Solutions delivered delicious meals to the competitors and coaches. The YPS Foundation and “student travel group” provided great food for fans and officials. My favorite part of the weekend was working with my son, Bo, as he helped me with all of the setup and cleanup. He was a huge help!
We had about 45 Special Olympians join us for our Friday night football game vs GINW. They loved the atmosphere and I think we picked up some York Duke fans out of the bunch!
I got to see two of my former students from West Point Elementary compete in the games. One plays for West Point and the other for Fremont. I was able to make a new friend named Brian in Minden. I can still see his smile and sense of pride from his work in Saturday morning's skills competition. I got to see James from here in York win a medal on Saturday and feel so good about it he was still wearing it on Sunday. I enjoyed getting to know the Omaha Bears and visiting with them about their trick plays and defensive strategies.
Everywhere I looked, I saw joy. I saw tremendous competitors that cared about each other. I saw athletes that just wanted to play. I saw appreciation and support all over the place. I saw many of our students from YHS showing tremendous poise, patience, and kindness as they helped the competitors.
It was a "Top 10" weekend for me. I smiled more this past weekend than I have in a long time. I learned a lot from the Special Olympians and am so appreciative of them coming to York. They have it figured out. Their positive attitudes are contagious.
Thanks again to everyone that helped and/or came out to watch and support. It was such a special weekend!
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Nebraska has a School FUNDING Problem
In a recent article in Kearney area newspapers submitted by State Senator John Kuehn, he stated that “big increases in local subdivision spending created the property tax crisis.” That really caught my attention because that certainly has not been my experience as superintendent of schools in York, Nebraska.
I realize it’s a very “catchy” thing for some elected officials to blame local spending for our property tax dilemma but let’s look at some actual, audited data to form our own thoughts on this wildly political topic.
You see, our politicians know how the system works. They know what the school aid formula (TEEOSA) calculates each year and how much they allocate in the state budget for K-12 funding. I would hope they realize that TEEOSA has only been fully funded to its calculation three or four times in the past 16 years leaving increased local property taxes to fill the void in all other years. I would hope they understand that K-12 education used to be 32% of the state’s budget but is now 27.6%. They should know that their unwillingness to adequately fund K-12 public education forces our over-reliance on local property taxes. I assume they know that approximately 65% of Nebraska’s school districts don’t receive any equalization aid from the state as they are on their own with local property taxes as their primary revenue stream. Property taxes have soared in the last 7-8 years because of inadequate school funding.
Let’s look at the revenue side of the equation to back up my claims from above.
• York Public Schools has had an average annual total revenue increase of just 1.1% since 2008-09 despite our local property tax request increasing over 57% in that same time span. Many other school districts and communities are in the same situation.
o That’s correct….local property taxes have increased over 57% in eight years but our TOTAL revenue increased just 8.8% in that same eight year span.
o You see, in way too many instances, local property tax revenue is simply replacing lost funding from the state.
• We’ve seen the total annual revenue of York Public Schools decrease from $16,040,850 in 2014-15 to $15,016,433 in 2016-17 even though our property tax revenue went up close to $700,000 within that same time frame.
Now, let’s look at spending.
• York Public Schools has had an average annual spending increase of just 1.3% since 2008-09 and a 0% increase since 2014-15. Many other public school districts in Nebraska can say the same thing.
• So, a 0% spending increase since 2014-15 but our local property tax request has gone up $700,000 since then because it is replacing lost revenue….not because of spending.
Here are some facts and figures from the U.S. Census Bureau and annual audit of York Public Schools.
• Nebraska K-12 schools receive 49% of their funding from local property taxes while the national average is 29%.
o YPS receives about 74% of our funding from local property taxes
• Nebraska K-12 schools receive 33% of their funding from state sources while the national average is 47%.
o YPS receives only about 18% of our funding from state sources
It’s so easy for some elected officials to blame local spending for high property taxes. I wish they would spend more time and energy on fixing how our schools are funded. We have a funding problem that negatively impacts numerous school districts and communities. Expanding our tax base and looking at the hundreds of millions of dollars of incentives we give away each year could be a place to start as we work on finding revenue outside of local property taxes.
I realize it’s a very “catchy” thing for some elected officials to blame local spending for our property tax dilemma but let’s look at some actual, audited data to form our own thoughts on this wildly political topic.
You see, our politicians know how the system works. They know what the school aid formula (TEEOSA) calculates each year and how much they allocate in the state budget for K-12 funding. I would hope they realize that TEEOSA has only been fully funded to its calculation three or four times in the past 16 years leaving increased local property taxes to fill the void in all other years. I would hope they understand that K-12 education used to be 32% of the state’s budget but is now 27.6%. They should know that their unwillingness to adequately fund K-12 public education forces our over-reliance on local property taxes. I assume they know that approximately 65% of Nebraska’s school districts don’t receive any equalization aid from the state as they are on their own with local property taxes as their primary revenue stream. Property taxes have soared in the last 7-8 years because of inadequate school funding.
Let’s look at the revenue side of the equation to back up my claims from above.
• York Public Schools has had an average annual total revenue increase of just 1.1% since 2008-09 despite our local property tax request increasing over 57% in that same time span. Many other school districts and communities are in the same situation.
o That’s correct….local property taxes have increased over 57% in eight years but our TOTAL revenue increased just 8.8% in that same eight year span.
o You see, in way too many instances, local property tax revenue is simply replacing lost funding from the state.
• We’ve seen the total annual revenue of York Public Schools decrease from $16,040,850 in 2014-15 to $15,016,433 in 2016-17 even though our property tax revenue went up close to $700,000 within that same time frame.
Now, let’s look at spending.
• York Public Schools has had an average annual spending increase of just 1.3% since 2008-09 and a 0% increase since 2014-15. Many other public school districts in Nebraska can say the same thing.
• So, a 0% spending increase since 2014-15 but our local property tax request has gone up $700,000 since then because it is replacing lost revenue….not because of spending.
Here are some facts and figures from the U.S. Census Bureau and annual audit of York Public Schools.
• Nebraska K-12 schools receive 49% of their funding from local property taxes while the national average is 29%.
o YPS receives about 74% of our funding from local property taxes
• Nebraska K-12 schools receive 33% of their funding from state sources while the national average is 47%.
o YPS receives only about 18% of our funding from state sources
It’s so easy for some elected officials to blame local spending for high property taxes. I wish they would spend more time and energy on fixing how our schools are funded. We have a funding problem that negatively impacts numerous school districts and communities. Expanding our tax base and looking at the hundreds of millions of dollars of incentives we give away each year could be a place to start as we work on finding revenue outside of local property taxes.
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Student Contests to Celebrate Nebraska's 150th Birthday
Nebraska became a state on March 1, 1867 and has become an outstanding place to live, work, and raise a family. Nebraskans are known for a strong work ethic, kindness, and common sense. We hope many of our YPS students will participate in the contests below to show their pride in their home state!
ART CONTEST for K-12th Graders will recognize winners in K-2nd, 3rd-5th, 6th-8th, and 9th-12th grade divisions. Artwork of your choice that simply revolves around the theme of “Nebraska” is due to the YPS District Office on the east side of the high school campus by 4:00 PM on October 25th. All entries will all be entered with the chance to win multiple prizes and recognition at a Board of Education meeting. Paintings, sculptures, drawings, etc. are all welcome. Just make your artwork about Nebraska and turn it in.
ESSAY CONTEST for 3rd-12th Graders will recognize winners in 3rd-5th, 6th-8th, and 9th-12th grade divisions. Essays need to be between 250-600 words and describe why you feel Nebraska is a special place to live. Share your “Nebraska Pride” as you write this essay that is due to the YPS District Office on the east side of the high school campus by 4:00 PM on October 25th. All entries will all be entered with the chance to win multiple prizes and recognition at a Board of Education meeting.
POETRY CONTEST for 3rd-12th Graders will recognize winners in 3rd-5th, 6th-8th, and 9th-12th grade divisions. Poems need to be about some aspect of Nebraska you want to write about. The style of poem you wish to submit is up to you. Share your “Nebraska Pride” as you write this poem that is due to the YPS District Office on the east side of the high school campus by 4:00 PM on October 25th. All entries will all be entered with the chance to win multiple prizes and recognition at a Board of Education meeting.
Good luck!
Mike Lucas
mike.lucas@yorkdukes.org
402-366-6491
ART CONTEST for K-12th Graders will recognize winners in K-2nd, 3rd-5th, 6th-8th, and 9th-12th grade divisions. Artwork of your choice that simply revolves around the theme of “Nebraska” is due to the YPS District Office on the east side of the high school campus by 4:00 PM on October 25th. All entries will all be entered with the chance to win multiple prizes and recognition at a Board of Education meeting. Paintings, sculptures, drawings, etc. are all welcome. Just make your artwork about Nebraska and turn it in.
ESSAY CONTEST for 3rd-12th Graders will recognize winners in 3rd-5th, 6th-8th, and 9th-12th grade divisions. Essays need to be between 250-600 words and describe why you feel Nebraska is a special place to live. Share your “Nebraska Pride” as you write this essay that is due to the YPS District Office on the east side of the high school campus by 4:00 PM on October 25th. All entries will all be entered with the chance to win multiple prizes and recognition at a Board of Education meeting.
POETRY CONTEST for 3rd-12th Graders will recognize winners in 3rd-5th, 6th-8th, and 9th-12th grade divisions. Poems need to be about some aspect of Nebraska you want to write about. The style of poem you wish to submit is up to you. Share your “Nebraska Pride” as you write this poem that is due to the YPS District Office on the east side of the high school campus by 4:00 PM on October 25th. All entries will all be entered with the chance to win multiple prizes and recognition at a Board of Education meeting.
Good luck!
Mike Lucas
mike.lucas@yorkdukes.org
402-366-6491
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Just some Random Thoughts
I couldn't settle on one specific topic for this week's blog so I'm just going to share some miscellaneous thoughts on a wide array of topics...
* Trust is the most important ingredient in any relationship. You earn trust by doing what you say you're going to do.
* I'm disappointed in Republicans and Democrats. We need AMERICANS. We need political leaders that are more interested in making our NATION great than they are in serving their political party. Imagine if both sides spent half as much time and energy on actual solutions to make our country better as they do on blaming each other. The United States of America is more important than the Republican or Democratic party.
* Mammy, who I blogged about last week, is hanging in there. She isn't able to walk, has had some heart failure episodes, and is battling low blood pressure but she's alert, in good spirits, and surrounded by her friends.
* "High expectations" is an important aspect of successful organizations. Too many places accept "pretty good" as good enough. If you're not trying to be the absolute best at whatever it is you're doing, why waste your time? Find a sense of purpose in all you do. Pretty good is the enemy. Be elite!
* All winning organizations have a "comfortable level of discomfort." We can't get lazy and content and satisfied. We must be willing to make ourselves and our teammates a little uncomfortable so we can continue to get better. This is an area many people struggle with...we're never going to be as good as we need to be....success is a "journey" and not a "destination." Find new things to try. Find new strategies to implement. Try new lessons. Stay relevant.
* I love the saying "there are no traffic jams on the extra mile." Good things happen to people that work hard. The best way to develop confidence in yourself is to outwork your competition. You can't control many things about life but you can control your effort and what kind of tenacity you put into something. I will take someone with average talent and an insane work ethic over someone with lots of talent and an average work ethic every day of the week.
* I can't imagine a better career for me than public education. Our students inspire me in so many ways. We have some amazingly talented and hard-working students. We have students that overcome more adversity in one month than you'd wish on your worst enemy in a lifetime. We have a positive culture (not perfect) throughout YPS where kids genuinely care for each other most of the time and work to support each other. It's an honor to work for the students of YPS every day.
* Being part of the TeamMates mentoring program is something I look forward to each week. I've recently begun my third mentor/mentee relationship with a wonderful 8th grader at YMS. It's awesome to look at things through his lens for 45-minutes each week. I highly recommend to anyone who has the time to become a mentor.
Have a great week.
* Trust is the most important ingredient in any relationship. You earn trust by doing what you say you're going to do.
* I'm disappointed in Republicans and Democrats. We need AMERICANS. We need political leaders that are more interested in making our NATION great than they are in serving their political party. Imagine if both sides spent half as much time and energy on actual solutions to make our country better as they do on blaming each other. The United States of America is more important than the Republican or Democratic party.
* Mammy, who I blogged about last week, is hanging in there. She isn't able to walk, has had some heart failure episodes, and is battling low blood pressure but she's alert, in good spirits, and surrounded by her friends.
* "High expectations" is an important aspect of successful organizations. Too many places accept "pretty good" as good enough. If you're not trying to be the absolute best at whatever it is you're doing, why waste your time? Find a sense of purpose in all you do. Pretty good is the enemy. Be elite!
* All winning organizations have a "comfortable level of discomfort." We can't get lazy and content and satisfied. We must be willing to make ourselves and our teammates a little uncomfortable so we can continue to get better. This is an area many people struggle with...we're never going to be as good as we need to be....success is a "journey" and not a "destination." Find new things to try. Find new strategies to implement. Try new lessons. Stay relevant.
* I love the saying "there are no traffic jams on the extra mile." Good things happen to people that work hard. The best way to develop confidence in yourself is to outwork your competition. You can't control many things about life but you can control your effort and what kind of tenacity you put into something. I will take someone with average talent and an insane work ethic over someone with lots of talent and an average work ethic every day of the week.
* I can't imagine a better career for me than public education. Our students inspire me in so many ways. We have some amazingly talented and hard-working students. We have students that overcome more adversity in one month than you'd wish on your worst enemy in a lifetime. We have a positive culture (not perfect) throughout YPS where kids genuinely care for each other most of the time and work to support each other. It's an honor to work for the students of YPS every day.
* Being part of the TeamMates mentoring program is something I look forward to each week. I've recently begun my third mentor/mentee relationship with a wonderful 8th grader at YMS. It's awesome to look at things through his lens for 45-minutes each week. I highly recommend to anyone who has the time to become a mentor.
Have a great week.
Monday, September 25, 2017
My Mammy
Mammy is my 97-year old grandmother that lives in Wildwood, Florida. For the first time in her life, she is experiencing some major health problems and it has me concerned about her quality of life moving forward. I just don’t want her to suffer.
I was blessed with four of the most amazing grandparents in the world and Mammy is the only one I have left. Mammer passed away in 1995. Pappy died in 2004. Pop left us in 2009. All four made an immeasurable impact on me and I think of them each and every day. All four are prominently displayed in my office and I often look at their pictures when I need a smile or a deep breath.
Mammy was just out here to visit over Labor Day Weekend. She went to our YHS football game on Friday, September 1st and I even had the announcer recognize her over the PA system. She enjoyed a burger at the Booster Club's "meal deal." We watched college football on Saturday. We took a walk that Sunday. We sat on the front patio and talked for an hour that Monday. It was so great to see her and I kept hoping it wouldn’t be the “last time.”
Mammy was also out here in June for my oldest daughter’s wedding. She brought her best friend, Miss Jackie, who we love very much as well. Those few days with Mammy are another topnotch memory and I’m so glad she was able to see one of her great-grandchildren get married. I made sure I gave her lots of hugs.
Mammy loves Nebraska sweet corn and we had some that trip! She visited us in West Point, Franklin, and York over the years and always looked forward to some corn. She loves the importance of farming as she grew up in watermelon and cantaloupe country down south.
Mammy taught me a lot. One of the more amazing things was her dependability. She played the organ in the First Baptist Church of Oxford, Florida for over 65 years! She only missed about six Sundays during that entire span, an average of one per DECADE!
She taught me how to look after others. There’s nobody in Sumter County, Florida that has ever been sick or homebound or experiencing some adversity that didn’t get a homemade pie from Mammy, I can promise you that! She has one of the biggest hearts in the universe! Her key lime and lemon meringue are my favorites but they’re all wonderful. In fact, back in the day, Village Inn out by I-75 that runs through Wildwood used to contract with Mammy to have her make some pies for them. That’s pretty dadgum good!
Mammy also taught me about forgiveness. As you might imagine, she’s seen and experienced a lot of ups and downs in 97 years. Mammy is always quick to forgive and willing to “let the past be the past.” She’s shown me that sometimes the bigger person has to swallow their pride and extend an olive branch to move past a situation that is awkward for many.
More than anything else, Mammy has taught me about “family” and “love.” Mammy has always been the glue of our family. She has always been the sweet and loving person that made our family tick. She was so dedicated to Pappy before he passed away in 2004. She was so protective of family time on Sunday afternoon after church. She made every holiday special. She made you feel like the most important person in the world.
Mammy taught me about trust. If she told you she was going to do something, she did it. Period. She’s always been rock solid.
One of my favorite memories about Mammy (and Pappy) was that they came up to Ocala for one of my high school football games one Friday night when we had a torrential downpour before, during, and after the game. It was raining so hard the entire game you could hardly see the ball or your opponent. Well, Mammy and Pappy made the 30-minute drive to Booster Stadium and sat in the car in the parking lot and listened to the game on the radio. They just wanted to be “with” me they said.
Mammy got mugged in Jacksonville in November 1987 going to one of our playoff football games. She still made it to the game. She was/is tough.
As a young boy, I would spend almost every weekend with Mammy and Pappy and they would take me to Wildwood High football games. I would often catch a little red and white football from the WHS cheerleaders and would spend all day Saturday playing football by myself as I would throw passes to myself, dodge invisible tacklers, and have a grand ol’ time for hours after hours. I bet you I ate about 12 oranges a day when I was at Mammy’s. They had some of the best orange and kumquat trees in the world right there in their yard.
When I worked in the watermelon fields over the summer, I would often spend the night at Mammy’s as I was too tired to make the 30-minute drive back to Ocala. One time, my good buddy, DR Repass stayed with me. Mammy made 2-dozen chocolate chip cookies. DR ate 20 of them. This would’ve been about 1989. I last spoke to DR in 2013 and he told me those were still the best chocolate chip cookies he’s ever eaten!
I remember lots of Christmas Eves at Mammy’s house. After we ate and everyone was playing with their gifts or visiting with family, Pappy would break out a loaf of bread and a bowl of thick cane syrup. Pappy would then get all of the kids to dip their bread in the cane syrup that was so dark and thick that it often felt like cement. We would all eat a piece or two while Pappy would have 10-12. Mammy would come in and help clean up the sticky mess and just laugh and tease Pappy about his bad habit of bread and cane syrup.
I was very nervous when I left Florida in early August 1990 to leave for college in Atchison, Kansas. I cried several times as I said goodbye to friends, coaches, and family. However, I never cried as hard as I did when I told Mammy goodbye the day before I left. As I pulled out of her driveway, I made it about a half-mile down the road before I had to pull over because I couldn’t see through my tears. That’s what Mammy meant and still means to me.
Mammy was a huge influence on my life. She was one person I could always count on. Aside from the special holidays and events, it was just the “regular” days that I will miss the most. Sitting on her front porch swing, retrieving canned goodies out of mason jars in her basement, or going to her church with her…..every time you were around Mammy, you became better.
When Mammy dies, I will no longer be a grandson and that is a role I will always cherish and deeply miss. I am thankful for the many years and memories that Mammy and I have had together. She is a special, special person that will be greatly missed when her time comes.
Mammy will always be with me in my heart; just like Mammer, Pop, and Pappy are. I kid you not, still to this very day, I often think about what I’m doing and how I’m doing it to ensure that I don’t disappoint my grandparents. I don’t ever want to let them down and though I’m not as good as I want to be, I simply want to make them proud. If you’re the praying kind, please send some positive thoughts for my Mammy.
I was blessed with four of the most amazing grandparents in the world and Mammy is the only one I have left. Mammer passed away in 1995. Pappy died in 2004. Pop left us in 2009. All four made an immeasurable impact on me and I think of them each and every day. All four are prominently displayed in my office and I often look at their pictures when I need a smile or a deep breath.
Mammy was just out here to visit over Labor Day Weekend. She went to our YHS football game on Friday, September 1st and I even had the announcer recognize her over the PA system. She enjoyed a burger at the Booster Club's "meal deal." We watched college football on Saturday. We took a walk that Sunday. We sat on the front patio and talked for an hour that Monday. It was so great to see her and I kept hoping it wouldn’t be the “last time.”
Mammy was also out here in June for my oldest daughter’s wedding. She brought her best friend, Miss Jackie, who we love very much as well. Those few days with Mammy are another topnotch memory and I’m so glad she was able to see one of her great-grandchildren get married. I made sure I gave her lots of hugs.
Mammy loves Nebraska sweet corn and we had some that trip! She visited us in West Point, Franklin, and York over the years and always looked forward to some corn. She loves the importance of farming as she grew up in watermelon and cantaloupe country down south.
Mammy taught me a lot. One of the more amazing things was her dependability. She played the organ in the First Baptist Church of Oxford, Florida for over 65 years! She only missed about six Sundays during that entire span, an average of one per DECADE!
She taught me how to look after others. There’s nobody in Sumter County, Florida that has ever been sick or homebound or experiencing some adversity that didn’t get a homemade pie from Mammy, I can promise you that! She has one of the biggest hearts in the universe! Her key lime and lemon meringue are my favorites but they’re all wonderful. In fact, back in the day, Village Inn out by I-75 that runs through Wildwood used to contract with Mammy to have her make some pies for them. That’s pretty dadgum good!
Mammy also taught me about forgiveness. As you might imagine, she’s seen and experienced a lot of ups and downs in 97 years. Mammy is always quick to forgive and willing to “let the past be the past.” She’s shown me that sometimes the bigger person has to swallow their pride and extend an olive branch to move past a situation that is awkward for many.
More than anything else, Mammy has taught me about “family” and “love.” Mammy has always been the glue of our family. She has always been the sweet and loving person that made our family tick. She was so dedicated to Pappy before he passed away in 2004. She was so protective of family time on Sunday afternoon after church. She made every holiday special. She made you feel like the most important person in the world.
Mammy taught me about trust. If she told you she was going to do something, she did it. Period. She’s always been rock solid.
One of my favorite memories about Mammy (and Pappy) was that they came up to Ocala for one of my high school football games one Friday night when we had a torrential downpour before, during, and after the game. It was raining so hard the entire game you could hardly see the ball or your opponent. Well, Mammy and Pappy made the 30-minute drive to Booster Stadium and sat in the car in the parking lot and listened to the game on the radio. They just wanted to be “with” me they said.
Mammy got mugged in Jacksonville in November 1987 going to one of our playoff football games. She still made it to the game. She was/is tough.
As a young boy, I would spend almost every weekend with Mammy and Pappy and they would take me to Wildwood High football games. I would often catch a little red and white football from the WHS cheerleaders and would spend all day Saturday playing football by myself as I would throw passes to myself, dodge invisible tacklers, and have a grand ol’ time for hours after hours. I bet you I ate about 12 oranges a day when I was at Mammy’s. They had some of the best orange and kumquat trees in the world right there in their yard.
When I worked in the watermelon fields over the summer, I would often spend the night at Mammy’s as I was too tired to make the 30-minute drive back to Ocala. One time, my good buddy, DR Repass stayed with me. Mammy made 2-dozen chocolate chip cookies. DR ate 20 of them. This would’ve been about 1989. I last spoke to DR in 2013 and he told me those were still the best chocolate chip cookies he’s ever eaten!
I remember lots of Christmas Eves at Mammy’s house. After we ate and everyone was playing with their gifts or visiting with family, Pappy would break out a loaf of bread and a bowl of thick cane syrup. Pappy would then get all of the kids to dip their bread in the cane syrup that was so dark and thick that it often felt like cement. We would all eat a piece or two while Pappy would have 10-12. Mammy would come in and help clean up the sticky mess and just laugh and tease Pappy about his bad habit of bread and cane syrup.
I was very nervous when I left Florida in early August 1990 to leave for college in Atchison, Kansas. I cried several times as I said goodbye to friends, coaches, and family. However, I never cried as hard as I did when I told Mammy goodbye the day before I left. As I pulled out of her driveway, I made it about a half-mile down the road before I had to pull over because I couldn’t see through my tears. That’s what Mammy meant and still means to me.
Mammy was a huge influence on my life. She was one person I could always count on. Aside from the special holidays and events, it was just the “regular” days that I will miss the most. Sitting on her front porch swing, retrieving canned goodies out of mason jars in her basement, or going to her church with her…..every time you were around Mammy, you became better.
When Mammy dies, I will no longer be a grandson and that is a role I will always cherish and deeply miss. I am thankful for the many years and memories that Mammy and I have had together. She is a special, special person that will be greatly missed when her time comes.
Mammy will always be with me in my heart; just like Mammer, Pop, and Pappy are. I kid you not, still to this very day, I often think about what I’m doing and how I’m doing it to ensure that I don’t disappoint my grandparents. I don’t ever want to let them down and though I’m not as good as I want to be, I simply want to make them proud. If you’re the praying kind, please send some positive thoughts for my Mammy.
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Participation Ribbons for Everyone
"Are participation awards devaluing the importance of hard work and competition in youth sports?" I was asked this tough question by Julia Lee, one of our awesome seniors at YHS as she's working on an assignment for her Senior English course. I kind of surprised myself with my answer, which was "NO."
I truly don't think that participation awards devalue the importance of hard work and competition.
What devalues youth sports, in my opinion, is when each kid gets an MVP award or is selected to an "all star" game. Participation doesn't devalue youth sports, telling every kid they're "the best" does. Everyone can't be "the best."
To me, participation awards are great. It's a way to show ALL members of a 4th grade baseball team that their efforts are valued. Whether you're the best player on the team, or the worst, you can be on time, be coachable, be a good teammate, work hard, show improvement, and learn how to win and lose with grace. Aren't these traits we need to put to use in the "real world" each and every day?
Not every member of that 4th grade baseball team gets to pitch. They don't all get to hit in the cleanup spot or steal bases. They don't all get to play shortstop. Some will have to sit out a few innings while others will play the whole game. That's real life. We are better at some things than we are at others. We can't all be "the best."
Another reason I am in favor of participation awards is that I see declining participation on the horizon. I see too many parents that don't want their kids to be involved because they don't want to have to wake up on Saturday mornings to get them to soccer games, etc. If a participation ribbon or certificate is going to get a 3rd grader to go out for volleyball, let's do it.
I want EVERY child to be able to be part of a team, to learn the value of hard work, to learn how to overcome adversity. The "real world" is going to kick all of us in the teeth plenty once we get older. Let kids play. Let kids figure out through experiences what they like and don't like. They need to learn to develop confidence and earn trust from others.
Youth sports can be a positive microcosm of real life. You win some. You lose some. Sometimes, you play well. Other times, you kind of stink. Regardless of the outcome, you have to keep working. You have to set goals. You have to learn how to deal with success and overcome adversity.
You have to control what you can control and that is definitely a life lesson. Control your attitude, your effort level, and your commitment to the team. Sometimes, you might be "the best" on your team. Other times, you won't be. Find your role and embrace it to make yourself and the team better.
Just some random thoughts....
I truly don't think that participation awards devalue the importance of hard work and competition.
What devalues youth sports, in my opinion, is when each kid gets an MVP award or is selected to an "all star" game. Participation doesn't devalue youth sports, telling every kid they're "the best" does. Everyone can't be "the best."
To me, participation awards are great. It's a way to show ALL members of a 4th grade baseball team that their efforts are valued. Whether you're the best player on the team, or the worst, you can be on time, be coachable, be a good teammate, work hard, show improvement, and learn how to win and lose with grace. Aren't these traits we need to put to use in the "real world" each and every day?
Not every member of that 4th grade baseball team gets to pitch. They don't all get to hit in the cleanup spot or steal bases. They don't all get to play shortstop. Some will have to sit out a few innings while others will play the whole game. That's real life. We are better at some things than we are at others. We can't all be "the best."
Another reason I am in favor of participation awards is that I see declining participation on the horizon. I see too many parents that don't want their kids to be involved because they don't want to have to wake up on Saturday mornings to get them to soccer games, etc. If a participation ribbon or certificate is going to get a 3rd grader to go out for volleyball, let's do it.
I want EVERY child to be able to be part of a team, to learn the value of hard work, to learn how to overcome adversity. The "real world" is going to kick all of us in the teeth plenty once we get older. Let kids play. Let kids figure out through experiences what they like and don't like. They need to learn to develop confidence and earn trust from others.
Youth sports can be a positive microcosm of real life. You win some. You lose some. Sometimes, you play well. Other times, you kind of stink. Regardless of the outcome, you have to keep working. You have to set goals. You have to learn how to deal with success and overcome adversity.
You have to control what you can control and that is definitely a life lesson. Control your attitude, your effort level, and your commitment to the team. Sometimes, you might be "the best" on your team. Other times, you won't be. Find your role and embrace it to make yourself and the team better.
Just some random thoughts....
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
"The State Doesn't Levy Property Taxes"
The Nebraska State Chamber of Commerce is an important organization for us all. We need them to provide exceptional leadership as they get involved with economic development, workforce issues, and many other statewide initiatives.
The Nebraska State Chamber of Commerce will hold numerous meetings across the state this fall. They've already been in York. They will be in Aurora on September 18th, Henderson on September 25th, and in many other communities as well before Halloween. When they get asked about Nebraska's high rate of property taxes, they are often quick to say, “The state doesn’t levy property taxes…your high property taxes are due to spending at the local level.”
Well, that's not actually the case. The state does NOT levy property taxes. However, the state's lack of adequate and sustainable funding for public education FORCES local taxing entities to have an extreme over-reliance on local property taxes. It gets old to be blamed for high property taxes due to our spending when we have a 'funding' problem.
Here are some data points for you to read and decide on your own.
1) Nebraska K-12 schools receive 49% of their funding from local property taxes while the national average is 29%.
2) YPS receives about 74% of our funding from local property taxes. (The state doesn't levy property taxes but where else are we going to get our funding here in York?)
3) Nebraska K-12 schools receive 33% of their funding from state sources while the national average is 47%.
4) YPS receives only about 18% of our funding from state sources
YPS has had an average annual spending increase of just 1.3% since 2008-09. We’ve had a 0% spending increase since 2014-15. However, some still say it is a "spending problem."
Our TOTAL General Fund Property Taxes has increased 66.6% since 2008-09 for an average annual increase of 8.3%. However, our TOTAL General Fund Revenue has increased just 9.1% since 2008-09 for an average annual increase of 1.1%. That's right...property taxes went up over 66% since 2008-09 BUT those extra dollars basically just replaced lost revenue from the state and federal levels as our total revenue only went up an average of 1.1%.
Ok, let's adjust some spending data and see what happens with our property tax data above. Let's say YPS should have cut an extra million dollars out of our budget...we shouldn't be satisfied with an average annual spending increase of just 1.3%...we should be at 0% forever....never update technology for students....never replace old vehicles...never purchase updated curriculum tools....etc. If our 2016-17 spending and tax request was decreased by $1 million, our general fund tax request would still have gone up over 51% since 2008-09....does that solve the issue? Does a 6.4% average annual increase in local property taxes solve the problem? The answer is NO. We have a funding problem, folks.
School spending is not the culprit for high property taxes in Nebraska. School spending is already subject to annual spending and tax levy lids mandated at the state level. A better approach to true property tax relief would be to address how Nebraska funds schools so we can improve upon our rank of 49th in the nation for the percent of K-12 education funded by the state.
According to data obtained from the legislative fiscal office’s report from August 2015, total school district disbursements for Nebraska's public school districts of all funds grew by only an annual average of just 3.5% from 2003-04 through 2013-14. During the same 2003-04 through 2013-14 time span, the number of students educated statewide in Nebraska’s public schools increased 8.16% from 284,181 to 307,398.
York's TOTAL General Fun Spending has increased just 11.0% since 2008-09, for an average annual increase of 1.3%. We've had a0% spending increase since 2014-15. Much of the 11% spending increase since 2008-09 has been due to grant funded programming we've added to address the number of students we have living in poverty. TOTAL State Aid was $3.7 million in 2009 and is now $225,557.
"The state doesn't levy property taxes" but where else will YPS receive the money we need to operate?
I appreciate many of the tough issues our Nebraska State Chamber of Commerce has to address. The State Chamber employs many hard working folks. I wish them well as they try to make our state better. I hope they can try to take a look at some educational funding issues and see that Nebraska's great public schools are a true asset to this state, not an enemy.
The Nebraska State Chamber of Commerce will hold numerous meetings across the state this fall. They've already been in York. They will be in Aurora on September 18th, Henderson on September 25th, and in many other communities as well before Halloween. When they get asked about Nebraska's high rate of property taxes, they are often quick to say, “The state doesn’t levy property taxes…your high property taxes are due to spending at the local level.”
Well, that's not actually the case. The state does NOT levy property taxes. However, the state's lack of adequate and sustainable funding for public education FORCES local taxing entities to have an extreme over-reliance on local property taxes. It gets old to be blamed for high property taxes due to our spending when we have a 'funding' problem.
Here are some data points for you to read and decide on your own.
1) Nebraska K-12 schools receive 49% of their funding from local property taxes while the national average is 29%.
2) YPS receives about 74% of our funding from local property taxes. (The state doesn't levy property taxes but where else are we going to get our funding here in York?)
3) Nebraska K-12 schools receive 33% of their funding from state sources while the national average is 47%.
4) YPS receives only about 18% of our funding from state sources
YPS has had an average annual spending increase of just 1.3% since 2008-09. We’ve had a 0% spending increase since 2014-15. However, some still say it is a "spending problem."
Our TOTAL General Fund Property Taxes has increased 66.6% since 2008-09 for an average annual increase of 8.3%. However, our TOTAL General Fund Revenue has increased just 9.1% since 2008-09 for an average annual increase of 1.1%. That's right...property taxes went up over 66% since 2008-09 BUT those extra dollars basically just replaced lost revenue from the state and federal levels as our total revenue only went up an average of 1.1%.
Ok, let's adjust some spending data and see what happens with our property tax data above. Let's say YPS should have cut an extra million dollars out of our budget...we shouldn't be satisfied with an average annual spending increase of just 1.3%...we should be at 0% forever....never update technology for students....never replace old vehicles...never purchase updated curriculum tools....etc. If our 2016-17 spending and tax request was decreased by $1 million, our general fund tax request would still have gone up over 51% since 2008-09....does that solve the issue? Does a 6.4% average annual increase in local property taxes solve the problem? The answer is NO. We have a funding problem, folks.
School spending is not the culprit for high property taxes in Nebraska. School spending is already subject to annual spending and tax levy lids mandated at the state level. A better approach to true property tax relief would be to address how Nebraska funds schools so we can improve upon our rank of 49th in the nation for the percent of K-12 education funded by the state.
According to data obtained from the legislative fiscal office’s report from August 2015, total school district disbursements for Nebraska's public school districts of all funds grew by only an annual average of just 3.5% from 2003-04 through 2013-14. During the same 2003-04 through 2013-14 time span, the number of students educated statewide in Nebraska’s public schools increased 8.16% from 284,181 to 307,398.
York's TOTAL General Fun Spending has increased just 11.0% since 2008-09, for an average annual increase of 1.3%. We've had a0% spending increase since 2014-15. Much of the 11% spending increase since 2008-09 has been due to grant funded programming we've added to address the number of students we have living in poverty. TOTAL State Aid was $3.7 million in 2009 and is now $225,557.
"The state doesn't levy property taxes" but where else will YPS receive the money we need to operate?
I appreciate many of the tough issues our Nebraska State Chamber of Commerce has to address. The State Chamber employs many hard working folks. I wish them well as they try to make our state better. I hope they can try to take a look at some educational funding issues and see that Nebraska's great public schools are a true asset to this state, not an enemy.
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
Homecoming 2017
Believe it or not, we are gearing up for York Duke Homecoming the week of September 11th-17th. We have lots to celebrate and much to look forward to. We are hopeful that many of our alumni will continue to show their support for all that we do. Those of us that are lucky enough to serve York Public Schools today are very appreciative of our proud history and will continue to work hard to ensure a bright future for those York Dukes that come after us.
Here's some info about Homecoming 2017 and the various dress up days we will have at YHS.
MONDAY - Underwater/Beach Day
TUESDAY - Teacher/Student Swap Day where students dress like teachers and teachers dress like students
WEDNESDAY - Jersey Day
THURSDAY - Character/Disney/Marvel Day
FRIDAY - Duke Pride Blue & Gold Day
Our downtown parade/spirit march will be on Wednesday, September 13th at 2:45.
Our pep rally and bonfire will be on Wednesday, September 13th at 8:30 PM at YHS in the east parking lot. This late start time will allow Wednesday evening church activities to take place beforehand.
The Homecoming Dance will take place on Saturday, September 16th from 8:30-11:00 PM at a cost of $5 per person. No guests over the age of 20 will be allowed. All non-YHS students need to be registered on a "guest form" in the YHS office.
GO DUKES!
Here's some info about Homecoming 2017 and the various dress up days we will have at YHS.
MONDAY - Underwater/Beach Day
TUESDAY - Teacher/Student Swap Day where students dress like teachers and teachers dress like students
WEDNESDAY - Jersey Day
THURSDAY - Character/Disney/Marvel Day
FRIDAY - Duke Pride Blue & Gold Day
Our downtown parade/spirit march will be on Wednesday, September 13th at 2:45.
Our pep rally and bonfire will be on Wednesday, September 13th at 8:30 PM at YHS in the east parking lot. This late start time will allow Wednesday evening church activities to take place beforehand.
The Homecoming Dance will take place on Saturday, September 16th from 8:30-11:00 PM at a cost of $5 per person. No guests over the age of 20 will be allowed. All non-YHS students need to be registered on a "guest form" in the YHS office.
GO DUKES!
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Wednesday Nights, Social Media, and Academics vs. Activities
Wednesday Evenings
We try extremely hard to be respectful of Wednesday evenings and all of the outstanding offerings our amazing churches make available for the young people of our community. This year’s “Back to School Celebration and Community Pep Rally” was held on a Wednesday so it wouldn’t conflict with school activities we had every other night of the week. With school starting a little bit later this year, our school activities actually began on the second day of school and August 23rd was the only day that we could select without a school conflict. We began to publicize this in late June but didn’t do a good enough job of making sure all of the churches in town knew the date and rationale. That’s my fault and we will get it fixed.
We were told that church offerings on Wednesday night wouldn’t begin until after Labor Day but we now know that wasn’t entirely accurate for all churches in town. We apologize for the schedule conflict. If we want to be able to have school start a little later in the future, like it did this year, we might have to stick with a Wednesday night “Celebration and Pep Rally.” We will be sure to communicate with church leaders this spring so they can plan accordingly. Thanks again to all of the churches in this community that provide so many wonderful opportunities on Wednesday evenings.
Social Media
York Public Schools is fairly active on social media. We have accounts on Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook. We also utilize podcasts and are always looking for ways to connect with others and share about our school system.
We have many specialized accounts on Facebook and Twitter that focus on just one program or one aspect of our school system. We also have @YorkDukePower on Twitter that will share almost anything and everything about YPS from pictures of school lunches to budget info to scores of ballgames, reminders about upcoming events, videos of our band, motivational quotes, and student achievement data highlights.
We’re not able to share every individual accomplishment of all 1,350 students on our social media outlets. Obviously, we are extremely proud of our students that do well in the classroom and on assessments but we aren’t able to share each individual accomplishment because we would just never be able to keep up. This doesn’t mean we’re more proud of the YHS Band at the Harvest of Harmony Parade or the YHS Volleyball Team at the Conference Tournament than an individual student who has a 4.0 GPA; it just means we try to post about activities that involve groups of students as opposed to individual accomplishments.
Academics and Activities
We feel extremely fortunate that YPS students have opportunities to excel in all areas of our school system. Academics will always be our top priority, although it sometimes gets less attention than “activities.” Academics don’t always make the front page of the paper or get bragged about at the coffee shop but that doesn’t mean they’re not important and not our primary focus every day. We have some outstanding students that do exemplary work in our classrooms. Academically, our student achievement scores are higher than they’ve ever been on statewide assessments.
• Over 87% of our students achieve at/above the proficiency level on state reading assessments.
• Over 85% of our students achieve at/above the proficiency level on state math assessments.
• During the 2016-17 school year, 950 college credits were earned by YHS juniors and seniors enrolled in dual credit courses
• We offer over 14 career academies and have recently added an online Criminal Justice academy
Our “Activities Department” is rolling as well. We have won multiple state championships in Fine Arts and Athletics over the past few years. We have numerous programs that are state ranked and perennial powers that battle for conference, district, and state titles on a yearly basis. We have strong extra-curricular offerings like FFA and FBLA that send kids to national contests annually. We have multiple choirs and band ensembles that produce amazing music. We have some unbelievably talented artists and student-athletes. We have many amazing individual accomplishments within all of our team programs.
It's a great time to be a York Duke.
Thanks for your support.
We try extremely hard to be respectful of Wednesday evenings and all of the outstanding offerings our amazing churches make available for the young people of our community. This year’s “Back to School Celebration and Community Pep Rally” was held on a Wednesday so it wouldn’t conflict with school activities we had every other night of the week. With school starting a little bit later this year, our school activities actually began on the second day of school and August 23rd was the only day that we could select without a school conflict. We began to publicize this in late June but didn’t do a good enough job of making sure all of the churches in town knew the date and rationale. That’s my fault and we will get it fixed.
We were told that church offerings on Wednesday night wouldn’t begin until after Labor Day but we now know that wasn’t entirely accurate for all churches in town. We apologize for the schedule conflict. If we want to be able to have school start a little later in the future, like it did this year, we might have to stick with a Wednesday night “Celebration and Pep Rally.” We will be sure to communicate with church leaders this spring so they can plan accordingly. Thanks again to all of the churches in this community that provide so many wonderful opportunities on Wednesday evenings.
Social Media
York Public Schools is fairly active on social media. We have accounts on Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook. We also utilize podcasts and are always looking for ways to connect with others and share about our school system.
We have many specialized accounts on Facebook and Twitter that focus on just one program or one aspect of our school system. We also have @YorkDukePower on Twitter that will share almost anything and everything about YPS from pictures of school lunches to budget info to scores of ballgames, reminders about upcoming events, videos of our band, motivational quotes, and student achievement data highlights.
We’re not able to share every individual accomplishment of all 1,350 students on our social media outlets. Obviously, we are extremely proud of our students that do well in the classroom and on assessments but we aren’t able to share each individual accomplishment because we would just never be able to keep up. This doesn’t mean we’re more proud of the YHS Band at the Harvest of Harmony Parade or the YHS Volleyball Team at the Conference Tournament than an individual student who has a 4.0 GPA; it just means we try to post about activities that involve groups of students as opposed to individual accomplishments.
Academics and Activities
We feel extremely fortunate that YPS students have opportunities to excel in all areas of our school system. Academics will always be our top priority, although it sometimes gets less attention than “activities.” Academics don’t always make the front page of the paper or get bragged about at the coffee shop but that doesn’t mean they’re not important and not our primary focus every day. We have some outstanding students that do exemplary work in our classrooms. Academically, our student achievement scores are higher than they’ve ever been on statewide assessments.
• Over 87% of our students achieve at/above the proficiency level on state reading assessments.
• Over 85% of our students achieve at/above the proficiency level on state math assessments.
• During the 2016-17 school year, 950 college credits were earned by YHS juniors and seniors enrolled in dual credit courses
• We offer over 14 career academies and have recently added an online Criminal Justice academy
Our “Activities Department” is rolling as well. We have won multiple state championships in Fine Arts and Athletics over the past few years. We have numerous programs that are state ranked and perennial powers that battle for conference, district, and state titles on a yearly basis. We have strong extra-curricular offerings like FFA and FBLA that send kids to national contests annually. We have multiple choirs and band ensembles that produce amazing music. We have some unbelievably talented artists and student-athletes. We have many amazing individual accomplishments within all of our team programs.
It's a great time to be a York Duke.
Thanks for your support.
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Special Olympics Nebraska
YORK, Nebraska is the PROUD home of the Special Olympics Nebraska State Flag Football Tournament on October 21st and 22nd. We are EXTREMELY excited for this opportunity! Special Olympics Nebraska is a tremendous service oriented organization that we're thrilled to support.
I've had the good fortune of helping out with Special Olympic events when I was in high school in Florida and when I worked in Franklin, Nebraska. Every second you spend around Special Olympians is worth it. I love to feed off their enthusiasm, energy, respect, and just pure joy of doing something they love. If you ever want, or need to re-focus and find "perspective," get involved with Special Olympics!
We anticipate 20+ teams and over 400 spectators and you better believe we will be rolling out red carpet for these folks. We'll be looking for around 50 volunteers to work 4-hour shifts. Volunteers will be needed to run the scoreboards, hold the down markers, help with the skills competition, and assist with awards. We will also need lots of "fans in the stands" to cheer these teams on. If you want to get involved, please let me know.
We are so grateful for Special Olympics Nebraska and all they do for folks with special needs. This is going to be a HUGE success for York, Nebraska.
I've had the good fortune of helping out with Special Olympic events when I was in high school in Florida and when I worked in Franklin, Nebraska. Every second you spend around Special Olympians is worth it. I love to feed off their enthusiasm, energy, respect, and just pure joy of doing something they love. If you ever want, or need to re-focus and find "perspective," get involved with Special Olympics!
We anticipate 20+ teams and over 400 spectators and you better believe we will be rolling out red carpet for these folks. We'll be looking for around 50 volunteers to work 4-hour shifts. Volunteers will be needed to run the scoreboards, hold the down markers, help with the skills competition, and assist with awards. We will also need lots of "fans in the stands" to cheer these teams on. If you want to get involved, please let me know.
We are so grateful for Special Olympics Nebraska and all they do for folks with special needs. This is going to be a HUGE success for York, Nebraska.
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
45 Years Old and Still Learning
I turned 45 years old on August 14th so I felt it was fitting for this week's blog to share some of the things I've learned in those 45 years. In education, we often talk about "lifelong learners" and that is what I hope I can be. Sometimes, I'm a slow learner. Sometimes, I'm a reluctant learner. I just hope I can keep on learning as I will always be a "work in progress."
* Things are typically never as bad as you think they are....things are typically never as good as you think they are...it's easier to not get too low or too high...the swing of emotions from one extreme to the other can wear you out! Stay the course and don't get too excited or too depressed about a current situation...it can, and will, change often in most instances...
* Listening to actually listen and comprehend another person's point-of-view is way better than listening just so you can respond and debate your point of view
* There are many great people in the world, and certainly in Nebraska. Too often, we focus on selfish and entitled energy vampires that are unable to be happy for others instead of the energetic, positive, and enthusiastic people we should surround ourselves with. Cutting out as much fake from your life as you can allows you to focus on people that really matter.
* Learn to enjoy the small victories along the way because there will always be bigger challenges and adversities on the horizon. If you can't celebrate when given the opportunity, it is going to be hard to maintain your enthusiasm and sanity. Try not to let "losses" in your life hurt more than the "victories" in life feel good....it's hard to do...
* Have high expectations for yourself and be your own harshest critic but also give yourself a break from time to time. None of us are perfect and we need to be able to forgive ourselves once in a while.
* Good things happen to people that work hard.
* Black jellybeans aren't as good as purple jellybeans and pink ones are the tastiest of them all.
* When you're having a bad day, visit a kindergarten classroom as it is sure to put a smile on your face.
* It's the "little fish that steal the bait." By this, I mean it is often the little issues that cause big problems. Provide plenty of "attention to detail." Double-check on things. Beat a dead horse. Make sure that i's are dotted and t's are crossed. Some people will make fun of you for doing so but they'll also be glad you do when they have to count on you.
* You're going to get criticized for anything/everything you do. Be true to yourself. Be strong in your convictions and do what you think is best.
* Facebook and social media isn't real life...everyone is NOT living a happier and more successful life than you are...
* Control what you can control and don't spend too much energy on things beyond your control
* Always be thankful for what you can do instead of focusing on what you can't do...we need more positive in the world
* We need to get rid of Democrats and Republicans and focus on Americans....
* Spend time with your grandparents whenever you have the opportunity....your older self will be glad you did
* People that make fun of others for how they look, how much they weigh, what color their skin is, or how they talk are despicable....be kind...we all get one shot at life....be supportive of others even if they look different than you or believe differently than you do...
These are just some of the things that I've learned in 45 years. I need to be a better husband and dad in the next 45 years. I need to exhibit more patience, better voice tone, and more understanding of stressful situations and how they impact those around me. Here's to another 45-years!
* Things are typically never as bad as you think they are....things are typically never as good as you think they are...it's easier to not get too low or too high...the swing of emotions from one extreme to the other can wear you out! Stay the course and don't get too excited or too depressed about a current situation...it can, and will, change often in most instances...
* Listening to actually listen and comprehend another person's point-of-view is way better than listening just so you can respond and debate your point of view
* There are many great people in the world, and certainly in Nebraska. Too often, we focus on selfish and entitled energy vampires that are unable to be happy for others instead of the energetic, positive, and enthusiastic people we should surround ourselves with. Cutting out as much fake from your life as you can allows you to focus on people that really matter.
* Learn to enjoy the small victories along the way because there will always be bigger challenges and adversities on the horizon. If you can't celebrate when given the opportunity, it is going to be hard to maintain your enthusiasm and sanity. Try not to let "losses" in your life hurt more than the "victories" in life feel good....it's hard to do...
* Have high expectations for yourself and be your own harshest critic but also give yourself a break from time to time. None of us are perfect and we need to be able to forgive ourselves once in a while.
* Good things happen to people that work hard.
* Black jellybeans aren't as good as purple jellybeans and pink ones are the tastiest of them all.
* When you're having a bad day, visit a kindergarten classroom as it is sure to put a smile on your face.
* It's the "little fish that steal the bait." By this, I mean it is often the little issues that cause big problems. Provide plenty of "attention to detail." Double-check on things. Beat a dead horse. Make sure that i's are dotted and t's are crossed. Some people will make fun of you for doing so but they'll also be glad you do when they have to count on you.
* You're going to get criticized for anything/everything you do. Be true to yourself. Be strong in your convictions and do what you think is best.
* Facebook and social media isn't real life...everyone is NOT living a happier and more successful life than you are...
* Control what you can control and don't spend too much energy on things beyond your control
* Always be thankful for what you can do instead of focusing on what you can't do...we need more positive in the world
* We need to get rid of Democrats and Republicans and focus on Americans....
* Spend time with your grandparents whenever you have the opportunity....your older self will be glad you did
* People that make fun of others for how they look, how much they weigh, what color their skin is, or how they talk are despicable....be kind...we all get one shot at life....be supportive of others even if they look different than you or believe differently than you do...
These are just some of the things that I've learned in 45 years. I need to be a better husband and dad in the next 45 years. I need to exhibit more patience, better voice tone, and more understanding of stressful situations and how they impact those around me. Here's to another 45-years!
Monday, August 7, 2017
YOU'RE INVITED -- YPS Budget and Tax Request Meetings
YOU’RE INVITED!
Our school board and administration remains committed to being very transparent about our budget, property tax request, planning for the future, controlling our spending, etc.
I am hosting two special meetings for anyone that wishes to attend to learn more about school finance and the main cogs of the YPS budget and tax request. FREE coffee and some light snacks will be available to all attendees. Bring a friend! The meetings will take place at our District Administration building at 1715 N. Delaware Avenue on the east side of the York High School campus. These meetings typically last 75-90 minutes.
• Wednesday, August 30th at 8:00 AM
• Friday, September 8th at 8:00 AM
We will show attendees what our 2017-18 budget will look like compared to 2015-16, 2016-17, and other prior years. Our 2016-17 fiscal year ends on August 31st and we will show less than a 0.002% spending increase since 2014-15. Revenue for 2016-17 will be around $700,000 less than 2015-16 despite an increase in our local property tax request of over $1 million.
You’ll also receive an informative update on a coalition that we helped form called “Nebraskans United for Property Tax Reform and Education” that has Nebraska Farmers Union, Nebraska Farm Bureau, and other ag organizations working hand-in-hand with K-12 education organizations on property tax reform and education funding initiatives. Below is a quick snapshot of our guiding principles.
• Nebraska must reduce property taxes to ensure a fair and balanced tax system.
o Nebraska ranks 49th in the country in the percentage of K-12 funding that comes from the state.
o Nebraskans pays the 7th highest effective property tax rate in the nation.
• To fund the state budget, we need a tax system that is fair and balanced for all Nebraska taxpayers. Nebraska’s taxpayers need a significant reduction in property taxes.
o Nebraska K-12 schools receive 33% of their funding from state sources while the national average is 47%.
o Nebraska K-12 schools receive 49% of their funding from local property taxes while the national average is 29%.
If you’re unable to make it on August 30th or September 8th, feel free to come to our board of education meeting on September 11th at 7:00 PM or call me to set up a special time that works for you. We want to communicate at a high level and make sure the patrons of York Public Schools are well informed of what is going on in the world of education funding and an over-reliance on local property taxes.
Go Dukes,
Mike Lucas
402-366-6491 (cell)
mike.lucas@yorkdukes.org
Our school board and administration remains committed to being very transparent about our budget, property tax request, planning for the future, controlling our spending, etc.
I am hosting two special meetings for anyone that wishes to attend to learn more about school finance and the main cogs of the YPS budget and tax request. FREE coffee and some light snacks will be available to all attendees. Bring a friend! The meetings will take place at our District Administration building at 1715 N. Delaware Avenue on the east side of the York High School campus. These meetings typically last 75-90 minutes.
• Wednesday, August 30th at 8:00 AM
• Friday, September 8th at 8:00 AM
We will show attendees what our 2017-18 budget will look like compared to 2015-16, 2016-17, and other prior years. Our 2016-17 fiscal year ends on August 31st and we will show less than a 0.002% spending increase since 2014-15. Revenue for 2016-17 will be around $700,000 less than 2015-16 despite an increase in our local property tax request of over $1 million.
You’ll also receive an informative update on a coalition that we helped form called “Nebraskans United for Property Tax Reform and Education” that has Nebraska Farmers Union, Nebraska Farm Bureau, and other ag organizations working hand-in-hand with K-12 education organizations on property tax reform and education funding initiatives. Below is a quick snapshot of our guiding principles.
• Nebraska must reduce property taxes to ensure a fair and balanced tax system.
o Nebraska ranks 49th in the country in the percentage of K-12 funding that comes from the state.
o Nebraskans pays the 7th highest effective property tax rate in the nation.
• To fund the state budget, we need a tax system that is fair and balanced for all Nebraska taxpayers. Nebraska’s taxpayers need a significant reduction in property taxes.
o Nebraska K-12 schools receive 33% of their funding from state sources while the national average is 47%.
o Nebraska K-12 schools receive 49% of their funding from local property taxes while the national average is 29%.
If you’re unable to make it on August 30th or September 8th, feel free to come to our board of education meeting on September 11th at 7:00 PM or call me to set up a special time that works for you. We want to communicate at a high level and make sure the patrons of York Public Schools are well informed of what is going on in the world of education funding and an over-reliance on local property taxes.
Go Dukes,
Mike Lucas
402-366-6491 (cell)
mike.lucas@yorkdukes.org
Friday, August 4, 2017
Preparing to "Set Sail" for our 2017-18 "Voyage"
There's no "tired" like "August tired" for professional educators. No matter how much we get accomplished in June and July, August always hits us like a vicious Mike Tyson uppercut. We have to manage the chaos, stress, and pressure to ensure that our 2016-17 fiscal year wraps up just as our 2017-18 school year gets going. It's hectic but we wouldn't have it any other way!
The first 10-12 days of August are much like preparing for a long voyage. You have to prepare, double-check, over-plan, ensure proper procedures, communicate, provide tremendous attention to detail, and come up with alternative plans for when adversity strikes.
Now entering my 24th year in education, and 15th as a superintendent, I am more thankful than ever for our STUDENTS.
Working FOR kids is what makes education such a rewarding career. To be completely honest, I couldn't do this job if it was just for adults. Having a small hand in removing obstacles and creating opportunities for our young people is what motivates us to put up with all of the stress that comes with this profession. You navigate the brutal days by remembering "the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing" and that is the needs of your students.
The stakes get higher every year. I can't remember the last time anything got dropped off our "to-do list" but things get added all the time. We're doing more than we've ever done; and we're doing it with less funding. Our students deserve our best each and every day and that's what they're going to get. We won't let them down.
As leaders of the school district, we'll need to bring more energy and excitement to work than we ever have before. We have to have "labrador enthusiasm" that is contagious and makes everyone around us excited about York Public Schools. We have to believe that 2017-18 is going to be our best voyage yet. It's about time to set sail!
The first 10-12 days of August are much like preparing for a long voyage. You have to prepare, double-check, over-plan, ensure proper procedures, communicate, provide tremendous attention to detail, and come up with alternative plans for when adversity strikes.
Now entering my 24th year in education, and 15th as a superintendent, I am more thankful than ever for our STUDENTS.
Working FOR kids is what makes education such a rewarding career. To be completely honest, I couldn't do this job if it was just for adults. Having a small hand in removing obstacles and creating opportunities for our young people is what motivates us to put up with all of the stress that comes with this profession. You navigate the brutal days by remembering "the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing" and that is the needs of your students.
The stakes get higher every year. I can't remember the last time anything got dropped off our "to-do list" but things get added all the time. We're doing more than we've ever done; and we're doing it with less funding. Our students deserve our best each and every day and that's what they're going to get. We won't let them down.
As leaders of the school district, we'll need to bring more energy and excitement to work than we ever have before. We have to have "labrador enthusiasm" that is contagious and makes everyone around us excited about York Public Schools. We have to believe that 2017-18 is going to be our best voyage yet. It's about time to set sail!
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
A Salute to Exceptional STEP-PARENTS
Brenda Lucas is my dad's second wife of almost 40 years. On paper, she is my "step mom." In my heart, she is "mom" just like my biological mom. I love them both very much.
Last July 31st, Brenda had a heart attack in an airport in Arizona and flat-lined twice. She was brought back from death two different times. It was the worst phone call I've ever received in my life. As this July 31st rolls around, we are so fortunate to be able to send her a plant, card, and well wishes. She is doing better than ever and looks and feels amazing.
Brenda is a wonderful mom, mother-in-law, and grandma. She goes by "Oma" as her "grandma name."
I wanted to share this because there are so many outstanding "step-parents" out there that make a positive difference in the lives of kids every day. I salute all step-parents that love and support their step-kids like Brenda took me in.
Below is the message I put in a card for her to receive on Monday, the 1-year "anniversary" of her near fatal episode.
Brenda/Oma:
We love you very much! We are so thankful that you survived the heart attack last July 31st. That was the scariest phone call I've ever received and I just can't put into words how blessed we feel that you made it through.
You know, I've never really felt comfortable with the word "step-mom" because that doesn't do justice to what you mean to me. YOU are a major reason that I've been able to find some success as an adult.
When you came into my life, things could have "zigged" or "zagged" for the better or worse. You never resented the craziness that came along with my side of the family and the wounds from the divorce between my dad and other mom. You always treated me like your biological son. You never made my dad "choose" between time with me or time with you. From my very first memories with you, it's always been kindness, unselfishness, and love.
You helped make my dad into the great man he is today. You helped make our family stronger. I see so many young people today that have horrible situations that pop up through divorced parents, step-parents, etc. and I just can't thank you enough for being my MOM and not a "step-mom."
I just can't thank you enough for what you mean to me, what you mean to Liesl as a mother-in-law, or what you mean to our kids as Oma. You're a very special person.
You're one of the people I admire most in the world. Your calm demeanor, acceptance of others, unselfishness, and kind spirit motivate me each day.
I look forward to sending you a plant or a card on July 31st for decades to come. I love you as my MOM and that is such a special feeling for me to have.
Thank you for being amazing. You've impacted my life in more ways than I can express.
The link below is to a song by Brad Paisley about "step dads" so the words don't align perfectly for you and I but you will get the point...."You didn't have to be" so wonderful to me but you were/are and that makes a positive difference in my life every day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjO1F6oCab8
Last July 31st, Brenda had a heart attack in an airport in Arizona and flat-lined twice. She was brought back from death two different times. It was the worst phone call I've ever received in my life. As this July 31st rolls around, we are so fortunate to be able to send her a plant, card, and well wishes. She is doing better than ever and looks and feels amazing.
Brenda is a wonderful mom, mother-in-law, and grandma. She goes by "Oma" as her "grandma name."
I wanted to share this because there are so many outstanding "step-parents" out there that make a positive difference in the lives of kids every day. I salute all step-parents that love and support their step-kids like Brenda took me in.
Below is the message I put in a card for her to receive on Monday, the 1-year "anniversary" of her near fatal episode.
Brenda/Oma:
We love you very much! We are so thankful that you survived the heart attack last July 31st. That was the scariest phone call I've ever received and I just can't put into words how blessed we feel that you made it through.
You know, I've never really felt comfortable with the word "step-mom" because that doesn't do justice to what you mean to me. YOU are a major reason that I've been able to find some success as an adult.
When you came into my life, things could have "zigged" or "zagged" for the better or worse. You never resented the craziness that came along with my side of the family and the wounds from the divorce between my dad and other mom. You always treated me like your biological son. You never made my dad "choose" between time with me or time with you. From my very first memories with you, it's always been kindness, unselfishness, and love.
You helped make my dad into the great man he is today. You helped make our family stronger. I see so many young people today that have horrible situations that pop up through divorced parents, step-parents, etc. and I just can't thank you enough for being my MOM and not a "step-mom."
I just can't thank you enough for what you mean to me, what you mean to Liesl as a mother-in-law, or what you mean to our kids as Oma. You're a very special person.
You're one of the people I admire most in the world. Your calm demeanor, acceptance of others, unselfishness, and kind spirit motivate me each day.
I look forward to sending you a plant or a card on July 31st for decades to come. I love you as my MOM and that is such a special feeling for me to have.
Thank you for being amazing. You've impacted my life in more ways than I can express.
The link below is to a song by Brad Paisley about "step dads" so the words don't align perfectly for you and I but you will get the point...."You didn't have to be" so wonderful to me but you were/are and that makes a positive difference in my life every day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjO1F6oCab8
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
BE ONE
Our 2017-18 school year begins in 28 days on August 16th. I can't wait. Our theme for the year is "BE ONE." It has a double meaning that we will emphasize with students, staff, and community throughout the year.
First off, "BE ONE" is about being TOGETHER....we're ALL just a bunch of YORK DUKES. We're all part of the YPS FAMILY. We are ONE. We need to be there to help each other celebrate successes because we will have many this year. We need to be there to help each other overcome adversity because there will be plenty of that too! Whether you work at YES, YMS, YHS, the district office, pre-school, enrichment center or bus barn, we are ONE...we are York Dukes. We serve "The Y" of York Public Schools. Our duty is to make our school district better. We can't operate in silos and only worry about just our classroom or school. We're a total organization that is trying to become and stay elite in every way. Whether you're a teacher, cook, custodian, para, driver, nurse, mechanic, administrator, administrative assistant, coach, sponsor, or anything else, we're ONE as a team and work family. "BE ONE" is about being together and being part of a bigger picture that is more important than any one individual, team, building, program, or group.
Another meaning of our "BE ONE" theme is for each individual York Duke to strive to "BE ONE" that does exemplary things. BE ONE of those teachers that believes in ALL of your students and helps instill hope in everything they do. BE ONE of those teachers that does whatever needs to be done to help each student in your class learn the content they need. BE ONE of those teachers that leads with such a positive energy that others can't help but notice. BE ONE of those school employees that takes pride in everything you do, whether it is washing lunch trays, answering phones, mowing and pulling weeds, emptying trash, driving a bus, or working with small groups of students. BE ONE of those school administrators that is super-organized and willing and able to have difficult conversations as needed. BE ONE of those coaches and sponsors that helps each kid in your program feel worthy and a sense of accomplishment. BE ONE of those students that is kind to all others and won't tolerate bullying or lackluster effort. BE ONE of those students that takes advantage of the amazing opportunities you have in York. BE ONE of those students that lifts others up instead of trying to tear them down. BE ONE that is a leader and is respectful and a tremendous representative of our town, our school system, and your family.
BE ONE that does whatever has to be done, whenever it has to be done, however it has to be done to make YPS better. BE ONE that makes a positive difference every day!
BE ONE!
First off, "BE ONE" is about being TOGETHER....we're ALL just a bunch of YORK DUKES. We're all part of the YPS FAMILY. We are ONE. We need to be there to help each other celebrate successes because we will have many this year. We need to be there to help each other overcome adversity because there will be plenty of that too! Whether you work at YES, YMS, YHS, the district office, pre-school, enrichment center or bus barn, we are ONE...we are York Dukes. We serve "The Y" of York Public Schools. Our duty is to make our school district better. We can't operate in silos and only worry about just our classroom or school. We're a total organization that is trying to become and stay elite in every way. Whether you're a teacher, cook, custodian, para, driver, nurse, mechanic, administrator, administrative assistant, coach, sponsor, or anything else, we're ONE as a team and work family. "BE ONE" is about being together and being part of a bigger picture that is more important than any one individual, team, building, program, or group.
Another meaning of our "BE ONE" theme is for each individual York Duke to strive to "BE ONE" that does exemplary things. BE ONE of those teachers that believes in ALL of your students and helps instill hope in everything they do. BE ONE of those teachers that does whatever needs to be done to help each student in your class learn the content they need. BE ONE of those teachers that leads with such a positive energy that others can't help but notice. BE ONE of those school employees that takes pride in everything you do, whether it is washing lunch trays, answering phones, mowing and pulling weeds, emptying trash, driving a bus, or working with small groups of students. BE ONE of those school administrators that is super-organized and willing and able to have difficult conversations as needed. BE ONE of those coaches and sponsors that helps each kid in your program feel worthy and a sense of accomplishment. BE ONE of those students that is kind to all others and won't tolerate bullying or lackluster effort. BE ONE of those students that takes advantage of the amazing opportunities you have in York. BE ONE of those students that lifts others up instead of trying to tear them down. BE ONE that is a leader and is respectful and a tremendous representative of our town, our school system, and your family.
BE ONE that does whatever has to be done, whenever it has to be done, however it has to be done to make YPS better. BE ONE that makes a positive difference every day!
BE ONE!
Thursday, July 13, 2017
Trust, Sustainability, and Economic Development
The more and more involved I get with "school funding" and "property tax reform" the more convinced I am that we have a huge lack of trust between school districts and the legislature. Let me explain...for decades, schools have been accused of spending too much money, of "manipulating the system" to earn more equalization aid from the state, etc. You will hear some current and former state senators lament that "schools will spend $10 to earn $1 more in equalization aid." On the other hand, schools will be quick to point out that we've been promised "adequate" and "sustainable" funding many times in the past only to have the carpet pulled out from underneath us on a very routine basis. Trust is broken on both sides and it's not easy trying to build it back up.
School districts aren't able to operate as proactively as we would like because we have no idea what our revenue will be from year to year. Think about it, being able to reasonably project revenue with which you create a budget around for this year, next year, and two years down the road can help you become much more efficient. You can be strategic about large-ticket purchases like school buses, curriculum adoptions, technology upgrades, etc. Being proactive is always better than reactive. School boards get lambasted in the court of public opinion when they deal with a valuation increase but don't drop the levy and local tax request. Perhaps many school boards do that because they are terrified about what the next year will bring on the revenue side. You see, us "school folks" know that TEEOSA, the funding formula used here in Nebraska, has only been fully funded 3 times in the past 16 years. We know the system and how "the game" gets played legislatively and that when the state is short of money, they reduce their support to public education knowing good and well that local property taxes will fill in the gap they've created. Trust is broken on both sides and it's not easy trying to build it back up.
Many of us K-12 leaders are working hard through our local school boards and "Nebraskans United for Property Tax Reform and Education" to come up with viable solutions that will cut down on our over-reliance on local property taxes and allow for more sustainability when it comes to adequately and consistently funding high quality public schools in our state. It's a difficult and landmine filled task. Our state has an addiction to local property taxes to pay for local services. Several powerful people and organizations want to keep it that way while the vast majority of "regular Nebraskans" are literally begging for a new method of funding K-12 education and the bullets below show why!
** Nebraska K-12 schools receive 49% of their funding from local property taxes while the national average is 29%.
** YPS receives about 72% of our funding from local property taxes.
** Nebraska K-12 schools receive 33% of their funding from state sources while the national average is 47%.
** YPS receives about 18% of our funding from state sources.
Here in York, we're working towards wrapping up the 2016-17 fiscal year on August 31st. It's a fiscal year that will have us spending less than we spent in 2015-16 or 2014-15. Unfortunately, it's also a year that will see our revenue decrease by $800,000 from 2015-16 and $700,000 from 2014-15.
As we look ahead to 2017-18, the picture gets even worse. Our revenue is projected to "rebound" back up by $100,000; leaving us still way behind what we received in 2014-15 or 2015-16. Our valuation has flat-lined which is great news for our property owners but we aren't receiving any state money to fill in the gap. In fact, our total amount of state equalization aid will be $166,556. We were at $3.7 million in 2009. Keep in mind that in 2017-18, we will educate about 150 more students in 2017-18 than we did in 2009.
Our average annual spending increase will be 1.3% over the past eight years with a 0% increase since 2014-15. Curriculum adoption will be delayed again. We'll try to get another year out of our 28-year old bus.
"Trust" and "sustainability of adequate school funding" are two things I'm working hard on with my colleagues and elected officials. We have to improve both if we're going to make the monumental improvements necessary here in Nebraska.
One parting shot I would like to address is the importance of "economic development" in each community across our state. I know I sound like a "homer" but to me, K-12 education is about as big of an economic development force that any community can have. If a community doesn't have a highly effective K-12 school system, they're not going to make it. They're not going to attract new businesses or retain existing ones. They're not going to attract families to move in or to stay. In many small towns, the school district's activities are THE economic stimulus that they rely on. When I lived in Franklin, there wasn't much that brought folks to town like our awesome concerts, plays, and athletic contests. Those were the best revenue nights for our one restaurant, The Black Powder. Those were the days that our three gas stations were busy and even ol' Rightway Grocery got some extra business.
The Nebraska State Chamber of Commerce continues their negative take on Nebraska's K-12 public schools. They are quick to point out how much property tax revenue we use, how much education costs, etc. They send out one-sided info on our student assessment scores leaving the perception our schools are under-delivering and over-spending. It's a downright shame they're not proud of the fact that Nebraska's public schools have one of the highest graduation rates in the nation. It's sad they're not promoting the fact that Nebraska's public schools have the highest average ACT score in the nation for the 15+ states that have 80% or more of their kids taking the ACT. It's unfortunate the State Chamber doesn't understand the tremendous gains made all across the state on the Nebraska State Assessments since 2010. It's unbelievable they don't celebrate the extremely innovative "career education programming" in place in numerous school districts/communities across the state. Little 'ol York has 14 career academies, internship programming, work certification offerings, multiple business partnerships, and a manufacturing class. There's LOTS to be proud of!
York Public Schools has an amazing relationship with our local Chamber of Commerce. We partner up for numerous events. We appreciate each other. Many other communities and local Chambers enjoy the same level of respect and partnership. It's too bad the State Chamber of Commerce doesn't do the same.
School districts aren't able to operate as proactively as we would like because we have no idea what our revenue will be from year to year. Think about it, being able to reasonably project revenue with which you create a budget around for this year, next year, and two years down the road can help you become much more efficient. You can be strategic about large-ticket purchases like school buses, curriculum adoptions, technology upgrades, etc. Being proactive is always better than reactive. School boards get lambasted in the court of public opinion when they deal with a valuation increase but don't drop the levy and local tax request. Perhaps many school boards do that because they are terrified about what the next year will bring on the revenue side. You see, us "school folks" know that TEEOSA, the funding formula used here in Nebraska, has only been fully funded 3 times in the past 16 years. We know the system and how "the game" gets played legislatively and that when the state is short of money, they reduce their support to public education knowing good and well that local property taxes will fill in the gap they've created. Trust is broken on both sides and it's not easy trying to build it back up.
Many of us K-12 leaders are working hard through our local school boards and "Nebraskans United for Property Tax Reform and Education" to come up with viable solutions that will cut down on our over-reliance on local property taxes and allow for more sustainability when it comes to adequately and consistently funding high quality public schools in our state. It's a difficult and landmine filled task. Our state has an addiction to local property taxes to pay for local services. Several powerful people and organizations want to keep it that way while the vast majority of "regular Nebraskans" are literally begging for a new method of funding K-12 education and the bullets below show why!
** Nebraska K-12 schools receive 49% of their funding from local property taxes while the national average is 29%.
** YPS receives about 72% of our funding from local property taxes.
** Nebraska K-12 schools receive 33% of their funding from state sources while the national average is 47%.
** YPS receives about 18% of our funding from state sources.
Here in York, we're working towards wrapping up the 2016-17 fiscal year on August 31st. It's a fiscal year that will have us spending less than we spent in 2015-16 or 2014-15. Unfortunately, it's also a year that will see our revenue decrease by $800,000 from 2015-16 and $700,000 from 2014-15.
As we look ahead to 2017-18, the picture gets even worse. Our revenue is projected to "rebound" back up by $100,000; leaving us still way behind what we received in 2014-15 or 2015-16. Our valuation has flat-lined which is great news for our property owners but we aren't receiving any state money to fill in the gap. In fact, our total amount of state equalization aid will be $166,556. We were at $3.7 million in 2009. Keep in mind that in 2017-18, we will educate about 150 more students in 2017-18 than we did in 2009.
Our average annual spending increase will be 1.3% over the past eight years with a 0% increase since 2014-15. Curriculum adoption will be delayed again. We'll try to get another year out of our 28-year old bus.
"Trust" and "sustainability of adequate school funding" are two things I'm working hard on with my colleagues and elected officials. We have to improve both if we're going to make the monumental improvements necessary here in Nebraska.
One parting shot I would like to address is the importance of "economic development" in each community across our state. I know I sound like a "homer" but to me, K-12 education is about as big of an economic development force that any community can have. If a community doesn't have a highly effective K-12 school system, they're not going to make it. They're not going to attract new businesses or retain existing ones. They're not going to attract families to move in or to stay. In many small towns, the school district's activities are THE economic stimulus that they rely on. When I lived in Franklin, there wasn't much that brought folks to town like our awesome concerts, plays, and athletic contests. Those were the best revenue nights for our one restaurant, The Black Powder. Those were the days that our three gas stations were busy and even ol' Rightway Grocery got some extra business.
The Nebraska State Chamber of Commerce continues their negative take on Nebraska's K-12 public schools. They are quick to point out how much property tax revenue we use, how much education costs, etc. They send out one-sided info on our student assessment scores leaving the perception our schools are under-delivering and over-spending. It's a downright shame they're not proud of the fact that Nebraska's public schools have one of the highest graduation rates in the nation. It's sad they're not promoting the fact that Nebraska's public schools have the highest average ACT score in the nation for the 15+ states that have 80% or more of their kids taking the ACT. It's unfortunate the State Chamber doesn't understand the tremendous gains made all across the state on the Nebraska State Assessments since 2010. It's unbelievable they don't celebrate the extremely innovative "career education programming" in place in numerous school districts/communities across the state. Little 'ol York has 14 career academies, internship programming, work certification offerings, multiple business partnerships, and a manufacturing class. There's LOTS to be proud of!
York Public Schools has an amazing relationship with our local Chamber of Commerce. We partner up for numerous events. We appreciate each other. Many other communities and local Chambers enjoy the same level of respect and partnership. It's too bad the State Chamber of Commerce doesn't do the same.
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Size Matters but Leadership is Leadership
Leadership is leadership regardless of the size of an organization. The same tenets and principles that we focused on in Franklin, a school district of 350 students, are the same ones we focus on in York, a school district of about 1,400 students. Guess what, they're the same ones I would focus on in a huge district as well if/when that ever happens.
Attention to detail, clarity of purpose, communication, follow-through, reciprocal accountability, high expectations, keeping the main thing (students) the main thing, labrador enthusiasm, insane work ethic, integrity, unselfishness, servant-mindedness, more follow-through, results-driven, action oriented, public relations, instructional leadership, even more follow-through, more communication, and relentless pursuit of improvement are strategies that work in any size organization. The only difference is how many people you have to get to buy in.
Franklin was a 2-person administrative team....we discussed the above tenets during lunch duty and put plans in place to ensure our school district was moving in the right direction like our hair was on fire. Here in York, we have formal admin team meetings twice a month for about 90-minutes each time and we use the same strategies. I would assume the same strategies are in place in Grand Island, LPS, OPS, and others.
Us small districts deal with the same issues that our colleagues in larger districts encounter; it's just on a different scale. The public relations plan we use in York with one newspaper and one radio station is most likely very similar to what is used in Omaha....they just have more media to deal with. The curriculum and instruction initiatives we have in place here are a lot like what they use in Lincoln....they just have more teachers going through it. The facilities planning in Grand Island or Papillion is a very similar approach to what we use in York....they just have more buildings. The quality processes and strategies are the same; it's just the quantity that changes.
I don't write this to offend anyone...it's just that sometimes too many people look at size to determine a school district's worth, or the value of an individual. It's not necessarily true that leaders of larger organizations are better than leaders of smaller ones. It's not necessarily true that teachers at a Class A school are better than teachers at a Class B school just because of the size of the facility.
Size matters but it is the size of each individual person's drive, heart, and passion....not the square footage of a facility, the number of students in their district, or how many people they try and lead.
Attention to detail, clarity of purpose, communication, follow-through, reciprocal accountability, high expectations, keeping the main thing (students) the main thing, labrador enthusiasm, insane work ethic, integrity, unselfishness, servant-mindedness, more follow-through, results-driven, action oriented, public relations, instructional leadership, even more follow-through, more communication, and relentless pursuit of improvement are strategies that work in any size organization. The only difference is how many people you have to get to buy in.
Franklin was a 2-person administrative team....we discussed the above tenets during lunch duty and put plans in place to ensure our school district was moving in the right direction like our hair was on fire. Here in York, we have formal admin team meetings twice a month for about 90-minutes each time and we use the same strategies. I would assume the same strategies are in place in Grand Island, LPS, OPS, and others.
Us small districts deal with the same issues that our colleagues in larger districts encounter; it's just on a different scale. The public relations plan we use in York with one newspaper and one radio station is most likely very similar to what is used in Omaha....they just have more media to deal with. The curriculum and instruction initiatives we have in place here are a lot like what they use in Lincoln....they just have more teachers going through it. The facilities planning in Grand Island or Papillion is a very similar approach to what we use in York....they just have more buildings. The quality processes and strategies are the same; it's just the quantity that changes.
I don't write this to offend anyone...it's just that sometimes too many people look at size to determine a school district's worth, or the value of an individual. It's not necessarily true that leaders of larger organizations are better than leaders of smaller ones. It's not necessarily true that teachers at a Class A school are better than teachers at a Class B school just because of the size of the facility.
Size matters but it is the size of each individual person's drive, heart, and passion....not the square footage of a facility, the number of students in their district, or how many people they try and lead.
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Collaboration and Camaraderie within Nebraska's Public Schools
There have certainly been plenty of challenges for public education in Nebraska over the past few years. School funding, an over-reliance on local property taxes, and a politicized approach to push more "school choice" options at the expense of public education are some of the hot topics that continue to spark debate in all corners of our state.
While it's human nature to quite often dwell on the negative, there's been a lot of successes for public education in Nebraska also. Nebraska has one of the three highest graduation rates in the nation. Nebraska has the 2nd highest NAEP scores in the Midwest. Nebraska has had the highest ACT in the nation of the 15+ states with 80% or more of their students taking it and moved to a model this past April where all juniors took it and we're waiting on those scores for comparison purposes. Proficiency scores on NeSA continue to climb. Life is good in the Cornhusker state and it's going to get even better!
It's been great to see a major shift in attitudes of school leaders all across the state. We've been more close-knit. We've become more supportive of each other. We collaborate more. The attack on public education that I've blogged about so many times in recent years is making public education even better. Educators love a good challenge. We like to have a cause. We're more together than I can ever remember in my 24-year career. We realize and appreciate that we need each other to do well so we continue to push the envelope forward together. Making York better not only helps York but puts pressure on others to get better. We want to compete and raise the bar again and again and again not just for ourselves but others. All of us are always a "work in progress." We keep track of the great things going on in Millard, Gothenburg, Milford, and others. We don't want to fall behind. Let's all continue to push each other!
Educators talk more together now than we used to. We text. We email. We google hangout and we even have zoom meetings together. We support each other. We share ideas and resources. We want each other to succeed. We know the challenges that lie ahead for each of us. We not only want our school districts to do great things for kids but we want all others to do the same as well.
"Nebraska Loves Public Schools" deserves a lot of credit for this expanded camaraderie and collaboration. They've helped unite public educators all across the state. They've helped share our stories. They've shown that they appreciate the work that we do every day for every student.
York and Seward are big-time rivals. Always have been and always will be. However, in January 2015 when we needed help with a crisis, they were the first people we called and they came running to help. We would do the same. You see, all of us public educators are in this thing together. You might be a Duke, a Bluejay, a Wildcat, Cardinal, Tiger, Titan, Duster, Viking, Bronco, or a Ram but we're all in the kid business. We all have to do whatever we can to make our schools the best they can be for our students.
I'm proud to be a public educator in Nebraska with the likes of Mike Teahon in Gothenburg, John Skretta at Norris, Greg Barnes at ESU 11, Jennifer Stengel at Fillmore Central, Mark Adler in Ralston, Jim Sutfin in Millard, Holly Herzberg in Hampton, Mike Herzberg in Grand Island, Craig Badura in Aurora, Brent Hollinger at Cross County, Clark Vetter in Franklin, Melissa Wheelock in Minden, Pat Nauroth in Beatrice, Brandon Mowinkel and Kevin Wingard in Milford, Garrett Borcher in Crete, Vern Fisher at Gibbon, Caroline Winchester in Chadron, Brandon Lavely in Wahoo, Stephen Grizzle in Fairbury, Jeff Edwards in Nebraska City, Darren Tobey at Southern Valley, Kevin Riley in Gretna, Blane McCann at Omaha Westside, and hundreds of others that I am lucky to be able to call, tweet, or text whenever I need support or advice or just someone that understands the world we live in.
Nebraska's public schools are worth celebrating. They're worth protecting. We're all in this thing together and the turbulence will continue.
While it's human nature to quite often dwell on the negative, there's been a lot of successes for public education in Nebraska also. Nebraska has one of the three highest graduation rates in the nation. Nebraska has the 2nd highest NAEP scores in the Midwest. Nebraska has had the highest ACT in the nation of the 15+ states with 80% or more of their students taking it and moved to a model this past April where all juniors took it and we're waiting on those scores for comparison purposes. Proficiency scores on NeSA continue to climb. Life is good in the Cornhusker state and it's going to get even better!
It's been great to see a major shift in attitudes of school leaders all across the state. We've been more close-knit. We've become more supportive of each other. We collaborate more. The attack on public education that I've blogged about so many times in recent years is making public education even better. Educators love a good challenge. We like to have a cause. We're more together than I can ever remember in my 24-year career. We realize and appreciate that we need each other to do well so we continue to push the envelope forward together. Making York better not only helps York but puts pressure on others to get better. We want to compete and raise the bar again and again and again not just for ourselves but others. All of us are always a "work in progress." We keep track of the great things going on in Millard, Gothenburg, Milford, and others. We don't want to fall behind. Let's all continue to push each other!
Educators talk more together now than we used to. We text. We email. We google hangout and we even have zoom meetings together. We support each other. We share ideas and resources. We want each other to succeed. We know the challenges that lie ahead for each of us. We not only want our school districts to do great things for kids but we want all others to do the same as well.
"Nebraska Loves Public Schools" deserves a lot of credit for this expanded camaraderie and collaboration. They've helped unite public educators all across the state. They've helped share our stories. They've shown that they appreciate the work that we do every day for every student.
York and Seward are big-time rivals. Always have been and always will be. However, in January 2015 when we needed help with a crisis, they were the first people we called and they came running to help. We would do the same. You see, all of us public educators are in this thing together. You might be a Duke, a Bluejay, a Wildcat, Cardinal, Tiger, Titan, Duster, Viking, Bronco, or a Ram but we're all in the kid business. We all have to do whatever we can to make our schools the best they can be for our students.
I'm proud to be a public educator in Nebraska with the likes of Mike Teahon in Gothenburg, John Skretta at Norris, Greg Barnes at ESU 11, Jennifer Stengel at Fillmore Central, Mark Adler in Ralston, Jim Sutfin in Millard, Holly Herzberg in Hampton, Mike Herzberg in Grand Island, Craig Badura in Aurora, Brent Hollinger at Cross County, Clark Vetter in Franklin, Melissa Wheelock in Minden, Pat Nauroth in Beatrice, Brandon Mowinkel and Kevin Wingard in Milford, Garrett Borcher in Crete, Vern Fisher at Gibbon, Caroline Winchester in Chadron, Brandon Lavely in Wahoo, Stephen Grizzle in Fairbury, Jeff Edwards in Nebraska City, Darren Tobey at Southern Valley, Kevin Riley in Gretna, Blane McCann at Omaha Westside, and hundreds of others that I am lucky to be able to call, tweet, or text whenever I need support or advice or just someone that understands the world we live in.
Nebraska's public schools are worth celebrating. They're worth protecting. We're all in this thing together and the turbulence will continue.
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
An Entire Week of Reflection
My third child and oldest son, Jeb, will turn 17 this Friday, June 23rd. His is a story worth telling.
On Sunday, June 18, 2000 my wife and I traveled back to our home in Parsons, Kansas from attending some College World Series games in Omaha. We were going to get some sleep, wake up on Monday, June 19th, and pack up our house as we were getting ready to move to West Point, Nebraska to serve as their elementary principal. That's when all hell broke loose.
Around 7:00 AM that Monday, Liesl woke up and told me she thought she was going into labor, that her water broke, etc. Her initial reaction was excitement. Mine was fear. This was just over 7-weeks before Jeb's due date. This was too early. Having had an adopted brother die when I was in 5th grade from under-developed heart issues when he was just 21-days old, I knew all too well about premature birth concerns.
I rushed Liesl to the hospital in Parsons and they said they weren't equipped to meet her needs. She was transported by ambulance to Joplin, Missouri (about an hour away) while I followed behind in our mini-van. The rest of the day was kind of a blur but I remember the doctor telling us that he was able to delay Liesl's contractions and was confident he could buy us another week to ten days before Jeb would be born. They began to give steroid shots to enhance his development, etc. By the time we went to sleep Monday night in the hospital, we were feeling a little better about things but still scared.
On Tuesday, the doctor came back in for an evaluation and said that Liesl would definitely hold off for at least a week. He told me to go ahead and get our house in Parsons cleaned out (we were closing the sale that week) and get our stuff up to West Point and then come back. He was thinking Monday, June 26th at the earliest. He said we had plenty of time.
With Liesl's permission, I left on Wednesday morning to go back to Parsons to get us moved. I was going to pack up our house on Wednesday and unload it on Thursday and get back to Joplin on Friday. The plan was put into place.
Wednesday, June 21st was horrible....it rained all day....my dad had flown out from Florida to help me and we had one of my buddies and three adults with intellectual disabilities that he supervised help us load up everything. I really stunk at driving a UHAUL truck and a trailer. I couldn't back up....I couldn't see anything....it was a long day.
Thursday, June 22nd was a long day in West Point unloading all of our belongings. It took all day and I remember getting back to Omaha around 10:00 PM to sleep a little and leave for Joplin at 8:00 AM on Friday.
Around 5:00 AM on Friday, Liesl called me and told me she was going into labor. She said she knew she was going to have Jeb that morning even though the nurses kept telling her she wouldn't. I was terrified....I was 5.5 hours away and wanted to be there for her and Jeb. I took off and literally drove 100 mph the whole way...I really did....never saw a police officer either....I was driving a 1995 F-150 that luckily had two gas tanks....I can't explain the fear and helplessness I felt...I pulled over about 8:30 AM and called the hospital from a pay phone and was told that Jeb Jarrod Lucas was born at 7:49 AM and that he wasn't doing very well....they didn't provide lots of info....
I got back in the truck and drove faster and got to the hospital around 9:50 AM, right as the "low fuel" light came on in my second gas tank. I ran faster than I'd ever run before to see Liesl. Jeb had been taken to Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU) and I couldn't see him yet. Liesl was a champ...so strong...so brave...so amazing.
Around 10:30 AM, I washed up, put on sterilized gloves, etc. and got to go in and see Jeb for the first time. He was little...less than 5 pounds but he looked big compared to other babies in there. I felt so bad for not being there when he was born. I felt so bad he was struggling. He had under-developed lungs, heart issues, and severe apnea. He already had cords and wires all over him.
The next few days are a blur...we moved into the Ronald McDonald house across the street from the hospital...we met some amazing and strong people....we would go see Jeb as much as we could every day and night and go back to our room and cry and cry and try to sleep. Jeb would quit breathing and have sever apnea episodes all of the time. On July 4th, we were told that Jeb was strong enough to go home and Liesl and I went through infant CPR training and learned how to work his apnea monitor, cords, etc.
Scared out of our minds, we loaded Jeb and everything up that afternoon and drove to Omaha to stay at Nan and Papa's, my in-laws. It was the most scared I've ever been. Every little sound made us think Jeb wasn't breathing. We got to Omaha and Jeb had over 20 apnea episodes that night...he had to taken to Children's Hospital as he took a turn for the worse....it was so scary.
Jeb stayed in Children's for about 10 days as I recall. He came home for good on/around July 16th. Liesl was unbelievable as she never put him down, hardly ever slept, and did whatever needed to be done to ensure he was safe. Jeb had the heart and apnea monitor for the first 12-15 months of his life. I can still hear that gosh-awful shrill sound of the alarm that sounded when he quit breathing. By the fall of 2001, Jeb was growing and getting stronger and healthier. He made it. He made it thanks to my wife. He made it thanks to God. He made it.
By the time Jeb was two, you would never have known what a rough start he got off to. He was ornery. He was fun. He was becoming one of my best friends, along with Taylor and Micah.
I'm lucky that I still get to call Jeb one of my best friends. I'm proud of the young man he is becoming. I'm thankful that he overcame such a rough beginning. I know there are way too many families that lose children and as I say my prayers every night, I always say "thanks" for allowing Jeb to stay with us.
As the calendar lined up this week and June 23rd was a Friday in 2017 like it was in 2000, it forced me to re-think how that week and summer played out. It has caused me to be thankful all over again. Liesl and I are so thankful for the Ronald McDonald House and the nurses and doctors that cared for Jeb.
I won't let Jeb see me, but I'm sure I will shed a thankful tear on Friday like I do every June 23rd.
On Sunday, June 18, 2000 my wife and I traveled back to our home in Parsons, Kansas from attending some College World Series games in Omaha. We were going to get some sleep, wake up on Monday, June 19th, and pack up our house as we were getting ready to move to West Point, Nebraska to serve as their elementary principal. That's when all hell broke loose.
Around 7:00 AM that Monday, Liesl woke up and told me she thought she was going into labor, that her water broke, etc. Her initial reaction was excitement. Mine was fear. This was just over 7-weeks before Jeb's due date. This was too early. Having had an adopted brother die when I was in 5th grade from under-developed heart issues when he was just 21-days old, I knew all too well about premature birth concerns.
I rushed Liesl to the hospital in Parsons and they said they weren't equipped to meet her needs. She was transported by ambulance to Joplin, Missouri (about an hour away) while I followed behind in our mini-van. The rest of the day was kind of a blur but I remember the doctor telling us that he was able to delay Liesl's contractions and was confident he could buy us another week to ten days before Jeb would be born. They began to give steroid shots to enhance his development, etc. By the time we went to sleep Monday night in the hospital, we were feeling a little better about things but still scared.
On Tuesday, the doctor came back in for an evaluation and said that Liesl would definitely hold off for at least a week. He told me to go ahead and get our house in Parsons cleaned out (we were closing the sale that week) and get our stuff up to West Point and then come back. He was thinking Monday, June 26th at the earliest. He said we had plenty of time.
With Liesl's permission, I left on Wednesday morning to go back to Parsons to get us moved. I was going to pack up our house on Wednesday and unload it on Thursday and get back to Joplin on Friday. The plan was put into place.
Wednesday, June 21st was horrible....it rained all day....my dad had flown out from Florida to help me and we had one of my buddies and three adults with intellectual disabilities that he supervised help us load up everything. I really stunk at driving a UHAUL truck and a trailer. I couldn't back up....I couldn't see anything....it was a long day.
Thursday, June 22nd was a long day in West Point unloading all of our belongings. It took all day and I remember getting back to Omaha around 10:00 PM to sleep a little and leave for Joplin at 8:00 AM on Friday.
Around 5:00 AM on Friday, Liesl called me and told me she was going into labor. She said she knew she was going to have Jeb that morning even though the nurses kept telling her she wouldn't. I was terrified....I was 5.5 hours away and wanted to be there for her and Jeb. I took off and literally drove 100 mph the whole way...I really did....never saw a police officer either....I was driving a 1995 F-150 that luckily had two gas tanks....I can't explain the fear and helplessness I felt...I pulled over about 8:30 AM and called the hospital from a pay phone and was told that Jeb Jarrod Lucas was born at 7:49 AM and that he wasn't doing very well....they didn't provide lots of info....
I got back in the truck and drove faster and got to the hospital around 9:50 AM, right as the "low fuel" light came on in my second gas tank. I ran faster than I'd ever run before to see Liesl. Jeb had been taken to Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU) and I couldn't see him yet. Liesl was a champ...so strong...so brave...so amazing.
Around 10:30 AM, I washed up, put on sterilized gloves, etc. and got to go in and see Jeb for the first time. He was little...less than 5 pounds but he looked big compared to other babies in there. I felt so bad for not being there when he was born. I felt so bad he was struggling. He had under-developed lungs, heart issues, and severe apnea. He already had cords and wires all over him.
The next few days are a blur...we moved into the Ronald McDonald house across the street from the hospital...we met some amazing and strong people....we would go see Jeb as much as we could every day and night and go back to our room and cry and cry and try to sleep. Jeb would quit breathing and have sever apnea episodes all of the time. On July 4th, we were told that Jeb was strong enough to go home and Liesl and I went through infant CPR training and learned how to work his apnea monitor, cords, etc.
Scared out of our minds, we loaded Jeb and everything up that afternoon and drove to Omaha to stay at Nan and Papa's, my in-laws. It was the most scared I've ever been. Every little sound made us think Jeb wasn't breathing. We got to Omaha and Jeb had over 20 apnea episodes that night...he had to taken to Children's Hospital as he took a turn for the worse....it was so scary.
Jeb stayed in Children's for about 10 days as I recall. He came home for good on/around July 16th. Liesl was unbelievable as she never put him down, hardly ever slept, and did whatever needed to be done to ensure he was safe. Jeb had the heart and apnea monitor for the first 12-15 months of his life. I can still hear that gosh-awful shrill sound of the alarm that sounded when he quit breathing. By the fall of 2001, Jeb was growing and getting stronger and healthier. He made it. He made it thanks to my wife. He made it thanks to God. He made it.
By the time Jeb was two, you would never have known what a rough start he got off to. He was ornery. He was fun. He was becoming one of my best friends, along with Taylor and Micah.
I'm lucky that I still get to call Jeb one of my best friends. I'm proud of the young man he is becoming. I'm thankful that he overcame such a rough beginning. I know there are way too many families that lose children and as I say my prayers every night, I always say "thanks" for allowing Jeb to stay with us.
As the calendar lined up this week and June 23rd was a Friday in 2017 like it was in 2000, it forced me to re-think how that week and summer played out. It has caused me to be thankful all over again. Liesl and I are so thankful for the Ronald McDonald House and the nurses and doctors that cared for Jeb.
I won't let Jeb see me, but I'm sure I will shed a thankful tear on Friday like I do every June 23rd.
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