Justice would be for Nebraska school administrators to be paid in proportion to state standards. If only 50% of Nebraska students are perforting at their grade levels, administrators should received only 50% of their full income.
The Mississippi Miracle included a provision to retain third graders who can't read. Governer Pillen introduced that bill to the legislature last session. It was the urban superintendents and the NSEA who killed it. They don't want accountability, they made that clear. Meanwhile, the Nebraska Dept of Education secured a $50 million federal grant for literacy recently. If I were cynical I would say Omaha is positioning itself to siphon that money. If I were generous I would say they are taking an opportunity to make things better. Right now I'm leaning toward cynical.
Establishing a target without identifying any details as to how that target will be reached seems to me to be a nonsensical approach. A Moonshot requires well defined plans, not boisterous rhetoric. Having "equity" as one of the five core values is an obvious problem. Equal opportunities to achieve academic success should be provided to every student, but you shouldn't strive for equal results. Many students strive to excel, and many strive to get by with minimal effort. OPS shouldn't be focused on the latter at the expense of the former. I was also surprised to see "joy" as another core value. I don't remember finding joy when cracking the books or listening to my instructors, but I did find satisfaction and fulfillment in learning. Based on The Plains Sentinel article I just read, I'd advise them to keep it in their archives. I have a sense they'll be able to republish it in 2030 by simply changing the names.
Public schools are so bad on this topic, any parent can improve their child's reading skills by supplementing it with in-home reading. Try shutting the TV, smartphones, and internet off from time to time.
Justice would be for Nebraska school administrators to be paid in proportion to state standards. If only 50% of Nebraska students are perforting at their grade levels, administrators should received only 50% of their full income.
OPS isn't serious. Perfection isn't a goal or even an aspiration. They don't have a plan and they know it.
What a BS non-response by OPS. Totally unaccountable.
Jim Vokal is absolutely correct.
And please look at the math and reading proficiency scores at Benson, South, Central and Bryan. Shocking. Much worse than the ACT scores.
The Mississippi Miracle included a provision to retain third graders who can't read. Governer Pillen introduced that bill to the legislature last session. It was the urban superintendents and the NSEA who killed it. They don't want accountability, they made that clear. Meanwhile, the Nebraska Dept of Education secured a $50 million federal grant for literacy recently. If I were cynical I would say Omaha is positioning itself to siphon that money. If I were generous I would say they are taking an opportunity to make things better. Right now I'm leaning toward cynical.
Establishing a target without identifying any details as to how that target will be reached seems to me to be a nonsensical approach. A Moonshot requires well defined plans, not boisterous rhetoric. Having "equity" as one of the five core values is an obvious problem. Equal opportunities to achieve academic success should be provided to every student, but you shouldn't strive for equal results. Many students strive to excel, and many strive to get by with minimal effort. OPS shouldn't be focused on the latter at the expense of the former. I was also surprised to see "joy" as another core value. I don't remember finding joy when cracking the books or listening to my instructors, but I did find satisfaction and fulfillment in learning. Based on The Plains Sentinel article I just read, I'd advise them to keep it in their archives. I have a sense they'll be able to republish it in 2030 by simply changing the names.
Public schools are so bad on this topic, any parent can improve their child's reading skills by supplementing it with in-home reading. Try shutting the TV, smartphones, and internet off from time to time.
I had a chance to visit with some former OPS teachers some time back. They were not complimentary of their OPS experience.