The End and the Middle of the Year

Rachel Wise, District 3, Nebraska State Board of Education (December, 2014)

As a retired educator, when I think about a calendar, I think about December being halfway through the year, rather than the end of the year. It is difficult to make a calendar mind-shift after so many years of thinking that the most important calendar is a school calendar! In the world of “elected officials” the calendar follows the rest of the world, and December is the end of the year and January begins a New Year. As the end of this year approaches, I want to take the liberty of the pen (or keyboard) to thank some outstanding elected officials!

Congratulations go out to Dr. Bradley Krivohlavek who was recognized recently by Nebraska Association of School Boards with the Ann Mactier Leadership Award for outstanding local school board members. Dr. Krivohlavek has served Norfolk Public Schools for 30 years. In December, Dr. Krivohlavek and, many other local school board members complete their final term of dedication and commitment to local school districts. Take time to thank those individuals who have and are willing to volunteer and give of their time and talent to serve on local school boards.

As we wind down 2014, I would also like to thank John Sieler, the Vice President of the State Board of Education, for his service to Nebraska students. It has been a pleasure to serve with John. I appreciate his advocacy for education and the future of Nebraska.

So, on to the middle of the school year! As I mentioned last month, the Nebraska State of the Schools Report was recently released to the public. In November, the report was updated with graduation rates, which, like reading, math and science test scores, are improving in Nebraska! Similar to the reading, math and science scores, an achievement gap among groups of students continues to exist. However, we should celebrate the efforts of all schools on improving graduation rates, while increasing graduation requirements.

As teachers and administrators look to January, they are reflecting on the first half of the school year, making adjustments for the second half of the school year, reviewing student achievement data, focusing on keeping students in school and on the pathway to graduation. School district staff are engaged in planning for next year, reviewing curriculum, evaluating additional courses that they can offer with existing staff or through partnerships with other schools or colleges or through distance education. A part of this district-level planning involves a review of Nebraska Department of Education Rule 10. The State Board is in its own mid-year review of the rule as well. Rule 10 frames the requirements for school district accreditation in Nebraska. Next month, I will spend more time describing Accountability for Quality Education Systems for Today and Tomorrow (AQuESTT) and the Rule 10 changes that are being proposed to define the expectations for quality and the accountability of Nebraska’s public schools in Nebraska.

This article represents my personal view, not that of the State Board of Education or my role as president. Feel free to contact me at rachel.wise@nebraska.gov. Search the Nebraska Department of Education website at www.education.ne.gov to learn more about education in our state.

Rachel Wise