Nebraska State Board of Education casts wide net for commissioner applicants

Nebraska State Board of Education casts wide net for commissioner applicants

Superintendent experience is not among the qualifications listed Friday in an advertisement seeking applicants for the job of Nebraska commissioner of education.

But it’s easy to see how someone with such experience might check the boxes on the qualifications list assembled by the Nebraska State Board of Education.

The advertisement calls for applicants with experience “as a visionary educational leader within complex organizations and among varied school districts and settings.”

Members of the board are casting a wide net with the broadly written qualifications posted on the website of the search firm McPherson and Jacobson.

The firm is assisting the board in identifying and screening the candidates.

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Steve Joel, one of the consultants, had cautioned the board about narrowing the qualifications so much that qualified candidates without superintendent experience, such as assistant commissioners in other states, would not apply.

Board members are looking for someone to replace Matt Blomstedt, who resigned Jan. 3.

Under the heading of salary range, the advertisement says, “Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits commensurate with experience.”

The listed characteristics sought by the board include the following:

A track record of successfully building teams and consensus as a servant leader who models high character, honesty, respect and trustworthiness in all interactions.

Effective written, oral and interpersonal communication skills, and a commitment to actively engaging stakeholders at all levels.

A critical thinker and creative problem-solver with a history of successful data-informed decision-making, including policy development and academic achievement.

The demonstrated ability to make difficult decisions and effectively manage the people and multiple priorities of a large organization.

An energetic and hard worker who is committed to continuous professional learning focusing on best practices.

The closing date for applications is March 2. Finalists will be selected the week of March 13, and interviews will take place the week of March 27.

Board members will select the new commissioner the week of April 3. Their intention is to have someone in the job by July 1.

Shriner selected inaugural leader of digital, online learning | Nebraska Today

Shriner selected inaugural leader of digital, online learning | Nebraska Today

Kevin Shriner has been appointed the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s inaugural assistant vice chancellor for electronic and online learning.

He will formally presume the posture Feb. 1. Katherine Ankerson, govt vice chancellor, manufactured the announcement on Jan. 12.

“I am enthusiastic to welcome Dr. Shriner to Nebraska,” Ankerson mentioned. “He delivers 25 many years of expertise in increased schooling, with deep expertise in online systems a passion for earning better instruction obtainable to all college students and a genuinely collaborative technique to his work.

“I search ahead to his management as the college will take the subsequent step in our loaded background of online and distance education.”

Shriner will come to the university from EAB, an training organization targeted on ideal observe investigate, technological innovation providers, and enrollment products and services for non-financial gain establishments, the place he is senior director of enrollment method. In this part, Shriner consulted with far more than 800 establishments, which includes Large Ten institutions, in all 50 states to utilize enrollment techniques, advertising insights, and sector information on building, launching, and strategically arranging educational systems to fulfill the academic prerequisites of pupils and supply pathways to workforce results. He is the primary strategist, marketing consultant, and topic make a difference qualified to hundreds of schools and universities in search of to increase advertising, recruitment, and student results for grownup degree learners and graduate learners, with a concentration in online programs.

He formerly served as affiliate dean for institutional success and affiliate dean for student achievements at Florida Southwestern University. In the course of his tenure, he collaborated with faculty to build a to start with-year experience method and streamline method assessment and basic education assessment.

“I am honored to champion Nebraska’s flagship university as it reaffirms its commitment to expansion in on line plans,” Shriner mentioned. “I glimpse ahead to elevating UNL’s already effective distance schooling packages and producing new, accessible on line instructional possibilities for all pupils that will contribute to the progress and prosperity of our communities.”

As assistant vice chancellor, Shriner will direct the development, integration, and implementation of a in depth, transformative, and inclusive method for on the net and electronic education and learning, reflective of the goals and aims in the N2025 Strategic Strategy. He will report to the executive vice chancellor and work intently with her leadership workforce and the schools to establish campus-wide strategic priorities, a eyesight for on the web programming, and chart and put into practice a system for achievement. Shriner will provide experience, leadership, and coordination on functions and initiatives that advance and assistance digital and online learning.

Shriner holds a Bachelor of Science in park resource management from Kansas Condition College. He also holds a Master of Arts in history, with an emphasis in African-American record, and a Master of Training in higher instruction from the College of Arkansas. His doctorate in higher training management is from Nova Southeastern University.

Finalists named for assistant vice chancellor for digital, online learning | Nebraska Today

Finalists named for assistant vice chancellor for digital, online learning | Nebraska Today

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln has introduced five finalists for the inaugural position of Assistant Vice Chancellor for Electronic and On line Mastering. The candidates will visit campus concerning Dec. 7-13.

The finalists, mentioned by campus pay a visit to dates, are:

  • Dec. 7 — Paul Savory, provost and executive vice president, Colorado State College World (Aurora, Colorado)
  • Dec. 8 — Andrea Butler, associate vice president of electronic studying, Colorado Point out College World
  • Dec. 9 — Esther Meijer Lahargoue, main executive officer, EDUKAN (Overland Park, Kansas)
  • Dec. 12 — Anne Quickly Choi, professor in the Department of Interdisciplinary Research/Application for Accelerated Higher education Education and affiliate director of on-line pedagogy and learning in the Faculty Enhancement Heart at California Point out University, Dominguez Hills (Carson, California)
  • Dec. 13 — Kevin Shriner, senior director of enrollment approach at EAB (Richmond, Virginia)

Extra applicant information and facts, together with curriculum vitae and candidate analysis types, and the total placement description is obtainable on the assistant vice chancellor for digital and on the internet discovering search internet site.

The inaugural assistant vice chancellor for electronic and on line discovering will winner the university’s response to evolving workforce improvement requires, attracting new nontraditional learners, and reaffirming the university’s motivation to accessibility with growth in new programs, stackable certificates, and far more non-credit score choices to meet the aims of flexible, obtainable digital studying demands of diploma- and non-diploma-seeking folks.

The posture will report to the executive vice chancellor, and offer knowledge, leadership and coordination on functions and initiatives that progress and aid digital and on the web mastering. The posture will get the job done closely with the govt vice chancellor, the management staff, and the colleges to establish campuswide strategic priorities, a vision for online programming, and chart and apply a system for accomplishment.


Paul Savory interviews Dec. 7. Savory has served as the Chief Tutorial Officer for 3 faculties — Colorado State College World wide (a 100{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} on the net university), Doane University, and Nebraska Methodist College or university. His tutorial leadership expertise is targeted on setting up revolutionary tactics to improve all dimensions of the on-line student expertise. He also has labored as a knowledge scientist in which he evaluated functions and strategic initiatives for Union Pacific Railroad.

Prior to these roles, he worked as a college member at the College of Nebraska–Lincoln in the Division of Industrial and Administration Devices Engineering and Section of Management. He been given several recognitions for his teaching and company to college students which includes getting inducted into the UNL Academy of Distinguished Instructors.

Although at Nebraska, he furthermore served in a number of administrative roles which include interim affiliate vice chancellor for extended instruction and outreach and director of summer months periods. He also co-coordinated the Peer Review of Training Task, which has faculty examine and reflect on their educating. His attempts in college development resulted in his co-authoring two books.

He has served as schooling and evaluation region editor for the journal Pcs and Industrial Engineering. He also serves as a peer reviewer for the Better Mastering Fee to confirm a college’s resources guidance its system high quality and effectiveness.

Savory retains a Bachelor of Science in laptop science and a Grasp of Science in operation study from Oregon State University. His doctorate in industrial engineering is from Arizona State University.


Andrea Butler interviews Dec. 8. Butler is the assistant vice president of electronic studying at Colorado Condition University’s World Campus. She began her vocation as a decorated armed forces nurse officer in the United States Air Pressure but rapidly learned her penchant for schooling and instruction.

She has served in the roles of director, dean and vice president of on the internet or electronic studying at larger schooling institutions but also has encounter major departments of advising, enrollment, marketing, tutorial style, educational technological innovation, educational guidance, and disability and accessibility solutions. Her management has led to results these types of as document enrollments, amplified diversity hires, inclusive curriculum, appreciative on the net advising, benchmark large open on the internet classes design, on line multilingual curriculum, distant online video production, in-demand from customers on-line labs and inclusive advertising strategies.

Butler regarded that universities are crammed with innovative and sensible individuals and as a result invested in the persons, the establishment and the neighborhood by generating a device particularly focused on innovation to cultivate tips within just the neighborhood. The unit released a few assignments that realized noteworthy success.

She has established prosperous partnerships and relationships inside institutions, in the nearby community, nationally, and internationally in an effort to make schooling extra out there and approachable for persons who want to discover. This enthusiasm has fueled her drive to generate a electronic understanding ecosystem at universities that incorporated professional development, micro-credentials, limited classes, certificates, and degree courses that are integrated pathways of mastering, resulting in sizeable income advancement for the institutions, larger educational access for pupils, and extra flexibility for school.

Butler retains a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Creighton College and a Learn of Science in overall health marketing with an emphasis in human assets from Nebraska Methodist College. She is finishing her doctorate in human money administration at Bellevue University.


Esther Meijer Lahargoue interviews Dec. 9. Meijer Lahargoue has served as the main govt officer of EDUKAN, an on line instruction consortium, for the previous six a long time, overseeing the curriculum growth, technical supply and instruction of on the net programs for both nationwide and global students. In this function, she brokered and managed quite a few partnership agreements with four-12 months establishments, which include Arizona Condition University, Kansas State College, Fort Hays Point out University and Wichita Point out University. The objective of these agreements was to develop less difficult and additional pathways for learners to enroll, transfer credits and do well in completing their academic targets.

She prioritizes keeping expenses minimal for college students and has developed college student enrollment by 30{e4f787673fbda589a16c4acddca5ba6fa1cbf0bc0eb53f36e5f8309f6ee846cf} for EDUKAN schools more than the past six decades. She oversees lawful and accreditation compliance for all the consortium’s faculties and is effective straight with its board of directors to system productive very long-term strategies. A hallmark of her tenure as CEO has been incorporating reducing-edge electronic technologies to improve the on the net classroom expertise for pupils and furnishing a better depth of significant instruction at an very affordable price tag.

Meijer Lahargoue’s practical experience in on the web training stretches back again to 1998, the place she pioneered the enhancement of the industry with the University of Phoenix and Grand Canyon University.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in international languages from Purdue College and a Juris Health care provider from Southwestern College University of Law.


Anne Soon Choi interviews Dec. 12. Choi is professor and chair of interdisciplinary experiments, a diploma completion program for doing the job older people and non-common pupils in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at California Condition University, Dominguez Hills. She developed the initial on the internet and hybrid classes in the college or university, and as the chair, she has amplified retention and graduation premiums and minimized time to degree for undergraduates in the section. She also developed the to start with state-supported undergraduate on the net degree pathway at the college and proven a series of undergraduate cohort diploma choices by way of partnerships with county organizations in Los Angeles. Furthermore, she produced group partnerships with regional local community faculties and firms to produce student pipelines into the major. She also has been engaged in larger workforce progress initiatives both on and off campus.

Choi is also the affiliate director of on the net discovering and pedagogy in the College Improvement Heart at the university, overseeing faculty-targeted initiatives all over on-line and hybrid instruction. These initiatives have provided the style and design and implementation of self-paced, on-desire online coaching for school and learners rooted in fairness-minded pedagogy and the science of learning faculty mentoring courses and larger sized trainings concentrated on creating on-line courses that center on equity and accessibility.

She is a U.S. 20th century historian specializing in Asian American historical past and an pro in the digital humanities. She is an award-successful scholar and teacher. She is also a novelist.

Choi retains a Bachelor of Arts in American background and East Asian scientific studies from Indiana College, Bloomington, and a Learn of Arts in heritage from the College of Massachusetts, Amherst. She also retains a Grasp of Social Work and Learn of Community Overall health from the University of California, Los Angeles. Her doctorate in historical past is from the University of Southern California.


Kevin Shriner interviews Dec. 13. Shriner is senior director of enrollment tactic at EAB, an training company concentrated on greatest practice study, technological innovation companies, and enrollment products and services for non-revenue establishments. He is a first-technology, Pell Grant receiver, who is committed to the chance of a college credential to a varied inhabitants regardless of socioeconomic position. Shriner is the most important strategist, advisor and issue issue skilled to hundreds of schools and universities trying to get to increase promoting, recruitment and student success for adult degree earners and graduate pupils. He has cultivated a solid name as a bigger schooling thought leader who continues to be marketplace relevant.

He formerly served as associate dean for institutional efficiency and affiliate dean for student accomplishment at Florida Southwestern Faculty. All through his tenure, he collaborated with school to produce a to start with-calendar year experience system and streamline plan evaluate and standard education and learning evaluation. He has also been an active school member, educating undergraduate and graduate courses via blended modalities, principally on-line, considering that 2005.

Shriner has labored with additional than 800 establishments in all 50 states to implement enrollment approaches, internet marketing insights and industry facts on creating, launching and strategically preparing academic courses to meet the academic requirements of students and give pathways to workforce outcomes. He regularly offers and writes about developments in better education range, schooling attainment, enrollment and distance training.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in park resource management from Kansas Condition College. He also holds a Master of Arts in historical past, emphasis in African-American record, and a Master of Training in better education from the College of Arkansas. His doctorate in larger education and learning leadership is from Nova Southeastern University.

Why Some Nebraska Parents Are Homeschooling During The Pandemic

Final school yr there was a surge of homeschooling in Nebraska. That selection dropped this year, but the homeschooling development is even now up.

In 2019, an believed 9,450 pupils were homeschooling in Nebraska. Past yr, through the pandemic, that variety zoomed up to 14,780. This 12 months it’s again down to about 10,525, but which is nonetheless the highest full on record apart from for final year’s.

COVID-19 Precautions

Parents have unique explanations why they chose to homeschool their children, like Tom Ulrick of Beatrice. He’s involved his daughter could capture COVID-19. He pulled her out of school final yr immediately after he went to a college board assembly and read anti-maskers speak up.

“They are just not using it severely,” he explained “And I just are not able to do that. It pitfalls the safety of my kid.”

The Nebraska Section of Training just can’t impose mask mandates on faculties. It is up to area districts, like Beatrice Community Educational facilities who created masking optional this calendar year. Ulrick explained he’s discouraged he simply cannot rely on his school district. But, moms and dads who are in opposition to mask donning also felt the same way.

“So both parents didn’t want their young ones in masks, or their mothers and fathers wanted all the little ones masked and all the vaccinations,” Ashley Mason claimed. “So a single side of that spectrum or the other.”

Mason manages 5 homeschooling teams on Fb, including Homeschooling in Nebraska, Beatrice Homeschool group, Nebraska Straightforward Peasy Homeschool Chat Group, and Substantial Family members Working with Easy Peasy. She mentioned a Beatrice relatives begun homeschooling their kids in January since learners and teachers ended up bullying them for not carrying a mask.

“The teachers would then accuse them of not remaining potent adequate, or at the exact time accuse them of killing their friends’ grandparent for the reason that they would not use the mask,” she mentioned. “And now their grandparent was going to be dying of COVID.”

The spouse and children went back again to public school this calendar year when the district announced masking was optional. Out of the over 1,500 family members Mason has spoken with, she explained most of them did not want their small children putting on masks for seven or far more hours a day. Nevertheless, Liz Davids, president of Heartland Homeschoolers, stated the curriculum is an additional rationale for homeschooling.

Curriculum

When faculty turned digital because of the pandemic, Davids reported moderate, conservative, and religious mom and dad found out they did not always concur with what their little ones had been studying. They determined to train their young children at household alternatively.

“A large amount of traditional households are saying, the values that are in the general public schools are not reflecting our values,” she said. “So, we want to pass on our values to our little ones.”

Davids stated there are concerns about proposed well being requirements, such as sexual intercourse education, and the prospect of essential race principle.

David Jespersen with the state Office of Education and learning mentioned well being schooling expectations are on maintain and critical race principle is not element of any condition typical.

“Unique faculty districts, nonetheless, have comprehensive regulate over what curriculum they decide on to teach to these expectations,” he reported.

Still, Kathryn Dillow, president of Nebraska Homeschool Affiliation, reported the increase of pupils getting homeschooled this yr when compared to 2019 displays a continuing pattern. But Jespersen claimed the point learners returned to general public schools this yr is what the division anticipated.

“What that tells us is that households are extra relaxed with each the pandemic, how to take care of it on their own, and how educational institutions are dealing with the pandemic, and the strategies that are in place in universities,” he stated.

Jespersen stated the pandemic shed gentle on the choices mother and father have and in the end they have the remaining say on how they want to educate their small children, regardless of whether that’s in a community school, non-public university, or at property.