Nebraska Public School Advantage News

Nebraska Public School Advantage News

Breaking the Fourth Wall: Hey principals, teachers and students....I need your help!

Breaking the Fourth Wall: Hey principals, teachers and students....I need your help!

September 28, 2022
By Tyler Dahlgren I really should have listened to my wife. And my mom. And maybe my chiropractor, too. Next month marks six years that I’ve been travelling the state for Nebraska Public School Advantage, finding and telling stories that showcase the power of public education in our state and the remarkable human beings that bring our schools to life. I don’t break the fourth wall often on here...Read More

The Chanticleer Way: Morning Assemblies set the table for success at Ord Elementary

The Chanticleer Way: Morning Assemblies set the table for success at Ord Elementary

September 27, 2022
By Tyler Dahlgren It’s another morning in Ord, early enough for headlights that shine through a comfortably crisp air that signals the beginning of fall. It’s a Wednesday, “Hump Day” as it’s come to be known, but they don’t need clever sloganeering to manufacture enthusiasm at Ord Elementary, where toe-tapping, upbeat music greets students as they pile out of minivans, sedans and school buses...Read More

A Conversation on School Culture: NCSA Ambassador joins principals in panel discussion at ESU 10

A Conversation on School Culture: NCSA Ambassador joins principals in panel discussion at ESU 10

September 23, 2022
By Tyler Dahlgren It’s 10:30 in the morning on a Thursday in early September, 15 minutes into a panel discussion at ESU 10’s Principal Meeting, and my hand is teetering on the edge of an emergency-level cramp. NCSA Ambassador Dr. Cinde Wendell was invited to be a part of the conversation on school culture, so I figured I’d take some notes, shoot some photos and leave with a nice little blog post...Read More

A Quest for Cogency: Cross County's School Improvement Plan and the ambitious team behind the vision

A Quest for Cogency: Cross County's School Improvement Plan and the ambitious team behind the vision

September 14, 2022
By Tyler Dahlgren Oftentimes, it happens in the blink of an eye. Just like that. A Cross County teacher will pose a question with no direct route to the answer or present a problem with no one distinct solution, and their students, be them kindergarteners, fifth-graders or high school seniors, will feel their way to the correct answer. Oftentimes, this is when the lightbulb goes off, when a Cross...Read More

Surrounding communities kick in big time to make DC West Shoe Drive an overwhelming success

Surrounding communities kick in big time to make DC West Shoe Drive an overwhelming success

September 2, 2022
By Tyler Dahlgren Dr. Dee Acklie watched in awe as lightly-worn clothing items formed mountains on two cafeteria tables inside DC West Elementary School. Acklie is by no means tall, standing five-foot-three, but she soon found herself relying on tippy toes to see over the top of either peak. The nearby shoe rack was already jam-packed with all types of sneakers and donations were coming in by the...Read More

After Class and into the Future: The world of opportunities 'Beyond School Bells'

After Class and into the Future: The world of opportunities 'Beyond School Bells'

August 15, 2022
By Tyler Dahlgren Jeff Cole was teaching in New York City when he was tasked with developing an internship program in the high school he served. A young and hungry educator, Cole accepted the challenge and dove in. The implementation process left him with two fundamental beliefs. First off, when building that type of program from the ground up, The Big Apple is a good place to be. Possibilities...Read More

Freeman welcomes students back in celebratory style for district's 25th year

Freeman welcomes students back in celebratory style for district's 25th year

August 11, 2022
By Tyler Dahlgren Freeman Public Schools rolled out the red carpet to welcome students and families Tuesday night, a grand celebration to kick-start the school’s 25th year in operation. Attendees began spilling in at 5 p.m., as the school once again became the hub of its community. Most stopped for some delicious eats at one of the three food trucks parked near the school’s west entrance before...Read More

From Hallways and School Bells to Fire Trucks and Air Horns: West Holt superintendent finds connected purpose in two worlds

From Hallways and School Bells to Fire Trucks and Air Horns: West Holt superintendent finds connected purpose in two worlds

July 11, 2022
By Tyler Dahlgren Paul Pistulka was in his late 30s when he accepted the superintendent position with West Holt Public Schools and moved his family of five to Atkinson. Both he and his wife grew up in small Nebraska towns, cherished the experience and the memories and wished the same for their five children. Atkinson seemed to fit the bill, and though young in the scope of superintendency,...Read More

NDE SEED team holds 2022 Educator Effectiveness Summit in Lincoln: "Data informs, but stories compel"

NDE SEED team holds 2022 Educator Effectiveness Summit in Lincoln: "Data informs, but stories compel"

June 30, 2022
By Tyler Dahlgren Twelve hand-selected school districts from across the state joined leadership from Educational Service Units, NSEA, higher education and NCSA for the 2022 Educator Effectiveness Summit in Lincoln on June 16. The summit, which spanned two days and was hosted by the NDE SEED (Supporting Educator Effectiveness through Development) team, was a precursor to the rollout of the...Read More

A New School Summer: Crete's interest-based Cardinal Camps are quintessential summer

A New School Summer: Crete's interest-based Cardinal Camps are quintessential summer

June 27, 2022
By Tyler Dahlgren The sun-soaked sights and sweet sounds of summer are both unmistakable and unavoidable while traveling along Iris Avenue in Crete. It’s mid-morning on a sizzling day in June, but Crete Intermediate School is far from dormant. No, this place is alive, and on its grounds you’ll find quintessential summer. Outside, students learn to fish, bike and blaze around the track at a pace...Read More

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