OPS Board of Education meeting

@OmahaPubSchool @oma_documenters Vice President Smith is sitting where President Head is usually placed. Not sure why that was changed.

The new Interim Superintendent Matthew Ray is sitting where @OPS_LoganSupt used to sit. https://t.co/FuM3dzhXlw

I do not see President’s Head nameplate in front of any of the seats.

Roll call. All present except for President Head and Casady @trcasadyops.

Full @advocacybri asks if the Board was given notice why. Smith says yes, it’s related to an emergency. Both are excused with a vote of 7-0.

@trcasadyops @advocacybri Attendance Report:
1. Smith 11/11, 100%
2. Full 10/11, 91%
3. Thielen 11/11, 100%
4. Holman @DrShavonna 11/11, 100%
5. Head @Spencer_Head 10/11, 91%
6. Kratky 9/11, 82%
7. Erdenberger 11/11, 100%
8. Juarez @huskermargo 9/11, 82%
9. Casady @trcasadyops 10/11, 91%

All excused.

@trcasadyops @advocacybri @DrShavonna @Spencer_Head @huskermargo Tonight’s #OPSProud Spotlight is for Academic Pentathalon students. https://t.co/HeTo8T595Q

@trcasadyops @advocacybri @DrShavonna @Spencer_Head @huskermargo Next, Interim Superintendent Ray addresses the Board for the first time officially acting in this capacity. He addressed the Board from the podium whereas previous Superintendent Logan usually addressed the Board from the table. https://t.co/jOOCG3YMJ9

Next, Board comments.

Full @advocacybri says she attended Boys Town @BoysTown for some time because of truancy issues at OPS. She quotes the speaker of this year’s Boys Town graduation: https://t.co/jXWgpeacjH

Full @advocacybri speaks about an article by Jane McGill about a gap in advanced class placement. For what it’s worth, McGill is also here note-taking for @oma_documenters.

https://www.omahacentralregister.com/9546/news/the-honors-gap-how-centrals-advanced-classes-perpetuate-inequality-among-students/

@advocacybri @oma_documenters Erdenberger addresses the article—and McGill in the audience—that every high school now has at least one Advanced Placement (AP) class and Central @OPSCentralHigh is the only one with an International Baccalaureate (IB) program. https://t.co/OW95c9Xqpe

With no forms to speak, Smith moves over the public comment tonight.

@advocacybri @oma_documenters @OPSCentralHigh With no forms to speak, Smith moves over the public comment tonight.

@advocacybri @oma_documenters @OPSCentralHigh Thielen motions to accept the Consent Agenda, Holman @DrShavonna seconds. Consent Agenda passes 7-0. https://t.co/UHg6bA9Afz

@advocacybri @oma_documenters @OPSCentralHigh @DrShavonna Next is Action Items, beginning with an Accountability Committee Update. Gary Ray of GR Recruiting, not related to Interim Superintendent Ray, is speaking remotely to the Board. https://t.co/A4tNfie47s

GR Recruiting is presenting the survey results for the superintendent search. The same survey will be made available again from September 25th to October 10th > https://meeting.sparqdata.com/Documents/WebViewer/120?file=639910d1-fd76-4017-87f5-5a3c9f13ef00

They went over these slides before going into discussion. https://t.co/06SZw4V0l8

Erdenberger asks if the next survey round will include those who answered this survey. GR Recruiting says they don’t track participants so they can’t filter anyone out, says it encourages more participation by more people. Gary Ray says this “is a good number” to use as a “base”. https://t.co/cJ7etPyFZP

Next slides presented to the Board.

Erdenberger says a lot has been said in the media on the 57% who said they want a candidate who will go in a different direction. She says that response doesn’t send a clear message however—there’s any number of different directions. https://t.co/8RCRxROabm

GR Recruiting says they won’t be refining the survey but they will present to the Board themes that are brought up in stakeholder meetings.

Next slides presented to the Board.

GR Recruiting says the lowest ranked trait (“Serves as a strategically focused instructional leader”) is usually in the Top 5. This is the first time they’ve seen it this low, at 13%. https://t.co/Q9ITHq7MV4

Next slides presented to the Board.

Erdenberger ask how the District Interactions responses have to do with the Superintendent search. GR Recruiting says it’s about “customer service”. Gary Ray says it’s helpful in recruiting. https://t.co/g1BbgahNfc

Full @advocacybri says it seems to be an oversight that the survey is picking up that respondents say OPS is communicating well but they also say OPS isn’t transparent. Says the survey isn’t identifying this disconnect. https://t.co/KScNoGk2fw

@advocacybri Thielen says he would like to see responses grouped, for instance, by teacher, parent, community member, etc. Gary Ray says he wants to be careful because of the “cost” associated with that. Says they haven’t done that in the past. https://t.co/HE4OeIu6Us

@advocacybri Full @advocacybri asks how they are getting a statistically significant sample, and what their goal is—is it statistically significant of Omaha? Of the OPS District?

Gary Ray says they want as many people to respond as possible but they’re also going out and talking with people. https://t.co/2zs6bNQHqF

@advocacybri Gary Ray says they want this to be representative of the school community (parents of OPS students, teachers, etc.) as well as the broader community.

@advocacybri Next slide presented to the Board.

Kratky asks to what extent has “the business community” been contacted. Gary Ray says that’s up to them to contact the Accountability Committee and the Board. https://t.co/0MoTI5U9i9

@advocacybri Gary Ray begins saying they need to know who Kratky is referring to. Kratky cuts him off: “People in corporations.”

Moving on to a Report from the Legislative Committee from Full @advocacybri, saying the #NELeg has adjourned sine die. They have a report in the agenda of all the bills they tracked.

@advocacybri Next is accepting the Superintendent Search timeline amendment. Holman @DrShavonna moves, Thielen seconds, discussion begins.

The original timeline passed on May 1, 2023 in the narrowest vote the Board has taken so far at 5-4 (https://twitter.com/anthonyzarzycki/status/1653773186872254467?s=20). https://t.co/2lInocP3Hf

@advocacybri @DrShavonna Full @advocacybri says with these changes, she will be a yes vote, and believes a lot of the concerns she had were addressed.

Smith says more stakeholders were added. Holman @DrShavonna says a virtual session was added. https://t.co/7XBbsgzwNf

@advocacybri @DrShavonna The amendment to the Superintendent search timeline passes 7-0.

Next, Thielen presents first reading of policy changes and changes to the Code of Conduct.

The Code of Conduct is changing to not allow for suspending students in pre-Kindergarten to 2nd grade per new state law. #NebEd #NELeg https://t.co/Bkx56o96j1

Full @advocacybri asks if there’s opportunity to make amendments after first reading. Thielen says yes.

Passes 7-0.

Next is the receipt of the Head Start monthly report for April 2023.

Holman @DrShavonna moves to go into closed session, Thielen seconds. Passes 7-0.

@DrShavonna While we wait for the OPS Board to come back to adjourn, you can get meeting coverage from other public bodies across Omaha emailed to your inbox with the Omaha Documenters newsletter!

https://oinj.org/newsletter

Meeting adjourned at 7:55 p.m. This concludes the Omaha Public Schools (@OmahaPubSchool) Board of Education meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for June 22, 2023. For more meeting coverage, check out http://documenters.org. #OmahaEd