Reflections and gratitude

Coming to Doane College in 1972 was a pivot point in my life. Growing up in New York, I know my dad wanted me to earn a college degree and return to join the New York Police Department, where he and many of my extended family members made careers. He …

There’s still work to do

I have so appreciated the incredible opportunity to be a part of Lincoln Public Schools these last 11 years. For someone to begin as a teacher and coach in Wilber, Nebraska and end up as superintendent of arguably one of the top large districts in the country is something I …

The challenges of change

Being forced to change the way one has to live is never easy and always subject to spirited debate. I understand that. As a young person growing up in New York, I well remember my father (a proud New York police officer) being incredibly upset at two changes he vehemently …

A midsummer update

As we reach the halfway point of the summer, this is a good time to update our stakeholders on some of the planning taking place. Proposed ‘Safe Return to School Plan’ As you are aware, we intend to make a few modifications to our summer school plans by moving to …

Growing through ‘pivot points’

This, my friends, has been a year! And, to think that school ends this week with graduations soon to follow, I have to look back and reflect on the amazing work of so many of our dedicated employees who made it happen. While the fear and uncertainty of a puzzling …

Learning resilience from our students

Students are a resilient lot! I have spent many mornings in our schools and always enjoy the opportunity to converse with our young people. They are honest, forthright and not afraid to ask the difficult questions. I have said many times that the future of our country is bright as …

Second semester offers more challenges, hope

We are delighted to begin second semester, as we know that the holidays have been a struggle for many of our students and families who have been isolated due to the pandemic. While the first semester was quite challenging, kudos to our staff and students who have continued to work …

Hope and gratitude in a pandemic

The news this week centered around the likelihood of a vaccine that demonstrates great promise for helping us beat this virus. For all of us, it can’t get here soon enough but the mere hope that it will be available should inspire us to continue to work hard. Because we …

Together, we can

This week, we spoke publicly of the first “potential” school spread instances of COVID-19. This was not unexpected as, despite our hard work with safety protocols, we are a microcosm of our community where spread seems to be increasing. I am incredibly proud of all of our staff and students …

Rising to the challenge

In light of the prolific challenges we have faced in recent months, I am incredibly proud of our staff and students for being able to make the most of a situation that everyone wants to disappear. While summer planning for schools opening was intense, actually executing the plan was even …