A Springboard to Success

We’ve been giving you a look inside Nebraska’s NAESP PreK-3 Leadership Academy and introducing you to the Nebraska Advisors guiding the 20 members of cohort 2 through the academy. Read on to learn how Amy Kroll, Director of School Improvement and Special Education at Weeping Water Public Schools, is leading her group through their capstone project.

Amy’s group has chosen to focus their learning on the competency of Developing and Fostering Partnerships with Families and Communities. This Competency focuses on establishing strong relationships with families and the community and recognizes that learning doesn’t just occur inside the school building. Creating partnerships with families and the community will create a culture of learning that spans all parts of a child’s life.

 

 

Amy has this to say about the members of her group, “My group is always looking for innovative ways to collaborate with those organizations, community members, etc. they see as vital in supporting a child’s development. They have excellent ideas already and each member contributes to the conversations. They have been able to find takeaways from their discussions and try it out in their own districts. This group is encouraging and supportive of each other while recognizing the challenges each of them face. They are true problem-solvers.”

 

Pictured: Allyson Bohlen — Adams Central Early Learning Center, Abbey Cron — Centura Elementary School, Dr. Chelsea Feusner — Kearney Public Schools

 

The members of this group have gone after partnerships — whether it be with families or with community agencies and organizations. The premise behind their capstone projects is to have partnerships that will ease the transition from home to school. They have identified the gaps and barriers that may prohibit these partnerships and have done a great job addressing them.

Amy is very pleased with the path her cohort group is on, “I am very proud of the work they have done! Their capstone projects are helping them stay focused on their end goals — knowing full well that it cannot all be completed immediately — they will progress over time. They now have a springboard to launch and lead change in their districts.”