2006
Week 15 - A
April 19, 2006

Yo

The rumble, locally and nationally, continues on Omaha Schools. So added comment is warranted.

For example, NBC national news tonight (Wednesday) will, according to the teaser, raise the question whether going back to segregated schools would improve education. They likely will suggest that the Nebraska legislature thinks so. Not. One senator does. Do our educators in African-ancestry low income schools think so? Not. I could not find one, in three days of calling, who thought so. All thought the quality of education for their multi-racial classes would go down. Do parents think so? A few do, frustrated that they feel isolated from decision making in a large district.

The question is certainly national news, but the implied answers are not Nebraska. We already have some action to begin to remove the punitive three-way split of OPS. Quite simply, the 11 districts/educators are asked to sit at the same table for 2 years of discussion. There is no way to have full, open discussion if one is to be disciplined.

My comments are from behind the scene, do not represent the public sentiment. That is why you pay me the big bucks. I am bemused as people say and shout that the main bill, LB 1024, is big and so complicated we cannot know for sure what will happen, and so much in the future we do not know for sure the costs. That is what we say on the floor when we oppose any bill and have run out of arguments. Every major bill is like that. It goes with the territory.

One example, of a new popular bill that passed nearly unanimously. The Sexual Predator bill provides new law enforcement procedures, treatment possibilities, and ways to keep the offender behind locked doors for the rest of (his) life if deemed advisable. Does anyone know for sure how law enforcement will use this, or how successful treatment may be, or the legal repercussions of locking someone up for life without a court saying so? No, we do not. "It all depends."

The cost is worse. It costs $29,000 a year to have someone in prison, or $110,000 to have one resident at a mental hospital. What happens when treatment fails and the person has not reoffended so we cannot transfer him to prison, to save a lot of money? What happens when folks figure out that we are preparing to spend over $2 million per person, just to keep them out of sight for life? There is no way to know how a program will work or what it will cost until we get public reaction. That is just the way it is.

Another leading question is, "What was the legislature thinking?!" The questioner always wants a simple answer, as if one thought passes any legislation. So let's have fun. I will try to give a more complete answer in terms of the Omaha schools fight.

The numbers in the following paragraph are an approximate number of senators who hold the feeling, light or heavy. The figures are not accurate. They are estimates, for illustration only. Every senator has several of these opinions. Please note some are plus for voting, some are negatives. Here is "What we were thinking."

49	-	Quality education is a legislative responsibility (It is in the Constitution)
14	-	Education should be the top priority of the legislature
19	-	Angry at OPS leadership: supt., ass't supt., and/or attorney
16	-	Anger with the coalition districts for refusing to help solve the problem
12	-	OPS is doing a good job and should be left alone.
40	-	No district has the right to hurt another district by taking major territory away.
11	-	Think Omaha itself is too big, and any cutting down to size is good
12	-	Upset about action last year which forced one room schools to join a H.S. district (This is often called forced closure. Not true. The small school can continue, but must join a full service district.)
17	-	Like small/distrust anything large -- so let's cap all districts at 15,000 students
18	-	Each town and city should have only one school district
6	-	All local schools in Metro Omaha are too big
32	-	Favor multicultural education, for the best learning
12	-	Anti-undocumented immigrant. They are using up what our own kids need
18	-	Pro-undocumented immigrant -- feel they are our kids, in our schools, and the constitution does not allow us to separate them
17	-	Pro-suburbs. If people want to move there they should be left alone
22	-	Local choice is best when it is possible
33	-	We cannot say until we hear what Omaha thinks. They are the ones who know.
23	-	This bill is all we have. No other plans are out there and this buys some time.
11	-	Distrust lobbyist statements, which give only part of the story
40	-	Anti-segregation, in any form
12	-	Anti/Pro Senator Chambers
30	-	Trust the fairness and wisdom of Senator Raikes
49	-	An 1891 law can be reviewed and amended. That is our job.

All of us, basically, know that the legislature is responsible to create districts and to create a Department of Education to help provide quality education. All of us want the locals to tell us what they think will work, what they are willing to do. Our fancy answers will not work. All of us are extremely disappointed that Omaha districts have not provided a shared plan. From there on, it splits all over the place on each vote -- and there were over 20 motions, counting committee work.

Hope you enjoy the answer. Mix and match, to get 25 for a majority. We are real people, with varied experiences. If you REALLY enjoy this, please consider running for the legislature so we can stand outside and talk and shout at you.

Quietly,

Lowen