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We keep advancing toward our Moonshot.
When we launched it in August 2024, we engaged our community to build our next steps together.
Hundreds of staff, family, student and community voices are part of our learning, reflection and planning.
This edition of Inside OPS takes you inside our Moonshot workgroups. It is the next stage of our united focus on literacy.
Teams of staff are using stakeholder input, proven best practices and improvement science to focus on teaching and learning, family and community ties, professional learning and more.
There are connections to two other important things happening now:
- The annual release of state testing and accountability data
- Our Board of Education’s development of its next strategic plan
State testing and accountability data are one important snapshot of our growth, and where we must do better.
Our next strategic plan guides district priorities and sets how we measure progress.
Last month, we received the very difficult and frustrating news that a state funding error leaves us with a significant budget gap for the next school year. Staff are working every day to prepare recommendations to address the shortfall. As we rise to the challenges facing us, our mission, vision, values and Moonshot serve as a strong, shared foundation.
We know why we are here. We know what we are working toward.
Every student. Every day. Prepared for success.
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Matthew Ray
Superintendent
Omaha Public Schools
| | Omaha Public Schools Teams Advance Improvement Work | | |
Improvement – it’s more than a buzzword for Omaha Public Schools. It’s at the heart of our Moonshot goal of all students reading on grade level by 2030.
Getting there takes a layered approach – gathering feedback and looking at ways to build on the things that are working and adjust things that aren’t. Throughout our district, teams are coming together regularly to advance this work.
“Everyone is working towards the same goal, which is to improve literacy for all our students,” said John Crowe, Ph.D., Omaha Public Schools director of enterprise strategy and innovation.
The workgroups formed this fall, established to guide our continuous improvement efforts.
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“It’s a new, innovative way of facilitating work, leading to a system that allows questions and problems to be addressed faster,” Crowe explained.
The workgroups, which include input from all departments in our district, are focused around big, centralized ideas or themes.
“All the teams are working on building the rocket that's going to get us to the moon,” said Jaimie Cogua, Omaha Public Schools director of English learner, Dual Language, refugee and migrant education.
While each workgroup has a specific focus area, together they support improving the learning experience. One group may be discussing how to build and maintain partnerships with families and the community, while another is ensuring that teachers have the necessary materials to support students.
“The point is to empower the workgroups to solve problems, free up lines of communication and not approach things in a bottleneck fashion,” said Crowe. “They move our system forward from strategy to action.”
At the center of these groups is a commitment to improve as a system, which will benefit all our students.
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“It’s exciting to be given an opportunity to take tactics that need to be done and move the work forward,” said Cogua. “Knowing that you're responsible for leading work for the whole district and that it's going to impact all of the teachers, students and families in our district.”
The workgroups will continue to meet throughout the school year, providing recommendations that will help move our strategic priorities forward.
| | Students Take Active Role in Data Monitoring to Drive Improvement | | |
Ninth grader Koomtes Xiong is crunching numbers and looking at statistics, but it’s not for a math class. This work is part of Westview High’s effort to help students understand their academic data and use it as a tool for improvement.
“Today, we’re looking at the PreACT questions,” said Xiong. “We’ll be able to understand what we need to improve on and understand what I’m already good at.”
Xiong and his freshmen classmates review recent scores and use the data to reflect on results and identify areas for growth. They call this activity “Test Prep Tuesday.”
“It’s very important that our students are aware of where they need to go and how to get there,” said Hoa Pham, Westview High assistant principal. “We started last year when we realized that as staff and as a school, we know our data, but do the kids know their own?”
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PreACT results are among several data points regularly shared with students. Westview High also reviews attendance, grades, ACT scores and on-track indicators with all students.
On-track data shows whether students are meeting the key milestones necessary to graduate on time, including attendance, course grades and credits. Westview High curriculum specialist Rachael Arens, Ed.D., says the school is seeing steady growth in its on-track data.
The work at Westview High is part of our district-wide focus on continuous school improvement. Schools are using data to enhance engagement, guide instruction and improve student outcomes.
“This isn't something that happened overnight. It's been an implementation of continuous conversations among the leadership team, staff and trickling down to the students,” said Arens. “This is a culture that you really have to believe in to make it work.”
Students review their own on-track data and trends across grades and classrooms. School-wide data is part of the conversation in advisement periods, school presentations, announcements and the school newsletter.
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“We share it whenever we get the chance,” said Pham. “The students are very excited about it and are showing great interest in their data.”
Amber Myers, a Westview High curriculum specialist, says teachers are using the data to guide instruction.
“I like to narrow the data down to the skill level so teachers can have real conversations about how to enhance student skills, rather than just saying our students aren’t doing great in math,” said Myers. “It really is building transparency for us and helping us to maintain strong conversations about academics.”
By sharing this information early and consistently, Westview High believes this will empower students to identify challenges and stay focused on achieving their graduation goals.
“I think it’s important that the information is available,” said Xiong. “The school wants students to succeed, and we want to do our best.”
| | School Selection Is Right Around the Corner! | | |
School selection opens in January. Families of students in transition grades will receive an email with a link to choose a school for next year, including options outside their neighborhood.
Students in non-transition grades may apply for a new school by submitting a paper application from their school’s counseling office by Jan. 31, 2026.
Explore what our high schools have to offer in the video below.
| | Join Us On Jan. 16 for Kindergarten Registration | | |
Join us on Jan. 16, 2026, for Kindergarten Registration. This exciting event brings families of incoming kindergarten students together at their neighborhood school to prepare for the upcoming year. During the visit, families will meet teachers, explore the classroom, learn about the school and register their child.
Two sessions will be offered:
- Session 1: 2 – 3 p.m.
- Session 2: 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Current kindergarten students will not attend school on Jan. 16.
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Omaha Public Schools NSCAS Results Highlight School Improvement Efforts
Omaha Public Schools united focus on improvement advances as statewide assessment results show growth and outline improvement areas.
To read more about the Nebraska Department of Education 2024-25 Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment Systems (NSCAS) results, click here.
| | Winter Recess Calendar Reminder | | |
There is no school for students from Dec. 22 through Jan. 2 for Winter Recess. District offices will be closed on Dec. 25, 26, 31 and Jan. 1.
If families plan to take an extended break, please notify your school as soon as possible to ensure the best plan is in place for your students.
View or download a copy of our district calendar on our website.
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Our district and community have resources to support students and staff, including the Safe2Help Nebraska Hotline.
Safe2Help Nebraska is a confidential and anonymous hotline for students, families, staff or community members to report concerns.
If you or someone you know needs support or would like to report a safety concern, Safe2Help Nebraska Hotline is available 24/7 at (531) 299-SAFE. The app is installed on every Omaha Public Schools iPad, providing easy and immediate access.
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Our Community Opportunities section is our digital bulletin board where families can find information about upcoming events and activities available in our area. New flyers are posted at the beginning of each month. This month's flyers include:
- UNO Aim For The Stars Summer Camp 2026 registration
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...to Chad Wilcox, Westview High social studies teacher, for receiving the 2025
Excellence in Teaching Award by the Churchill Society of Omaha.
… to Katie Czerwiec, Beveridge Middle language arts teacher, for being honored with a
Nebraska Awards of Excellence from the Nebraska Department of Education.
… to Keairra Watson, King Elementary second grade teacher, for being honored with
a Nebraska Awards of Excellence from the Nebraska Department of Education.
… to all Omaha Public Schools students selected to perform in the All-City Music
Festival.
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| | Omaha Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy), marital status, sexual orientation, disability, age, genetic information, gender identity, gender expression, citizenship status, veteran status, political affiliation or economic status in its programs, activities and employment and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following individual has been designated to accept allegations regarding non-discrimination policies: Superintendent of Schools, 3215 Cuming Street, Omaha, NE 68131 (531) 299-9822. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Director for the Office of Equity and Diversity, 3215 Cuming St, Omaha, NE 68131 (531) 299-0307. | | | | |
