My Views Are My Own By Lisa Schonhoff, Ed.S. 4/20/2026 During my time on the Nebraska State Board of Education, I have engaged in numerous discussions and debates regarding academic proficiency rates, student mental health, teacher retention challenges, graduation rates, and chronic absenteeism. I firmly believe that when students develop strong reading proficiency and confidence early in their education, many of these interrelated challenges are more effectively addressed an

My Views Are My Own By Lisa Schonhoff, Ed.S. March 18, 2026 Timeline of Mental Health Grants In August 2024 , the Council of Chief State School Officers  highlighted Nebraska's School Mental Health Initiative, funded by approximately $14.6–$15 million in federal ESSER (COVID relief) funds. This supported training for more than 400 educators across 70 schools or districts by July 2022, with surveys showing gains in staff knowledge. However, the student mental health crisis has

My Views Are My Own By Lisa Schonhoff, Ed.S. March 11, 2026 In last month’s blog post , I discussed the Community Achievement Plan (CAP)  and specifically, the Learning Community  portion of the plan.  This vote was delayed in both January and February due to concerns raised by some board members regarding the plan.  On January 16 , I toured the Learning Community North and South locations.  During the visit, I learned that One World Health employs the majority of staff at th