Teachers hired; board OKs early resignation program

Tuesday night by CCS board members, one who just completed her degree in December and another who will graduate in May.
    Janessa Haarberg, an Imperial native and CCS graduate, started teaching second grade this semester, officially Jan. 4.  
    Also hired Tuesday was Karli Hale, who expects to graduate in May from Hastings College and will teach grade 7-12 math.
    The board also approved another year for its early resignation program for teachers, elected board officers/committees and hired legal counsel for the 2021 year.
    Other action at Tuesday’s meeting included an appreciation gift to outgoing board member Sheila Stromberger, who served 22 years on the board. She chose not to run for re-election and attended her last meeting in December.
    Laura Maddox was elected in November to replace Stromberger, and attended her first meeting Tuesday.
New teachers
    Hale will graduate in May from Hastings College with a degree in secondary math education. She is now student teaching at Adams Central High School in Hastings.
    The Holdrege native is playing basketball for Hastings College, and is part of the Human Performance Internship Program. She was a three-sport high school athlete in softball, basketball and track.
    7-12 Principal Mike Sorensen said at Tuesday’s meeting she will also be an assistant girls’ basketball coach next year.
    According to Tuesday’s discussion, CCS continues to look for a grade 7-8 math teacher, which would then allow for two full-time high school math instructors. Chris Bartels is the other high school math teacher.    
    Haarberg is teaching second grade, assuming the class that Angie Dickey had, allowing Dickey to return to her role as MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) coordinator and as a reading/math interventionist.
    She was a December 2020 University of Nebraska-Kearney graduate who earned a Bachelor of Education degree in early childhood.
    Haarberg student taught at CCS last fall, and was also employed from 2017-19 here as a special education papaprofessional. She worked a semester as a para at Emerson Elementary in Kearney.
    Both teacher hirings came on 9-0 board votes.
    In other business, the board approved the early resignation program for certificated staff. Any teacher who signs an agreement by the Jan. 31 deadline, agreeing to leave employment on May 21, will receive a $1,000 stipend.
    The intent of the program is to give the school more lead time in advertising for teachers.
    Three new board officers were elected Tuesday.
    Karl Meeske replaced Jeff Olsen as board president.
    Carrie Terryberry is the new board secretary, replacing Stromberger, while Steve Wallin assumed the treasurer’s position previously held by Meeske.
    All board committees will stay the same, with the exception of Stromberger’s positions. Maddox will take her seats on the curriculum/technology, policy, health/safety and American civics committees.

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