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Educational systems in Logan County: progressive and forward
thinking
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[February 26, 2015]
If
you blink, you could miss it. Our education system is changing
rapidly, almost overnight as new tools for our educators become
available and as the education system adapts to the needs of a
changing world to prepare youth for careers.
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 It’s not great-grandma’s one-room school house with
multiple grades taught together and a lot of rote memorization. Nor
is it grandpa’s school with chalkboards, stacks of text books to
tote, long daily lectures on any given topic; it’s not even pens and
paper, or handwritten homework and tests any more. Rather, the
classroom has become a dynamic and vibrant place filled with
technology, energy and new freedoms.
In this issue we take a look at one of our most rural school
districts, the combined New Holland-Middletown K - 12 school which
has received state and national acclaim for its forward thinking and
action in gaining technology tools for use by all of its students.
Writer and educator Angela Reiners offered this comment after her
visit, "What a small school in a somewhat impoverished community is
doing is truly amazing."
Moving up the grade levels, we take a look into what is happening at
the high school level. For this magazine we are featuring five
articles on what is happening in Logan County's largest school,
Lincoln Community High School. You will see that technology is
having an impact on all the students there also. [Note: Be sure to
check out the short video clips.]
 During a February visit with LCHS students, Governor Bruce Rauner
said that schools and communities need to be working together to get
ahead. He said school districts need to share programs and
resources; there needs to be more career and vocation programming
that would propel students into quality careers earlier in life; and
local businesses and community need to be involved with the training
processes.
If the Governor were to look closely at LCHS, he would find the
school right on track in those primary directives of his vision.
In this issue we look at the Lincolnland Technical Education Center,
administered by Superintendent Robert Bagby, which incorporates
eight consolidated school districts that offer eight career oriented
programs.
LTEC courses are designed to enrich general studies and prepare
students for success beyond high school as they gain work experience
and training.
LCHS School Board president Jim Mammen commented
that the school is working hard to stay up to date with the needs of
the people around them. “If there is an industry that comes here, we
will work to provide an education for that industry.”
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In another interesting article, we explore one more
program that will be added in the Fall of 2015 which is creating a
quite a stir: The Land of Lincoln Creating Entrepreneurial
Opportunities. LLCEO is a game changer in High School education in
Logan County.
Lastly, in this issue, we review how Lincoln College engages with
the community, how the school has embraced our agricultural roots
with a new degree offering for Ag students, and more that the school
is doing as President John Blackburn wraps up his productive
three-year term.
In this special section, Lincoln Daily News shines the light on some
of the great things that are happening in our schools; what our
kids, teachers and administrators are doing that is a change for the
better, adapting to meet the needs and demands of this world each
and every day.
Editor in chief Jan
Youngquist
and
LDN publisher Jim Youngquist
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