This month’s Omaha Press Club’s Noon Forum featured Mark Evans, Omaha Public Schools’ new superintendent.
Evans came to Omaha from the Andover Public Schools District in Kansas. He has over three decades of education experience, including 25 years in leadership roles.
Evans began at OPS on July 1st and spent some time during his presentation discussing his first 100 days. He said he wants to focus on ways to help OPS move from where it is today to where the community wants it to be tomorrow.
Evans also discussed issues of gangs and dropouts.
"You have to create a culture where young people are willing to tell you when that neighborhood influence is encroaching on the school environment. And they have to look at the school as refuge from that if they’re coming from that kind of environment where there are gangs, drugs and violence. And it’s out there, you can’t deny that, but we have to make sure that schools are the utopia, the refuge from it and that’s part of that school culture piece we are going to really influence."
Evans said the district is working on a strategic plan that will include system-wide accountability.
Mark Evans’ presentation will air at Noon on Monday, November 4th on 91.5, KIOS fm.