R.L. Fredstrom Leadership Award

About the Award: This annual award recognizes outstanding leadership or potential for leadership in Lincoln Public Schools and furthers recipients’ professional growth and development. The award is in honor of Rudy Fredstrom, a Nebraska teacher and administrator who served as assistant superintendent of Lincoln Public Schools from 1951-1975 and was a life-long leader in education. His message each time he visited students at Fredstrom Elementary School was “never quit learning.” He personified that message and this award recognizes recipients who will continue to learn and refine their skills in the area of serving education through leadership. 

The R.L. Fredstrom Leadership Award recognizes those Lincoln Public Schools teachers or coordinators who have outstanding leadership qualities or have demonstrated the potential to become an outstanding educational leader. 

Upon the death of Dr. Fredstrom in 1997, memorial funds were used to begin this fund. The Fredstrom family plans to continue this annual award.

Amount Awarded: $1,000

Nominated By: Michelle Hrbek, coworker 

Based on the criteria, why do you feel this person should be considered for the R.L.Fredstrom Leadership Award?

Michelle Leidholt should be considered for the RL Fredstrom Leadership Award because, since her inaugural year of teaching in 2004, she has continually stepped up to lead when new and unchartered educational programs have emerged in the district. Since being hired by Dr. Bess Scott to teach English at Goodrich her first year, she has gone on to launch the Entrepreneurial Focus Program, transitioned in 2015 to The Career Academy-when it began serving LPS students, and in 2022 was hired as the first coordinator overseeing the Arts & Humanities High School Focus Program, Science Focus Program, and Bay High.

In each of the preceding examples it was with the direction of Michelle, coupled with other outstanding educators, that built programs where none existed prior. She helped lay the groundwork for not one but two focus programs in LPS.

A&H, and other focus high schools, are in capable hands with Michelle as a coordinator. When we have questions about how best to improve our program, curriculum, relationships, etc., she is able to draw on a wealth of knowledge from her years of working in
interdisciplinary academic schools.

Even now, as Arts & Humanities prepares to relocate (we will undergo renovation during the
2024-2025 school year), Michelle is taking on even more leadership. She is responsible for calculating how scheduling and class offerings will need to be adjusted. She will build individual schedules for all of our students, she will create a rotating room arrangements so that teachers and students can fit into our newly allotted classroom space, and she will coordinate with teachers to best develop strategies to continue meeting curricular needs with fewer resources-as space will not allow for us to use much of the materials we rely on in art.
 

What effect does the nominee's outstanding leadership have on the quality of education for students?

Quality educational opportunities for students at A&H are not in short supply thanks to Ms. Leidholt. She has implemented a schedule system that has solidified academic offerings so that students are able to better navigate their graduation needs. She works tirelessly with home schools to ensure that students are placed in appropriate classes, facilitates e-learning opportunities, works with students and parents to make sure all students' needs are being met, and also brings new learning experiences to our school. She supports equity issues, ensuring all students are seen in our buildings. For example, she not only planned a day for students at all of the focus programs to participate in an IncluCity event, she also organized a group of students for a 2 day workshop that educated high
schoolers on how to confront bigotry, prejudice, and discrimination. Students came back from this experience with a wealth of knowledge and a willingness to hold space for other young people in our programs to discuss topics that are important for acceptance.

Michelle bridges all our focus programs. When Arts & Humanities' student council was engaged in a sock drive, Michelle connected our school with resources at Bay High that led to a 1-to-2 matching donation of socks. When the drive was over, A&H was able to donate 1,699 socks to an LPS elementary school.

She is willing to share her insights regarding ACT Preparation as she is an ACT Test Preparation Coordinator for LPS. This benefits our students, but also in a much broader sense, shows her commitment to ACT Preparation across our district. In this role she promotes ACT Test Prep, communicates with parents and students on course logistics, and recruits content area teachers.

What professional growth opportunities is the nominee currently involved in?

Ms. Leidholt is a life-long learner, this summer she will begin the University of NebraskaLincoln Art TEAMS Professional Development courses, where she will both participate and oversee two collaborative teams (one from A&H and the other from Bay High). This program is crafted with the intent of preparing teachers to work with students to use inquiry-based learning, increase engagement, develop students' and teachers' sense of belonging with culturally responsive pedagogy, and infuse arts-based inquiry across all curriculums.

Ms. Leidholt also serves LPS by coordinating Deeper InVestigation into Equity (DIVE) and Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity (SEED) professional development classes for the entire district. In these year-long courses, she uses literature and monthly programming to inform countless educators on topics that range from race, to LGBTQIA+, to gender, to ability and beyond. I have completed both DIVE and SEED and have found the learning to be immeasurable. What we discuss brings the lives of my students into a crisper focus and provides the space to reflect on what more myself and the others taking the class can do to
better serve the diverse backgrounds and needs of our students.

Describe the nominee's outstanding leadership qualities.
 

Responsibility - As coordinator, Ms. Leidholt helps oversee the 3 focus programs mentioned earlier. That means supervising teachers, conducting appraisals, building staff development, supporting students and families, scheduling students coursework, making sure grad requirements are met, and much more.

Flexibility - Ms. Leidholt is not a one-size-fits-all thinker, each situation demands unique consideration. She is helping to manage three staffs, three school cultures, in three buildings.

Strategic Thinking - I've already mentioned scheduling and long-term planning. She's thinking ahead to our future, wanting to increase our enrollment numbers and success.

Relationship-Building - Ms. Leidholt knows our kids. If myself or staff ever have concerns related to students we begin with her. Often she has already had contact with both the student and parent(s)/guardian and will partner with us to make sure the teenager's needs
are being met.

Accountability - I appreciate that Ms. Leidholt takes ownership for situations that don't go according to plan. Things rarely don't go as planned, but when a leader acknowledges oversight, it creates trust and dependability.

Positivity - Regardless of the challenge, I know Ms. Leidholt will support the heavy lifting that sometimes needs to be done to make our school stronger.