Partnership Principal
Gene Haynes

Listen to Gene!

    
   There are no two days the same for Omaha principal Gene Haynes in leading North Magnet School and its 1,800-plus students, and that has been very rewarding for him.

  “I get to meet and work with many different students, parents and staff members all the time,” he says. “I’m in my 40th year in education (all in the Omaha Public Schools), and find myself working with the third and fourth generation of a family.

  “My problems are so minimal compared to what some of the kids in our school go through. Our job is to try and improve their lot in life.”

  North High, which has been a magnet school since 1983, focuses on technology, mathematics, science and engineering for a highly diverse student population of which 47 percent qualify for free and reduced lunch programs. Haynes has led the school for seven years, but worked at North Magnet for 15 years as an assistant principal before taking over the principalship.

  During his time at North, Haynes has been part of a number of creative programs designed to help students and bring parents and the business community into the school. One of the most successful has been Parent Involvement Days.

   “We always hear that once students get into high school, they aren’t interested in having their parents show up at school and parents become less involved in their youngsters education,” he remarks. “Yet, it’s important that parents continue to be involved.”

   To encourage greater involvement, North created a Parent Involvement Day 12 years ago, and it has been going strong ever since. One day in February parents are invited to the school where they initially receive an overview of the program. Parents of ninth graders can participate in a recognition event for students who have made the honor roll, and parents of upperclassmen can spend the day visiting classrooms. This brings a focus on student achievement and highlights the good things students are doing, according to Haynes.

   Another way parents are involved is through the annual Blue and Gold breakfast in the spring which honors outstanding students in athletics and other student activities. The students being recognized receive a free breakfast, parents attend, and a guest speaker discusses issues to help young people.

  Business partnerships are another major part of the North Magnet program and help to overcome what Haynes calls his biggest challenge—lack of funding.

  “Educators are always being asked to do more with less,” he says. “We have to provide all kids with every opportunity, and we’ve found grants, donations and partnerships to be essential if we are to meet our goals.”

  Partnerships range from mentoring to having students perform to donations for social events and include such corporations as Pepsi, Mutual of Omaha, American Harvester, the City of Omaha, and Union Pacific.

  UP supports North’s Dream Program for 12 students featuring monthly teleconferences where the students have a chance to discuss concerns and issues with UP personnel. UP also supports monthly outings for these youngsters that include service activities such as preparing Holiday food baskets to trips to see local college basketball games.

  Efforts such as these have paid off at North Magnet, which was recognized as a Magnet School of Excellence in 2007 by Magnet Schools of America. It also was on Redbook Magazine’s list of outstanding schools in the 1980s, and North students annually meet the progress goals mandated by No Child Left Behind.

  In addition to the UP partnership at North, Haynes values opportunities for school leaders provided through The Principals’ Partnership.

  “The Partnership is giving us outstanding opportunities as school leaders to meet outside of the school setting to discuss issues, share ideas and learn what’s going on elsewhere,” he reports. “The chance to hear what principals in Chicago and Wyoming are doing for their students is invaluable.”

   More information about Omaha’s North Magnet School can be found at http://www.ops.org/high/north/, and Hayes can be contacted at gene.haynes@ops.org.

  
Past Focus Principals:

Focus- Dan Besett
Focus- Rodney Matheney
Focus- Catherine Guy
Focus- Bob Rodriguez
Focus- John Brumley
Focus- Nancy York
Focus- Jerrylyn Jones
Focus- Gloria Erkins
Focus- Ron Sing
Focus- Bill Hittman
Focus- Jeanene Sampson
Focus- David Gilligan
Focus - Joy Walton
Focus- William Roberts
Focus- Franklyn Wesley
Focus- Magdalena Gutierrez
Focus- Kent Bergum
Focus- William "Rick" Johnson
Focus- Ken Ball
Focus- Dan Tenuta
Focus- Charlesetta Deason
Focus- Rene Posey
Focus- Stuart Baker
Focus- Paul Smith
Focus- Christie Gestvang
Focus- John A. Butterfield
Focus- Janie Hill Hatton
Focus- Steve Warmack
Focus- Glen Clark
Focus- Kittie D. Weston-Knauer
Focus- William Dunn
Focus - Richard Pemberton
Focus- Dr. Anthony Spivey
Focus - John Weigel