All roads lead to LPS for more than 350 new teachers

Anthony Anderson and Kim Biddlecom took very different roads to reach their final destination as first-year English teachers at Lincoln Northeast High School.

For Anderson, the road was short: He’s a 2015 graduate of Northeast. For Biddlecom, the road stretched more than 1,500 miles: She recently moved here from Maine. 

Now their roads have converged at 2635 N. 63rd St. - home of the Rockets. 

“It's a little nostalgic walking into the building where I went to high school, but I think there's also a lot of benefits,” Anderson said. “There are a lot of people I can go to if I have any questions or need anything. It’s so exciting to have those connections right away when you get into a building alongside some of those teachers who had an impact on you.”

Biddlecom didn’t graduate from Northeast, but she’s already experienced the same level of support.

“I think the biggest thing that I've learned is just how compassionate all of the teachers I've met are and just how willing they are to help fellow teachers coming in, especially from far away like I am,” Biddlecom said. “I think that it's amazing how connected you can be - if you need help, you know you can go to someone.” 

They were two of more than 350 new Lincoln Public Schools teachers who attended a welcome breakfast and morning-long orientation on Friday at Embassy Suites Hotel. It marked the end of their first week on the job - a week filled with professional development and learning as much as they can about LPS prior to the first day of school Aug. 12. On Friday, they heard from Lincoln Board of Education President Lanny Boswell, LPS Superintendent Steve Joel, Lincoln City Council Member - and former Board of Education Member - Richard Meginnis and 2018 Nebraska Teacher of the Year Sydney Jensen from Lincoln High School, among others.

They heard vital information about a variety of topics, including student services, school security, and child abuse and neglect training. They heard inspiring words about the importance of their work. And they heard from each other, sitting at tables with other new teachers from their schools. They used the time between speakers to get to know each other and to discuss issues related to teaching and education.

And to share an experience many of them described the same way as Anderson.

“This is a dream come true.”


Published: August 2, 2019, Updated: August 6, 2019

"I think the biggest thing that I've learned is just how compassionate all of the teachers I've met are and just how willing they are to help fellow teachers coming in, especially from far away like I am. I think that it's amazing how connected you can be - if you need help, you know you can go to someone."

Kim Biddlecom, a new English teacher at Northeast High School