It continues to be an exciting time for us at Opportunity Education.

By Emily Nitcher / World-Herald staff writer
Aug 22, 2017
Omaha World-Herald Article

There are no classrooms made up of tidy little rows of desks facing one direction at the NGL Academy.

It’s not that kind of school.

Students should expect activity, said Mark Smith, director of the academy. Teachers move around the room asking students questions and helping them dig deeper into topics. Students should not be sitting in the classroom watching one person talk. Instead, they actively work alone or together with an instructor.

Classes begin today at the unconventional school on the campus of Bellevue University. Eleven ninth-graders from Omaha and Bellevue have signed up to be in the inaugural class. Ray Ravaglia, NGL Academy’s chief learning officer, said all of the students are on scholarships.

The Bellevue high school is the first NGL Academy to open. It will be followed by a second school in Santa Rosa, California, next month.

The schools are backed by Omaha-based Opportunity Education, which was started in 2005 by TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts. Gov. Pete Ricketts, Joe Ricketts’ son, is on the nonprofit’s board of advisers, according to the foundation’s website.

The academy uses Next Generation Learning curriculum developed by Opportunity Education, which is designed to teach students how to learn. Students use technology and go on personalized learning projects called “quests.”

Teachers serve more as mentors, challenging and engaging students instead of lecturing.

There’s a chance that this year’s class could expand by a few more students, Ravaglia said. The plan is to add more grades and more students in the coming years.

First, school leaders had to find the first batch of students. That proved to be an adventure.

Ravaglia said school officials had to go out and make connections with people to make sure they understood the core mission of the school.

“So, as you can imagine, some people liked what we had and just bought into it right away,” he said. “Others were more hesitant.”

Among the concerns for parents was whether the school was accredited.

All public schools in the state of Nebraska need to be accredited and all nonpublic and parochial schools need only to be approved by the state, but also can become accredited if they choose, said David Jespersen, a spokesman for the State Department of Education. NGL Academy has been approved, he said.

Despite some early confusion, it is not an online school.

There’s a technology component, officials said, but it doesn’t take over teaching.

In fact, school officials want to create partnerships with the broader community to give students new experiences in and out of the classroom.

The school already has a joint program with the Omaha Conservatory of Music. Students will take a bus to the conservatory one day a week for about three hours to learn about music theory and composition.

After months of planning, Smith and Ravaglia said they’re excited to get students in the classroom.

The academy is still looking for future students. Those interested can visit ngl.academy.

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