Kristin Christensen
(NON)
Biographical Information
Education
Pursuing Master's of Education
Current Public Office, dates held
N/A
Past Public Office, dates held
N/A
Military experience
N/A
Campaign Twitter Handle
Why are you running for the Board of Education? If elected, what will be your priorities?
As a certified public school teacher of almost ten years, I want to bring the voice of educators to the Board. With over 900 position vacancies going into the '23-'24 school year, I'm worried about the current teacher shortage crisis. It is crucial to develop creative policies that help attract and, especially, retain highly qualified teachers. Making sure we have skilled educators and support personnel in our classrooms will raise student achievement, in turn, raising test scores and graduation rates.
What are the most important challenges facing our school districts, and how do you propose to address them?
In addition to the dire shortage of teachers Nebraska schools are currently facing, I also want to address student achievement. Ensuring our schools are utilizing literacy curriculum that teaches reading and writing efficiently and effectively, using research-based methods is paramount. Students should be proficient readers by third grade for the best shot at overall success, so it is crucial that our school districts are utilizing all available supports to boost literacy skills.
What do you see as the role of the State Board of Education?
The State Board of Education should provide sound guidance and support to local school boards to ensure children are receiving the best education, through setting student-centered policy and collaboration with the Department of Education and local school districts. The State Board of Education sets state-wide policy and baseline standards, while we should allow local school boards to set and implement policies tailored to their community's needs.