VOTE411 Voter Guide

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.

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.

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.

I have been very involved in the State Board of Education and LPS Board meetings over the past 3 years which has led to building relationships with parents and teachers and staff members and learning of many widespread concerns in our public schools. My priorities will be for our public schools to focus on excellent academics, ensure robust collaboration with parents, and provide transparency in the ways our public schools are funded.

Our teacher shortage crisis is extreme and only getting worse. We need to decrease the unnecessary bureaucratic policies that prevent new qualified teachers from entering our classrooms and we need to evaluate certification renewal requirements to guarantee that our current teachers have as few burdens as possible in order to maintain their positions. Also, staff certifications like language interpreters and psychologists need to be as streamlined and free from burdens as possible. Student behavior is also another major issue in teacher retention and we should research and assess the best evidence-based practices that are producing positive results around the country and encourage our school districts to implement the most effective ones.

The role of the SBOE is to provide statewide oversight of education in Nebraska to public schools, private schools, and home-educated ("exempt") students. The SBOE is responsible for allocating taxpayer dollars to fund public educations and creating policy and methods of evaluation for the state school system. The SBOE organizes the Dept of Ed and appoints the Education Commissioner, defines the parameters of teacher certification and, when needed, teacher discipline.