Plans Now Underway for NSEA’s 160th Assembly the NSEA’s Annual Meet Recognize a Colleague’s VOICE Set for April 23-24 Excellence The school year is well underway, Nebraska State Education Association Now is the time to discuss who you or 605 S. 14th Street, Lincoln, NE 68508 but it isn’t too soon to be thinking your association might nominate for one of nsea.org about April 2021 and NSEA’s 160th the honors to be given at NSEA’s Delegate 402-475-7611 · 1-800-742-0047 Delegate Assembly. Assembly in April. Volume 74, No. 2 For the uninitiated, Delegate As- Any NSEA member may nominate a ISSN Number: 1085-0783 sembly is the once-a-year annual member teacher, ESP or deserving group. USPS Number: 000-369 business meeting of the Nebraska Mailed nominations must be postmarked Executive Director Maddie Fennell, NBCT State Education Association. Mem- by Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, and should be sent Associate Executive Sheri Jablonski bers from across the state, repre- to NSEA Awards, 605 S. 14th St., Lincoln, Director & Comptroller senting local associations large and NE 68508-2742. Nominations may also be Field & Special Michelle Raphael submitted online, with required supporting Projects Manager small, are elected to attend and man- material mailed to the NSEA. Online Director of Public Affairs Karen Kilgarin age the business and set the future nomination forms are found under the & Communications course of the Association. Assistant Comm. Director Al Koontz ‘Call for Nominations’ link at: Inspiring speakers, discussion of www.nsea.org NSEA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE educational issues and consideration President Jenni Benson, Lincoln of updates to NSEA Bylaws and The 2021 Assembly will be held at [email protected] Lincoln’s Marriott Cornhusker Hotel April Vice President Robert Miller, Omaha Resolutions are all part of the Assem- [email protected] bly action. 23-24. Members are eligible for: NEA Director Tracy Hartman-Bradley, Omaha While last year’s event was virtual NSEA Rookie of the Year: To [email protected] honor a first-year teacher who excelled in NEA Director Linda Freye, Lincoln and did not include the robust profes- the 2019-2020 school year. [email protected] sional development of the previous Award for Teaching Excellence: two years, it is hoped that the event Honors a teacher who has excelled in the Official publication of the Nebraska State Education Association, 605 South 14th Street, Lincoln, NE 68508- will return to an in-person format. A classroom over a period of time. 2742. Periodical postage paid at Lincoln, NE, and ad- decision in that regard will be made Education Support Professional ditional mailing offices. Postmaster: send address of the Year: Honors an ESP who has changes to NSEA Voice, 605 S. 14th Street, Lincoln, NE early in 2021. 68508. Also in store in 2021 is an elec- excelled in his or her job. Finalists will be notified in March, Published 10 times yearly according to this schedule: tion for representative of the Ethnic and Minority Affairs Committee with winners revealed at the Assembly. September, October, November, December, January, Recipients receive a $250 cash award. February, March, April, May and August. representative on the NSEA Board of Payment of annual NSEA membership dues entitles Directors. NSEA members are also eligible for: Nebraska educators to receive The Voice. Total cost of NSEA’s first meeting was held as producing 10 monthly issues of The Voice each year is The Great Plains Milestone less than $2 per member. the Nebraska State Teachers Associa- Award: Honors an individual/group for tion in Brownville on Oct. 16, 1867, promoting human and civil rights. Advertising rates available upon request. All ad- vertisements and advertisers are screened prior to just months after Nebraska gained Community Service: Honors publication. Appearance of an advertisement in The statehood. NSEA is the state’s old- NSEA members and/or local associations Voice does not imply NSEA endorsement of either the involved in volunteer work outside of product being advertised or the views expressed. est professional association. NSEA has held a Delegate Assembly almost classroom hours. Local Public Relations: Honors every year since, and in some cases, local associations for outstanding internal twice in a year. communication. The 2021 Delegate Assembly Also to be presented: Find us on Facebook at: is scheduled for Friday and Satur- Friend of Education: Honors an facebook.com/nsea.org day, April 23-24, and will return individual or organization that has made a Find us on Twitter at: to Lincoln’s Marriott Cornhusker statewide contribution to education. @nsea_org Media: Honors newspaper, television Find us on Instagram at: Hotel. @nsea_org To make your interest in serv- or radio station for coverage of education Find us on YouTube at: ing as an elected delegate known, issues and promotion of public education. NSEAMEDIA contact your local association presi- dent, your local association building NSEA organizational specialist at A Great Public School or faculty representative, or your 1-800-742-0047. On the Cover: Cecilia Shultz, Westside Education Association, and Faith John- for Every Child. son, Omaha Education Association, send a clear message during a campaign sign drive-through event in Omaha in September. See the story on page 11.
PAGE 2 | THE VOICE | OCTOBER 2020 | #YouBelong Your NSEA President Something to Agree On School is in full swing across Nebraska, which nearby food trailer. Many of you know that Freedom means my windshield time piled up over the last Writers is the story of a young teacher who inspires month. her class of at-risk students to learn about tolerance, In fact, I feel like I could sing the names of Ne- and to apply themselves and pursue education be- braska communities in the classic traveling song, yond high school. I had watched the movie years ago I’ve Been Everywhere, first made famous in the U.S. and had even met the young teacher portrayed – Erin by Hank Snow. The chorus in my version would go Gruwell – at a professional development session in something like this: Lincoln. As I watched this time, I felt Freedom Writers had “I’ve been to Arapahoe, Lexington, Cozad, Alma a different, deeper significance, particularly in-light “Omaha, North Platte, Norfolk, Ogallala of current events. How personal it suddenly became. “Scottsbluff, Maxwell, Palmer, Kenesaw…” I now have eight multi-racial grandchildren growing up in these very unsettled times. There is a great deal NSEA President You get the idea. Lots of seat time, lots of opportu- to learn and to teach them as we are on this journey Jenni Benson nities to talk with members about the issues they deal together. with each day. How we respond to movies, media, family and The most recent high- friends is central to our light as I write this was own experiences. Sadly, it a member gathering in seems as if we do more to “ Scottsbluff at an amazing We may not tear each other down than pop-up drive-in theatre we do to build each other agree on consisting of three steel up. cargo containers stacked every political, atop one another with ‘A Light a screen hanging from pedagogical or in a Dark Room’ the top. I was fortunate My goal as the NSEA personal issue, to be able to visit every president, representing car, chat with members, 28,000 educators across but we can all their children and get to Nebraska, is to build know and thank them bridges through relation- agree that every before they watched the ships and clear communi- Nebraska child inspiring classic, Free- dom Writers. It was a nice cation. We may not agree deserves the very crowd and I enjoyed the on every political, peda- Association Swag: NSEA President Jenni gogical or personal issue, best education social distancing way to connect. Benson hands a bag with pens, sticky notes and but we can all agree that and opportunity I shared memories of other NSEA items to member Sarah Salinas every Nebraska child de- my childhood drive-in during a drive-in movie event in Scottsbluff. serves the very best edu- we can provide. theater experiences with cation and opportunity we some of those on hand. My Mom, my Dad and I and can provide. It is clearly my two brothers would pile in the family station wag- our responsibility to be leaders in that regard. ” on and drive from our home in Sutherland to North In Freedom Writers, Gruwell’s class read The Di- Platte. Along with other kids, we would play on the ary of Anne Frank and studied the Holocaust. When playground, silhouetted by the big screen until it got the students learn that Miep Gies, the Dutch woman dark. We would watch the trailers and the cartoons who risked her life to keep Frank’s family hidden, is and then get our pajamas on and lay down in the back still alive in the Netherlands, they embark on a fund while our parents watched the grown-up movie. raiser to bring her to their class as a guest speaker. It It was a simpler time for sure. My parents didn’t is the highly emotional highlight of the film. Visibly go to the playground to watch us. They told us what moved by the courageous stories of this now-elderly to do and we did it. We knew if we failed to follow woman, the students instantly see her as a hero. their instructions, we’d be staying with our grandpar- “I was not a hero,” she says. “I was an ordinary ents the next time the family went to the drive-in. person. All I did was do the right thing. But you are Sometimes I long for such a simpler time. heroes every day. You are turning on a light in a dark room.” Deeper Significance That statement is true of every teacher in Nebras- As I settled in my car to watch the movie, I en- ka, as well. Thank you for turning on that light for our joyed my hot dog and the very best popcorn from the state’s children.
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NSEA Voice Ad for Oct 2020 - RatesDropping.indd 1 9/17/2020 5:35:40 PM Opening Bell New DHM Puts Educators, Kids at Risk top-heavy decision-making and low-key NSEA: Sept. 1 Order to Relax reveal also caused confusion, as school dis- Quarantine Requirement tricts across the state interpreted the modi- fied DHM differently. Endangers Educators, Kids “This is the kind of chaos you get when When, on Sept. 1, the Nebraska Depart- you do not have our teacher professionals ment of Health and Human Services offi- at the table,” said NSEA President Jenni cially modified a previous Directed Health Benson. “This puts more pressure on our Measure aimed at preventing the spread of teachers and school staff who are already COVID-19, NSEA leadership was aware struggling to do all they can to protect the something was in the wind. health and safety of students, themselves Connections in the education family had and families.” indicated DHM changes of an unknown Following the update, NSEA began re- nature were to be unveiled, perhaps as late searching legal issues surrounding the di- as Sept. 9. Yet when the update was sim- rected health measure, and quickly released ply posted on the DHHS guidance on how to re- website – without formal spond to common sce- announcement or fanfare narios facing school em- – it was a bit of a jolt. COVID-19 Guidance ployees under the revised Buried in the update directed health measure was a paragraph that es- for Educators and federal regulations. sentially exempted school Every member received employees from certain NSEA members can find an email with a link to a quarantine directions ap- the recent ‘Guidance three-page pdf discussing plicable to others in the on COVID-19 Directed the DHHS missive. community. While the Health Measures’ article, Benson and Execui- measure essentially made and much more, at: tive Director Maddie education employees nsea.org/COVID19 Fennell, along with at- “critical employees,” no torneys from the NSEA- other employment cat- retained firm of Norby egory was mentioned. and Welding, LLC, of- Now required: Omaha Education The change essentially lowered the quar- fered questions and answers regarding the Association member Cat Green antining standards for education employees directed health measure in a video posted to teaches at the Dr. J.P. Lord School who have had close contact with a person the NSEA website (see link in box). for medically fragile, non-verbal who has tested positive, or who has a CO- In the email message to members, Ben- students. Teachers at the school are VID-19 test pending and is symptomatic. son said this was among the top recom- now required to wear masks, gloves, “This change to quarantining protocols mendations: do not sign a waiver offered face shields and gowns as they teach. will put children, teachers and other school by school administration without first con- staff at risk,” said NSEA President Jenni tacting your local association leadership or The NSEA guidance also stated that “it Benson. your NSEA organizational specialist. If you is important to note that nothing within the Just as jarring was the fact that educators have already signed such a waiver and are DHM limits your unconditional right to a were not at the table as the modified health concerned, contact your organizational spe- COVID-19 test or to seek the advice of your measure was discussed and debated. The cialist at 1-800-742-0047. health care provider.”
Quarantine Housing Open to Educators Contact Tracing The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, in part- Those Nebraskans who test Process Firmed Up nership with the Nebraska Department of Education, has opened the positive for COVID-19 must Nebraska Accommodation Project, designed to provide temporary remain at the selected quaran- The Nebraska Associa- housing for any Nebraskan as a result of COVID-19 exposure. tine site for at least 72 hours tion of Health Directors has The program provides short-term housing for quarantine and/or after fever has passed without released a summary of the isolation locations outside of any Nebraskan’s usual household in the use of medicine and at least PreK-12 contact tracing pro- order to protect a household member with a health condition that 10 days after symptoms first cess that essentially defines puts them at high risk from exposure to COVID-19. The program appeared. the process statewide. To includes a specific application link for educators. Those Nebraskans who review the process, look for To qualify, educators must be a state resident employed by a Ne- were exposed in a closed space the ‘School Setting Contact braska school, must be physically working on a school campus and for more than 15 minutes with come in contact with children on campus daily. Applicants must also a COVID-19-positive person, Tracing Procedure’ item at: have a full-time cohabitant with a high-risk medical diagnoses and no but who do not show symp- nsea.org/COVID19 alternative living situation outside their permanent residence. toms, must remain at the hotel Placement is in a local hotel within 24 hours of application. There or site until COVID-19 test re- is no charge, as long as the guest does not violate program policies. sults arrive. Health care workers, first responders and educators can Employers are not notified of the temporary housing situation. travel to and from work only. Other Nebraskans are limited to on-site The program also offers an application link for healthcare workers until test results arrive. For details, go to: and first responders. dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Nebraska-Accommodation-Project.aspx
#YouBelong | OCTOBER 2020 | THE VOICE | PAGE 5 PAGE 6 | THE VOICE | OCTOBER 2020 | #YouBelong From the Classroom Educators Called Upon to Bring People Together Edward T. Ventura Jr. sits on the NSEA Board that tells every student in America that they are of Directors as the elected representative of the seen. As an elementary school librarian, I want – Association’s Ethnic Minority Affairs Commit- and my students need – stories that reflect their tee, which he also chairs. He is the librarian for own experiences. I am working to make this a Chandler View Elementary School in Omaha reality in my library. and is in his 21st year of teaching. His late wife Yet none of us can do this work alone. It will Ernestine was an elementary school teacher for take the collective power of educators and our 25 years. He delivered these remarks at a social allies to uproot the inequality that has become and racial justice gathering in Omaha this past entrenched in every American ZIP code. In the summer. darkest times of injustice in our country, there have been brave, ordinary people who stood to- By Edward Ventura, Chair, gether to say “No. This is not right. I’m ready to NSEA Ethnic do something about it.” Edward T. and Minority Affairs Committee The fight for social justice, advocacy, profes- Ventura Jr., I am of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation sional development, coalition-building—it all Chair, NSEA and Latino heritage. My siblings and I were the matters. My question is this: What will you do? Ethnic Minority Affairs first Latinos to attend our Irish Catholic school. Committee My brothers and sisters did not like the school ‘Called Upon to Act’ and switched to public school by fifth grade. I Educators are public servants. By the nature enjoyed it overall, but by my senior year was of our work, we are called upon to act. What can ready to be around Latinos. you do for your colleagues; your students; the “ I credit high school counselor Barb Tacke families you love; your community? Again, I Imagine when with connecting me to New Mexico Highlands ask: What will you do? Here are ideas you might University in Las Vegas, NM. I spent my college consider: there is no years there and my first roommate was Black. n Ask your principal for professional devel- school-to-prison I was stunned by the hatred some in Las Vegas opment devoted to race and racial issues. had toward Blacks. Most of my roommate’s n On your own, find such professional devel- pipeline because friends were Black and they stuck together. My opment in your community. we, as a union, worst memory is that of holding a Black student- n Work to create a safe space within your athlete’s head while he lay on a bench in the school. ensure that every park after he was attacked by members of a local n Talk with colleagues about these issues. member fraternity. He left school and never returned. n Do not sugarcoat such issues for students. All these years later, my question today is Make it age appropriate, but truthful. has the tools this: Will we fight for justice for all children? n Teach students an accurate history that re- to challenge And how will you fight? flects all students in your classroom. My K-12 schooling was filled with White n Review your district’s Student Code of their own teachers who were good people but had a lack Conduct with an eye to examining biases. of knowledge and love for my culture that made n Encourage and celebrate all ethnic or reli- implicit biases.” me feel my culture was an afterthought. That gious ceremonies in school. is why I seek open and ongoing discussion on n Encourage – at all levels – more teachers matters that affect ethnic minority educators and into the profession who reflect the student body. ” ethnic minority students. Encourage students of color to consider teaching As chair of the NSEA Ethnic Minority Af- as a profession. fairs Committee, I am better able to work to end n Allow students the opportunity to see the school-to-prison pipeline, to strengthen im- themselves as successful! migration reform, increase diversity in schools, n Make sure you have a colleague or friend close the achievement gap, support English Lan- to hold you accountable. guage Learners, and to reduce the horribly high n Fight for underrepresented students. dropout rate among ethnic minorities. n Above all, lead by example. NSEA is committed to racial and social jus- Responsive, Reflective Curriculum tice. We work to give educators opportunities to Imagine a day when every student learns reflect on practice and to plan how to build into about Juneteenth and the Trail of Tears, Wong lessons what they learn about the lives and needs Kim Ark, Sylvia Mendez, and Stonewall —a of diverse students. culturally responsive and reflective curriculum NSEA offers many learning opportunities for
#YouBelong | OCTOBER 2020 | THE VOICE | PAGE 7 educators – check the NSEA website (nsea.org) to learn more. Most of the Blue Cross Reminds Membership opportunities are offered via Zoom conversations and webinars. The of No-Cost COVID-19 Benefits NSEA trainings earn high marks and nebraskablue.com/coronavirus I encourage you to participate. Provider Waives Fee The company also offered these tips If you accept some of these sug- for Tests, Treatment for protecting yourself and others from gestions, someday when you are COVID-19: asked what you did when your NSEA members who utilize the Blue n Wash your hands often. Wash country needed you, you will have Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska your hands with soap and water for at a powerful answer: I was part of the health care plan through the Educators least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitizer if collective voice and collective power Health Alliance, are reminded that the soap is not available. that refused to be silent. health care provider will waive costs for n Practice social distancing. Limit In July, during the National Edu- medically necessary in-network testing close contact with others and remember cation Association’s Representative and treatment of COVID-19. people without symptoms may be able Assembly, speakers talked about All but four Nebraska school dis- to spread the virus. the need for change. Some of their tricts utilize the Blue Cross and Blue n Cover your mouth and nose with thoughts are paraphrased here: Shield of Nebraska plan. a cloth face covering when around oth- “Throughout American history, In a flyer, the health care provider ers. This is especially important when those in power have worked the sys- said that “Blue Cross and Blue Shield social distancing is difficult to maintain. tem to make sure they retained power. of Nebraska will waive costs for medi- n Clean and disinfect. Frequently Opportunity for others has always cally necessary in-network testing and touched surfaces such as cell phones, been deemed a threat to their bottom treatment of COVID-19. We encour- laptops, keyboards, doorknobs, etc., line. When in the history of our coun- age the use of in-network providers should be disinfected often. try can you go back to when it was for COVID-19 testing and treatment. n Cover coughs and sneezes. Cover better for African Americans? When In-network providers will never ask for your mouth and nose with a tissue or was it better for women? When was upfront payment for COVID-19 testing use the inside of your elbow. it better for immigrants or the poor or or treatment.” To learn more or to find a test site, Native Americans or LGBTQ people The company also urged plan mem- consult your doctor or visit: or Latinos or Asians or Pacific Island- bers to learn more at: TestNebraska.com ers or any people of color? “Imagine the day when a student no longer wonders why some schools have classes in robotics, artificial intelligence and coding while others can barely find a Bunsen burner or broadband connection. Imagine when there is no school-to-prison pipeline because we, as a union, ensure that every member has the tools to chal- lenge their own implicit biases.”
We Will Continue to Work! As a parent and an American, I hope one day we will wake up to say that the first form of a just society a child experiences is in their public school, and that their educators made it so. We must continue to play an ac- tive role, ensuring that our #RedforEd movement stands in solidarity with all movements demanding racial, social, economic, and climate justice. And it will take this kind of socio-political movement power to disrupt systems in our country that aren’t working for the vast majority of Americans. Fi- nally, remember to register to vote! NSEA will continue to work to bring people together, identify prob- lems and find solutions. Please join us in that effort.
PAGE 8 | THE VOICE | OCTOBER 2020 | #YouBelong New Standards will Guide Innovation Through Disruption stakeholders must act, through unified efforts, to Teacher, Principal Performance transform the current barriers into stepping stones Standards Support Educators that lead to the recognition of inequity and the redefining of systems responsible for it. in Addressing Equity Support for schools to build a school culture in which attitudes and dispositions are more justice First in a series of invited articles minded and equity driven is critical. Teachers and by Nebraska Department of Education principals must have the ability and necessary staff and partners. supports to address institutional biases that place With the COVID-19 pandemic, our nation’s barriers in front of students, whether intentional educators are traversing unprecedented territory, or unintentional. A courageous undertaking of this leading to difficult situations and tough, many times magnitude is impossible without a willingness to unanswerable, questions. New necessary protocols work together. Dr. Kim Snyder, have disrupted the routines teachers have used Director, successfully for years. This disruption to “normalcy” Organized, Intentional Collaboration NDE Statewide has teachers feeling isolated and vulnerable. In April 2020, the Nebraska State Board of Teacher and The ability to learn, unlearn and relearn (Toffler, Education made a commitment to a common Principal Support 2019) is an uncomfortable process requiring language of effectiveness for all Nebraska school knowledge, time, reflection, courage, risk taking, teachers and leaders by approving revisions to patience, forgiveness and feedback from people who the Nebraska Teacher and Principal Performance want to see success. Great teachers think innovatively. Standards (NTPPS). These standards provide a Never before has this ability to innovate been more structure designed to address the complexities of important. This is the time for districts to elevate teaching and leading. The Nebraska Department of and support teachers’ willingness to think differently Education is committed to organized and intentional and lean into the discomfort of innovation in front collaboration with key partners to develop and of their students, parents and colleagues, to meet implement a system using these standards as the everyone’s needs, including their own. foundation to support the educational community What can Nebraska’s statewide educational in addressing equity in schools. The system is system do to ensure teachers have access to the called Supporting Educator Effectiveness through Dr. Julie Downing, support and development they need to succeed in Development (S.E.E.D.) NDE Educator today’s classroom and continue to grow in their The NTPPS were developed pre-pandemic; Effectiveness profession? This question must be answered…and however, the themes and expectations hold true Specialist soon! in post-COVID-19 schooling. These themes, Adapting best practices in Nebraska’s new leveraged throughout the standards, seek to realize educational “normal” is vital for teachers to be equitable opportunities for each student: successful. Educational organizations in Nebraska n must collaborate to provide the critical support Equity and data-based decision making. Nebraska’s teachers need to react innovatively in n Statewide common language. the face of disruption. All educators, regardless n Knowledge and skills for effective teachers of district, location or organization, must ask and principals. themselves: “If the pandemic ended tomorrow, n Staff support and development. would we revert to pre-pandemic practices and n Family and community engagement. protocols, or capitalize on the forced evolution of The next article in this series will delve more districts to better meet the needs of Nebraska’s deeply into these themes. A link to the new students?” standards and a site to ask questions can be found here: Proactive Response Required education.ne.gov/educatoreffectiveness/ Ryan Ricenbaw, The pandemic has exposed a crisis in Nebraska’s NDE Leadership education system in the form of inequity that As director of Statewide Teacher and Principal Support, Dr, Kim existed long before COVID-19 brought it to the Snyder works closely with Educational Service Units, institutes of and Learning Higher Education, and other educational partners, as well as with Network surface. Student marginalization and institutional districts themselves, to provide statewide systems of support and Specialist bias continue to permeate the education system in development that ensure equitable access to effective teachers and Nebraska, and the country. How educators respond principals for each student in Nebraska. As part of a new and unique partnership, Dr. Julie Downing, a to this crisis today will have a significant impact on professional learning specialist at ESU No. 13, will support NDE in the future of education. the development and implementation of the newly revised Nebraska Teacher and Principal Performance Standards. Rather than simply reacting to barriers presented, As the Nebraska Leadership and Learning Network (NLLN) leaders and teachers must proactively respond by specialist, Ryan Ricenbaw collaborates with the office of Statewide creating and implementing systems of support that Teacher and Principal Support to maximize the value and influence of school principals. The NLLN is charged with designing a framework leverage innovation to meet the broad-ranging of support to build critical equity-driven leadership skills as outlined student needs magnified by Covid-19. Educational in the Nebraska Teacher and Principal Performance Standards.
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PAGE 10 | THE VOICE | OCTOBER 2020 | #YouBelong Cover Story Nov. 3: An Election with Meaning ‘As Long as Politicians Set Policy for Teaching, Educators Must be Active’ Every time Election Day rolls around, it seems to be characterized as “the most important election in recent memory.” Given the sharp political division in our country, the danger of the pandemic and the years-long assault on public education, that characterization exactly fits the Nov. 3 General Election. For educators, it is most important to vote for candidates who will support public education, said NSEA President Jenni Benson. “As long as politicians set policy for teaching, educators must be active in the political arena,” she said. Elected politicians affect all that goes on in a public school, from curriculum to safety to school funding and discipline, said Benson. In each election cycle, NSEA assembles politically balanced teams of members who interview candidates and review questionnaires submitted by the candidates in advance. Team members then select the candidate they believe most qualified for election, based purely on education issues. These pages reflect that process for 2020. “We ask that you consider voting for NSEA’s recommended can- didates,” said Benson. “But above all, we ask that you vote.” Voting, however, will be historically different this cycle. Every reg- istered voter in Nebraska should have by now received a request for The Candidate: NSEA member Tim Royers was busy an early voting ballot. To vote in this manner, early ballot requests at a campaign sign pickup event at the Omaha Education must be returned to your county election clerk no later than 6 p.m. Association office in mid-September. More than 500 cars on Friday, Oct. 23. The earlier those requests are mailed, the more passed through the event as members and the public picked likely they will be received by the county election clerk on time. up signs to support about 20 Association-recommended Once you receive your ballot in the mail, it must be completed candidates. Royers is a candidate for Legislative District 31. and returned to your county election office by mail or by hand de- livery by the close of polls on Election day. Remember, a candidate’s stance on federal defense spending “Request your ballot, vote from the security of your own home,” or flood management does not enter into consideration. It’s about said Benson. “Contact your county election office if you have ques- education. So, with Nov. 3 near, please review these NSEA-recom- tions about the process. mended candidates, and vote for public education! Nebraska Legislature Janet Palmtag, District 1 agency operating in Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri. A University of Ne- Otoe, Johnson, Nemaha, Pawnee, Richardson counties. braska-Lincoln grad, she is on the UNL President’s Advisory Commit- tee and is past chair of the state’s Economic Development Commis- “My first priority will be to fully fund the state aid formula,” said sion. NSEA members from Nebraska City, Syracuse, Auburn, Peru and Palmtag in response to the first query on NSEA’s candidate question- Salem said she is “well-respected, sincere, open, down-to-earth.” naire, “If elected, what is your primary initiative to ensure that all Ne- braska students have access to a well-funded, quality public school?” Sen. Carol Blood, District 3 She said higher teacher pay is key to attracting and retaining high- A section of north central Sarpy County quality teachers. She supports collective bargaining and due process; that includes parts of Bellevue and Papillion. opposes charters; and would seek an Education Committee seat. Blood is a “farm girl” and is from a family of educators and has Palmtag began in insurance in 1984 and now owns a multi-office been supportive of teachers and public education during her first
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Janet Palmtag Sen. Carol Blood Sen. Tony Vargas John Cavanaugh Terrell McKinney #YouBelong | OCTOBER 2020 | THE VOICE | PAGE 11 LEG. DIST 13 LEG. DIST 15 LEG. DIST 17 LEG. DIST 19 LEG. DIST 21
Sen. Justin Wayne Sen. Lynne Walz Sheryl Lindau Former Sen. Brodey Weber Mike Flood term. The interview team that reviewed her candidacy four years district; that he has values aligned with the NSEA strategic plan; and ago called her “honest, passionate, organized, research-based and that he has the potential to motivate diverse and young voters. relatable.” She has been all of that and more. McKinney has a bachelor’s degree in sports business manage- Blood served on the Bellevue City Council for eight years before ment from Maryville University in St. Louis, a master’s degree in joining the Legislature. In 2017, she received the Holland Children’s business administration from Midland University and is attending Movement Honor Roll Award. She is a past CEO of the LaVista Cham- Creighton University School of Law. ber of Commerce. She introduced and saw passage of LB15, which He supports stabilization of state aid funding, a shutdown of the requires insurance plans to provide children in need with a hearing school-to-prison pipeline, and increased salaries for paraeducators. aid. This year, she carried LB751, which acknowledges mental illness as equivalent to physical and behavioral issues that affect student Sen. Justin Wayne, District 13 attendance. NSEA supports both. Northeast Omaha and Douglas County. Sen. Tony Vargas, District 7 Sen. Wayne was recommended four years ago and has Omaha, south of I-480, East of Highway 75 gained NSEA’s support again. A past member and presi- and south to the Sarpy County line. dent of Omaha’s Board of Education, he is a Creighton University School of Law grad and is CEO of Trailblaz- A former public school teacher in his native New York City, Vargas ers Constructors LLC. He is past president of the Mid- has interests of kids at heart. He is executive director of the Omaha west Trailblazers Youth Program. Healthy Kids Alliance and is a former member of the Omaha Board of This year, Wayne offered a bill on NSEA’s behalf Education. His focus is on equity in education, technology and inno- to require school districts to devise individualized vation and college affordability. On the Appropriations Committee response plans following the report of certain vio- he led efforts to prioritize state funding to support the most vulner- lent incidents involving students (LB1217). The bill able Nebraskans, especially those from low-income backgrounds. requires administrators and staff to develop an indi- This year, he offered a bill to create the offense of sexual exploita- vidual response plan in an effort to mitigate future tion of a student (LB1210); a bill to provide panic buttons in class- incidents. rooms statewide (LB1156); a bill for a state food insecurity nutrition incentive grant program (LB1040); and a bill to move administration Sen. Lynne Walz, District 15 and operation of the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Centers Dodge County, including Fremont. to the Department of Health and Human Services from the Depart- ment of Administrative Services. NSEA supported those efforts. Walz is a former Fremont teacher and seeks a second term. She received high marks from an NSEA interview team four years ago, John Cavanaugh, District 9 and her continued support earned another nod. The team said Walz East-central Omaha roughly from I-480 to 72nd, bound- is “enthusiastic, open-minded” and “stupendous” in support of pub- ed on the north by Highway 6 and Leavenworth St. and lic education. She is a key member of the Education Committee. on the south by Grover and Martha streets. Walz has raised awareness of the need for more mental health services in schools. She offered and passed a bill to improve protec- The seven members who met with District 9 candidates called tions and quality of life for people with disabilities. She earned the Cavanaugh a “strong campaigner” with a robust organization and 2017 Legislator of the Year Award from the Fraternal Order of Police a reputation as a life-long-learner. Cavanaugh has been an assistant for work to protect first responders in the line of duty. public defender for the past seven years — good experience he says Walz this year offered LB251, to create the Child Hunger and for standing up for the rights of people, and for cross examining peo- Workforce Readiness Act; LB725, to reimburse school districts and ple, “which will come in handy in the oversight role of the Legislature. Educational Service Units for mental health expenditures; and LB727 “Until teachers do not have to purchase school supplies for their to designate a “point person” in each school district with respect to classrooms, we can never say school funding is adequate. We should mental health services. She has pledged to seek property tax relief. strive for much more than that,” he said. Sheryl Lindau, District 17 Terrell McKinney, District 11 Wayne, Thurston and Dakota counties. An irregularly shaped district north of downtown Omaha. Lindau is seen as “highly motivated to support education em- The six NSEA members who interviewed McKinney found that ployees and public education” and is passionate about education he understands the needs of public education for his North Omaha issues. She is familiar with the political process and is able to step
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Helen Raikes Sen. Anna Wishart Eliot Bostar Tim Royers Sen. Dan Quick into office ready to go. – economic and otherwise.” She served on the Wayne city council and as mayor for 10 years, The members from the Wahoo and East Butler locals who inter- and served eight years on the Nebraska State College Board of Trust- viewed candidates said Raikes “has a genuine vested interest in the ees. She is past president of the Nebraska League of Municipalities. communities that she’ll serve and figuring out what their needs are.” She would seek a reliable funding stream to replace property taxes, believes well-educated workers contribute to the good of the Sen. Anna Wishart, District 27 state, and favors stability in state funding of public education. Parts of southeast Lincoln. Sen. Mike Flood, District 19 Wishart had an excellent understanding of the Legislature long Madison County and northeast Stanton County. before she was recommended by NSEA for her first term as a sena- tor: she had worked for six years as a legislative staffer, giving her a Former Sen. Flood served two terms in the Legislature start- giant head start in institutional and operational knowledge. ing in 2004. Last year, he announced he would seek to re- In her four years as a senator, she has proven an ardent and articu- gain his old seat in the Legislature (term limits prohibit late supporter of public schools. She sits on the Appropriations Com- more than two consecutive terms). mittee and is vice chair of the State-Tribal Relations Committee. Her During his two terms in the Legislature, he served commitment to children is exemplified outside the legislature. She six years as Speaker, and was generally described as is director of partnerships for Beyond School Bells, a coalition with a a friend to public education and a consensus build- mission to improve access to quality after-school and summer school er. He has supported formula-directed state aid to programs, especially in rural and under-served communities. education, and believes education is important to the state’s future. Eliot Bostar, District 29 South central Lincoln. Brodey Weber, District 21 Northeast Lancaster County. Bostar is “running to move beyond political rhetoric and solve the problems our state is facing.” He earned a business degree from The team that interviewed the three candidates for Embry-Riddle University, and with wife Carrie, chose to raise a fam- District 21 said Weber’s “knowledge and understanding ily in Lincoln. He was hired in 2014 as executive director of Nebraska of the issues and policy will serve him well” in his race. Conservation Voters and Conservation Nebraska, and tasked with Members were impressed with his passion for public educa- establishing those organizations, which now boast 25 employees. tion and his fierce advocacy for educators. He has lived in District Bostar is an appointed member of the Lincoln Electric System 21 his entire life. Board of Directors. On state aid, Bostar said “we need to think about Weber serves on the board for Community Action and on the additional revenue sources that don’t burden working families.” board of his neighborhood association. He said he hopes to cham- pion early childhood education and understands the importance of Head Start and Early Head Start and similar programs. Tim Royers, District 31 Parts of Omaha and Millard in the Zorinsky Lake area. Helen Raikes, District 23 Saunders, Butler and Colfax counties. That Royers is a dynamic and articulate advocate for public edu- cation is unquestioned. He taught for 13 years at Millard West High Raikes is a past executive policy fellow for the Society for Re- School, has coached the school’s debate team to multiple state titles search in Child Development. She served with the U.S. Department and was twice the state’s Debate Coach of the Year. He was Nebras- of Health and Human Services in the mid-1990s and led a 15-uni- ka’s 2016 Teacher of the Year. versity consortium and directed contracts and grants on a multi- He spent a decade on the Millard Education Association’s ne- million-dollar study to create a field of study on the development of gotiations team, including time as chief negotiator, where he has low-income infants and toddlers. She retired from the University of worked with colleagues and district negotiators to resolve contracts Nebraska-Lincoln as an early childhood education professor. totaling more than $1 billion. The Raikes family has farmed in Saunders County for more than Royers will focus on increasing state funding so schools are less 100 years. She says legislators must step forward to solve the tax reliant on property taxes, while ensuring equitable statewide fund- inequity that hampers agriculture. She believes public funding is in- ing. “We are overly-reliant on property taxes and there is no safety adequate and that “Schools are at the heart of communities and pro- valve protecting schools if equalization dollars are reduced in the ap- ductive and skilled graduates create businesses and general vitality propriations process (to) below needed levels,” he said.
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Allison Heimes Sen. Tom Briese Sen. Tom Brewer Susan Hester Jen Day
Sen. Dan Quick, District 35 That was the assessment of Brewer by the team of NSEA members The City of Grand Island. who interviewed the two candidates for Legislative District 43. Team members cited Brewer’s legislative experience, his success Quick received NSEA’s support four years ago, with the interview at getting legislation introduced and passed, and his knowledge of team calling him “genuine, very honest, and down-to-earth.” the district as assets. The team said Brewer “looks not only at edu- Quick is a power plant mechanic and has worked as a heavy cation but at the entire district, including economic development equipment operator, a farm hand and a grain elevator employee. He and keeping high school graduates in the district. is president and business manager of the International Brotherhood Brewer, a military veteran, chairs the Legislature’s Government, of Electrical Workers No. 1597. He is past president of the Nebraska Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, and serves on the Edu- State Utility Workers and the Central Nebraska Labor Council. cation Committee because, he wrote in his NSEA questionnaire, This year, he offered LB1048, to create the offense of sexual assault “I have a sincere desire to ensure a good education is one of the by a school employee and to provide automatic notification of the important functions local and state government provides to Ne- crime to the Commissioner of Education. NSEA supported LB1048. braskans.” In 2019, he offered and passed a bill to amend existing economic development statutes to include early childhood infrastructure de- Susan Hester, District 45 velopment for cities and villages. NSEA backed passage. He also of- fered LB226, with $4 million to hire and train staff at the Youth Reha- Eastern Sarpy County, most of Bellevue. bilitation and Treatment Centers to keep a youth/staff ratio of 8-to-1. Hester is a retired teacher seeking to replace term-limited Sen. Sue Crawford and is a worthy replacement. She taught at- Allison Heimes, District 39 risk students and night school at Bellevue West High School. She Douglas County, largely west of 180th St. served as the district’s high-ability learner facilitator for the last nine years of her career. Today, she is the Nebraska director of Heimes has the degrees and work experience to do well. Science Olympiad, is on the board of the Bellevue Public Schools She has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the Univer- Foundation, and on the board of the eastern Nebraska Commu- sity of Nebraska at Omaha, a master’s degree in government orga- nity Action Partnership. nization and leadership and a law degree from Creighton University. She said the legislature must re-evaluate and rebalance the An attorney, she specializes in immigration and criminal law. tax system to provide certainty to school districts and property Heimes and her husband have two sons, with the oldest in pre- tax relief. school at Elkhorn. “His teachers work so hard to provide him with The NSEA team said Hester “believes teachers deserve due pro- the tools he needs to succeed,” she said. cess. She strongly opposes charter and private schools and vouch- Heimes knows it takes money to run government and supports ers. Hester understands the shortfalls of school finance and state finding new revenue sources, such as renewable energy. She would aid. She supports eliminating the budget lid.” Members from Oma- seek to increase state funding to public schools, with part of those ha, Bellevue and Peru State College interviewed the candidate. monies used for mental health professionals in schools. She opposes charter schools and vouchers. Members from Millard, Elkhorn, Logan Jen Day, District 49 View and the Douglas County Youth Center interviewed her. Northeast Sarpy County, Gretna and LaVista. Sen. Tom Briese, District 41 Day is “very pro-public education, pro-teacher, against state Garfield, Wheeler, Valley, Greeley, Sherman, Howard, funding for charter schools and against vouchers,” said the inter- view team. She has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the Boone, Antelope and Pierce counties. University of Nebraska-Omaha and is co-founder and owner of a Unopposed in a second run for the Legislature, Briese is a well- strength and fitness business. respected moderate who has sought property tax relief for ag and “I believe that my experience as a business owner, my formal residential property owners alike. NSEA recommended him in 2016. education in politics and government, along with my passion for public policy, proficiency at diplomacy, and commitment to making educated, informed decisions make me a great candidate for the Sen. Tom Brewer, District 43 nonpartisan body of the Nebraska Legislature,” Day wrote. Dawes, Sheridan, Cherry, Keya Paha, Brown, Loup, Her primary initiative as a state senator will be to “ensure that Blaine, Logan, Thomas, McPherson, Hooker, Grant coun- all Nebraska students have access to a well-funded, quality public ties and a slice of Box Butte County including Alliance. school” and to ward off attempts at allowing vouchers and charter schools in Nebraska. NSEA interview team members were from “We believe he will be an advocate for schools in the district.” Louisville, Papillion-LaVista and Omaha.
#YouBelong | OCTOBER 2020 | THE VOICE | PAGE 15 READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP IN YOUR CAREER?
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PAGE 16 | THE VOICE | OCTOBER 2020 | #YouBelong 402.467.9000 • 844.321.6642 • doane.edu BOE DIST. 1 BOE DIST. 2 BOE DIST. 3 BOE DIST. 4 REGENTS DIST 2
Patsy Koch Lisa Fricke Patti Gubbels Jacquelyn Jack Stark Johns Morrison Nebraska State Board of Education Patsy Koch Johns, District 1 Patti Gubbels, District 3 City of Lincoln and eastern Lancaster County; large parts Knox, Cedar, Dixon, Dakota, Pierce, Wayne, Thurston, of the Crete, Norris, Waverly and Palmyra school districts. Burt, Cuming, Stanton, Madison, Platte, Colfax Dodge and Washington counties. Koch Johns spent a career teaching at Cozad and then Lincoln High School, where she chaired the English and theatre depart- Gubbels spent 30 years as an educator, including teaching profes- ments. Koch Johns was Nebraska’s 2006 Teacher of the Year. sional education courses and placing and supervising education stu- She has a passion for developing equitable policies and programs dents in field experiences. She led education departments at Dana and chairs the state board’s Student Equity and Access Committee, College and at the competency-based Western Governors University. which developed the board’s Equity Statement and Equity Lens. Gubbels was the clear choice of the NSEA interview team, which cited her experience and common-sense approach as benefits. Lisa Fricke, District 2 Sarpy County, and a section of south central Douglas Jacquelyn Morrison, District 4 County mainly in the Millard school district. Southeast Douglas County, south of I-680 and east of 60th St. and northeast Sarpy County, including much of Bellevue. Fricke is a retired teacher and tireless advocate for students and public education. She is well-versed in the needs of public schools This attorney and advocate says first and foremost, she seeks elec- and the students who attend those schools. tion for her two young daughters “and through them I have a vested She has helped develop state assessments for reading, writing, and interest in making sure that we keep Nebraska schools strong.” math. She was a gubernatorial appointee to the Special Education Ac- She said dedicated public school teachers made sure she received countability Commission, and a mentor for the Teammates Program. a good education and became the first in her family to attend and She has also served on School Improvement Visitation Teams. graduate college. “I believe in public schools and in our teachers.”
University of Nebraska Board of Regents Dr. Jack Stark, Regents District 2 ready to work with and for teachers and students. All of Sarpy County except a slice north of Cornhusker He was an NSEA member in Lincoln, and later a school psychologist and associate professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center Road and east of Nebraska Highway 85. and Creighton, teaching graduate, dental and medical students. He is Endorsed by retiring Regent Howard Hawks, Stark is seen as past president of the American Association on Intellectual Disabilities.
#YouBelong | OCTOBER 2020 | THE VOICE | PAGE 17 PAGE 18 | THE VOICE | OCTOBER 2020 | #YouBelong Fund for Teachers a ‘Wonderful Opportunity’ Seven years after a trip to Eastern Europe to study the purpose: to broaden her students’ horizons and expose them Holocaust, 2020 Nebraska Teacher of the Year Megan to different ways of life by experiencing, with their own Helberg remains convinced that the trip continues to eyes, the locations that appear in the books her students read transform her teaching life and personal life. and learn about. Helberg’s tour came courtesy of a $10,000 fellowship “Seeing a standing cell, gallows and gas chambers at from Fund for Teachers, a non-profit that supports educators’ Auschwitz and knowing our students would be reading efforts to develop skills, knowledge and confidence that about these exact objects and locations were moments that affect student achievement. Since 2001, Fund for Teachers made a deep and meaningful change in me as a teacher,” has invested $33.5 million in 9,000 teachers, transforming said Helberg. “I can now give first-hand accounts of the grants into growth for teachers and their students. feelings and emotions I had at these sites.” “This trip to Europe was my first big dive into Holocaust Such is the work of Fund for Teachers, and Helberg education and since then I’ve never looked back. More doors wants Nebraska teachers to know that other Nebraska have opened since this trip, but this is where it all started,” teachers have been successful grant applicants. she said. Helberg “Fund for Teachers is an absolutely wonderful Helberg said such a trip might attract teachers looking opportunity for Nebraska teachers,” said Helberg. for a way to enhance or “rekindle their flame for teaching.” The 2021 application process will open on Thursday, The 2013 trip took Helberg to Poland, Germany and the Czech Nov. 1, 2020. For details, go to: Republic for a deeper look at the Holocaust and Jewish culture. The fundforteachers.org Buy a Brick, Honor a Favorite Teacher Homestead Delivers Lincoln’s Cascade Fountain Celebrates Educators Monumental History The Lincoln Parks Foundation has rolled out a new program to recognize Nebraska It’s a sure bet that Nebraskans of 150 years educators as part of its $1.6 million campaign to restore Cascade Fountain. The Cascade ago never envisioned “virtual field trips.” Honor Roll program provides an affordable opportunity to purchase an inscribed brick So it’s an advancement, to say the least, that for a favorite teacher to be placed at the new plaza area at Cascade Fountain, located at in today’s pandemic-driven setting park rangers 27th and Capitol Parkway in Lincoln. at the Homestead National Monument near “Everyone has at least one favorite teacher. This is a rare opportunity to provide a Beatrice are able to deliver Homestead to your public tribute to a special someone who made a difference in your life,” said Lincoln students through the magic of distance learning Parks Foundation Executive Director Maggie Stuckey. connections/virtual field trips. For a donation of $250, anyone can pay tribute to a favorite educator with three lines Homestead has been a National Park Service of text (first name, last name, school name) to be displayed permanently on a 4” x 8” leader in virtual connections with a park ranger standard-size brick at the fountain. Those who order an inscribed brick will receive a and offers several highly interactive, virtual letter that can be presented to the honoree, plus an opportunity to purchase a replica programs. These offerings cover a wide range of topics tied to the Homestead Act of 1862: brick of the same size for $50. A dedication will be held when construction is complete, n which is expected by late 2021. The Homestead Act of 1862: Known as “Teachers Fountain,” Cascade Fountain was built in 1978 to commemorate Students and a ranger explore the history of the the nation’s Bicentennial and to honor Nebraska educators for their dedication and Homestead Act of 1862, examine requirements commitment to provide excellence in education. for making a claim and receiving a land patent, and think critically about far-reaching effects of the act. Over the years, the condition of the fountain has deteriorated. In January, Lincoln n Parks Foundation announced the campaign to restore the fountain. The campaign will A Day in the Life of a Homesteader: provide for rehabilitation and refurbishment and for related site improvements, as well Students will learn what it took to file a land as for an endowment for ongoing repair and maintenance. claim and how people survived to make a life and receive their land patent. Orders must be received by Dec. 31, 2020. For more details, reach the Lincoln Parks n Foundation at 402-441-8258 or [email protected], or visit: A School Day in 1872: Homesteaders placed high value on education and would lincolnparks.org/cascade often build one-room schoolhouses before their permanent homes. Students will compare Appleseed: Nutrition Grants Available to Nebraska Schools education on the frontier with education today. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to push school nutrition programs to n Follow the Buffalo: Students will discover their limits, No Kid Hungry and Nebraska Appleseed have announced a funding the ways of Great Plains peoples by examining opportunity to support providing food and nutrition to Nebraska families and real parts of the buffalo and by determining how children. The grant is open on a rolling basis and offers grants ranging from $5,000 they were traditionally used and how those ways to $50,000. Funds are intended to support programs adapting to changing needs were affected by westward expansion. resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic including: meal service supplies and n Women Who Paved the Way: The equipment; costs of hiring additional staff positions or increasing hours for existing Homestead Era and Women’s Suffrage movement staff; transportation costs associated with meal delivery; new costs associated with were intertwined. Students explore how female COVID-19 preparedness like no-touch point of service machines, hand washing homesteaders and suffragists broke down gender stations, PPE equipment and cleaning supplies; and additional expenses as needed. barriers and paved the way for modern women. Funds will be prioritized for locations experiencing economic hardship because All distance learning/virtual field trips are free of COVID-19, areas with large immigrant or rural communities, or communities of and have been adapted across all grade levels. They color, and programs that can sustain their community work into the future. typically run 30-45 minutes but can be adjusted. For program-related questions, please contact Eric Savaiano, Economic Justice For more details, call 402-223-3514, or email to: program manager, Nebraska Appleseed by emailing: [email protected] [email protected]
#YouBelong | OCTOBER 2020 | THE VOICE | PAGE 19 PAGE 20 | THE VOICE | OCTOBER 2020 | #YouBelong Your Executive Director Quick Answers are for Simple Problems Today my niece Maria read me a great poem by get a potentially life-altering illness.’ I want to quit, John Bates, How Old is This Woods? but if I quit my family starves.” One line really struck me “…quick answers are We have teachers who are expected to teach stu- for simple problems.” dents who are physically in front of them, while also I haven’t had a quick answer for anything since providing simultaneous “synchronous” instruction February. Every problem in to students watching from this year of COVID seems home. If anybody tells you to be a new one that has ‘... the reason we have teachers this is working well and amazing complexity. simultaneously trying to teach without problems THEY And how people see ARE NOT TELLING THE COVID is from such stark- children live and distance TRUTH! Our teachers are ly differing perspectives. learning at home is because either spending hours upon As we’ve surveyed our hours preparing two sepa- members over the last few no one asked teachers if they rate sets of instruction or Executive months, we’ve seen every- thought that would work. those students are disen- Director thing from seven percent of gaged, or perhaps both. Maddie Fennell teachers retiring early and Do surgeons conduct Rebecca Mieliwocki, teachers outright quitting to the 2012 National Teacher those who think the whole office appointments of the Year put it best when “ thing is overblown and ev- while doing surgeries?’ she said “...the reason we erything should just imme- — Rebecca Mieliwocki have teachers simultane- If we do not diately return to normal. ously trying to teach chil- I took a call one day from dren live and distance learn- invite ALL someone who was livid ers at home is because no that NSEA was supportive one asked teachers if they stakeholders of staff and students wear- COVID-19 Guidance thought that would work. to the decision- ing masks. On the same day Current COVID-19 Resources, including Do surgeons conduct office I took a call from someone guidance on the Sept. 1 directed health appointments while doing making table, who was terrified that her measure , can be found at: surgeries?” district wasn’t requiring www.nsea.org/COVID19 A friend shared with me especially those masks for staff and students. a picture of his classroom who are Sadly, the one recurring with seven students (the theme I see across the state is that new, complex class was down 75 percent due to positive COVID expected to problems are being addressed in our old “top-down” tests). A student had just asked “I love scary movies, decision making authoritarian style. The voices of but I don’t like being in a scary movie. I could be implement educators and support staff – the people who are clos- next, right?” est to students – are too often left out of too many What is a teacher supposed to say to that? the resultant important decisions. That same teacher was preparing to rehearse a decisions, we are lockdown in the event of a mass shooting – during The Implementation Gap a pandemic! not making Since September 1, we’ve seen two new statewide directed health measures (DHMs) issued that affect Old Models, New Problems the BEST our school staff and students – without a SINGLE No one here today has had to respond to the cur- decisions possible conversation with educators beforehand. As a re- rent complex problems we face, so no one has all the sult, I’ve even had superintendents and school board right answers. I don’t believe these decisions are be- for our kids. members alike call me wondering what is going on! ing made maliciously. But there is a choice in how When decisions are made in a vacuum – without we respond. We can continue to attempt to apply old hearing the voices of those who will be expected to models to new problems, or we can work collabora- implement those decisions – you have an implemen- tively to discover new solutions. ” tation gap. Right now, that gap is not only getting big- If we do not invite ALL stakeholders to the deci- ger, but it is having a negative effect on the lives of sion-making table, especially those who are expected children and educators across our state. to implement the resultant decisions, we are not mak- Tonight, I received a message from a fantastic, ing the BEST decisions possible for our kids. award-winning educator who had just read the latest As educators, we are used to solving problems DHM, which effectively reduced quarantine restric- with creativity and collaboration. We have proven tions for students. The educator wrote that, “We can’t that we can teach with or without buildings, but we keep kids six feet [apart] ... And even if we could, that cannot shape the complex answers for our new prob- basically says ‘we don’t care if your kid is at-risk to lems if we’re only told, not asked.
#YouBelong | OCTOBER 2020 | THE VOICE | PAGE 21 NSEA-Retired Corner Take Part in Medicare Supplement Webinars Blue Cross Offers Virtual Medicare Supplement Updates this Fall NSEA-Retired has partnered with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska to bring information about Medicare as well as Educators’ Medicare Supplement (previously known as NSEA-Retired BlueSenior Classic) to our members in virtual webinars in November and De- cember. Educators’ Medicare Supple- ment is available to EHA subscribers and/or NSEA-Retired members and their spouses who are age 65 and above, and pays for medical costs that Medicare does not cover (both the deductible and co-pay amounts for services that Medi- care covers but which are the responsi- bility of the subscriber). Ready to Go: On behalf of Omaha Education Association members, this trio The plan also has an excellent dental attended the Sept. 18 interim hearing on LB31 by the Nebraska Legislature’s plan that is available on initial enroll- Retirement Committee. LB31 authorized a study of issues that might arise ment in Educators’ Medicare Supple- with moving management of the OEA retirement plan to the Nebraska Public Employees Retirement Systems, which handles retirement for all other Nebraska ment. Additional information on Medi- public school employees. From left are Roger Rea, Walta Sue Dodd and NSEA care can be found at: Vice President and OEA President Robert Miller. Rea is vice president of the www.medicare.gov Omaha School Employees Retirement System. Dodd is president of OEA-Retired. The webinar schedule for the remain- der of the year will be: with the local Nebraska Retired School Featured speakers are Nebraska as- Monday, Nov. 2:...... 1-3 pm Personnel groups. These local associa- tronaut Clayton Anderson, International Friday, Nov. 6:...... 9-11 a.m. tions are located in the Lincoln, Omaha, United Nations official Dr. Natalie Hahn, Monday, Nov. 9:...... 1-3 p.m. Millard, Bellevue, Grand Island/Hast- and SHIIP representative Alicia Jones. Friday, Nov. 13:...... 9-11 a.m. ings, Scottsbluff and Elkhorn and Sand- Anderson spent 167 days in space and Monday, Nov. 16:...... 1-3 p.m. hills district areas. 38 hours and 28 minutes executing six Friday, Nov. 20:...... 9-11 a.m. Note that the Lincoln organization is space walks. Monday, Nov. 30:...... 1-3 p.m. Attendees will have a chance to visit Friday, Dec. 4:...... 9-11 a.m. offering a $50 rebate on their -$100 re and share stories in small groups of par- Monday, Dec. 7:...... 1-3 p.m. tired lifetime and pre-retired lifetime lo- Friday, Dec. 11:...... 9-11 a.m. cal membership this fall. ticipants in what are called “breakout There is no cost to register, but regis- If you would like to connect with one rooms.” The morning will conclude with tration is required. To register, select the of these groups, contact NSEA-Retired Alicia Jones, director of the state’s Se- “Fall 2020 Educators’ Medicare Supple- President De Tonack at: nior Health Insurance Information Pro- ment Webinars” at this website: [email protected] gram (SHIIP), which educates people www.nsea.org/retired If you are not in one of these areas, about Medicare, assisting seniors and Members will need a valid email ad- how about creating a group? It only takes those with disabilities, allowing them to dress to complete registration. A confir- 10 members and completion of a form make informed decisions on topics re- mation email will be sent to that email from the NSEA office! These groups -of lated to health insurance. address, which will include links to the fer great ways to socialize, stay involved There will be a brief opportunity for webinar as well as details on the session. with the education profession and step questions and answers. Prizes will be BCBSNE will send educational mate- up to our CORE (Call on Retired Educa- awarded at the end of the conference, at rials to those who register in advance. tors) opportunities. approximately 11:30 a.m. You may register for the seminars and Questions? Contact NSEA’s Rebecca also view the recorded presentation fol- Still Time to Register Smith at 1-800-742-0047 or at: lowing the sessions at: for Fall Conference [email protected] www.ehaplan.org/retiree-info We hope to “see you” at our Friday, You may also contact NSEA-Retired Oct. 16, Fall Conference. If you have not President De Tonack at 402-525-4264, Connect with Local yet registered, go to nsea.org/retired and or at: NSEA-Retired Associations select ‘Calendar and Events’. [email protected] There are seven local NSEA-Retired You may begin to log in the Zoom — De Tonack, Associations, including a few that meet site on October 16 as early as 9:30 a.m. NSEA-Retired President
PAGE 22 | THE VOICE | OCTOBER 2020 | #YouBelong Association News Roundup NSEA Helps To Ease Certification Logjam with Brad to make sure that all of their cer- Launch of NDE Portal ‘I am very grateful for tificates were taken care of in time.” Creates Backlog; Walstrom said “It was a very stressful the support that I was given time at the beginning of the year, but I’m NSEA Answers Call from the NSEA to resolve glad that they responded, and it all worked out.” Sometimes, a confluence of events can my recertification very quickly. Petersen agreed. “I am very grateful cause all kinds of stress. I know that they will always for the support that I was given from the Just ask Ralston Education Associa- NSEA to resolve my recertification very tion member Courtney Walstrom and be there for support when quickly. I know that they will always be Conestoga Education Association mem- there for support when a situation arises.” ber Stephanie Petersen. a situation arises.’ Earlier this year the Nebraska Depart- ment of Education launched a redesigned — Stephanie Petersen Mid-Plains Community College business instructor Cathy Nutt has been online certification portal. named Teacher of the Year by the Nebras- Prior to the transition to the new certi- ka State Business Education Association. fication website, the NDE notified school Check Your Certificate’s She has been an NSEA member since she district officials across the state that the Expiration Date joined the college faculty in 2007. outdated certification website would be Aside from teaching duties, she man- closed down at the first of January and Do you need to check when your teaching ages internships for college business stu- that the new site would not be up and run- certificate is due? The Educator Application dents and serves as the Center for Teach- ning until February 1. New certification and Certification Hub (TEACH) is the ing Excellence coordinator at Mid-Plains. candidates were urged to apply before the Nebraska Department of Education’s new January shutdown, if possible. certification portal. Applicants must register Working under recommended safety The new certification portal was up before being allowed to log in. Here is the measures and with many faculty telecom- and running on schedule on February 1 registration and log in address: muting, the but went live with technical issues and Northeast Community Col- https://online.nedoe.org/#/ lege Faculty Association recently voted bugs to be worked out. The bugs were se- to donate funds normally designated for rious enough that developers were called faculty in-service activities and student- in to work on-site to resolve issues and get “Brad Dirksen, administrator in the NDE focused mid-semester activities directly to the site working smoothly. a student scholarship. And everyone knows what happened Office of Accountability, Accreditation and Program Approval worked closely A gift of $2,500 was donated to the in March: COVID-19 landed hard. Educa- Northeast Community College Founda- tion went remote. with NSEA to address issues.” Dirksen had reached out to school dis- tion and earmarked for the Student Excel- The certification application and- re lence Scholarship, to which many North- newal requests soon began to pile up. As trict administrators with regular updates beginning in February. He also made it east faculty members also give. the backlog grew, NSEA’s 18 field staff The 2019-20 leadership team of began hearing concerns of teachers wait- clear, early on, that applicants renewing Presi- ing on recertification approval. First-time their certification and holding a current dent Melissa Lemke-Elznic, President- applicants were also on edge, looking for certificate set to expire August 31, 2020, Elect Josh Schlote, Secretary Kristi were able to begin the school year. Rastede and Treasurer Sara Barritt felt jobs and not certain whether they would it would be a great way to show support to have certification in hand when they- re Meanwhile, NSEA field staff who heard certification concerns from - mem students. A virtual fall meeting of the as- ceived a job offer or by the time they sociation happened, and association mem- would begin teaching. bers or administrators forwarded them di- rectly to Fennell, who worked closely with bers present voted unanimously to donate At one point, several thousand applica- the funds to student scholarships. tions were awaiting approval. Dirksen to monitor and resolve concerns as quickly as possible. Walstrom and Petersen were among those left in limbo. Walstrom had applied Petersen followed that guidance, reach- Nebraska State Board of Education ing out to Fennell for assistance. Ralston member Lisa Fricke, Bellevue, has been for renewal in April, Petersen in May. selected to serve on a Whole Child Policy “I had applied for renewal in April,” Education Association leadership told Walstrom to do the same. Study Group organized by the National said Walstrom. “On returning to school Association of State School Boards. this year, I still hadn’t received it yet.” “A week or so after I had contacted them, Brad emailed me directly stating The study group hopes to deepen the Petersen echoed that concern. “As the content expertise of state board members August expiration date was quickly ap- that my certificate was renewed,” said Walstrom. to lead whole-child policymaking in the proaching, I was getting really nervous wake of COVID-19. This project advanc- about the renewal,” she said. “They worked their magic and I had At that point, NSEA was already on my certificate renewed within days!”, said es NASBE’s focus on developing equi- the job. As early as mid-February, NSEA Petersen. table education systems that provide safe, President Jenni Benson and Executive By mid-August, the certification back- healthy, supportive learning environments Director Maddie Fennell were work- log was cut from thousands to fewer than where all students can thrive and achieve ing with the NDE to discuss the problems 500, with the number falling daily. academic excellence. teachers and school districts were encoun- “Brad was sending emails into the wee Fricke taught for more than 30 years, tering with the bottleneck of applications. hours of the morning to make sure educa- retired to her Bellevue hometown and won “We encouraged members to let us tors were taken care of before the Aug. 31 election to the State Board in 2016. She know of certification issues and continued deadline,” said Fennell. “I was tracking seeks a second term in November, and has to forward those to NDE,” said Fennell. members who contacted us, and I worked NSEA’s recommendation.
#YouBelong | OCTOBER 2020 | THE VOICE | PAGE 23 Registration Extended on Race, Belonging Series Begins Oct. 24 Registration has been extended to Oct. 9 for the 12-session series entitled NSEA Conversations About Race and Belonging. The series is designed to encourage participants to improve their personal racial understanding based on self-examination and awareness. The program builds a peer cohort and peer-to-peer relationships through Mailed By: The Nebraska State Education Association conversation and storytelling, among 605 S. 14th St., Lincoln, NE 68508-2742 other methods. For more details, go to: www.nsea.org Missing Assignments The program is funded by a grant from From Brenda Dwyer, a technology applications the National Education Association. teacher in Texas: “I require that my students who have missed Speaking of Education assignments complete the current assignment BE- “We will get into good trouble every FORE they do the make up work. This way they day, in every state, in every community are doing the same work as everyone else in the class. If the student completes the current all across this nation to keep our stu- assignment and has extra time, he can then start on his make up work. If not, they have dents and educators safe and center our to come after school or before school to make up work. I have found that this approach schools in equity and excellence during minimizes the amount of work that a student does not complete.” the COVID-19 crisis.” — Becky Pringle, Sign up for Works4Me messages at: nea.org/tools/Works4Me.html NEA President
NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE Leg. District 01: Janet Palmtag Leg. District 23: Helen Raikes Leg. District 03: Sen. Carol Blood Leg. District 27: Sen. Anna Wishart Leg. District 07: Sen. Tony Vargas Leg. District 29: Eliot Bostar Leg. District 09: John Cavanaugh Leg. District 31: Tim Royers Leg. District 11: Terrell McKinney Leg. District 35: Sen. Dan Quick Leg. District 13: Sen. Justin Wayne Leg. District 39: Allison Heimes Leg. District 15: Sen. Lynne Walz Leg. District 41: Sen. Tom Briese Leg. District 17: Sheryl Lindau Leg. District 43: Sen. Tom Brewer Leg. District 19: Former Sen. Mike Flood Leg. District 45: Susan Hester Leg. District 21: Brodey Weber Leg. District 49: Jen Day STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 Patsy Koch Johns Lisa Fricke Patti Gubbels Jacquelyn Morrison District 2 NU REGENTS: Jack Stark
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