Education
Gov. Ricketts takes aim at Title IX changes sought by federal officials
Gov. Pete Ricketts is criticizing the U.S. Department of Education’s proposed revisions to Title IX, and on Friday he called on other Nebraskans to weigh in as well. Federal education officials have stated that a review of current regulations, and of public and stakeholder meetings, suggest that the existing rules do not best fulfill the […]
U.S. education secretary urges boost in teacher pay, touts college debt relief
WASHINGTON — Amid K-12 teacher shortages, book bans and attacks over critical race theory, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona at a meeting with reporters on Wednesday stressed the need for higher salaries to attract prospective educators to the profession. Cardona also touted the Biden administration’s recent student debt relief announcement in late August. The White […]
State Patrol: Many options for parents to report concerns about school safety
LINCOLN — The Nebraska State Patrol and Nebraska Department of Education are reminding parents, students, and schools officials that there are many options for reporting school or student safety concerns. The reminder comes as schools in Nebraska have begun a new school year. To report threats of school violence or any suspicious activity surrounding Nebraska’s […]
Nontraditional students get another option to complete college degrees
LINCOLN — Married with three kids and working, Amanda Redler said she couldn’t manage the one-hour commute to a community college from her home in Albion to resume her college studies. So Redler turned to the Western Governors University, a completely online university that Nebraska helped found back in 1996 when Ben Nelson was governor. […]
State teachers union launches campaign to highlight public education, push back on effort to fund private schools
LINCOLN — The Nebraska teachers union will push a “Public School Proud” public relations campaign this fall to counter efforts to divert public funds to private schools. The Nebraska State Education Association said a grant from the National Education Association will help fund the five-week television, radio and digital campaign this fall. NSEA President Jenni […]
Feds discharge student loans for 1,340 Nebraskans who attended tech institute
LINCOLN — As part of a national effort to discharge student loans involving colleges that misled students, 1,340 Nebraskans will no longer be required to pay back their debts to one school. The U.S. Department of Education announced this week that it will discharge all remaining federal student loans that borrowers received to attend ITT […]
$85 million rural medical school at University of Nebraska at Kearney projected to open in 2025
Construction of an $85 million rural medical school at the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus is expected to begin in the fall of 2023 and open two years later. Thursday, the University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved details such as the construction budget and program statement for that second phase of the UNK-University […]
Boutique YMCA co-locates with the Bison of new Buena Vista High School in Omaha
OMAHA — Teachers, counselors, cafeteria and other workers at Omaha’s new Buena Vista High School dropped in Friday to get acquainted with their new fitness-obsessed, tech-driven neighbor. That 2,800-square-foot “YMCA Express” workout space, co-located on the school’s 60th and L Streets campus, officially opens Monday. But faculty members were treated to tours and special demonstrations […]
Stand for Schools nonprofit names Californian with Nebraska ties as new executive director
A nationwide search has led the nonprofit Stand for Schools of Nebraska to hire a new executive director from California. Dunixi Guereca assumes the role in August. He most recently worked with the SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West and, prior to that, the Boy Scouts of America. Guereca has Nebraska connections, having studied political science and […]
Minds polluted? New film making rounds in Nebraska is filled with falsehoods, education experts say
On a Saturday this March, Stephanie Nantkes walked into the Civic Center in downtown Seward and found a few dozen people gathered in the meeting room downstairs, heads bowed in prayer. She found Kirk Penner, running for re-election to the Nebraska State Board of Education. She found Jessie Bremer and Jacob Bierbaum, local school board […]
OPS security guards complain about low pay, increase in behavioral issues and threats
LINCOLN — The union that represents security guards at Omaha Public Schools is appealing to a state labor court, claiming that OPS has failed to bargain in good faith over wages, job duties and “more dangerous working conditions.” The filing comes as OPS is seeing an exodus of teachers, an increase in behavioral issues and […]
Despite some gains, health professionals still lacking in rural areas of Nebraska
LINCOLN — Despite some recent statewide gains in nurse practitioners and pharmacists, health professionals are still lacking in many rural areas of Nebraska, a report released Thursday concluded. A health care workforce report from the University of Nebraska Medical Center based on 2021 statistics also flagged as a concern the aging of health care workers […]