OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The labor union representing public school teachers in Nebraska has created a new strategic plan to advance “a culture of social justice.”
Delegates from local teachers unions approved the plan last month during the Nebraska State Education Association’s annual assembly in Lincoln, the Omaha World-Herald (https://bit.ly/2pOHXCf ) reported.
The plan calls for more diversity in teacher recruitment, training teachers in “cultural proficiency” and promoting a legislative agenda that “advances human and civil rights.”
Jenni Benson, the union’s new state president, said the union looks at social justice as providing free and equitable public education across the state.
“NSEA will advance a culture of social justice by improving educational opportunities for all students and building respect for the worth, dignity and equality of every individual in our diverse society,” the plan reads.
Other goals included in the union’s plan are protecting collective bargaining rights and “being active in the election of pro-public education candidates.”
Benson said that for the past couple of years in the Omaha area the union has provided a “social justice retreat” for its 28,000 members, where keynote speakers talk about important related topics.
She said the main challenge for the union is to stay true to the belief that public schools are important.
“If we focus on what our goal and our vision is, which is to provide great schools and equal access to all students in Nebraska, then those challenges will be met with facts and figures showing that we’re doing a good job in Nebraska,” Benson said. “People across the nation are envious of the public schools in Nebraska.”
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Information from: Omaha World-Herald, https://www.omaha.com
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