Kassidy Arena

1 month ago | nebraskapublicmedia.org | Jolie Peal |Kassidy Arena

He’s talking about the continuing teacher shortage in Nebraska. As of publication, Farup said Wakefield has two open teaching positions with no applicants, and he’s expecting future retirements and resignations. He recently filled another open position with someone who came out of retirement to help out. Across Nebraska, schools reported almost 670 unfilled positions at the start of this school year. More than a quarter of those were in districts with less than 1,000 students.

1 month ago | nebraskapublicmedia.org | Kassidy Arena

Teaching young people Black HistoryGwen Partridge, or Mrs. Gwen to her pre-K students, walks around her homemade Black History Museum at the YMCA Immanuel Early Learning Center in Omaha on an icy Thursday. She and her co-workers researched and created each exhibit. "What's great is when they learn something about Black history and then the parents come back and say 'Thank you,'" Partridge said.

1 month ago | kpbs.org | Kassidy Arena

Gwen Partridge, or Mrs. Gwen to her pre-K students, walked around her homemade Black History Museum at the YMCA Immanuel Early Learning Center in Omaha, Neb., on an icy Thursday. She and her co-workers researched and created each exhibit. "What's great is when they learn something about Black history and then the parents come back and say 'Thank you,'" Partridge said.

2 months ago | nebraskapublicmedia.org | Kassidy Arena

Both Barker and Keck said their churches do not inquire about immigration status, and would not be able to provide the status of their congregations even if asked. “I know that the issue of immigration is a real challenge and even problem for our nation, but imagining that we can just throw people out and that that will somehow fix things is really wrong-headed,” Barker said. “From a faith perspective, it's a non-starter.

2 months ago | nebraskapublicmedia.org | Kassidy Arena

Just two weeks ago, the Project RAÍCES team remembers being celebrated in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln communication magazine for its success in recruiting and retaining teachers from a diverse range of backgrounds. Now, that program has lost its funding due to President Donald Trump's drive to cut federal funding across the country, specifically targeting programs that focus on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.