Education

Scotts Bluff County Democrats support public schools, public school teachers, and local control by public school districts. We support school choice for all Nebraska families but without any public tax dollars allocated in the form of school vouchers, tax credits, or scholarships. Scotts Bluff County Democrats are opposed to charter schools. We support a community approach to ensure students’ access to technology in schools, in the community, and at home. We support innovation in education.

We believe all teachers, educational support professionals, and administrators should be paid commensurate to their professional responsibility to give knowledge to our future generations and prepare students for adulthood, taking into account each person’s education, training, and experience. Scotts Bluff County Democrats advocate for educators’ learning opportunities to improve the education received by Nebraska’s students.

Scotts Bluff County Democrats support fully funded equitable public education. Scotts Bluff County Democrats believe that no educator should have to pay out of pocket for materials or supplies for their own classroom.

We support the elimination of student debt. We support programs assisting post-secondary students and their families in discharging their debt.

Scotts Bluff County Democrats strongly support fine and performing arts and physical education in public schools. Scotts Bluff County Democrats believe that extracurricular activities are enriching for every student and support scholarship programs for extracurricular activities. Children and staff deserve enough time to eat. Scotts Bluff County Democrats believe no child should experience food insecurity and that schools should do their utmost to prevent and address child hunger. We believe every child should have access to healthy, nutritious, and affordable meals and that no school should deny children access to meals based on a child or parent's inability to pay or debt obligation.

Scotts Bluff County Democrats believe every child should have a safe school environment conducive to learning, free from bullying, harassment, or violence. We believe that schools should be safe from gun violence, and support schools in securing facilities to protect students. Scotts Bluff County Democrats oppose efforts to fund school security initiatives that divert funds away from classrooms. We oppose arms of any kind on school grounds, with an exception for emergency responders. Scotts Bluff County Democrats will actively work to stop the school-to-prison pipeline.

We seek an increase in the age for a student to leave school without graduating to age 18.

We support continuing education for pregnant students and those who are parents and interventions to help these populations. We strongly support age-appropriate and accurate comprehensive sex education for all students starting no less than three years before the average age of menarche to continuing into high school.

Scotts Bluff County Democrats believe that special education programs should continue to be based on the individual needs of each student.

Scotts Bluff County Democrats realize that the behavioral and mental health needs of students are at an all-time high, with professionals inside and outside of the school system assisting schools with this need. We support greater funding for the behavioral and mental health needs of students in our state’s public schools.

We support targeted intervention for students, not at grade level in reading, writing, and mathematics. Likewise, we recognize that schools with achievement gaps will need targeted intervention and support to meet expectations; we support those schools in receiving the resources that they need to succeed.

We believe that educators should compare differing views on a subject to aid students in learning how to think critically and independently.

Scotts Bluff County Democrats support policies and programs promoting recruitment of faculty and staff that represent the broadest possible diversity, training and placement of faculty and administration. Staffs’ talents should be used to meet the needs of students, integrating students into population-balanced and diverse Public School districts, and normalizing parity in funding those districts. Scotts Bluff County Democrats are committed to school funding that meets the needs of students equitably and supports the improvement of schools.

We envision classrooms that create opportunities for multicultural activities and field trips. Also, in utilizing distance education technologies to bring students together in study and play from other cultures and countries, and foster exchange programs of speakers and student groups.

Scotts Bluff County Democrats impress upon Nebraska’s school districts to develop and utilize teaching materials and pedagogies to confront discrimination; to promote a society free of discrimination and systemic bias based upon age, race, ethnicity, linguistics, religious belief, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or economic status. In addition, school districts should provide interpretation services and technology to improve relationships among the school, home, and community for the benefit of our students.

We support academic freedom and the freedom of speech.

Scotts Bluff County Democrats prioritize the restoration of previous funding, and future increased allocations to all state-funded institutions of higher learning. We believe tuition hikes are detrimental to students and Nebraska families. We are committed to the state schooling delivered by the state-funded institutions of higher learning within our state, which teaches skills needed in the workforce. Scotts Bluff County Democrats take pride in the students, graduates, and educators of our public schools and state institutions of higher learning.