Blog: nebraska

I got accepted to a master's program

This post was written in en

UNK logo

I'm really excited to share that I applied to the graduate program at the alma mater I graduated from at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. I applied for the Masters of Science in Education in Learning, Design & Technology with an Information Technology Concentration. I chose the IT concentration because, I work in IT where I would like to implement my knowledge at the school level. I'm not in the classroom as often anymore. It seemed more appropriate to go this route.

I'm really excited to go back to school! I've been itching for this for a while. Since, I still work in education, it seems appropriate to also continue my education and better improve my knowledge and skills in addition to what I do already with other forms of learning.

I also value education as well. I want to also have degrees beyond a bachelor's degree. My goal in the near but possibly distance future is to get a doctorate degree. Even with a master's degree, it's been a dream to teach a course or two at the university level. I would teach technology courses specifically for teachers to help eliminate barriers and increase technology literacy for teachers. I would also teach methods for teachers of all ages through scaffolding to embrace technology.

As a Latino, I find it important to help represent that we can succeed in higher education.

Time to register for classes!


Watching the Nebraska Volleyball Game

This post was written in en

I don't know anything about sports but its fun to be around people I love. Volleyball seems cool.


Public Education in Nebraska

This post was written in en

Image without description

In ResponseGetting creative to do good in politics by Tracy Durnell

I'll keep this brief.

Education is very important me. Education has been ingrained in me I was the first to graduate in my family from university. I studied to become a public school teacher. I became a public school teacher early in my career. I taught during the COVID pandemic during my first year of becoming a public school teacher.

Public school education is important to me.

It makes me sad to see what Nebraska, my home state, has become regarding public education. Now that I live in California, I feel, indirectly, I am standing on the sidelines seeing how my home-sate wants to divert public funds or public taxes to fund private institutions. We live in a time where we can't properly fund, nor respect our own public schools across the nation. The de-funding public schools has been in the works as far back as the 1980s. Other efforts happened before this as well. This has been most predominantly since the Reagan Administration. The Reagan Administration slashed funding for public education across the board.

It's embarrassing we are trying to divert money from a great public school system from the State of Nebraska as it ranks one of the highest in the nation. I myself am a product of a Nebraska Public Education. We need to fix the issues happening, not make the problems worse.

Why should we fund private institutions? Why should we fund religious public institutions? Shouldn't we have separation of church and state? Public funds should stay in public schools. It's like they are trying to make a problem worse? Why keep under funding the public school system?

None of the private schools in my hometown, offered the subjects I was interested. I lived not too far from a Catholic school. They offered the "bare minimum." They didn't offer other world languages beyond Spanish. They didn't offer auto mechanics or other trades (attending trade school is just as important as university. This is discussion for another time.) What is the likelihood of them expanding their programs?

Many counties in Nebraska don't even have private institutions. How is the state going to give private institutions money to education students when the facilities don't exist? Here's a news report

Private education will increase inequality.

Public schools have been there for everyone. No matter your socioeconomic status. It was there for me. Public schools are there to help the most disadvantaged.

I agree, with the phrase, "Society is cheaping out on the kids" as written by Tracy Durnell, "We must fight the privatisation of school to provide racial equity, class mobility, and teaching reality instead of ‘alternative facts." We need to invest in students and not let them down.

How the State Currently get funding

Nebraska Public Media does a great job, visually of reporting how schools are funded in Nebraska.

Image without description Graphic from Nebraska Public Media: Nebraska relies heavily on property taxes to fund its public schools, compared to other states. (Graphic courtesy of OpenSky Policy Institute, uses 2019-2020 data

More state funding on the way for public schools in Nebraska

Adding funding to public schools is only one piece of the puzzle, we need to also address the systems, bureaucracies, institutions, and bad polices that exist, past and present.

I don't like to be cynical, I am scared what is coming. People need to become informed in what is happening in their community. People need to read the bills introduced in their respective level of government. We must continue to fight!


Spending Two Weeks at Home

This post was written in en

I've been home since last for over a week.