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

LINCOLN, Nebraska — This coming fall, the Nebraska Teachers Union will launch a public relations campaign with the slogan “Public School Proud” in an effort to combat efforts to transfer public monies to private schools.

This fall’s five-week campaign that will air on television, radio, and internet platforms will be partially funded, according to the Nebraska State Education Association, by a grant from the National Education Association.

In a press release issued on Sunday, NSEA President Jenni Benson stated that the goal of the campaign is to “advance a culture of racial and 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.” Benson’s statement was included in the campaign’s overall mission statement.

“Success stories” from public schools will be highlighted as part of the campaign.

Iggy Machuca, the proprietor of a construction company in Norfolk, Mindy Diller, a family and consumer science teacher from Lincoln, Cammy Watkins, the co-executive director at Inclusive Communities of Omaha, Joseline Reyna of the Grand Island YWCA, and Tracy Hartman-Bradley, a Native American specialist for Omaha Public Schools are some of the people who appear in the campaign.

The National Education Association (NSEA) highlighted that some proponents for private schools are “denigrating public education and intensifying efforts to siphon state tax resources away from public schools” at the same time as this campaign is being launched.

A bill that would have allowed a state tax credit for “opportunity scholarships” was filibustered in the Nebraska Legislature this spring, which resulted in the bill’s failure to pass. Public school advocates view opportunity scholarships as a roundabout way to provide public funds to private schools.

According to proponents of private schools, some pupils who struggle academically in public schools are able to make significant academic progress after switching to parochial or private schools.