More than 1,000 teachers rally Legislature for higher salaries
TEACHER from page 1
'they receive.
- Audra Kobs, a first year English
and Spanish teacher at Tekamah
Herman High School, said she made
more working as a part-time reception
ist than she does now teaching.
"I’d always wanted to teach,” she
said. "But I considered not doing it for
many years because of the pay.”
According to a report released in
December by the National Education
Association, Nebraska ranks 43rd in
the nation in teacher salaries.
The state comes in second to last in
its region, Obermier said, higher only
than South Dakota.
But teacher salary hasn’t seemed to
affect student achievement.
According to an American
Legislative Exchange Council study
that uses ACT, SAT and National
Assessment of Educational Progress
test scores, Nebraska ranks fifth in the
nation in academic success.
Teachers at the rally acknowledged
U Our state must
address the problem
now before the
shortage becomes a
crisis.”
Duane Obermier
NSEA president
this by waving yellow signs with black
letters that said: “Top 10 Academics.
Bottom 10 Teacher Salaries.”
Obermier also talked about the
teacher shortage that the country, as
well as Nebraska, is facing. Sunday’s
edition of the Omaha World Herald saw
ads for 118 education-related positions,
Obermier said.
And in 10 years, the United States
will need an extra 2.2 million teachers.
In that same time period, Nebraska
will need an additional 10,000.
“We’re headed in the wrong direc
tion,” Obermier said. “Our state must
address the problem now before the
shortage becomes a crisis.”
Bohlke has two other bills that were
also discussed at die hearing.
LB 1399 would create a Teacher
Salary Task Force that would study the
need to increase teacher salaries in
Nebraska.
This would not be a quick solution.
The bill states that the task force would
report its findings by Oct 1.
LB 1400 would create the Tax
Equity and Educational Opportunities
Support Act.
It would provide for minimum
teacher salary levels and teacher salary
supplements, as well as change the way
need for state aid is calculated.
■' s MikeWarren/DN
ABOVE: PEG TRUMBLE (front), Laurie Fraser and Mary Herrington, who all work at Lincoln East, listen to the opening
remarks made by OuaneObemtier, president of NSEA, at a rally, wjtich began in McPhee Elementary School, 820 S. 15th
St. After Obermler gave directions to the teachers, they began their march to the Capitol building.
LEFT: MORE THAN 1,000teachers marched from McPhee Elementary to the Capitol building carrying signs that read “Top
10 Academics, Bottom 10 Teacher Salaries” and chanting the phrase “Invest in Kids, Pay Teachers.”
Speaker Doug Kristensen of
Minden introduced a final bill,
LB 1323.
If it passes, the bill would create a
task force that would investigate how
teachers could become state employ
ees.
Omaha Board of Education
President John Langan said he was
encouraged with the legislation that
was introduced
“Teacher quality is the biggest vari
able for the success of our children,” he
said. “I believe salary makes a differ
ence in quality.”
Hit and run leads
- •••
police to car theft
By Michelle Starr v
Staff writer
An early Saturday morning
joyride led to more than just a hit-and
run accident, police said.
The accident, reported near 30th
and Holdrege streets at 1:45 a.m., led
Lincoln police to a stolen vehicle,
Lincoln Police Ofc. Katherine Finnell
said.
The car, a 1968 black and gray
Volkswagen convertible bug,
belonged to Frank Brennfoerder,
owner of Brennfoerder Auto Repair,
223 N. 23rd St.
The Volkswagen was stolen from
the business, Finnell said.
The driver of the car was involved
in the hit-and-run accident; witnesses
said they saw a man running from the
scene, Finnell said.
After officers contacted
Brennfoerder, they determined some
one had broken into the business from
a side window, rummaged through the
office and a desk, then went for the
car.
The Volkswagen was the only car
in die garage. It was unlocked with the
keys inside, Brennfoerder said
The suspect then drove the
Volkswagen through the 10-foot
garage door of the business for an
easy getaway, Brennfoerder said.
The driver then ran into a white
1999 Chevrolet Cavalier parked on
30th street between Starr and
Holdrege streets, Lincoln Police Capt.
David Beggs said.
The Cavalier had $400 in dam
ages according to the report, Beggs
said.
Finnell said the business reported
$325 in damages, and the Volkswagen
was valued at $15,000.
The Volkswagen had not been
recovered as of Monday evening,
Beggs said.
Other than the car, nothing was
missing from the business, he said.
Brennfoerder said he had had the
car for about 15 to 18 years and had
finished restoring it about six years
ago.
Witnesses described the man run
ning from the scene as a 5-foot-6
inch^ 150-pound male with long,
curly hair. He was reportedly wearing
a brown coat, black pants and Nike
shoes.
r
UNL freshman found with
tequila *
Projectiles coming from an
eighth-floor window of Schramm
Residence rtall led University Police
officers to a bottle of Chi-Chi’s
Margarita Tequila, University Police
Sgt. Mylo Bushing said.
A call came into university offi
cials at 11:26 p.m. Thursday, accus
ing Michael Kult, a freshman, of not
letting a resident assistant enter his
room after the items were thrown.
A university officer entered the
room and saw a red-colored liquid in
a clear glass.
Kult told the officer it was Kool
Aid.
When the officer smelled the liq
uid, he determined it was alcoholic.
Kult then produced 1.75 liters of
tequila, which contained a trace of
the alcohol, Bushing said.
Kult was cited for minor in pos
session. ,
Man enters Lincoln home,
shows gun, officer says
A Lincoln couple woke to an
unusual situation Saturday morn
ing.
A 24-year-old male and a 20
year-old female were awakened by a
loud noise at 5:45 a.m., Lincoln
Police Ofc. Katherine Finnell said.
A man entered the couple’s bed
room, turned on the light and pulled
out a silver handgun.
Once the man saw the occu
pants, he left the apartment, Finnell
said.
The man fled in a two-door, late
1980s car and headed south on 25th
Street
The man was described as a 5
foot-10-inch white male, about 24
years old.
He was wearing a black and sil
ver coat and black jeans.
Woman says she was
attacked, raped by intruder
A woman was attacked while
staying at a friend’s apartment,
Lincoln Police Ofc. Katherine
Finnell said.
She was the only person at the
residence at the time of the incident.
A call came in at 11:45 p.m.
Saturday from a woman who report
ed she had been raped.
The 20-year-old female was
asleep at the apartment, when she
was awakened by a noise from the
frontdoor.
When she, got up to investigate,
she found a white male in the living
room, Finnell said.
The man reportedly pushed her
into a chair and asked where Paul
was.
The woman said she didn’t know
what the man was talking about, and
she then tried to make a run for the
door.
Another white male was stand
ing in the hallway, Finnell said.
The first man then cut her on her
arm and forced her back into the
apartment and forced her to have sex
with him, Finnell said.
the first man demanded money
from the victim, but she said she did
n’t have any, so the two men left.
The victim described the first
man as 6 feet tall, of medium build
and about 25 to 30 years old with
short, brown hair. He was wearing a
black leather jacket, a white T-shirt
and jeans.
The second man was described
as a 20- to 25-year-old man with
short, blond hair. '-V
Police had no suspecfS as of
Monday evening.
Men stabbed at Super Bowl
party
A Super Bowl party led to a fight
Sunday when a man refused to leave.
Daniel Staley, 20, 5042
Leighton St., refused to leave a party
at 2301 S. St. An argument erupted,
which moved to the backyard of the
residence at 10:30 p.m., Finnell said.
Christopher Bessette and
Donald Nash, both 21 and residents
of the house, sustained superficial
wounds after Staley allegedly pulled
a 2-inch knife during the argument,
Finnell said.
Bessette received a small cut to
his lower abddmen, and Nash was
also cut in the abdomen. Both also
received cuts on their hands, Finnell
said.
Staley was arrested on two
counts of second degree assault and
two counts of use of a weapon to
commit a felony, Finnell said.
UNL student taken to Detox
after attempted fight
A drunken man upset about a
breakup with his girlfriend tried to
pick a fight Saturday and ended up
in Cornhusker Detox, 721 K St..
Bushing said.
A member of Theta Xi fraternity
at 1535 R St., was called in by anoth
er member of the house for being
drunk and trying to start fights with
members of his house on Saturday,
Bushing said.
ine can came into university
Police at 4:50 a.m.
When officers responded, they
reportedly found the 19-year-old
man in the kitchen of the fraternity
house smelling of alcohol with
bloodshot eyes.
The house mother was contact
ed, and she said the man was drunk
and trying to start a fight.
When questioned, the man said
he had just broken up with his girl
friend, and he was upset, Bushing
said.
Th£ mart was taken to Detox
where he tested .117 blood-alcohol
level, Bushing said.
Because the man was not cited
for anything, Bushing did not
release his name.
Compiled by staff writer
Michelle Starr.
