Elizabeth Tegtmeier

Elizabeth Tegtmeier was born in North Platte, Nebraska. Tegtmeier graduated from North Platte High School. She earned a degree from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and a master's degree in education. Tegtmeier's career experience includes working as a teacher with the North Platte School District.[1]

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a wife, a mom of five college and school age children, and an educator. I hold a current Nebraska teaching certificate for English grades 7-12 and have a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction. I have taught in all three areas of education that the state board sits in jurisdiction over --public, private, and homeschool. I was born and raised in Western Nebraska and we have chosen to raise our family here as well.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Protect students and teachers from sexually explicit material and political ideologies being taught in the classroomsAddress academic proficiency rates and the teacher shortageHold the NDE accountable and support increased local control of school districts

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about providing our students and teachers with a learning environment that allows children to learn and develop in ways that will benefit the students in the future and are aligned with the values and direction of the parents. Education should equip our children with valuable thinking and evaluating skills (how to think rather than merely tell our students what to think).

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

An elected official should be a person of moral integrity who will not be compromised by special interest groups. In our representative style of government, officials must be out in their districts listening to constituents throughout their tenure in office and not merely right before an election.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The biggest event I recall was when the Challenger Space Shuttle exploded in January of 1986. I was ten at the time. My classmates and I were so excited that a teacher was going to outer space. Our teacher turned on the live broadcast and we were shocked and scared to watch the space shuttle explode live before our eyes. The rest of the day was spent watching replays of the explosion as our juvenile minds tried to process the death of the seven crew members that occurred on live television. Shortly after that event, my grandfather died. I learned about the fragility and preciousness of life that year.

What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?

The primary job of the State Board of Education is to direct the focus of education in our state and hire a competent commissioner who will oversee the day to day operations that must occur for that focus to be achieved. The board has a duty to the students of the state, their parents, teachers, administrators, and taxpayers to ensure that the focus will result in the best opportunity for Nebraska children to grow up to be responsible citizens who understand their Constitutional freedoms and capitalize on the opportunities presented to them.

In what areas would you like to expand curriculum? For example, do you see a need for advanced technical training or apprenticeships? What sort of innovative programming would you advance if given the opportunity?

As a lifelong resident of the western end of the state, I would like to see an increase in the opportunities for students to study the ag and industrial areas that are the lifeblood of our rural communities. I would like to increase the Career Pathways and Pathways to Success in our local districts thus creating partnerships between the schools and local businesses and industries where students can learn about the anticipated needs in a variety of fields and begin internships in those fields. We must offer our students a vision of the future in Western Nebraska where they can work in a skilled field and provide for themselves and their future families in rural Nebraska.

What strategies or plans would you advance to ensure the schools are properly funded?

School funding has become a primary issue in the western end of Nebraska where our schools are primarily funded by local property taxes. As the rural areas as extensively composed of farms and ranches, the burden often falls the heaviest on these land owners.

The current school funding program called TEEOSA is confusing and complicated and disadvantages our rural school districts who often are not able to employ a person with extensive understanding of the formula. This has resulted in an imbalance in between rural and urban education.

We must begin to actively work with the Nebraska Legislature to examine how schools are funded. The TEEOSA formula is no longer working and must be completely rewritten. The State Board of Education liaison to the unicameral must push hard for a new method of school funding.