Lou Ann Goding sees a crisis looming in education.
“We have about five years to figure this thing out,” she said. “Because if we don’t, AI is going to completely eliminate the need for some jobs, and education will be so far behind that we won’t be able to catch up.”
Goding, who served eight years on the Omaha Public Schools Board, is running for a seat on the Nebraska State Board of Education in District 8, the eight-member body that oversees and sets standards for Nebraska’s public schools.
Graduation vs. Proficiency
She kicked off her campaign Tuesday evening, speaking to around 50 guests and presenting alarming statistics on a whiteboard, much like a teacher in front of a classroom.
While Nebraska’s graduation rate is 88%, only 42% of juniors are proficient in math and 45% in reading. Eighth-grade reading proficiency has dropped 9% over the past 20 years, with the percentage of students below basic doubling from 17% to 34%. These numbers are even worse for Omaha Public Schools, and Nebraska now ranks below Illinois in reading.
“Because of this, we have gaps in employability,” Goding said. “We have students who can’t make a living because they don’t have the skills necessary. They can’t read, and they can’t write.”
While the board is officially nonpartisan, its eight members are currently split 4-4 ideologically. Deb Neary, who holds the District 8 seat, has announced she will not run again. Neary supported controversial sex education standards in 2021, which included topics like gender identity for children as young as first grade. This prioritization of “culture war” over foundational skills in literacy and math, have sparked opposition among Nebraska conservatives. In 2022, Marni Hodgen, a homeschool mom, came within 3.8% of defeating Neary for this seat.
Several notable Republicans turned out at Tuesday’s event in support of Goding, including Congressman Don Bacon, Douglas County Commissioner Mike Friend, State Senator Bob Andersen, City Councilmembers Don Rowe and Brinker Harding, Gretna Mayor Mike Evans, and several others.
Solutions
While her support may lean partisan, Goding’s proposed solutions do not. Among the forums Goding suggested included K-1 split classes, which have been successful in charter schools, to help in the transition to first grade for Kindergarteners who may not have attended preschool or been read to at a younger age.
Goding also emphasized the importance of learning algebra, particularly for students who want to continue on to college. “Harvard now is offering basic algebra, because nationwide we’ve gotten so bad that they’re teaching basic algebra to their incoming freshmen,” Goding said. She highlighted the “Ramp Up” program, initiated by former OPS Superintendent Mark Evans, which provided smaller supplemental classes for algebra students to review material while keeping them integrated with peers.
Gridlock on the board
Goding spoke on other strategies that have been presented to the Nebraska Department of Education, but these were stalled due to the board’s 4-4 split. “I have talked to folks who have actually provided to the Department of Education strategies that they’ve done longitudinal studies on that are working,” Goding said. “But the Nebraska Department of Education is not doing anything about it because we don’t have a majority board. It’s just sitting.”
Flipping the District 8 seat is within reach, especially with Neary stepping down. Democrats will likely announce a candidate soon to compete for the open seat. In the meantime, Goding is hitting the ground running to raise money and knock on doors to reach the 168,000 voters in her district.
Goding also emphasized the window for change won’t be open long. “We don’t really have a lot of time,” she told her supporters. “This is a big deal — and we’ve got to do it now.”
