Shaping Education in Omaha: A History of the Omaha Education Association
The Omaha Education Association (OEA) has a rich history deeply intertwined with the development of education in Omaha, Nebraska. From its early beginnings as the Omaha Teachers Forum to its current role as a strong advocate for educators and students, the OEA has played a vital role in shaping the educational landscape of the city.
Early Foundations and the Omaha Teachers Forum
The seeds of the OEA were sown in 1917 with the organization of the Omaha Teachers Forum by a group of dedicated grade and high school teachers, principals, and supervisors. The general objectives of the Forum were to promote democratic education, to improve the teaching profession, and to develop in the community a deeper consciousness of the educational needs of the child, the youth, and the adult.
From its creation until 1936, the Forum was led by a member-elected President. In 1936, a significant turning point occurred when Dr. Walter Siders was hired as the first executive secretary of the forum. This appointment marked a milestone as Dr. Siders became the first full-time staff member for a local education association in the United States. Dr. Siders, a retired school superintendent, had previously been instrumental in organizing the World Confederation of Organizations of the Teaching Profession. During his tenure, the Forum achieved a notable benefit for its members: Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurance coverage became available for Omaha teachers.
Collective Bargaining and Contract Negotiations
The OEA continued to evolve, and in 1963, the OEA Bylaws were amended to provide for continuing membership, strengthening the association's foundation. A pivotal moment arrived in 1967 when the OEA gained recognition as the bargaining agent with the Omaha Public Schools Board of Education. This recognition paved the way for the negotiation of the first comprehensive contract with the Board in 1968, marking a significant step forward in advocating for the rights and interests of Omaha's educators.
Addressing Housing Needs: The OEA Manor
Recognizing the need for suitable housing for teachers, the concept of an OEA apartment building emerged in 1949. This vision materialized in 1956 with the opening of the OEA Manor at 320 North 22 Street. The OEA Manor provided an apartment building for retired teachers, addressing the need for suitable and affordable housing. Notably, this was the first retirement home built by an education association for retired educators in the United States. The OEA President presided over the OEA Senior Citizens Board of Directors. The OEA owned the OEA Manor complex and, along with the OEA Foundation, also owned some of the land that surrounded the complex.
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However, due to declining occupancy, the OEA decided to sell the OEA Manor in 1998. The OEA inherited the proceeds from this sale, which enabled OEA to purchase land at 57th and F Streets on which to build a new facility. The OEA moved into the newly constructed 9,327 square foot facility at 4202-4204 South 57th Street on June 5, 2000.
The OEA Foundation: A Commitment to Scholarships
The OEA Foundation, established in 1964, serves as the educational and charitable arm of the Omaha Education Association. The Foundation has, through the years, funded over 100 different scholarships annually. Many of the scholarships are designated for specific high schools and winners are chosen by those high schools. The OEA Foundation receives donations from educators, parents, and community members to fund its activities. The donations are invested in an endowment fund, and the earnings are now used to provide scholarships for deserving students.
Adult Education and Regional Expansion
Beyond its focus on K-12 education, the OEA's history also touches upon the realm of adult education. In the 1930s, the rising role of adult education spurred interest in creating a strong regional association, expanding beyond Nebraska's borders. This led to the first Missouri Valley Adult Education Conference, held in the fall of 1938 at the University of Omaha (now UNO). A second conference followed in 1941, but the Missouri Valley conferences were discontinued until after World War II.
In October 1959, Emory Austin of Scottsbluff and John Dalton of Chadron established the first state conference on adult education in Scottsbluff, with 41 people in attendance. This conference marked the genesis of a statewide association, the Adult Education Association of Nebraska, with Chet Gausman of Lincoln as president and Emory Austin as secretary. Other board members included K.O. Broady (University of Nebraska), Don Emory (University of Omaha), John Dalton (Chadron State College) and O.J. Weymouth (Superintendent of Schools in Sidney). The first constitution was drafted in April 1960, and revised at the conference held in Scottsbluff in April 1970.
Key Figures in OEA History
Several individuals have played pivotal roles in the OEA's history, leaving lasting legacies of leadership and service. Roger and Liz Rea, both lifelong educators, are exemplary figures in the OEA. Roger received a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Kansas State University (1966) and a Master’s Degree in Chemistry from the University of South Dakota (1973). He has additional graduate hours from a number of other universities. Roger received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching in 1985; was one of two Nebraska Candidates for the NASA Teacher in Space Project in 1986; was named the Nebraska Teacher of the Year in 1989; and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Marquis Who’s Who Publications Board in 2019. He served as President of the Omaha Education Association (1984-85); President of the Nebraska State Education Association-Retired (2008-2017); Chairman of the Board for First Nebraska Credit Union (2002-2019); President of the National Council on Teacher Retirement (2018-2019), and served as a Trustee for both the Omaha School Employees’ Retirement System and the Nebraska Public Employees Retirement System for more than 25 years. Liz received an Associate in Arts Degree in Education from Ottumwa Heights College (IA) (1967), a Bachelor’s Degree in History from Creighton University (1969) and a Master’s Degree in History from the University of Nebraska-Omaha (1987). She served in a variety of roles for the Omaha Education Association, culminating with being OEA President (1998-2001). After retiring from a 29-year teaching career with the Omaha Public Schools, she worked as the Director of Education for the Douglas County Historical Society (DCHS) for five years. While at DCHS, she wrote and published an historical timeline for Douglas County, Nebraska, and the City of Omaha from 1671 to 2005, and developed a curriculum project for teaching the history of Omaha and Douglas County for 3rdgrade students called History in a Trunk. She is currently the President of the Omaha Education Association Foundation, a charitable organization which awards scholarships to deserving high school seniors in the Omaha area. Both Roger and Liz have a keen interest in STEAM projects. Roger taught high school chemistry in the Omaha Public Schools for 34 years. He was on the Planning Committee for the 1993 National Science Teachers Association Annual Meeting in Kansas City; has organized a variety of workshops for science teachers over the years; was the chief editor for the American Chemical Society High School Chemistry Examinations Committee for 20 years (this is the only nationally standardized test in any curriculum area prepared entirely by practitioners of the art), and served as Chair for the 1977 Exam. Liz taught language arts, history and American government at the middle school and high school levels for 29 years. Roger and Liz Rea are pleased to sponsor the STEAM Speaker Series for K-State.
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Education Landscape in Omaha: A Broader Context
To fully appreciate the OEA's role, it's important to consider the broader educational landscape of Omaha. In the mid-19th century, Omaha, like other progressive cities, established schools for girls. The Episcopal Church founded Brownell Hall, an all-girls secondary boarding school in Saratoga, which officially opened on September 15, 1863. Saratoga School at Meridith Avenue and North 25th Street was started in 1866 by local citizens. The one room schoolhouse was one of the first public schools in Nebraska, and perhaps the first in the Omaha area.
Technical High School, the city's largest public school building, opened as the third high school built in Omaha. By 1940, enrollment had reached 3,684. The school was closed in 1984, and the building was completely renovated for use as the Omaha Public Schools central office. Today, it also serves as a home for the Career Center and Adult Education programs, serving 700-plus students daily. Omaha North High School at 36th Street and Ames Avenue occupies a hilltop view covering four square blocks.
From the 1880s through the beginning of desegregation busing in Omaha Public Schools in the early 1970s, several segregated schools in North Omaha served the city's African American students. They included Howard Kennedy School, Lake School, Kellom School, Lothrop School, and Long School. Other schools in the area with large African American populations into the 1980s included Tech High, North High and Central High School. Into the 1970s, these were widely regarded as the city's "black schools", with de facto segregation based on residential housing patterns. A different type of segregation affected the students at the Nebraska School for the Deaf.
Challenges and Transformations
In more recent times, Omaha's educational system has faced challenges related to segregation and district organization. As early as 2005, Nebraska State Senator Ernie Chambers proposed that North Omaha become responsible for educating its own students. Among other things, LB 1024 calls for Omaha Public Schools to be broken into three separate school districts. LB 1024 requires that each new district consist of contiguous high school attendance areas and include either two or three of the seven existing high schools. The suburban school districts reluctantly supported the three-district plan, seeing it as the most favorable of the bills proposed. The OPS leadership vehemently opposed the plan. It is suspected that OPS may file a suit challenging the new law. On May 16, 2006, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) filed a suit against the governor and other Nebraska state officials charging that LB 1024, originally proposed by state senator Ernie Chambers, "intentionally furthers racial segregation." The NAACP lawsuit argues that because Omaha has racially segregated residential patterns, subdivided school districts will also be racially segregated, contrary to United States law.
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