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Midland University students and theater directors urge State Board to create theater endorsement or degree
Summary
Six Midland University students and theater directors told the State Board of Education that Nebraska needs either a formal theater endorsement and/or a full theater education degree to retain aspiring theater teachers and fill arts-education vacancies.
Midland University students and regional theater educators told the Nebraska State Board of Education on Oct. 3 that the state should establish stronger teacher pathways for theater education, either through a 30-credit endorsement or a full theater education major.
Dan Hayes, director of theater at Midland University, opened public comment by saying he brought four students to show support for improved certification pathways and thanked the board for hosting the meeting in Fremont. Students described how limited endorsement and degree options affect career prospects and local arts programs: Avery Hogue, a freshman pursuing secondary English with theatre coursework, said a 30-credit endorsement would better prepare theater teachers and help rural schools retain and support theater programs. "Theater is important," Hogue said, listing benefits from communication skills to cultural knowledge.
Jenna Poole, a senior English-education major with a theater endorsement at Midland, said some peers need endorsements while others require a full theater degree to pursue teaching theater exclusively; she urged the board to consider both pathways. Elliot, a graduate assistant, testified that many Nebraska students leave the state to earn theater education credentials in neighboring states and asked the board to create opportunities to keep those future teachers in Nebraska. Alexis Tavla and Rusty Ruth of Wayne State College echoed that student demand and program growth justify either a subject endorsement or degree.
Why it matters: Board decisions about certification, endorsements and educator-preparation rules affect whether schools can hire qualified arts teachers and whether local higher-education institutions can retain students seeking those careers. Several committee reports later in the meeting signaled rule and endorsement discussions could proceed through committee work and rulemaking.
What the board did: Public comment concluded and was accepted into the record; no formal board vote on theater endorsement occurred at the meeting. Several related items ' including rules and committee work on educator-preparation pathways ' were discussed later in committee reports.
