Two Omaha Public Schools staff members and one district school received recognition at the Excellence in Career and Technical Education (CTE) Awards sponsored by the Nebraska Department of Education.

Chief Academic Officer Susan Christopherson received the Outstanding CTE Administrator Award. This award honors an administrator who has demonstrated visionary leadership in fostering innovation and growth of Career and Technical Education in Nebraska locally or regionally.

King Science & Technology Middle received the Outstanding Middle School CTE Program Award which recognizes the achievement of career and technical education programs that demonstrate student achievement and innovation.

North High mathematics and engineering teacher Robert Hjelle was also recognized as Outstanding Educator in Skilled and Technical Sciences.

A team of Nebraska Department of Education Career and Technical Education specialists selected award recipients from candidates across the state. The awards were presented in June 2022 in cooperation with the Association for Career and Technical Education in Nebraska.

Expanding access to high-quality high school programming, Omaha Public Schools is implementing College & Career Academies and Pathways across each of its nine comprehensive high schools. The student-focused design better connects lessons to a young person’s goals for life after graduation.

In recent years, College & Career Academies and Pathways have received local, state and national recognition. That includes four academies to have earned “Model Status” from the National Career Academy Coalition.