OPS Teacher Leader Academy

Teacher Leader Academy

OPS teacher

Thank you to our donors

Thanks to the generous support of The Sherwood Foundation® and the Lozier Foundation, OPS teachers who teach mathematics were eligible to apply for fellowships to cover the full cost of tuition and fees for graduate courses offered by UNL’s summer NMSSI program and online course offerings during the fall or spring semesters approved by OPS TLA. To accommodate OPS teachers, each summer some NMSSI courses were offered either in Omaha at the TAC Building or online. NMSSI in-person courses are offered in a concentrated one- or two-week format, thus protecting much of the teacher’s time in the summer for other activities.

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Special Opportunities for OPS Teachers

The NebraskaMATH Omaha Public Schools Teacher Leader Academy (OPS TLA) is a partnership between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Omaha Public Schools. From 2013 to 2017, the OPS TLA programs formed a community of OPS mathematics teachers (grades K–12) dedicated to strengthening mathematics teaching and learning in OPS classrooms. OPS TLA was made possible through generous support from The Sherwood Foundation® and the Lozier Foundation in Omaha.

OPS TLA offered five outstanding graduate opportunities for OPS teachers:

  • New Teacher Network – An 18-credit hour graduate program, with tuition and fees paid by OPS TLA funds, for secondary mathematics teachers;
  • Primarily Math – An 18-credit hour graduate program, with tuition and fees paid by OPS TLA funds, for K-3 teachers leading to a K-3 mathematics specialist certificate from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln;
  • ITEAM – An 18-credit hour graduate program, with tuition and fees paid by OPS TLA funds, for grades 4-6 teachers;
  • Math in the Middle – A 36-credit hour graduate program, with tuition and fees paid by OPS TLA funds, for grades 4-8 teachers leading to a master’s degree from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln; and
  • Sherwood®-Lozier Fellowships to take NMSSI graduate courses – Graduate coursework for OPS K-12 mathematics teachers, with tuition and fees paid by OPS TLA funds.

Sherwood®-Lozier Fellowships were available through the Summer 2017 semester. Please note that applications for future cohorts of Primarily Math are done through TLTE; read requirements here.

Quotes from Primarily Math Teachers

The Primarily Math program challenges you not only as a teacher of math, but as a mathematician as well. You will leave the program feeling more confident in your own math abilities and will be energized to teach your students in a totally different way. The classes are a great combination of personal and professional growth, which leads to amazing results in the classroom. I can't say enough about how the Primarily Math program has changed my way of thinking about math.

Mandy Farrage Former kindergarten teacher, Highland Elementary

I've never been challenged so much in a course to problem solve, analyze, and deeply understand a concept. The work I put into my math courses truly translates directly into my instruction and helps push my students to develop deeper, sounder understandings of math concepts. Primarily Math is a valuable, fun experience I would never take back.

Kristin L. Wiese Quinn grade teacher, Picotte Elementary

It is like eating a vegetable you might not like. It’s not always easy to digest but the end result shows you made the right choice. Coming from someone who has struggled and disliked math most of their life, this was one of the best choices I have made; not only as an educator but personally as well. Accomplishments. Challenges. Friendships. Celebrations. Hurdles. Perseverance. Success. Exhaustion. Growth. Support. Achievement.

Megan Zitek 2nd grade teacher, Western Hills Magnet Center