Who We Support
We support the following candidates because they’re strong supporters of public education, stand firmly behind our educators, and they have a proven track record of positively impacting our community.
Nebraska State Board of Education – District 2
Maggie Douglas
Born and raised in Nebraska, Maggie is a product of Nebraska schools, from Scottsbluff public schools to Creighton where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and then to UNO and UNL where she pursued higher learning in secondary and math education, and later earned a Master’s Degree in Clinical Counseling at UNO. As an award-winning educator with 15 years of combined public and parochial classroom experience, Maggie understands the needs of Nebraska schools.
Maggie currently has boots on the ground in our schools where she serves as a substitute teacher, supervisor of student teachers at UNO, and math instructor at Metropolitan Community College. She is uniquely qualified to serve on our state’s board of education and has the endorsement of current board of education member and lifelong educator, Lisa Fricke.
Learn more about Maggie’s vision and values, as well as issues that matter to her and our schools at ElectMaggieDouglas.com
School Board – Papillion-La Vista Community Schools
Marcus Madler
Marcus is the current President of the PLCS Board of Education. He values public education and advocates for strong public schools. He prioritizes unbiased decision-making, steady leadership, and ensuring long-term success and stability for the school district. His goal is to enhance student engagement, critical thinking, and 21st-century skill development.
Learn more about Marcus at his website or his Facebook page.
Skip Bailey
Skip is running as an incumbent, and believes the primary role of a school board is to craft district policies and procedures to ensure accountability for students’ education and growth. He believes effective communication with parents, students, staff, and the community is crucial. He aims to collaborate with the administration to provide quality education, retain top teachers, and improve facilities.
Learn more about Skip at his Facebook page.
Valerie Fisher
Valerie is also running as an incumbent. Her dedicated service on the board spans over two decades and has proven herself as a reliable mentor for other board members. Her goals include prioritizing mental health for both students and staff, and believes it’s her duty to ensure every student receives the best education possible in order to achieve their highest potential.
Elizabeth Butler
Elizabeth is running as a professional policymaker and community partner. She emphasizes her commitment to transparency and efficient budgeting. She aims to build a school district that is attractive to families, teachers, and students. Her goals include expanding early childhood education, hiring more mental health counselors and behavior specialists, and protecting teacher’s plan time.
Learn more about Elizabeth at her website or her Facebook page.
Carla Kloeckner
Carla is a passionate supporter of public education and believes a quality education is crucial for children’s personal success, community well-being, and the state’s prosperity. Her platform includes empowering parents, enabling teachers, embracing technology, ensuring efficient spending, and fostering a culture of greatness. She aims to bring positive change to the school board and prioritize the needs of students and families.
Learn more about Carla at her website or her Facebook page.
Who We Oppose
We oppose the following candidates for the dangers they represent to our students, teachers and community. Be sure to check out our dedicated pages on Linda and Edward.
Nebraska State Board of Education – District 2
Linda Vermooten
Linda has chosen to run a fear-based culture war campaign rather than addressing real issues in education. She sows distrust in Nebraska’s education system and damages the credibility of our hard-working teachers. Linda deliberately pushes misinformation and openly discriminates against students. If you want to get to know the real Linda, check out StopLinda.com where we’ve posted more detailed information.
Some of Linda’s misinformation:
- Linda Vermooten claims our children are “raped” by our schools on a daily basis.
- Linda Vermooten campaigns for extremist ideals.
- Linda Vermooten promotes book bans.
- Linda Vermooten wants to defund public education.
- Linda Vermooten ignores scientific evidence in her own field of study.
- Linda Vermooten says kindergarteners are being taught about sex.
School Board – Papillion-La Vista Community Schools
Edward Weniger – PLCS
Edward faced a felony charge when he carried a concealed, loaded gun into a school building and was banned from school board meetings for year. He has publicly advocated for targeting teachers’ certifications and using defamation as a tool against school board members and librarians he disagrees with. He has also publicly stated that he is against the PLCS Community Closet, a program that has provided for over 2,200 PLV families in need using donated clothing from community families.
“I disagree with the existence of the entire public school system…” -Edward Weniger 6/16/23