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Why Teach for HPS?

Hastings Public Schools

Assuring the essential. Expanding the Possible.

 

If you are looking for a highly effective school district where you will have strong support, please consider the Hastings Public Schools. Recent awards:

•Lincoln Elementary: Blue Ribbon School Award, U.S. Department of Education, 2008; National Model PLC School at Work Award, All Things PLC, 2015 and 2016

• Alcott Elementary: National Model PLC School at Work Award, All Things PLC, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016

• Hastings Senior High: Outstanding Career Education Program Award, Nebraska Department of Education, 2014

• Hastings Middle School: MetLife/NASSP Breakthrough School Award, 2014; National Model PLC School at Work Award, All Things PLC, 2014, 2015, and 2016; and NASSP Showcase School, 2014 and 2015.

• Hastings Public Schools: Max Award, Hastings Area Chamber of Commerce, 2014

• Morton Elementary: National Model PLC School at Work Award, All Things PLC, 2015 and 2016

• Hastings Public Schools, Community Partnership Award, United Way, 2015

• Hawthorne Elementary: National Model PLC School at Work Award, All Things PLC, 2016

• Hastings Public Schools: Employer of the Year, Goodwill Industries, 2016

In addition, individuals working for the District are consistently recognized for effectiveness and excellence by professional organizations within the state.

MISSION

Our fundamental purpose is to assure all students acquire the knowledge, skills, and behaviors essential to be successful individuals and responsible citizens.

THE THREE BIG IDEAS DRIVING HPS

• Student learning is our focus

• Collaborate and work together

• Use data and results to make improvements

THE FOUR CRITICAL QUESTIONS GUIDING THE WORK OF FACULTY

• What do we want students to know and be able to do?

• How will we know when students know/can do it?

• What will we do when students don't know it?

• What will we do when students already know it?

TEACHING ENVIRONMENT

Educators working collaboratively in ongoing processes of collective inquiry and action research in order to achieve better results for the students they serve. We operate under the assumption that the key to improved learning for students is continuous, job-embedded learning for educators. Our culture is that of a professional learning community and our instructional framework is based on the work of Marzano. All buildings in the Hastings Public Schools have recently or are receiving major building upgrades to improve our physical learning and teaching environment. Since 2008, Hastings has invested over $46 million dollars in the schools of the community.

COMPETITIVE COMPENSATION

Graduate credit from accredited institutions for professional training beyond a bachelor's with an elongated salary schedule (15+ vertical steps for the attainment of 45 hours above a Master's Degree).

Employees of HPS are not limited in the accumulation of sick leave.

Newly hired non-administrative certificated staff will be granted up to ten years experience earned in other districts subject to the limitations of the Hastings Public Schools' salary schedule. The Superintendent has the discretion to recommend that a certificated employee be granted credit for more than ten years of actual teaching experience if there is a shortage of teaching candidates or special circumstances warrant this action. Placement at a level above the beginning level of the extra-standard salary schedule may also be granted by the Board of Education upon the recommendation of the Superintendent when comparable out-of-district experience is demonstrated.

BENEFITS

The District pays cash-in-lieu of insurance or up to 95% of the employee's health insurance and 100% of the employee's dental insurance (spouse and dependent dental coverage are also available).

Vision insurance is available at low group rates.

An IRS flexible spending account is offered to allow employees the opportunity to set aside funds, tax-free, for out-of-pocket medical and child-care expenses.

All HPS employees are covered by liability and indemnity insurance for any injury occurring during employment and are entitled to benefits provided by worker compensation laws.

Long-term disability insurance is provided employees working over thirty hours and comes into play immediately upon the exhaustion of sick leave.

Ten days of sick leave are provided for each contract year. There isn't a limit to the number of unused sick days an employee may accumulate.

Four personal leave days are provided certificated teaching staff with two days full pay and two days with substitute pay deduction only.

Employees working 20 or more hours per week participate in the Nebraska Public Employee Retirement Program.

Tax-sheltered annuities are available to all employees with income deferred until a certain age.

COMMUNITY

Hastings is large enough (pop. 26,000+) to provide numerous opportunities while being small enough to be family-friendly. Hastings is, simply put, a great place to raise a family!

Education is important to Hastings. Two preK-12 public school districts and two private school systems (K-8 Zion Lutheran and K-12 Catholic) serve the community. In addition, Central Community College and Hastings College also serve Hastings as well as students from just about anywhere.

The members of our community have ready access to:

• Excellent health care including access to Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital, a major hospital serving south-central Nebraska

• Local entertainment including parks, concerts, community events, water parks, car racing, youth baseball, slow and fast pitch softball, museums, theaters, and unique restaurants

• A hiking/biking trail that continues to grow and connect

• Outdoor sports including hunting, fishing, and boating within the immediate vicinity

• Numerous civic and professional organizations

• Major metro areas including Omaha (2.5 hours), Kansas City (5 hours), and Denver (6 hours)