We are happy that you have expressed an interest in joining the professional staff of Omaha Public Schools. When we have received your completed application, your file will be entered in our computer data system and placed in our active applicant personnel files. As more materials (transcripts, credential, references) are received, they will be added to complete your file. When it is complete, an administrator will review your file to determine if an interview will be extended. This is the initial or screening interview. Omaha Public Schools conducts interviews year round due to the large number of applications received. When vacancies occur, qualified applicants are called for interviews with principals.

If you are not chosen for a screening interview after you have applied, or if you were interviewed and not chosen for the position, your application will remain in our active file for two years unless you indicate that you have taken a position and no longer wish to be considered for a position with Omaha Public Schools.

Again, thank you for your interest in seeking employment with our District.

The first step in this process is to complete an official application form and return it to the address listed below. A letter of application (resume is optional) should accompany the completed form. This letter becomes part of the candidate’s file. Application forms may be obtained from:

It is a candidate’s responsibility to have his/her placement file or credentials forwarded to the above address.

A candidate’s file is usually not considered complete until the following documents are received. It is the responsibility of each applicant to provide the following:

1. Letter of application (resume optional)
2. Completed application form
3. Placement file/credentials or references (3 or 4)
4. Complete transcripts (copies are fine)
5. Nebraska teaching certificate (if one has been issued to applicant)

A candidate must possess a Nebraska teaching certificate or must be able to demonstrate that he/she is certificable for a teaching position in Nebraska. Please direct any questions about certification to:

As vacancies occur, Human Resource Administrators will review the completed files of candidates who have applied for such positions. After a review of the completed files, a decision will be made to interview one or more applicants.

Under a typical circumstance, a candidate will be interviewed by a personnel administrator or member of a recruitment team. The interview process will include three components.

• Traditional interview - The questions asked will provide an interviewer with information specific to the person and the assignment. The specific questions may vary per the needs of the individual being interviewed.
• Structured Interview - A set of predetermined research-based questions focusing on the attributes of successful teachers will be administered.
• Demonstration-Lesson/Activity - Each candidate interviewed will be asked to complete a question essay.

Selection: Selection will be based on the qualifications of the candidates interviewed. Opportunities policy. Omaha Public School accepts applications at all times of the year.
Physical Examination: Consistent with local and state requirements, once a candidate has been hired, he/she must undergo a physical examination. The cost of such physical examination is the responsibility of the candidate.
Location: Omaha is located on the Missouri River. The metropolitan area consists of Bellevue, Council Bluffs, Papillion, LaVista and Millard. It is 135 miles west of Des Moines, Iowa; 90 miles south of Sioux City, Iowa; and 200 miles north of Kansas City, Missouri.
Population: There are approximately 350,000 people who live in Omaha, while there are approximately 682,000 who live in the metropolitan area.
School System: There are more than 47,000 students enrolled in the Omaha Public Schools, Nebraska’s largest public school system. These students attend the following schools:

• Senior High Schools- 7
• Middle Schools (7th & 8th)- 11
• Career Center- 1
• Alternative Learning Study Centers- 3
• Elementary- 64

To view a map of all schools within the district, please click here: www.ops.org/schools/district_map.dhtml .
Staff: There are more than 3600 certified staff members employed by the District. Approximately 3170 persons are employed in classified positions in the District, includes 850 part-time staff.
Salaries: The base teacher salary for the 2004-2005 school year is $29,655.00.

From the Superintendent of Schools:

Hope for ourselves, our children, our community and our world is contingent upon education.

Our success as a nation is inextricably tied to the success of our public schools. The nation is not separate from its schools. In a democracy, our schools are us - we share common challenges, we share a common destiny. The Omaha community and the School District of Omaha are, together, preparing our students for the next millennium. With this responsibility comes the opportunity for transformation of policies and operations, traditions and relationships to better clarify roles and responsibilities. Meeting tomorrow’s challenges together requires focus on the District’s stated missions, aims and goals. We must provide our students with a school system that encourages ambition, idealism and self-discipline.

As we journey toward successfully realizing the vision of the Omaha Public Schools, we must set high academic goals and require basic learning standards for all students. Within this framework we must ensure working climates based on mutual respect, dignity and a belief in self and others. We must maintain well-disciplined schools that foster opportunities for increased parent and community involvement.

As we move forward together, we will experience significant change in the Omaha Public Schools. However, it is change that will reflect our devotion to the pulse of our organization, our District, our children and our community to new educationally rich horizons.

Our children hold a special place in our community; they represent our future; a future we must prepare for today; a future we must be prepared to meet, together.