Latest news with #LegislativeBill440
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Nebraska teachers praise bill for 6 weeks paid family, medical leave for all state educators
LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Examiner) — Sydney Jensen had scarcely taken a single day off of teaching in eight years before having her first child in 2020, often coming in sick to teach Nebraska students. She had saved eight weeks of paid leave, but as she faced postpartum depression, she felt returning would be devastating for her mental health, and the eight weeks weren't enough. 'In truth, I felt like I would not survive it,' Jensen said Monday. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act allowed Jensen to extend her leave to a maximum of 12 allowable weeks for significant life events, but the final four weeks came without pay, leading to financial strain, worsening her postpartum depression and creating hardships for her growing family. 'I thought I had done everything right,' Jensen said. 'But it still wasn't enough.' Jensen, a ninth grade English teacher, in Lincoln was one of many supporters to speak in favor of Legislative Bill 440 on Monday, seeking to establish an additional 0.35% payroll fee on Nebraska teachers, matched by local school districts, to cover long-term substitute costs for the first 6 weeks of teachers' leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act. Nebraska State Patrol Superintendent Bolduc to retire For a teacher making $60,000, that's a monthly fee of about $17.50, according to the Nebraska State Education Association, advocating on behalf of more than 26,000 public school teachers. Federal law protects workers for up to 12 work weeks of unpaid leave in a year, such as for birth and bonding, adoption or foster care placement and serious personal or family health conditions. Teachers' salaries and benefits are already budgeted for each year, so LB 440 would protect 6 weeks of that federal leave before other accrued paid leave would need to be used, the Nebraska Examiner reports. 'For less than $20 a month, we're gonna give teachers the peace of mind that if they need to take this leave, they won't have to worry about the financial hardship that accompanies it,' NSEA President Tim Royers told the Education Committee. No one testified against the bill. State Sen. Ashlei Spivey of Omaha, LB 440's sponsor, said she suffered severe postpartum depression but was lucky to have an employer who covered paid leave for three months. But she and many teachers said that isn't the same for frontline teachers who are helping to shape the next generation of students. An amendment Spivey offered to the committee would clarify that school districts would still need to pay teachers their full salary and benefits during the covered 6-week leave. Payroll contributions would also be used to cover the operating and administrative costs of the program. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Thirteen states and Washington, D.C., have mandatory paid family medical leave laws, Spivey said. She modeled her bill off of similar teacher payroll contributions toward state insurance and retirement funds. Spivey noted that the union for most state employees also has negotiated 6 weeks of paid maternity leave, which takes effect July 1. She said her bill would promote long-term savings by reducing turnover costs through a sustainable, teacher-led funding model, with no state appropriations needed for the program. 'I would always argue that teachers are some of our most important industry and frontline workers,' Spivey said. 'They need competitive benefits, they need this … in order to be able to stay in the workforce [and] keep educating our future leaders and workforce.' Any surplus in the new leave fund exceeding 20% of projected annual needs would be transferred to a separate fund to focus on teacher retention and professional development. State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil, a former central Nebraska school board member and committee chair, asked Spivey if the bill was still needed after voters approved a minimum level of annual paid sick leave for all employees: at least 40 hours of paid leave, or 56 hours for larger businesses. State Sen. Jana Hughes of Seward, a substitute teacher and committee vice chair, said she appreciated the program being separate from state dollars. She asked what would happen if contributions weren't enough to cover the required substitute costs in a given year. More than 250 pounds of marijuana found during northeast Neb. traffic stop, NSP says Hughes noted LB 440 would increase costs on districts, which Spivey described as an investment that would supplement, not replace, local 'sick banks' to pool leave time. Spivey said the bill was drafted with past leave requests in mind to create the 0.35% payroll but said she would confirm what would happen in the scenario Hughes had described. Royers, as he did in January, said the legislation is the result of a fall survey of nearly 10,000 Nebraska teachers. The issue encompassed all types of leave, he said, not just maternity or paternity. 'We have a crisis of faith right now for teachers in Nebraska,' Royers said of the survey. 'Just 8% of our educators feel that this body takes them into account when it crafts education policy.' Nora Lenz, a Lincoln teacher with more than 30 years experience, said her parents were placed in a nursing home in the summer of 2019, and Lenz was with her mother Friday through Sunday so she wouldn't be alone, 150 miles away from Lincoln. In January 2020, Lenz's father fell ill, and Lenz said it was clear he was losing his will to live, and his condition got even more fragile in the face of the 'looming threat' of COVID-19. Early retirement wasn't an option for Lenz, and she couldn't afford to go without a salary, needing to support her children in high school and college. Her father was hospitalized, and Lenz's heart ached to be by his side and by her mother's side. 'To this day, I regret not being there with them sooner, before he was hospitalized,' Lenz said. Tired of the default? Nebraska has plenty of specialty license plates Lenz said she held her father's hand when he took his last breath and was with him in the final days of his life, but told the committee she believes that had she been with him sooner, he might have lived just a little longer. Lenz's mother died 17 days later. Sheila Janssen said that she had a stroke in her brainstem on June 6, 2022, at 43 years old, and was in the hospital for nine days. She spent about five weeks in the hospital but, without enough sick leave, returned to school on the first day, on Aug. 10, 2022. 'I probably had no business being there,' Janssen said. 'But I was because I couldn't do it financially.' Jake Bogus of Lincoln, an eighth grade U.S. history teacher, said some families are facing scenarios 'almost like a Margaret Atwood novel,' trying to time pregnancies to use as little paid time off as possible or asking for donated time to care for their newborn children. Other testifiers said they were stuck with a choice: family or financial stability as they or loved ones faced cancer, hip replacements, foster care obligations or loved ones in hospice care. Many current and retired teachers said they felt guilty over the choice they made. Now at 32 weeks pregnant with her second child, Jensen has about 30 days of leave saved up from the past few years. However, she noted that one in seven new mothers will face postpartum depression, and her experience increases her future risk. Jensen said LB 440 would help address a system that is forcing 'impossible choices' and disproportionately impacting younger teachers and women, contributing to burnout and turnover. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'Teachers shouldn't have to choose between their families or financial stability,' Jensen said. 'LB 440 aligns Nebraska's education system with modern workforce needs and demonstrates that we value the well being of those who shape our children's futures.' The committee took no immediate action on LB 440. Nebraska Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Nebraska Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Cate Folsom for questions: info@ Follow Nebraska Examiner on Facebook and X. This story was republished under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Teachers praise bill for 6 weeks paid family, medical leave for all Nebraska educators
Tim Royers, president of the Nebraska State Education Association, center, talks about 2025 priorities for the teacher's union. Jan. 28, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — Sydney Jensen had scarcely taken a single day off of teaching in eight years before having her first child in 2020, often coming in sick to teach Nebraska students. She had saved eight weeks of paid leave, but as she faced postpartum depression, she felt returning would be devastating for her mental health, and the eight weeks weren't enough. 'In truth, I felt like I would not survive it,' Jensen said Monday. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act allowed Jensen to extend her leave to a maximum of 12 allowable weeks for significant life events, but the final four weeks came without pay, leading to financial strain, worsening her postpartum depression and creating hardships for her growing family. 'I thought I had done everything right,' Jensen said. 'But it still wasn't enough.'Jensen, a ninth grade English teacher, in Lincoln was one of many supporters to speak in favor of Legislative Bill 440 on Monday, seeking to establish an additional 0.35% payroll fee on Nebraska teachers, matched by local school districts, to cover long-term substitute costs for the first 6 weeks of teachers' leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act. For a teacher making $60,000, that's a monthly fee of about $17.50, according to the Nebraska State Education Association, advocating on behalf of more than 26,000 public school teachers. Federal law protects workers for up to 12 work weeks of unpaid leave in a year, such as for birth and bonding, adoption or foster care placement and serious personal or family health conditions. Teachers' salaries and benefits are already budgeted for each year, so LB 440 would protect 6 weeks of that federal leave before other accrued paid leave would need to be used. 'For less than $20 a month, we're gonna give teachers the peace of mind that if they need to take this leave, they won't have to worry about the financial hardship that accompanies it,' NSEA President Tim Royers told the Education Committee. No one testified against the bill. State Sen. Ashlei Spivey of Omaha, LB 440's sponsor, said she suffered severe postpartum depression but was lucky to have an employer who covered paid leave for three months. But she and many teachers said that isn't the same for frontline teachers who are helping to shape the next generation of students. An amendment Spivey offered to the committee would clarify that school districts would still need to pay teachers their full salary and benefits during the covered 6-week leave. Payroll contributions would also be used to cover the operating and administrative costs of the program. Thirteen states and Washington, D.C., have mandatory paid family medical leave laws, Spivey said. She modeled her bill off of similar teacher payroll contributions toward state insurance and retirement funds. Spivey noted that the union for most state employees also has negotiated 6 weeks of paid maternity leave, which takes effect July 1. She said her bill would promote long-term savings by reducing turnover costs through a sustainable, teacher-led funding model, with no state appropriations needed for the program. 'I would always argue that teachers are some of our most important industry and frontline workers,' Spivey said. 'They need competitive benefits, they need this … in order to be able to stay in the workforce [and] keep educating our future leaders and workforce.' Any surplus in the new leave fund exceeding 20% of projected annual needs would be transferred to a separate fund to focus on teacher retention and professional development. State Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil, a former central Nebraska school board member and committee chair, asked Spivey if the bill was still needed after voters approved a minimum level of annual paid sick leave for all employees: at least 40 hours of paid leave, or 56 hours for larger businesses. State Sen. Jana Hughes of Seward, a substitute teacher and committee vice chair, said she appreciated the program being separate from state dollars. She asked what would happen if contributions weren't enough to cover the required substitute costs in a given year. Hughes noted LB 440 would increase costs on districts, which Spivey described as an investment that would supplement, not replace, local 'sick banks' to pool leave time. Spivey said the bill was drafted with past leave requests in mind to create the 0.35% payroll but said she would confirm what would happen in the scenario Hughes had described. Royers, as he did in January, said the legislation is the result of a fall survey of nearly 10,000 Nebraska teachers. The issue encompassed all types of leave, he said, not just maternity or paternity. 'We have a crisis of faith right now for teachers in Nebraska,' Royers said of the survey. 'Just 8% of our educators feel that this body takes them into account when it crafts education policy.' Nora Lenz, a Lincoln teacher with more than 30 years experience, said her parents were placed in a nursing home in the summer of 2019, and Lenz was with her mother Friday through Sunday so she wouldn't be alone, 150 miles away from Lincoln. In January 2020, Lenz's father fell ill, and Lenz said it was clear he was losing his will to live, and his condition got even more fragile in the face of the 'looming threat' of COVID-19. Early retirement wasn't an option for Lenz, and she couldn't afford to go without a salary, needing to support her children in high school and college. Her father was hospitalized, and Lenz's heart ached to be by his side and by her mother's side. 'To this day, I regret not being there with them sooner, before he was hospitalized,' Lenz said. Lenz said she held her father's hand when he took his last breath and was with him in the final days of his life, but told the committee she believes that had she been with him sooner, he might have lived just a little longer. Lenz's mother died 17 days later. Sheila Janssen said that she had a stroke in her brainstem on June 6, 2022, at 43 years old, and was in the hospital for nine days. She spent about five weeks in the hospital but, without enough sick leave, returned to school on the first day, on Aug. 10, 2022. 'I probably had no business being there,' Janssen said. 'But I was because I couldn't do it financially.' Jake Bogus of Lincoln, an eighth grade U.S. history teacher, said some families are facing scenarios 'almost like a Margaret Atwood novel,' trying to time pregnancies to use as little paid time off as possible or asking for donated time to care for their newborn children. Other testifiers said they were stuck with a choice: family or financial stability as they or loved ones faced cancer, hip replacements, foster care obligations or loved ones in hospice care. Many current and retired teachers said they felt guilty over the choice they made. Now at 32 weeks pregnant with her second child, Jensen has about 30 days of leave saved up from the past few years. However, she noted that one in seven new mothers will face postpartum depression, and her experience increases her future risk. Jensen said LB 440 would help address a system that is forcing 'impossible choices' and disproportionately impacting younger teachers and women, contributing to burnout and turnover. 'Teachers shouldn't have to choose between their families or financial stability,' Jensen said. 'LB 440 aligns Nebraska's education system with modern workforce needs and demonstrates that we value the well being of those who shape our children's futures.' The committee took no immediate action on LB 440. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NSEA, lawmakers outline 2025 priorities after survey of nearly 10,000 Nebraska teachers
Tim Royers, president of the Nebraska State Education Association, leads a news conference highlighting 2025 priorities for teachers statewide. Jan. 28, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — The Nebraska State Education Association sought to rally support Tuesday for a package of legislation designed after a survey of nearly 10,000 teachers statewide. Tim Royers, president of the state teacher's union, joined with seven lawmakers to unveil the top 2025 priorities for the NSEA. The proposals generally seek to increase state support for teachers, such as retention bonuses, stipends for student teachers, reimbursements for school supplies and paid family and medical leave. 'One of the things that we know in Nebraska is that without our teachers, Nebraska has no future,' State Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Omaha said at a morning news conference. The eight bills presented Tuesday were introduced by State Sens. Margo Juarez of Omaha, Jason Prokop of Lincoln, George Dungan of Lincoln, Ashlei Spivey of Omaha and Danielle Conrad of Lincoln. All are Democrats in the officially nonpartisan Legislature. Royers said the legislation is part of NSEA's goal to ensure all Nebraska children get to receive a great public education, which he said often depends on highly qualified teachers. In the fall, the NSEA received written comments from thousands of teachers, whose feedback ranged from workplace conditions to compensation and teachers' plans for the future. Royers said only 8% of respondents reported feeling that the Legislature takes them into account when crafting education policy, and about 11% said the state currently incentivizes them to stay in the profession. More than a quarter of educators, Royers continued, are unsure if they want to continue teaching after this school year 'unless something meaningfully changes.' 'Candidly, educators don't really feel like they have folks in their corner right now,' Royers said. One of the 'boldest' 2025 ideas, Royers said, comes from Spivey's Legislative Bill 440. It would establish an additional 0.35% payroll tax on teachers, matched by local school districts, to offer teachers six weeks of paid family and medical leave by funding long-term substitute teachers. For a teacher making $60,000, that would amount to a monthly fee of $17.50. 'For less than $20 a month out of a teacher's paycheck, they would get access to a profound benefit,' Royers said. The focus of the Spivey legislation started on young women in teaching sometimes being forced to leave the profession after taking one or two months of unpaid leave because they had a child early in their career. But the NSEA began to see other needs, too, Royers said, such as teachers who faced cancer diagnoses or teachers who waited seven years to even attempt having kids, trying to save up enough days off 'so they wouldn't take that hit.' 'No person should have to make family decisions based on when their paid leave is sufficient for them to do that,' Royers said. Juarez, a former school board member for Omaha Public Schools and former paraeducator, is seeking to create retention bonuses for paraeducators through LB 524, $1,000 for a para working an average of 28 hours per week, or proportional for a paraeducator working less. Her LB 523 would establish a statewide student teacher stipend program, paying them $4,000 per teaching semester. Juarez said the underpaid and unpaid labor that teachers are expected to offer when training for the job is 'extreme,' which begins with student teaching. Quality educators, she said, are sometimes turned away because the financial burden. Another Juarez bill, LB 161, would increase how much the state pays school districts for full-time early childhood students. The bill does not yet have a cost estimate from the Legislature. Currently, all school districts get about $1,500 in state aid for each K-12 student, but districts receive roughly 60% of that amount, or $900, for each early childhood student. Juarez's bill would raise that to 100% for the foundation aid. 'Education is more likely for early childhood students to earn higher wages later on, live healthier lives and avoid incarceration, raise strong families and contribute to society,' Juarez said. Prokop's LB 282 would similarly seek to support teachers who 'pour their hearts and souls' into their classrooms and students as well as their wallets, with one study indicating teachers annually pay average out-of-pocket costs on school supplies of about $860. His bill would establish up to $300 in reimbursements through the State Board of Education for qualified teaching supplies. If all of Nebraska's approximate 27,000 teachers applied for the reimbursement, the Nebraska Department of Education estimates it would cost $8.1 million annually. The Legislature's fiscal office estimated that 60% of teachers might use the funds, which would also gain $300,000 to $400,000 in additional state revenue through increased teacher income. 'While it's about acknowledging that financial commitment they've made to the students, it's really more about the acknowledgment that they just really care about their kids and the students that they are teaching,' Prokop said. LB 411, from State Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln, would establish baseline retention grants for all teachers, beginning at $2,500 for teachers in years one through six of service and increasing to $4,000 for teachers in their 16th or later. 'One of the things that we know in Nebraska is that without our teachers, Nebraska has no future.' – State Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Omaha Excluding high-need retention grants, Dungan's program could annually cost between $66 million (if all teachers were in their first to sixth year of teaching) and $106 million (if all teachers were in their 16th year of teaching or beyond). If all teachers received one high-need retention grant before 2028, as allowed under the bill for certain subject area endorsements, that would cost an additional $132 million. DeBoer's LB 598 would increase state funding for school districts that provide teachers at least 60 minutes of non-instructional planning time daily. The bill would also allow school districts to apply for additional limited English proficiency program funding, based on need, and get additional funds based on the number of students with disabilities who are on Section 504 support plans. The last bill, LB 589, from State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, would allow school districts to be reimbursed for the costs of substitute teachers who cover special education teachers if they take a 'paperwork day' to complete documentation, reporting and compliance requirements. The bill does not yet have a cost estimate from the Legislature. Four such days could be reimbursed annually. 'Making small changes like that, that don't come with a big price tag to state taxpayers, can make a world of difference for the teachers and the children that they are serving,' Conrad said. Conrad and Royers indicated the proposed legislation is in direct response to legislation that they said would undermine teachers' ability to serve kids. That includes continued efforts to divert state funds for private schools, which Conrad described as a 'slap in the face' to voters. 'Let's be clear: We're not content to just play defense when it comes to standing up for our schools and our kids and our teachers and our incredible public education system,' she said. Royers said the NSEA will also partner with State Sens. Kathleen Kauth and John Fredrickson, both of Omaha, on studies that could inform possible future legislation around alternate certification pathways for high school teachers and for high behavioral needs care facilities. A third planned interim study would examine how to improve higher education compensation. Royers said even with a projected budget shortfall for the state, he and senators are confident they'll find the support for proposals that are 'perfectly in line' with the Education Future Fund that Gov. Jim Pillen carved out in 2023 to ensure continued state support for education. 'Some of these bills that you just heard about today aren't going to get over the finish line this year,' Royers said. 'It might take us a few tries, but I can tell you that by simply introducing all of these proposals, it's already making a difference in how educators feel in this state.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NSEA, lawmakers outline 2025 priorities after survey of nearly 10,000 Nebraska teachers
Tim Royers, president of the Nebraska State Education Association, leads a news conference highlighting 2025 priorities for teachers statewide. Jan. 28, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — The Nebraska State Education Association sought to rally support Tuesday for a package of legislation designed after a survey of nearly 10,000 teachers statewide. Tim Royers, president of the state teacher's union, joined with seven lawmakers to unveil the top 2025 priorities for the NSEA. The proposals generally seek to increase state support for teachers, such as retention bonuses, stipends for student teachers, reimbursements for school supplies and paid family and medical leave. 'One of the things that we know in Nebraska is that without our teachers, Nebraska has no future,' State Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Omaha said at a morning news conference. The eight bills presented Tuesday were introduced by State Sens. Margo Juarez of Omaha, Jason Prokop of Lincoln, George Dungan of Lincoln, Ashlei Spivey of Omaha and Danielle Conrad of Lincoln. All are Democrats in the officially nonpartisan Legislature. Royers said the legislation is part of NSEA's goal to ensure all Nebraska children get to receive a great public education, which he said often depends on highly qualified teachers. In the fall, the NSEA received written comments from thousands of teachers, whose feedback ranged from workplace conditions to compensation and teachers' plans for the future. Royers said only 8% of respondents reported feeling that the Legislature takes them into account when crafting education policy, and about 11% said the state currently incentivizes them to stay in the profession. More than a quarter of educators, Royers continued, are unsure if they want to continue teaching after this school year 'unless something meaningfully changes.' 'Candidly, educators don't really feel like they have folks in their corner right now,' Royers said. One of the 'boldest' 2025 ideas, Royers said, comes from Spivey's Legislative Bill 440. It would establish an additional 0.35% payroll tax on teachers, matched by local school districts, to offer teachers six weeks of paid family and medical leave by funding long-term substitute teachers. For a teacher making $60,000, that would amount to a monthly fee of $17.50. 'For less than $20 a month out of a teacher's paycheck, they would get access to a profound benefit,' Royers said. The focus of the Spivey legislation started on young women in teaching sometimes being forced to leave the profession after taking one or two months of unpaid leave because they had a child early in their career. But the NSEA began to see other needs, too, Royers said, such as teachers who faced cancer diagnoses or teachers who waited seven years to even attempt having kids, trying to save up enough days off 'so they wouldn't take that hit.' 'No person should have to make family decisions based on when their paid leave is sufficient for them to do that,' Royers said. Juarez, a former school board member for Omaha Public Schools and former paraeducator, is seeking to create retention bonuses for paraeducators through LB 524, $1,000 for a para working an average of 28 hours per week, or proportional for a paraeducator working less. Her LB 523 would establish a statewide student teacher stipend program, paying them $4,000 per teaching semester. Juarez said the underpaid and unpaid labor that teachers are expected to offer when training for the job is 'extreme,' which begins with student teaching. Quality educators, she said, are sometimes turned away because the financial burden. Another Juarez bill, LB 161, would increase how much the state pays school districts for full-time early childhood students. The bill does not yet have a cost estimate from the Legislature. Currently, all school districts get about $1,500 in state aid for each K-12 student, but districts receive roughly 60% of that amount, or $900, for each early childhood student. Juarez's bill would raise that to 100% for the foundation aid. 'Education is more likely for early childhood students to earn higher wages later on, live healthier lives and avoid incarceration, raise strong families and contribute to society,' Juarez said. Prokop's LB 282 would similarly seek to support teachers who 'pour their hearts and souls' into their classrooms and students as well as their wallets, with one study indicating teachers annually pay average out-of-pocket costs on school supplies of about $860. His bill would establish up to $300 in reimbursements through the State Board of Education for qualified teaching supplies. If all of Nebraska's approximate 27,000 teachers applied for the reimbursement, the Nebraska Department of Education estimates it would cost $8.1 million annually. The Legislature's fiscal office estimated that 60% of teachers might use the funds, which would also gain $300,000 to $400,000 in additional state revenue through increased teacher income. 'While it's about acknowledging that financial commitment they've made to the students, it's really more about the acknowledgment that they just really care about their kids and the students that they are teaching,' Prokop said. LB 411, from State Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln, would establish baseline retention grants for all teachers, beginning at $2,500 for teachers in years one through six of service and increasing to $4,000 for teachers in their 16th or later. 'One of the things that we know in Nebraska is that without our teachers, Nebraska has no future.' – State Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Omaha Excluding high-need retention grants, Dungan's program could annually cost between $66 million (if all teachers were in their first to sixth year of teaching) and $106 million (if all teachers were in their 16th year of teaching or beyond). If all teachers received one high-need retention grant before 2028, as allowed under the bill for certain subject area endorsements, that would cost an additional $132 million. DeBoer's LB 598 would increase state funding for school districts that provide teachers at least 60 minutes of non-instructional planning time daily. The bill would also allow school districts to apply for additional limited English proficiency program funding, based on need, and get additional funds based on the number of students with disabilities who are on Section 504 support plans. The last bill, LB 589, from State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, would allow school districts to be reimbursed for the costs of substitute teachers who cover special education teachers if they take a 'paperwork day' to complete documentation, reporting and compliance requirements. The bill does not yet have a cost estimate from the Legislature. Four such days could be reimbursed annually. 'Making small changes like that, that don't come with a big price tag to state taxpayers, can make a world of difference for the teachers and the children that they are serving,' Conrad said. Conrad and Royers indicated the proposed legislation is in direct response to legislation that they said would undermine teachers' ability to serve kids. That includes continued efforts to divert state funds for private schools, which Conrad described as a 'slap in the face' to voters. 'Let's be clear: We're not content to just play defense when it comes to standing up for our schools and our kids and our teachers and our incredible public education system,' she said. Royers said the NSEA will also partner with State Sens. Kathleen Kauth and John Fredrickson, both of Omaha, on studies that could inform possible future legislation around alternate certification pathways for high school teachers and for high behavioral needs care facilities. A third planned interim study would examine how to improve higher education compensation. Royers said even with a projected budget shortfall for the state, he and senators are confident they'll find the support for proposals that are 'perfectly in line' with the Education Future Fund that Gov. Jim Pillen carved out in 2023 to ensure continued state support for education. 'Some of these bills that you just heard about today aren't going to get over the finish line this year,' Royers said. 'It might take us a few tries, but I can tell you that by simply introducing all of these proposals, it's already making a difference in how educators feel in this state.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
