2022 Nebraska Revised Statutes
Chapter 79 - Schools
79-806 - Legislative findings and declarations; purpose of sections.
79-806. Legislative findings and declarations; purpose of sections.
(1) The Legislature finds and declares:
(a) That there is an educator workforce shortage in this state and that efforts need to be made to recruit, prepare, retain, and support the teaching profession while maintaining high-quality educators in our classrooms around the state;
(b) That the pool of qualified individuals for the teaching profession has been reduced statewide, in part, due to requirements in place as of July 21, 2022, for applicants to prove proficiency in basic skills competency by passing a prescribed examination in reading, writing, and mathematics before being accepted into a teacher education program of a standard institution of higher education approved by the State Board of Education pursuant to subdivision (5)(g) of section 79-318 or issued any certificate under sections 79-806 to 79-815 and the rules and regulations adopted and promulgated by the board pursuant to such sections as of July 21, 2022;
(c) That candidates for certification should possess academic competency to teach effectively and that multiple measures can proficiently demonstrate such competency. A demonstration of basic skills competency should not be based solely on a single assessment high-stakes examination because such an examination does not accurately portray a teacher candidate's general knowledge in mathematics, reading, and writing when measured within such a testing environment; and
(d) That candidates for certification, including candidates coming to Nebraska from other states, should be able to use a portfolio of options to demonstrate basic skills competency, such as coursework taken to satisfy college degree requirements and college admissions examinations.
(2) Therefore, it is declared to be the purpose of sections 79-806 to 79-815 to provide more flexibility in the certification of qualified educators for Nebraska schools and not to decrease any requirements for certificates to teach, provide special services, and administer in Nebraska schools.
Source
- Laws 1963, c. 491, § 1, p. 1569;
- Laws 1988, LB 802, § 24;
- R.S.1943, (1994), § 79-1247.03;
- Laws 1996, LB 900, § 436;
- Laws 2003, LB 685, § 6;
- Laws 2022, LB1218, § 11.
- Effective Date: July 21, 2022
Cross References
- Excellence in Teaching Act, see section 79-8,132.
Annotations
This statute is merely declarative of the Legislature's purpose in enacting this series of statutes. It has been modified by deletion of part of section 79-1247.06, R.R.S.1943, which allowed completion of two years of a college program as the maximum requirement for teaching. State ex rel. Douglas v. Faith Baptist Church of Louisville, 207 Neb. 802, 301 N.W.2d 571 (1981).
