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Lawmakers on Wednesday killed a bill to hold back third graders if they don’t meet specific reading standards. This came after an afternoon-long filibuster from opponents, which ended with 31 senators voting in favor of advancing the bill, two votes short of the required 33 votes.
Bill sponsor Sen. Dave Murman argued that Nebraska students have tested lower in reading in recent years. Retaining students in the third grade gives them the opportunity to grow their reading skills so they can read to learn, Murman said. Moreover, he feels as though the legislature’s efforts to support, recruit and retain teachers in recent years are not enough.
“We can’t just keep continuing to do what we’ve been doing and expect different results,” Murman said.
The bill would have tasked the state Department of Education with setting reading rubrics for third graders to reach before advancement. If they didn’t meet the standard, the schools would have held the students back from fourth grade, although parents could override that decision. The bill also would have created reading programs and assistance for students with dyslexia or other reading impairments.
Opponents, particularly Sen. Jane Raybould, put up stiff resistance to the bill all afternoon, filing motions to stall it so they could argue against it.
“This is not what will work and does more harm than good,” Raybould said. “It may work for the short term, but in the long term, we want to set up our students for success.”
Raybould argued that the program and staff needed for it will cost the state $800,000 a year, and more for some cities. She cited educators who have said that holding back students creates a higher likelihood of dropping out.
Murman pushed back, saying that the schools are well funded with federal grants this year and merely need to focus more on the science of reading so that students can improve. But he did not have the votes needed to advance the bill after the filibuster.
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