State teacher’s union prioritizing paid family medical leave this legislative session

Several education bills in the state legislature are drawing attention from the Nebraska State Education Association, including Gov. Jim Pillen’s budget proposal to put $7 million toward private school scholarships and holding back third graders if they don’t reach a certain reading proficiency.

NSEA President Tim Royers said the main bill the organization is pushing for, though, is paid family medical leave. It’s their second attempt after last year’s attempt didn’t make it to the finish line.

“We spent the summer and fall months really trying to figure out, how can we bring in superintendents, administrators, school board members to be on the same page so we can find a new version of the bill that meets their needs but also gets the paid family medical leave for educators,” Royers said.

The NSEA has a small agenda this year, Royers said, due to the $471 million budget deficit the state is dealing with.

In the 2025 session, NSEA helped push for the creation of the School Financing Review Commission that is taking a look at improving school funding in Nebraska. Royers said the work so far has been promising, but he’s concerned about revenue challenges with the state.

“The fundamental issue is we still are continuing to be too reliant on local property taxes,” Royers said. “Until the state generates additional resources that they can then allocate to schools, that commission can come out with the best recommendations possible, but absent resources, we're not going to get anywhere with it.”

Royers said the state needs to look at ways to balance the budget and improve revenue.

“Unfortunately, right now, we are taking more money out each year from the Education Future Fund than the state is appropriating into it,” Royers said. “If we don't make those revenue side adjustments within the next two or three years, you and I are going to be having a conversation about a massive shortage in education funding because the fund they set aside to fund our schools is rapidly running out of money.”

Economic uncertainty is also showing up through the teacher shortage. Royers said one reason, which he called the bad reason, behind an increase in teachers is due to the economic stability an education profession provides.

“You know they're going to need you. You're under contract. You don't have to worry month to month if your private employer is going to cut your position,” he said. “We've talked to folks who left the profession to go to the private sector, and who have now come back because of that anxiety.”

Royers also said there have been initiatives across the state that have helped, like hiring bonuses and funding teachers who are getting advanced degrees.

“For example, there's school districts that have found ways to provide more non-student contact time throughout the day, so that way teachers can get more grading and parent contact and documentation done, and that's helped retain a lot of our educators,” he said.

This school year, there were about 490 positions left open or filled with someone unqualified, compared to 669 from the year before. About 110 positions were vacant, compared to 200 in the 2024-25 school year.

Royers said these improved numbers don’t mean the work should stop.

“I keep using the analogy of, you don't fix your roof when it's raining, right,” Royers said. “You make sure to fix it when it's sunny out.”

The state education department has also been putting work into improving literacy across Nebraska , which includes helping teachers feel confident in the science of reading. Royers said that training is helpful for teachers, but he’s hearing challenges with finding time to complete it. He pointed to one solution he’s seen in some school districts where teachers are paid to come in during the summer for the training.

“The feedback we've heard from educators is that makes them feel valued, that makes their time feel valued, and again, they feel like it's worth their time,” Royers said. “They know that we have a better understanding of literacy from maybe when they completed their undergrad program, and they need to get better training on how to handle those issues.”