The state senator from Bellevue hopes her proposed bill can withstand three rounds of debate to give teachers and other education staff retention payments.
Sen. Carol Blood drafted Legislative Bill 696 to appropriate funds from the American Rescue Plan Act since education professionals are leaving schools.
"They are tired and they are worn out and they feel underappreciated," Sen. Blood said. "Many are suffering from PTSD and severe depression. If we can't do something to address those issues, we're going to have a much bigger problem than what we have now. And I fear it's going to be our children and their families that suffer."
Jenni Benson, president of the Nebraska State Education Association, says a little piece of the ARPA pie would go a long way to keeping 50,000 state education employees on the job.
An NSEA survey last month showed more than a thousand school professionals plan to leave the profession at the end of the school year. The survey says they're stressed, overworked, and deal with increased mental health issues.
Jenni Benson says an arbitrary dollar amount like $1,000 shows some gratitude.
"What it is, is giving a statement that we value our education employees," Benson said.
Benson says a young school counselor just turned in her resignation. Since teachers are also leaving, it means more students for the educators who stay.
"Ultimately, it is your child who suffers when there are more kids in a classroom than need be," Sen. Blood said.
She also drafted...
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