Nebraska lawmakers advance bill eliminating human relations training for substitutes

Eric McKay

LINCOLN, Neb. — A bill supporters say would help address Nebraska’s substitute teacher shortage advanced to the next round of legislative debate Tuesday, though opponents warn it could sacrifice quality for quantity.

LB 1022, introduced by Dave Murman of Glenvil, would eliminate a requirement that prospective substitute teachers complete a human relations training course before becoming certified.

Murman says the proposal is intended to remove barriers and help get more teachers into classrooms.

“Our schools need more teachers, there’s no doubt about it,” Murman said. “While some of the work to meet that goal will come from school districts themselves, there are also steps we can take at the state level. One is investment in recruitment and retention, and another is knocking down state barriers that may be delaying qualified Nebraskans from becoming teachers.”

Opponents of the bill argue the human relations training is essential, particularly for helping teachers understand and connect with students from diverse backgrounds.

Terrell McKinney said the coursework should remain a foundational requirement.

“Human relationships should be something that is foundational,” McKinney said. “If you can’t deal with humans, if you don’t have an understanding of where people are coming from or some level of empathy, I don’t know how you could be a good teacher.”

The human relations courses are offered by Nebraska colleges and community colleges and are paid for by prospective substitute teachers.

According to a recent survey by the Nebraska State Education Association, 97% of Nebraska school districts report experiencing a shortage of qualified substitute teachers.