Nebraska considers using veterans to help address teacher shortage (Military Times)

Nebraska considers using veterans to help address teacher shortage – By Paul Hammel (The Nebraska Examiner) / Jan 24, 2023

Editor’s note: This article was first published in the Nebraska Examiner.

LINCOLN — The number of teaching jobs in Nebraska left vacant or filled by less than fully qualified instructors rose significantly in 2022, according to a recent state survey.

Many of those vacancies were because there were no applicants, or many fewer applicants, according to State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair.

On Monday, Hansen said Nebraska should follow the lead of Florida, which last year passed a law allowing talented military veterans, even those with no teaching experience, to fill classroom vacancies by providing them temporary, five-year certificates to teach.

The senator said veterans have specialized training that would assist them in the classroom, and under his Legislative Bill 188, mentors would be assigned to help them work with students and vets would have to pass a test on the subject they would teach.

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