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Education Commissioner Outlines Priorities During Nebraska Legislative Briefing • Nebraska Examiner

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Education Commissioner Outlines Priorities During Nebraska Legislative Briefing • Nebraska Examiner

LINCOLN – Nebraska’s education commissioner has promised state lawmakers he will be a commissioner for all students as the state pursues key goals of improving literacy, cutting chronic absenteeism in half and halving the school workforce shortage.

Commissioner Brian Maher said before the Legislature’s Education Committee on Friday that the Nebraska Department of Education serves approximately 360,000 students in public, non-public and homeschool institutions. The department, which Maher leads, also supports vocational rehabilitation and disability assessment services for Nebraska residents of all ages.

“I am happy to report that the state of education in Nebraska is good,” Maher testified. “I am proud of the achievements of our schools, and there are few places you can educate a child as well or better than Nebraska.”

State Board of Education Chairwoman Elizabeth Tegtmeier (left) and State Education Commissioner Brian Maher. March 8, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

Maher was from Nebraska commissioner of education on July 1, 2023, after having been chosen by the State Board of Education to direct the state’s education department.

Friday’s legislative briefing came at the request of the Education Committee, chaired by Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil, via Legislative resolution 496. It sought a broad overview of the Department of Education, which is regularly affected by new state laws and the state budget, but over which the Legislature has a different kind of oversight than the State Council.

Murman and other senators said they receive many questions from constituents about the department and that the briefing, which could be repeated in the future, helped answer some of them.

Student literacy

The main focus of Maher’s briefing was aimed at three legislative priorities that the State Board of Education wants to achieve by 2030:

  • Improve third grade reading proficiency on state tests by up to 75%.
  • Halving the number of vacancies for school staff.
  • Halve chronic absenteeism.

The K-12 state test results about the previous school year won’t be out for a few weeks, Maher said, but he gave a preview of the fact that Nebraska has recovered from academic dips following the COVID-19 pandemic but is still seeing “general gaps” for students with disabilities, English language learners, and economically disadvantaged students.

The Ministry of Education continues to focus on student literacy, and the state board will soon adopt it updates to the “Nebraska Literacy Projectnext month.

These updates, which Maher previewed in October, include recent legislation to inform five principles for professional development based on the “science of reading,” curriculum and teacher preparation that aligns with evidence-based instruction, regional literacy coaches across the condition, robust data collection and literacy programs for families with preschool education.

Brian Maher, Nebraska’s education commissioner, read a book to mostly 3-year-olds on Monday as he and others launched a statewide project to improve preschoolers’ reading skills. The kickoff took place at an Educare of Omaha at Indian Hill, 3110 W St., on Oct. 30, 2023. (Cindy Gonzalez/Nebraska Examiner)

Nebraska recently received one Federal grant of $55 million over the next five years to help improve literacy. In collaboration with Suzanne Pillen, first lady of NebraskaNearly 800,000 age-appropriate books have been distributed to children across the state, Maher testified.

He said the goal is not to train teachers, but to give Nebraska more skilled readers.

“I hope the entire state can get behind that,” Maher testified. “We will be focused and we will be relentless in achieving that goal.”

As the Ministry of Education rolls out new standards for teaching literacy — led in part by Secretary of State Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn and Lynne Walz of Fremont — Maher said pilot schools are leading the way and there are some incentives for schools and teachers who participate.

“Our way to roll this out is to work with the coalition of the willing,” Maher said.

Pilot schools include those that need the most support, such as Omaha, Lincoln, Scottsbluff, Crete, Alliance and Ralston.

Staff shortages and chronic absenteeism

Legislative proposals continue to support teacher retention and recruitment with grants and stipends to earn new teaching credentials in in-demand fields.

Many committee members said they were surprised to learn that of the department’s approximately 554 employees, 224 are designated statewide to support adult and other vocational education to help Nebraskans with disabilities and potential employers.

Maher said the Ministry of Education has also implemented a return to work policy and is strategically reviewing any retirement, dismissal or other recommendation for a new position.

This fall, Maher was one of them 14 education officials national to join a national pledge halve chronic absenteeism.

Nebraska Education Commissioner Brian Maher. June 10, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

Walz asked Maher if there have been any conversations improving family involvement and parental support to tackle chronic absenteeism.

Maher responded that as optimistic as he is about the goal of literacy, he looks forward to exploring the building blocks to then address chronic absenteeism.

“I don’t have that set vision yet,” Maher said. “I would say the baby step works across all agencies.”

A pilot program in Ralston is bringing together representatives from law enforcement, the justice system and others in the community for wrap-around services to get children to school, although Maher said that’s all he could say at this time.

Support for all Nebraska students

Lawmakers praised Maher for saying he would be the commissioner for all students, not just those in public schools.

“If Nebraska wants to be as good as we can be, we all have to pull in the same direction,” said St. Paul Secretary of State Fred Meyer, a former member of the State Board of Education.

Maher told state Sen. Rita Sanders of Bellevue that anyone with questions about the Department of Education showing “favoritism” toward public education can come to him. For example, he said he recently met with a dozen private school leaders and they discussed how to improve their reading skills in third grade, even though non-public school students do not take the same test as public school students.

“We need all schools in our mission of learning, earning and living,” Maher said. “We will do our best to dispel the myth that we have favorites.”

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