What a Difference a Year Makes

by NSEA President Tim Royers

It is wild to think how much can change in just one year. This time last year, we were in the middle of a fight at the Nebraska Supreme Court to defend our ability to repeal the harmful voucher bill, LB1402. A significant portion of our time and energy last fall was spent ensuring we would get the outcome we wanted at the ballot box, and to elect enough pro–public education state senators so we would not have to turn right around and do it again. It took two years, two successful petition drives and more than 200,000 signatures from Nebraskans to even secure the right for voters to decide this issue. 

Flash forward one year, and the landscape looks completely different. Not a single voucher bill even made it out of committee last session. Instead of pouring our energy into fighting harmful legislation that would have undermined our ability to serve students, we were able to focus on progress. 

When a flawed, early version of LB645 was set for a hearing in the Retirement Committee, we called on our members to have their voices heard and in a single weekend, lawmakers received hundreds of emails and phone calls. Skilled advocacy paired with member action culminated in a much more equitable LB645—a victory that will return millions of dollars to educators’ pockets after we reduced the required contributions into NPERS. 

What's Next
Last session, we called on members to share their deeply personal and compelling reasons for needing paid family medical leave. Their voices made a difference—helping the legislation earn a priority designation from Sen. Ashlei Spivey.
While we haven’t yet secured paid family medical leave for educators, that effort highlights a striking shift. In the final week of the 2024 legislative session, the debate centered on school vouchers. In the final week of this session, lawmakers were debating how best to support our educators. That’s progress—and it shows we are moving the needle in the right direction.

Engaged Members
Our ability to keep this work moving forward comes down to you—your voices, your advocacy and your willingness to step up. This year, my focus goes beyond simply growing membership—I’m working to increase the number of members who are engaged.  

This past May, we invited every member to express interest in serving on one of our many committees. These groups provide meaningful opportunities to connect with other educators, to dive into issues you care about and to play a direct role in shaping the direction of our association. They’re also a great way to get your feet wet—to learn, contribute and decide if you’d like to take on an elected leadership role in the future.

I feel very strongly that one of my most important responsibilities as president is to make sure that we are building up the next generation of leaders, so that way we are thriving for years to come.  My goal is that at the start of each school year, we can reflect back positively and point to concrete ways we have strengthened the profession and our support for you, not just while I am president, but for decades to come.