Advocacy Pays

NSEA Steps in to Help an OEA Member Step Up the Salary Schedule

When Nathan Jarvis, a first-year teacher at Morton Middle School, accepted his first full-time teaching position with Omaha Public Schools (OPS), he didn’t expect that his law degree would become a point of difference between himself and the district. The former compliance professional and licensed attorney said OPS initially said they would not recognize his juris doctorate (J.D.) on the district’s salary schedule.

“They said they weren’t going to honor the advanced degree,” he recalled. “That’s when the NSEA stepped in.”

Finding Purpose in a New Profession
Jarvis' path to education was far from traditional. After earning his bachelor’s degree in criminology in 2012 and his law degree three years later in 2015 from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, he worked in insurance compliance or “lawyer light,” as he put it.

“I was tasked with making sure companies filled out their paperwork correctly to avoid being sued by the government or to continue receiving federal or state money,” he said. “I didn’t really enjoy it.” 

Jarvis and his wife, Audrey, welcomed two children between 2020 and 2023. His experiences as a father, combined with his wife’s role as an educator at Papillion-La Vista, influenced his decision to transition into teaching.

“I had kids and realized I actually liked them,” he laughed. “I’ve always loved social studies, so teaching just felt like the right fit.”

Jarvis earned his bachelor’s degree in education from Bellevue University, with an endorsement in secondary social studies. During that time, he gained hands-on experience substitute teaching across the Omaha metro.

He officially joined OPS in 2024 as a college and careers instructor at Morton Middle School - a position that he felt would benefit from his juris doctorate. 

OPS and most other districts reward advanced degrees and professional growth by aligning those degrees within the district’s salary schedule. There are established steps for master’s and Ph.D. degrees, but Jarvis’ J.D. didn’t neatly fit into those categories, according to the district. 

The Degree Dilemma
A master’s degree (M.A., M.S., M.Ed., etc.) typically requires 30–45 credit hours, while a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) often involves 60–90 credit hours beyond a bachelor’s degree, varying widely by discipline. By comparison, Jarvis’  law degree required between 90 and 95 credit hours and three years of full-time study to complete. Given the time and effort required to earn a J.D., Jarvis was shocked to discover that the district didn’t view it the same way it does a master’s or Ph.D.

“They were the hardest courses I’ve ever taken,” he said. “It’s not really about memorizing a bunch of laws—it’s about learning how to write and argue effectively, how to research, and how to interpret complex, often outdated legal language. It’s more skills-based than content-based—less about remembering what a law says and more about understanding how to think through and apply it.”

NSEA/OEA Steps In
With encouragement from his wife, a member of the Papillion-La Vista Education Association, Jarvis reached out to the Omaha Education Association (OEA) for help.

Working with NSEA Organizational Specialist Kathie Garabrandt and the Nebraska State Education Association, Jarvis appealed the district’s decision.

“At first, the district agreed to a higher placement,” Garabrandt said. “But then we received an email backtracking on that decision. We knew the district was having some internal struggles about where the placement should be.”

Garabrandt contacted colleagues at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Law for guidance, and eventually, the dean of the College of Law sent a letter to the district on Jarvis’s behalf.

“The dean, in his letter, kind of politely ripped into them,” Jarvis said with a laugh. “He pointed out that the J.D. has about 60 more credits than a master’s and is at least as rigorous as a Ph.D., with all the extensive writing, research, and defending of positions involved. After that, they finally honored it.”

Salary Step Up
The district ultimately agreed to place Jarvis one step below a Ph.D. on the pay scale. That change translated into roughly a $10,000 annual pay increase. For Jarvis, that single win underscored the power of union advocacy.

“This single outcome has more than justified my membership. That one annual increase easily covers about a decade’s worth of dues,” he said. 

Jarvis said in spite of the hiccup over placement, he is enjoying working as a career instructor at Morton Middle School. His background in law helps him in the classroom every day—whether it’s explaining how to research effectively, interpret complex information, or help students think critically about their futures.

“A lot of kids put ‘lawyer’ on their vision boards,” Jarvis said. “I can help them understand what that really looks like.” 

Check Your Paycheck
While Jarvis’s situation was unusual, it highlights the kind of complex pay and placement issues that NSEA helps members navigate.

In some cases, errors in salary placement or payroll—whether overpayment or underpayment—can create real financial strain for educators. Each case requires careful review and individual resolution.

Local associations are encouraged to remind members to check their first paycheck each school year for accuracy and to assist new members in verifying their placement. Many potential problems can be prevented through this simple step.

If you discover a discrepancy, contact your NSEA Organizational Specialist right away at 1-800-742-0047. NSEA’s advocacy can make all the difference—just as it did for Jarvis.