Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-8,144: Legislative findings and declarations.

The Legislature finds and declares that:

(1) Like many other states, Nebraska is facing a teacher and substitute teacher shortage;

(2) Mandatory training days and family leave policies draw many regular teachers out of their classrooms, causing schools to hire substitute teachers;

(3) The Internal Revenue Service requires a separation period for recently retired teachers who may otherwise be interested in returning to the classroom as a substitute teacher;

(4) In the fall of 2016, the State Department of Education conducted a teacher vacancy survey of all school districts, educational service units, and nonpublic school systems;

(5) Such survey showed that the state continues to have hundreds of unfilled teaching positions across the state;

(6) The most widely reported solution for filling teaching vacancies was to hire an individual who holds a transitional, provisional, or temporary teaching certificate; and

(7) Filling teaching vacancies and having an adequate number of substitute teachers is imperative for delivering a high-quality learning experience to students.