LINCOLN- This week, state senators gave approval to LB298 which merged K-12 education proposals, tracking dyslexia, clarifying school dress codes and streamlining hires of teachers from other states. Amongst the supporters were Sens. Linehan and McKinney who both expressed they were pleased with the passage of the bill. Linehan also nodded to the bill’s language from a multi-state compact that could make it easier for Nebraska school districts to hire teachers from other states participating in the compact.

Reporting of dyslexia has been a multi-year push from Sen. Linehan. Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that blunts a child’s ability to read. Schools struggle to diagnose some dyslexic students because they perform well in other subjects, she said. The reporting aims to identify students that will then be provided with targeted instruction to ensure the child does not fall behind.

The bill also requires K-12 school boards to adopt written student dress codes and policies for student grooming, part of a proposal McKinney said he aimed at fairness and predictability. McKinney said some schools and school districts have been inconsistent in applying and interpreting dress codes, which has left some students, often students of color, feeling targeted.

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