LINCOLN, Nebraska - Members of the Nebraska State Education Association are urging lawmakers to pass LB 147, a bill that would allow all teachers to physically restrain children under their care.
At a news conference Thursday, members of the association shared their stories of student violence where teachers and other students are being assaulted by violent students.
President Jenni Benson says, "Every day teachers are getting hit and bit and scratched. We deserve to have a safe environment to teach. We are done being assaulted. We are done being hurt. We are done watching children get hurt and watching other people get hurt."
NSEA sent the survey in mid-December. Thus far, responses have been received from more than 160 NSEA members who have observed or been the victims of violence while teaching. The responses included pleas for additional services for students, additional school staff, and support from state and school district officials, according to Benson.
Benson said the NSEA will work with lawmakers to pass legislation to address the issue, including LB147, the student discipline bill. LB147 allows a teacher to have a student removed from their classroom when the teacher has documented that such student has repeatedly interfered with the teacher’s ability maintain a learning environment or if the student’s immediate behavior is so unruly, disruptive, or abusive that it interferes with the learning of other students. The student can be returned to the room when a plan is in place to ensure safety and success. It also outlines a teacher’s right to physically intervene when a student becomes violent and is a danger to themselves or others.
“This is a statewide concern,” said Benson. “We need more training for staff. We need additional resources in our rural, urban and suburban schools, and we need strong administrative and legislative support for our teachers.”
There is opposition. Educators and advocates - including the ACLU of Nebraska, the Arc of Nebraska, Voices for Children in Nebraska, and the Nebraska Council of School Administrators - are concerned about this bill and urge lawmakers to do everything they can to limit physical use of force in the classroom.