Samuel Meisels, founding executive director of the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska, submitted written testimony to the Nebraska Legislature’s Education Committee in response to LB803, proposed legislation introduced by Sen. John Stinner of Gering.
Because of inclement weather in the Omaha and Lincoln areas, Meisels’s testimony was delivered at the committee’s hearing Monday by Susan Sarver, director of early childhood workforce planning and development at the Buffett Institute. In the testimony, Meisels questioned two provisions in the bill: the elimination of credential requirements for early childhood teachers and the provision that allows elementary schools to enroll 5-year-olds in early childhood programs.
Meisels’s testimony is available online. Also available for download is a paper authored by the Buffett Institute on certification for the early childhood workforce in the state.