News from First Five Nebraska
 January 2017
 

 

Our vision is that all Nebraska children begin kindergarten with the experience they need to become successful students and productive citizens.  

 


Legislative pages raised the state flag January 4 to signal that the Nebraska Legislature had convened. The flag will fly until senators adjourn
sine die, scheduled for  May. 



The Nebraska Early Childhood Business Roundtable has a new name: Dividends Nebraska.  The new name describes the reason for the group's interest in early childhood -- a solid return on investment.

With the name change comes new leadership. Drew Theophilus now is director and Dan Mauk is chairman of the group.

Dividends Nebraska continues to be part of the conversation about the importance of early childhood and how a strong start in life positively impacts our state's ability to develop a skilled workforce and engaged citizens in thriving communities. 


Quick Links
  • Reading to young children helps them develop pre-literacy skills and creates warm bonds between parents or grandparents and their little ones. Good reading material for this time of year: Picture books about winter holidays. 
  • Fingerplays for toddlers. Fingerplays are rhymes set to music that involve using your hands to act out the story. They help children develop fine and gross motor skills. 


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105th Nebraska Legislature, First Session, Convenes

The first session of the 105th Legislature convened January 4, and seventeen new senators were sworn in to begin their terms. Senators elected Senator Jim Scheer as Speaker and committee chairs the first day. 

Among the new committee chairs are:

Executive Board Chair : Senator Dan Watermeier, District 1,        Syracuse
Executive Board Vice Chair: Senator John Kuehn, District 38,  Heartwell
Appropriations Committee: Senator John Stinner, District 48,  Gering
Business and Labor Committee: Senator Joni Albrecht,  District 17, Thurston
Education Committee: Senator Mike Groene, District 42, North  Platte
Health and Human Services Committee: Senator Merv Riepe,  District 12, Ralston
Revenue Committee: Senator Jim Smith, District 14, Papillion




Former Speakers of the Legislature Offer Insights 

Building relationships and a willingness to jump in to solve big problems are important to achieving success in the Nebraska Legislature, said former Speakers at our luncheon with policymakers and stakeholders from across the state earlier this month.

Thank you to Speakers Mike Flood, Doug Kristensen, Galen Hadley, Curt Bromm, Kermit Brashear and current Speaker Jim Scheer for lending insight into prioritizing conflicting policy issues while staying focused on Nebraska's growth and quality of life. Senior Policy Associate Jen Goettemoeller moderated their discussion. 


 


New five-year Census data show 62,729 of Nebraska's children birth to age 5 are at risk of failing in school. That's 41% of children in this age group. Children who do not receive quality early experiences that build strong brain architecture often start school behind their peers. Many never catch up, even with special education services. For these children, a poor start in the K-12 system leads to poor academic achievement and lower rates of employment and lifelong earnings.