News
A win for collective advocacy, but the work to protect students is not over
On Monday, Voices for Children in Nebraska, Education Rights Counsel, and ACLU Nebraska joined community members, parents, educators, advocates, and others who spoke up about the use of electrified gloves in Nebraska schools. Our collective voice was heard. Those who raised concerns, shared their experiences, contacted decision-makers, and demanded better for Nebraska students helped make clear that these devices have no place in our schools.
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Voices for Children, Education Rights Counsel, and ACLU of Nebraska issue joint statement on use of electrified gloves in schools.
Voices for Children in Nebraska, Education Rights Counsel, and ACLU of Nebraska stand together in strong opposition to the use of electrified gloves on children in schools and to School Resource Officers carrying these devices in school buildings. There will be an opportunity to share thoughts during time for public comment at the Omaha Public Schools board meeting on Monday, August 17, at 6 p.m. Families in other Omaha-area school districts should also reach out to their school boards to ask about their districts’ policies on use of force and memoranda of understanding with the Omaha Police Department.
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Nebraska schools force kids into seclusion rooms. We don’t know how often it’s happening.
A Lincoln Journal Star investigation reveals that Nebraska schools are repeatedly isolating students with disabilities in seclusion rooms, often with little oversight and no statewide ban, prompting advocates to call for reform.
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Special Education Oversight Under Threat
What a Shift in Federal Oversight Could Mean for Nebraska Students
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Education Rights Counsel to Honor Educator Kayla Dunlap with Inclusive Innovation in Education Award at Raise the Bar Event
Kayla Dunlap, a Bellevue Public Schools special education teacher, has been named the winner of ERC's Debora Basler Wisneski Inclusive Innovation in Education Award. Celebrate her at Raise the Bar on August 26 at Brickway Brewery & Distillery.
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The Quiet Effort to Dismantle Disability Rights
A series of recent legal and federal actions is reshaping how disability rights are interpreted and enforced in the United States. From Supreme Court decisions to challenges to Section 504 and the restructuring of the U.S. Department of Education, these changes could affect how families access accommodations, services, and protections in school. ERC breaks down what is happening, what has and has not changed, and what Nebraska families need to know.
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Letter from the CEO: A Note of Gratitude as the School Year Comes to a Close
We see what becomes possible when the right people come together around what a student needs. Throughout the year, educators were foundational to our support. Now, we invite nominations for the 2026 Debora Basler Wisneski Inclusive Innovation in Education Award.
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Nebraska schools continue to deny transfers for kids with disabilities. Lawmakers gutted a proposed fix.
Facing opposition, a Nebraska lawmaker pulled his proposed ban on disproportionate transfer denials. Parents and advocates say the resulting legislation will harm the kids it originally aimed to protect.
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Real Impact: Sent Out Again
Recently, one of the families we work with shared a poem written by their son, William, reflecting on his experience at school. Through his words, he expressed both the challenges he faced and the growth he has experienced along the way.
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Upcoming changes in education policy
The second session of the 109th Legislature has concluded. Although it was a short session and many issues remain unaddressed, a few notable changes were enacted that have a direct education impact on families.
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Real Impact: Bridging the gap to a thriving future
Carla did everything right. She showed up. She spoke up. She was determined to get her grandson the education he needed. "I have known Aaron since he was less than 24 hours old. We've been very involved in his life. And I know this kid. And it felt like they weren't listening to me."
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Real Impact: When school isn't the problem
When Dave heard that Education Rights Counsel would be appointed to his daughter’s juvenile court case, he barely reacted. “I thought, well, who cares what ERC can do,” he said. “The problem isn’t school.”
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Lauren Micek Vargas Receives Dick Holland Literacy Advocate Award
Education Rights Counsel is proud to announce that CEO Lauren Micek Vargas has been honored with the Dick Holland Literacy Advocate Award, presented by Phoenix Academy in Omaha.
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Texas v. Kennedy Still Seeks to Eliminate Section 504
Despite public claims to the contrary, Texas v. Kennedy remains a direct and dangerous attack on Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, a foundational civil rights law that has protected people with disabilities for more than 50 years.
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Action Alert: Protect parents' rights to meaningful participation in their children's education
LB841 is an important bill that gives parents of children with disabilities the ability to consent to proposed services for their children.
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ERC Testimony in Support of LB841
Parents of children with disabilities should have the right to consent to what services will be provided to their children.
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Action Alert: YOU can help our youngest children stay in school!
Nebraska's youngest students need your support NOW. It is critical to the health and wellbeing of our children that we OPPOSE LB1053.
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The 2026 Education Shift
American K-12 education is undergoing its most dramatic overhaul in decades. While new policies raise real concerns ... ERC is here for students and families.
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