Monthly Archives: January 2024

PRESS RELEASE: NH House Education Committee Splits on Voucher Expansion Package; Five Bills Headed to the House Floor Without Recommendation 

CONCORD, NH – This week, the New Hampshire House Education Committee split 10-10 on five bills that would dramatically expand our state’s voucher program: HB 1634; HB 1677; HB 1561; HB 1665; and HB 1652. Two of the bills would institute a universal voucher program in New Hampshire, expanding eligibility to every school-aged child in the state, including 21,238 students who are currently enrolled in a private school or are homeschooled. The bills will next go to the floor for a full vote in the House of Representatives with no Committee recommendation.  Granite Staters overwhelmingly signed in to oppose efforts […]

A white sign held in front of the Legislative Office Building reads: Support Our Public Schools"
A photo of the New Hampshire State House dome.

January 26 NEA-NH Legislative Update 

Upcoming Week: Some Good, Some Bad, and Some Distractions  It’s another week of major hearings in the New Hampshire House and Senate. Top issues include books – one proactive freedom to read bill and yet another book ban – as well as friendly efforts to strengthen retirement and fund programs to address the educator shortage crisis in our state.   Major Hearings Next Week  HB 1311 – Protecting the Freedom to Read  ACTION REQUESTED: SIGN IN SUPPORT of HB 1311 being heard in HOUSE Education on Monday, January 29th at 10:15am. Please find step-by-step instructions to sign in below.  Every […]

NEA-NH Member Emily Sherman Testifies on Master Teacher Certification Bill at State Legislature

“Many teachers have the desire to continue to teach and also assume leadership positions in a school or district as department chairs, mentors, and by working on other district initiatives. In New Hampshire’s competency model, that should not always and only involve advanced degree work.”  That’s the message shared recently by NEA-New Hampshire member Emily Sherman to the Senate Education Committee. The testimony Emily provided was in support of SB 521, which provides another avenue for teachers and CTE personnel interested in obtaining Master Teacher Certification.   Emily is a STEM teacher at Portsmouth Middle School. Her career has spanned three […]

A photo of the New Hampshire State House dome.

NEA-NH Legislative Update 01.19.24 

Week of Consequential Votes and More Important Hearings Coming this Week  This week we had a number of important hearings and even floor votes on consequential bills surrounding the expansion of private school vouchers, a major book ban bill, and lowering standards for those who teach part-time. Please take a look at more detail on these and what comes next in the recap.  This week coming up we are following a lot of bills around private school vouchers, cooperative school district governance bills, labor law for minors, and special education. We’re highlighting a couple of hearings where it will be […]

NH Senate Endorses Voucher Expansion Bill 

CONCORD, NH – Today, the New Hampshire Senate voted 13-11 in support of SB 442, which would expand our state’s private school voucher program and undermine the state manifest hardship exemption. SB 442 next goes to the Senate Finance Committee for further consideration.  Megan Tuttle, President of NEA-New Hampshire, provided the following statement after the vote:  “New Hampshire is dead last in our country when it comes to state investments in public education. Our courts have recently ruled once again that the state is not meeting its constitutional obligation to fund an adequate public education for our students. It is […]

NH Senate Republicans Vote to Eliminate Credentialing for Part-Time Teachers, Jeopardize Granite State Students’ Access to High-Quality Public Education 

CONCORD, NH – Today, the New Hampshire Senate passed SB 374 on party lines, 14-10. The bill would create the status of a “part-time” teacher in state law and would eliminate state board of education credentialing requirements for any teacher who works less than 30 hours a week.   Megan Tuttle, President of NEA-New Hampshire, provided the following statement after the vote:  “While New Hampshire is currently facing a teacher and staff shortage in schools across the state, this is a misguided attempt to address that crisis. Regardless of whether someone teaches full or part-time, we should all agree it is […]