Monthly Archives: January 2024

NH Educators Oppose Efforts to Expand Unaccountable Voucher Scheme, Highlight Negative Impact to Public Schools, Students, and Taxpayers

CONCORD, NH – Today, the New Hampshire House Education Committee heard testimony on four bills that would so dramatically expand our state’s private school voucher program that the package would effectively institute universal vouchers. The bills heard were: HB 1634; HB 1677; HB 1561; and HB 1665.   Before the hearings, Granite Staters overwhelmingly signed in to oppose voucher expansion efforts:  Megan Tuttle, President of NEA-New Hampshire, provided the following statement after the hearings:  “Every family wants their children to have access to high-quality educational opportunities in their community that meet student needs and prepare them for success. But the package […]

A white sign held in front of the Legislative Office Building reads: Support Our Public Schools"
Signs held at the NH Legislative Office Building read "Right to Work" is WRONG for NH

Big Week Ahead: Vouchers, Book Bans, No-License Teachers, and One-Test Diplomas – Oh My!

It’s a huge week of public hearings next week in the New Hampshire House and Senate. Hearings will be held on several universal voucher expansion bills, a bill that would establish a non-credentialed “part-time” teacher to be able to teach in our public schools, a bill that would allow a student to only take a single test to graduate from high school, and one of the new versions of a book ban.   Get ready to take action now because we have a full docket of legislation that seeks to wage an assault on public education. It’s time to make your voice […]

HB 1419: Book Bans are Back!

ACTION REQUESTED: Please take the time to sign in against HB 1419. The public hearing is Thursday, January 18th at 9:30am in the House Education Committee. HB 1419 is just one of this year’s attempts at a book ban modeled after similar bills recently introduced in other state legislatures. Like others before it, the bill contains vague language left open to interpretation and once again contains violations of the Code of Conduct. The bill sets up a process to follow that ends with the state board of education and does not truly allow local school districts to develop their own […]

White poster board with text that reads: Support NH Educators, Students, Public Schools

HB 1402: Take a Test…And you Get a Diploma!

ACTION REQUESTED: Before the public hearing on January 16th at 10am, please urge the House Education Committee to reject HB 1402 so we can ensure students who hold a New Hampshire high school diploma have had the opportunity to master the competencies that will help them succeed. HB 1402 gives the Commissioner of Education the power to develop a high school proficiency exam and adopt his own rules and procedures for administering that exam. Passing this unnamed exam would also result in that student testing out of high school and receiving a “state” or local school district diploma and would […]

Four More Voucher Expansion Bills Up for Consideration

ACTION REQUESTED: Sign in to OPPOSE four voucher expansion bills being heard on Wednesday, January 17th in the House Education Committee. Please note, comprehensive instructions on how to sign in can be found at the bottom of this email.  There are several bills being heard in the House Education Committee next week that would expand eligibility for the private school voucher system so that anyone could qualify for the program regardless of their income either because the income qualification requirement is eliminated or because the categories created in the bill are so broad that it is effectively a universal voucher program.   […]

A white sign held in front of the Legislative Office Building reads: Support Our Public Schools"
Signs held at the NH Legislative Office Building read "Right to Work" is WRONG for NH

PRESS RELEASE: At Legislative Hearing, Broad Coalition of Labor Groups Tell Lawmakers: “Right-to-Work” is Still Wrong for New Hampshire

CONCORD, NH – Today, the New Hampshire House Labor Committee held a public hearing on HB 1377, the latest attempt to push so-called “right-to-work” legislation in a state that has rejected similar attempts multiple times.  At the time of the public hearing, 887 individuals had signed in to oppose “Right-to-Work”; 29 individuals had signed in to support HB 1377. In response to HB 1377, labor groups issued the following statements: “While out-of-state billionaires and DC lobbyists continue to enlist legislators to introduce identical bills, year in and year out, our elected representatives of both political parties have voted to defeat […]