Re-Cap: One Voucher Expansion Bill Left – Act Now to Stop Efforts to Divert More Money to Unaccountable Private School Voucher Scheme
SB 442 – NEA New Hampshire testified against this bill that would expand the eligibility for students to receive a voucher from 350% of the Federal Poverty Level to 400% (or $125k for a family of four). SB 442 could bring the amount of public dollars diverted to private schools to $53 million dollars per year. After the hearing the House Education Committee unanimously voted to recommend the bill be killed. However, House Republicans only made this move in order to focus pro-voucher advocacy pressure on the Senate to pass their bill (HB 1665) that expands the program even further. SB 442 will go to the floor on May 2nd and is on the consent calendar to be killed.
HB 1665 – Thank you to all those members who signed in against the more extreme voucher expansion bill which was heard in the Senate Education Committee this week. This bill is an even more dramatic expansion of private school vouchers that raises eligibility to enter the program from 350% of the Federal Poverty Level to 500% (or $156k per year for a family of four). This bill would bring the state a long way toward universal voucher eligibility and the fiscal debacles with public education that states like Florida and Arizona are facing right now. For New Hampshire, this could mean as much as an additional $66 million diverted from public education annually.
Several organizations funded by the Koch brothers are now focusing on this, effectively the last remaining voucher expansion bill in the legislature this year. Some Republican state senators have expressed caution about expanding the private school voucher program as far as this bill would but the pressure will be on and that’s why it is critical you act now and urge your state senator to reject expanding the runaway voucher program!
SB 341 – Parental Rights-like Bill Has its House Hearing Monday!
On Monday, the House Education committee will be having a public hearing on SB 341, relative to mandatory disclosure by school district employees to parents. This bill is essentially an excerpt from a previous version of the so-called “parental rights” legislation. A recent committee amendment to the bill does nothing to improve it at all.
This bill is targeted toward forcing educators to out LGBTQ+ students by requiring licensed educators to answer written inquiries within a 10-day period, “completely and honestly”, a standard that even the NH Department of Education acknowledged is incredibly subjective. The bill serves only to turn school employees into student surveillance drones rather than being able to focus on educating students – all under the threat of licensure removal. It also puts educators in the middle of families without the opportunity to ensure they are doing no harm. The bill does not consider protocols established at the local level for how to handle complex inquiries, causing concern that this bill could create tremendous liability for individual educators.
Like so many bills we have seen over the last several years, this legislation combines vague language with harsh punishments, and in doing so uses the educator-parent relationship as a political football. Parents and educators have been working together well for a long time and this sort of legislation only serves to damage that relationship.
306 Rules: What are They and How Can NEA-NH Members Get Involved in Efforts to Protect Strong School Standards?
As you may know, the State of New Hampshire is currently engaged in a process to revise the state’s “Minimum Standards for Public School Approval” – also known as the “306 Rules” – that has the potential to impact every facet of education for educators and students. In addition to state laws, the 306 Rules articulate what New Hampshire public schools must do to be an approved school. These minimum standards for public education exist to ensure that no matter where a student lives, they receive consistent access to quality education.
At every opportunity, NEA-New Hampshire has voiced our concerns about the 306 Rule revision and raised educator voices. If you haven’t already, now is the time to join NEA-New Hampshire’s efforts to protect strong school standards in New Hampshire.
- Sign the petition to join NEA-New Hampshire in calling on the State Board of Education to listen to educator concerns about protecting strong standards for public schools!
- While the public hearings are complete, the work continues on these rules. You can make your voice heard by submitting written comment to Julie.r.shea@doe.nh.gov by April 30th. You can use this NEA-NH form to contact the State Board of Education, too!
Questions?
If you have questions on any of these bills or ones not mentioned here, please feel free to contact Brian Hawkins, NEA-NH Director of Government Relations at bhawkins@nhnea.org. You can also follow all the bills we are watching next week and check on a bill’s status by visiting our NEA-NH bill tracker.
Need help signing in on legislation? Follow these comprehensive instructions (details for public hearings are contained in each action request).
For House hearings:
1. Visit this link: House of Representatives – Online Testimony Submission
2. Enter your personal information
3. Select the hearing date
4. Select the committee
5. Choose the bill
6. I am – A member of the public
7. Choose who you are representing – Myself
8. Indicate your position on this bill
9. Upload remote testimony (Optional)
10. Review information and click submit
For Senate hearings:
1. Go to https://bit.ly/3S4Cof1 and click the date that the bill you are interested in is being heard
2. Select the committee that is hearing the bill
3. Select the bill you are interested in
4. Select a category – Member of the Public
5. Indicate your position on this bill
6. Click continue
7. Enter your name and contact information
8. Click continue
9. Carefully review the information to ensure it is entered correctly. If it is correct, check the box and click continue.