Yearly Archives: 2024

JOINT RELEASE: NH Senate Passes Bill to Expand School Vouchers, Increasing Household Income Eligibility Cap from 350% to 400% of Federal Poverty Guidelines Despite Strong Public Opposition

Educators, Parents, Public School Advocates React; Warn Lawmakers of Devastating Financial and Educational Consequences CONCORD, NH – Today, the New Hampshire Senate voted 14-10 on party lines to pass HB 1665-FN, as amended, which would expand the state’s unaccountable school voucher program yet again.  As passed by the House of Representatives, HB 1665 sought to expand school voucher eligibility from 350% to 500% of the federal poverty level; as amended by the Senate, this bill would expand eligibility to 400% of the federal poverty guidelines, or $124,800 for a family of four. This bill’s language now mirrors SB 442, which […]

May 17, 2024: NEA-NH Legislative Update 

Senate Passes Vague Curriculum Notice Expansion Bill, Punts Part-Time Unlicensed Teacher Bill and Voucher Expansion to Next Week  The New Hampshire Senate special ordered two of the most consequential bills remaining this session to their calendar next week. Both HB 1298, the unlicensed part-time teach bill, and HB 1665, the last voucher expansion bill, will be voted on by the full Senate on Thursday, May 23rd which is the Senate deadline for acting on all House bills. This means that if you haven’t contacted your Senator using our take action tool on HB 1298 or HB 1665 there is still time!   […]

New Hampshire Senate Votes to Support Dramatic and Vague Expansion of Curriculum Notice Requirement

CONCORD, NH – Today, the New Hampshire Senate voted 13-10 in support of ‘Ought to Pass’ on HB 1312, which would dramatically extend the state’s current 2-week notice requirement for objectionable materials to include any curriculum related to sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or gender expression. This bill would create an unworkable standard that would leave educators wondering what course material could apply to the notice requirements that traditionally had been focused on sex education and health classes.   HB 1312 next goes to Governor Sununu.   Megan Tuttle, President of NEA-New Hampshire, provided the following statement after the vote:  “It […]

May 11, 2024: NEA-NH Legislative Update

NEXT WEEK: Full NH Senate Will Vote on Three of the Final Most Consequential Bills Remaining This Session  The state Senate will be voting on bills that cover watering down the standards of the teaching profession, targeting LGBTQ+ students and expanding the unaccountable private school voucher scheme.   HB 1298: Part-Time Unlicensed Teacher Bill – Tell Your Senator Not to Water Down Standards!  This past week, the Senate Education Committee voted on party lines to recommend passing HB 1298 and amending the bill back to the version they passed months ago. This bill is being advocated for by Commissioner Edelblut as […]

HOWES & TUTTLE: Thank goodness for New Hampshire teachers

Byline: Deb Howes, President of AFT-NH and Megan Tuttle, President of NEA-NH Every student – no matter the color of their skin or the ZIP code they live in – deserves educators who are caring, committed, and have the resources they need to help every student succeed. As our state and nation mark Teacher Appreciation Week, we do so with the joy and determination that teachers bring to their students and classrooms every day.   New Hampshire schools continually rank some of the best in the country and it is largely due to the dedicated professionals who have chosen to serve […]

May 3, 2024: NEA-NH Legislative Update

SB 341 – Bill Turning Educators into Surveillance Drones Targeting LGBTQ+ Students Defeated Great news! This week, the New Hampshire House defeated SB 341, a bill 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 served only to turn school employees into student surveillance drones – all under the threat of licensure removal. It put educators in the middle of families without the opportunity to ensure they are doing no harm. […]