CONCORD, NH – This week, Governor Kelly Ayotte signed HB 90 into law, which would allow unlicensed part-time teachers in New Hampshire’s public schools and could lower the quality of education that students receive.
Megan Tuttle, President of NEA-New Hampshire, provided the following statement:
“All New Hampshire students deserve access to a high-quality education, regardless of their zip code. Unfortunately, Kelly Ayotte's signature on a bill to allow unlicensed part-time teachers in our state’s public schools could negatively impact the education that students receive.
Studies have shown that teacher quality is the most powerful indicator of student achievement within the school. New Hampshire public school teachers are professionals who have undergone high-quality education training programs, whether “traditional” or alternative pathways, that help build the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively serve their students. While New Hampshire’s inadequate and inequitable school funding system has exacerbated teacher shortages in property poor and lower-income communities, lowering the standards for who can teach is an inappropriate response. For school districts with fewer resources, this law could incentivize administrators to hire uncertified and untrained temporary fill-in educators rather than licensed teachers who are invested in the school community and their students.
Education is so much more than a job – it's a calling. New Hampshire should be working to ensure anyone who becomes an educator is ready to reach, teach, and inspire students with the resources, mentoring, and support they need but this new law undermines our profession and undermines public education in the Granite State.”
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Background: Studies have shown that teacher quality is the most powerful indicator of student achievement within the school. The effect of a high-quality teacher can be as much as one grade level in annual achievement growth. High-quality and effective teachers are well-versed in teaching methods, learning theory, child development, assessment, and their content area.
About NEA-New Hampshire
NEA-New Hampshire is the largest union of public employees in the state. Founded in 1854, the New Hampshire State Teachers Association became one of the "founding ten" state education associations that formed the National Education Association in 1857. Known today as NEA-NH, and comprised of more than 17,000 members, our mission to advocate for the children of New Hampshire and public-school employees, and to promote lifelong learning, remains true after more than 165 years. Our members are public school employees in all stages of their careers, including classroom teachers and other certified professionals, staff and instructors at public higher education institutions, students preparing for a teaching career, education support personnel and those retired from the profession.
