Legislative Update

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 […]

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. […]

Megan Tuttle: From Class Size to Curriculum, Public School Standards Overhaul Will Impact Every Facet of Public Education in NH

The below op-ed authored by NEA-NH President Megan Tuttle was published in The Union Leader, The Concord Monitor, and The Keene Sentinel. As a mom, I want strong schools for my three boys. As an educator, I want all Granite State students to have access to high-quality educational opportunities, regardless of their zip code. As the head of New Hampshire’s largest educator union, I want clear and comprehensive guidelines for public schools. That’s why I’ve been fighting for a seat at the table when it comes to overhauling the “306 Rules” – New Hampshire’s Minimum Standards for Public School Approval.  […]

April 26, 2024: NEA-NH Legislative Update

Two Major Hearings in Senate This Week and Major House Floor Vote  This week we have 2 major public hearings in the Senate: a positive bill that would make a modest increase in state aid to school districts, and one of the last of two remaining culture war bills that squeaked through the House.   We also have a major House floor vote taking place on Thursday for SB 341, the bill that would force educators to out LGBTQ+ students under the threat of licensure removal.  Please read all the items this week and take action on each!  HB 1583 – […]

April 19: NEA-NH Legislative Update

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 […]

April 13: NEA-NH Legislative Update

REGISTER BEFORE DEADLINE for NEA-NH STATE HOUSE DAY: Tuesday, April 23rd!  For the second year in a row, NEA-NH will be hosting a State House Visit Day during the April break week for most schools in New Hampshire. This year, the day will feature an opportunity to interact with legislators and an extra special tour for educators of our historic New Hampshire State House. We anticipate the day going from 9:30am until about 2pm that day.   Please RSVP soon so that we can better plan for how many members to expect.  Next Week: Final Two Voucher Bills Have their Public […]