Member Spotlight

Stable schools depend on stable educators. When teachers have a fair contract, their focus can remain where it belongs—on students, collaboration, and working to implement district goals. Here's the story of how Amherst educators reached a fair agreement.

This year, Middleton Education Association bargained for their first contract ever. While the first vote before the legislative body was unsuccessful, they didn’t give up. They reorganized and engaged in a comprehensive public education and voter mobilization campaign to ensure their second attempt was successful. 

All the three finalists for the 2026 NH Teacher of the Year are NEA-New Hampshire members: Justine Dube (Raymond); Jennifer McDonald (Gilford); and Megan Philbrook (Andover). Recently, we sat down to talk with them about their nomination, the experience, their teaching philosophies, and the importance of union membership. 

His bowties have been removed from the wall, his craft store of choice–Joann Fabrics–has closed their doors, and Skip Chalker is set to retire after 27 years in the district. But it’s not yet time for a final bow.

This week, a federal court ruled that New Hampshire’s “banned concepts” law is unconstitutional which restores the teaching of truth and the right to learn for all Granite Staters. This is the first decision in the country striking down a classroom censorship law that applies to K-12 public schools.