Timberlane Proud-TSSU President Laurie Herchenroder
TSSU President Laurie Herchenroder and TTA and TSSU Members are Timberlane Proud.
Bow, NH
January 27, 2017
Yesterday was a warm, almost Spring-like day, always welcome in January. The gold of the State House dome shone brightly in the sunshine, and I even took the time to sit for a short while on a bench on the State House grounds. Inside, however, the legislative session is just beginning to warm up, with a short session of the House to deal with a few legislative items, following an intensive week of public hearings on proposed bills, as committees work hard to push legislation to the floor for debates and votes.
AFT-NH has called for a day of action for members across the state to wear RED for Public Ed(ucation) on Tuesday, January 31st. Two important nominations will be considered on this day. Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education will be voted on by committee in Washington. Here in NH, there will be a public hearing on the nomination of Frank Edleblut for Commissioner of Education. NH students, parents and teachers deserve candidates who support public education and are qualified for these positions. Please wear red and take the actions suggested in the attached flyer.
NH Students Deserve a Commissioner of Education Who Is QUALIFIED and SUPPORTS Public Education
UPDATE: The public hearing on the Edelblut nomination will be on Tuesday, January 31st at 1pm at the State House in the Executive Council Chambers.
AFT-NH ‘Lesson Plan’ on Frank Edelblut
Objectives
Background
What is the job of the Education Commissioner?
21-N:2 Establishment; General Functions. –
I. There is hereby established the department of education, an agency of the state under the executive direction of a commissioner of education.
II. The department of education, through its officials, shall be responsible for the following general functions:
(a) Providing general supervision for elementary and secondary schools, teachers and administrators.
(b) Providing a variety of educational services to schools and particular groups.
(c) Providing vocational rehabilitation and social security disability determination services for persons with disabilities.
Who approves the nomination of Frank Edelblut as Commissioner of Education?
The five elected members of the NH Executive Council. The vote could occur as soon as February 1st.
AFT-NH OPPOSES THE NOMINATION OF FRANK EDELBLUT.
NH STUDENTS, PARENTS AND TEACHERS DESERVE BETTER.
You can express your opinion about this nomination by sending an email to all five Executive Councilors at gcweb@nh.gov.
Bow, NH
January 20, 2017
Yesterday, the NH Senate passed SB 11, the so-called ‘right to work’ bill, by a vote of 12-11. Ten Democratic senators were joined by Republican Senator Sharon Carson in opposing the bill, while one Republican Senator, Robert Guida, was absent and did not vote. By this action, the Republican majority in the NH Senate (excepting Senator Carson) makes clear where it stands. Their aim is to weaken organized labor and the ability of working people to negotiate collectively and have a powerful voice in the workplace. When organized labor is strong, working people are strong, wages rise, benefits improve, and there is greater mutual respect and equality in the workplace. ‘Right to work’ intends to reverse gains made in New Hampshire over nearly the past fifty years, and in tandem with other legislation, will turn New Hampshire into the low-wage haven of New England.
PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Douglas Ley, AFT NH President
Phone: (603) 831-3661
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2:00 P.M. EDT, January 18, 2017
BOW, NH - AFT-NH President Douglas Ley released the following statement on the nomination of Representative Frank Edelblut as Commissioner of Education.
“Just as AFT on the national level has expressed strong opposition to the nomination of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education, we are gravely concerned about a Commissioner of Education who, when running for governor, supported further diverting much needed funding and resources from our public schools. Our teachers and school district employees are trained professionals who have dedicated a lifetime to serving NH students. There is no evidence based on Mr. Edelblut’s public record that he either has the experience in education or public service on the local level that demonstrates the requisite knowledge and understanding to lead NH schools and serve more than 180,000 students, our State’s most precious resource.”
AFT-NH represents approximately 4,000 teachers, school support staff, city and town employees, police officers, library employees, and higher education faculty. AFT-NH is a member of the New Hampshire AFL-CIO and is the state affiliate for the American Federation of Teachers with more than 3,000 local affiliates nationwide, 43 state affiliates, and more than 1.3 million members.
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On Tuesday, January 10, hundreds packed Reps Hall in the State House for the Senate Commerce Committee public hearing on SB 11, the proposed “right to work” legislation. From 1 pm into the evening, a long line of witnesses, including Senators, Representatives, labor leaders, and working people (union and non-union) spoke against so-called “right to work” legislation. They pointed out that it would bring no new economic investment to NH, would inject the State into the negotiations process, and was simply an attempt to financially cripple labor unions and thereby weaken their ability to better the working conditions and the lives of those they represent. And then, at the end of the day, without taking any time to consider evidence presented, the Committee voted 3-2, along strict party lines, to send SB 11 onto the Senate, with a recommendation of “ought to pass.”