Subpoena Bill Tabled and Action Needed on SB 341
Good news this week as the House was able to keep HB 1353 (subpoena bill) on the table preventing Frank Edelblut or any future Commissioner of Education from obtaining subpoena power for fishing expeditions based simply on the belief that the educator may have done something wrong. This power could very easily be used to try to intimidate teachers as we know the Commissioner has done during his tenure. Thank you again for all your advocacy on this subject, reaching out to your legislators once again made a difference.
Part-time teacher bill. The House Education Committee also heard SB 374 which is the part-time teacher bill that allows anyone to teach up to 30 hours a week at a school. The House has already amended its version of this bill to place some limits on part-time uncertified “teachers” that don’t go far enough to protect the learning needs of students. Look for future actions on SB 374 as the bill continues in the committee and we seek further improvements.
ITL on SB 341. Next week the State Senate will vote on SB 341. SB 341 requires teachers to report to parents not just about grades, classwork, homework and whether a student is following school rules, but about anything a parent asks about in writing. It creates an undefined standard using language, that even the DOE said was vague and would be impossible for teachers properly follow, to force teachers to spy on their students and report back to their parents. This bill breaks the fundamental trust between students and teachers which is required to make sure we have strong local neighborhood public schools.
Action Needed – Defeat SB 341
Please tell your Senator that teachers are not spies for parents and that teachers do not belong in the middle of the parent- child relationship. Click the following link and tell your Senator to vote Inexpedient to Legislate on SB 341.Tell them to vote NO on SB 341.
Over the next two weeks there will be a pair of public hearings on the proposed changes to the Minimum Standards for Public Schools, also known as the 306 rules. The 306 rules define a baseline of what all public schools must have for staffing, facilities and what educational programs they must offer. The draft changes to the 306 rules, given preliminary approval in February by the State Board of Education, will restructure our public schools and the way students experience their public education in fundamental ways. Here are a few examples:
By changing the word “shall” to “may” in reference to academic programs offered at the
- elementary and high school level, the rules reduce the amount and variety of classes public schools must offer (and fund.) Other changes make classes less rigorous. Why? Don’t we want high standards for our students?
- Shifts the role of teacher from one who designs learning activities and engages students in those learning activities to a bureaucratic, record-keeping role of one who signs off on competencies mastered elsewhere with no knowledge of the quality or rigor of that learning experience.
- Further deprofessionalizes teaching by removing many of the requirements for
- schools to have certified teachers while also removing limits on class sizes.
- Takes the power of decision making over many educational issues away from locally elected school boards and places it with the appointed Commissioner of Education and the unelected State Board of Education.
For a more comprehensive look at what these rules would mean for our local neighborhood public schools you can watching this video from Reaching Higher New Hampshire. Reaching Higher New Hampshire has provided numerous informative pieces on the new 306 rules. You can watch a 20 minute video here ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKPjVbbHr-Y) or you can look at slides with further details here (https://reachinghighernh.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Minimum-Standards-Public-Briefing-March-2024-1.pdf)
Action Needed – Contact the State Board of Education
The State Board of Education will hold two public hearings on April 3 and April 11, if you
would like to express your opinion of these changes in person. They will also take written
comments by email until April 30th. We encourage you to submit written comment to Administrative Rules Coordinator Julie Shea at this address Julie.r.shea@doe.nh.gov.
Legislative Action Toolkit
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You can also read written testimony submitted to the legislature at STATE HOUSE NEWS.
We will post the next week’s schedule of bills we are monitoring at the end of the weekly bulletin. If you want to find out more information about any bill, you can simply enter the bill at the following link: FIND A BILL.
We encourage you to take action on other bills. Please note our position is not noted on the current tracker for bills that have already been heard and are now pending executive session action or in a work session in committee since the period for testimony has passed.
For any of the bills scheduled for a hearing you can register your position on any bill scheduled for a public hearing at the following link: SUBMIT YOUR POSITION ON A BILL.
Legislative Hearings for the Week of April 1, 2024
|
Date/Time |
Bill |
Position |
Description |
Sponsors |
Location |
|
Tue 4/2 9:00 AM |
Monitor |
(new Title) Relative to Requiring Student Identification Cards to Include The Helpline For The National Alliance For Eating Disorders and The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. |
Rep. Rosemarie Rung |
LOB 101 (Education/S) |
|
|
Tue 4/2 9:10 AM |
Monitor |
Relative to High School Students Serving As School Board Members. |
Rep. David Rochefort |
LOB 101 (Education/S) |
|
|
Tue 4/2 9:20 AM |
Monitor |
Relative to The Retention Of Individualized Education Program Records. |
Rep. Corinne Cascadden |
LOB 101 (Education/S) |
|
|
Tue 4/2 9:30 AM |
Oppose |
Relative to Authorizing Parents Of Special Education Children to Observe In The Classroom Setting. |
Rep. Ron Dunn |
LOB 101 (Education/S) |
|
|
Tue 4/2 9:40 AM |
Monitor |
Relative to The Release Of Student Personally Identifiable Information. |
Rep. Glenn Cordelli |
LOB 101 (Education/S) |
|
|
Tue 4/2 11:30 AM |
|
(new Title) Relative to Adequate Education Grant Amounts For Pupils Receiving Special Education Services. |
Rep. Cam Kenney |
LOB 210-211 (Finance/H) |
|
|
Tue 4/2 11:30 AM |
|
Relative to The Per Pupil Cost Of An Opportunity For An Adequate Education. |
Rep. Jonah Wheeler |
LOB 210-211 (Finance/H) |
|
|
Tue 4/2 11:30 AM |
|
Relative to Court Jurisdiction Over Persons Receiving Special Education. |
Rep. Patrick Long |
LOB 210-211 (Finance/H) |