I am here today to express our opposition to the Governor’s budget as presented in HB 1 and HB 2. It is often said that a budget is a statement of values, yet this budget does not protect or adequately support the needs of most Granite State students, their families or local property taxpayers. Our public schools, which serve nearly 90% of students in our state, and our public universities are pathways to opportunity for our students, their chance to learn and work towards a brighter future, to the benefit of their communities and the Granite State. Rather than meet our state’s obligation to those students, this budget chooses to focus its limited revenue on helping just a few, while leaving so many behind.

Concord, NH—Yesterday, President Donald Trump began his long expected shut down of the US Dept. of Education by laying off nearly half of the staff. Deb Howes, President AFT-NH released the following statement:

“ Hollowing out the US Department of Education so it cannot fulfill its mission of supporting all students’ access to public education, frankly, is reminiscent of the utter disregard that our own Commissioner of Education has for all public-school students, especially those from families or communities struggling with poverty or students who need special education services.

AFT-NH local leaders and negotiating teams have spent countless hours preparing tentative agreements to be presented to the voters in March. All of that hard work comes down to one day of voting. Please help AFT-NH members bring these contracts over the finish line. 

Please share this list with friends and allies so they know how they can make a difference and support our AFT-NH locals. We know that every single vote counts.  In addition to the contracts, we are asking voters in Timberlane and Weare to vote NO on two articles which would have a devastating impact on each school district. When we show up and vote, we win. Please be sure to click MORE below to bring you to the link for the complete AFT-NH Town Meeting Guide 2025 

This totally unnecessary bill creates the false and frankly insulting impression that we have rampant problems with educator misconduct in so many of our public schools that it can only be solved by granting unprecedented investigatory power to the head of the Department of Education, through his hearing officers! Let me be clear, nobody wants the kind of person who would hurt students to stay in a position where they can ever do it again, whether that is as an educator, a volunteer, a sports coach, a clergy person or any other adult a child might encounter.

The Trump administration wants to make painful cuts to education and healthcare in order to slash taxes for billionaires. The administration’s plan to “block grant” federal education programs and gut the U.S. Department of Education would rob 26 million students living in poverty of critical services and 7.5 million students with disabilities of special education support. It would eliminate career and technical education for 12 million students, threatening their future job opportunities. Slashing Medicaid and student loans could strip healthcare coverage from 10.3 million people and end access to student loans, making college