News

Concord, NH - Today, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order shutting down the US Dept. of Education, endangering access to a robust public education for more than 55 million American students. Deb Howes, President of  AFT-NH, released the following statement:

“Shutting down the US Department of Education so it cannot fulfill its mission of supporting all students’ access to public education, frankly, attacks the pathway to opportunity for so many American students.

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 

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

Open Enrollment Could Be Closed to Many

It sounds like such a simple who-could-oppose-this bill: Let New Hampshire students attend any public school in the state. But it’s not so simple, and open enrollment would mean “closed to you” for many Granite State families due to geography and work schedules.

If the idea is to provide the opportunity for a high-quality public education for all, this legislation is the wrong approach.

If you live in a town of one of these School Districts, please attend the Deliberative Session! Please support AFT-NH Members who have worked hard to negotiate a contract that will appear on March 11th (Election Day) ballots. TOGETHER WE WIN!

KNOW THE IMPACT!

After careful consideration of the candidates for the November 2024 election, AFT-NH has released its list of endorsements. We encourage full participation in the election so your voice can be heard. Voting is a personal choice, and we respect each member’s opinion and vote.

AFT-NH has endorsed the following candidates because they share our CORE VALUES.

• Support the right of workers to organize and collectively bargain

• Support keeping public money in public schools and oppose school vouchers

• Support strong public services

• Support academic freedom and oppose censorship in K-12 and our universities

You can see the full list here:  

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 or one meeting. 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. Together we win. You can download the guide here. 

New Hampshire Department of Education 306 Rules FAQ

Next week, on Wednesday, at the State Board of Education meeting, the 306 rules, the rules that govern our local neighborhood public schools, are on the agenda. These rules have been worked on, mostly in secret, for nearly three years now. The first draft that was released last March was terrible for public students, teachers and staff.  We do not know yet what will come out of the meeting on Wednesday but wanted to prepare you with a one pager on the 306 rules and prepare you for action after the next draft of the rules are released. Please watch this space for further updates and actions. Here is a Q&A on the process and rules.