State House News

Dear Chairman Ladd and Members of the Committee, My name is Debrah Howes. I am the president of the American Federation of Teachers – NH. AFT-NH represents 3,500 teachers, paraeducators and school support staff, public service employees, and higher education staff across New Hampshire. I write to you in opposition to HB1015. This bill would take a narrowly tailored law aimed at giving parents advance notice of materials used for instruction around human sexuality and human sexuality education in health and biology classes and expand it so it would cover any class taught at any grade level in any subject in public schools. The original law allowed parents 2 weeks of time to review materials for those limited specified topics. If parents found the materials objectionable, they could request alternative materials to cover the topic while their student opted out of the planned lesson. If this bill passes removing the phrases human sexuality and human sexual education, there will be no limit to the topics about which 2 weeks advance curriculum course materials will be required by state law. MORE

My name is Debrah Howes. I am the president of the American Federation of Teachers – NH. AFT-NH represents 3,500 teachers, paraeducators and school support staff, public service employees and higher education staff across New Hampshire. We write to you in opposition to HB1603. While we welcome the active participation of parents in the education of their children, we also know that there are already multiple ways to review curriculum. Many school districts make curriculum available through their websites. Schools also address the curriculum that will be used through Open Houses and print or online newsletters. Teachers and school administration are always just a phone call or email away if a parent ever has a question about curriculum, whether it is a particular assignment that has come home, or the overall scope and sequence of a course. Local school boards have presentations, discussions and voting in open meetings when a new curriculum is adopted. We want parents to understand what their children are learning and feel comfortable supporting that learning at home. The richest learning experiences happen when parents and schools can work together as partners. MORE

My name is Debrah Howes. I am the president of the American Federation of Teachers – NH. AFT-NH represents 3,500 teachers, paraeducators and school support staff, public service employees and higher education staff across New Hampshire. We write to you in opposition to HB 1147. While we welcome the active participation of parents in the education of their children, we also know that there are already multiple ways to review curriculum. Many school districts make curriculum available through their websites. Schools also address the curriculum that will be used through Open Houses and print or online newsletters. Teachers and school administration are always just a phone call or email away if a parent ever has a question about curriculum, whether it is a particular assignment that has come home, or the overall scope and sequence of a course. Local school boards have presentations, discussions and voting in open meetings when a new curriculum is adopted. We want parents to understand what their children are learning and feel comfortable supporting that learning at home. The richest learning experiences happen when parents and schools can work together as partners. MORE

eacher Loyalty Bill   This week was another packed week at the State House with the House Education Committee hearing almost forty bills. This week’s bills included HB 1255, Relative to Teachers Loyalty. The bill is frankly an insult to every hardworking teacher in this state. The sponsor of the bills spoke to teachers indoctrinating their students but was of course unable to provide any concrete examples of teachers doing that. The committee heard the bill but has yet to vote on it so there is still time to make your voice heard. MORE

My name is Debrah Howes. I am the president of the American Federation of Teachers – NH. AFT-NH represents 3,500 teachers, paraeducators and school support staff, public service employees, and higher education staff across New Hampshire. I write to you in opposition to HB1255. This bill would outlaw advocating anything that “promotes a negative view of the founding or history of the United States.” Just like the Divisive Concepts law that our union is challenging in court, this bill is so vague that it would put teachers’ licenses and jobs at risk for teaching even the most basic facts about American history. Our members are dedicated to meeting students’ needs by engaging them in honest history lessons that teach them to think critically about information. It would be a disservice to our students to limit class materials or discussions to only the parts of our history that show our nation in a positive light. MORE

Testimony on HB 1632 (relative to civics education) From Debrah Howes President AFT-NH To the NH House Education Committee Dear Chairman Ladd and Members of the Committee, My name is Debrah Howes. I am the president of the American Federation of Teachers – NH. AFT-NH represents 3,500 teachers, paraeducators and school support staff, public service employees, and higher education staff across New Hampshire. I write to you in opposition to HB 1632 – not because we are opposed to the teaching about the Civil Rights Era, but because we are opposed to the packaging and teaching of the Civil Rights Era out of its proper context in the full sweep of United States history. AFT-NH firmly believes in providing all students a robust, engaging, and factual US history education so they can understand how our nation was formed and the changes it has undergone through the years, up to and including the present time. MORE

ONCORD, N.H.—The “teachers’ loyalty” bill that will be the subject of New Hampshire House hearings this week is another attempt by extremist lawmakers to give students a censored view of history and bully teachers into silence, AFT-New Hampshire President Deb Howes said today. “An Act Relative to Teachers’ Loyalty” would ban public school teachers from promoting any theory that depicts U.S. history or its founding in a negative light. It follows the so-called divisive concepts law that prohibits teachers from teaching that any group or person is “inherently racist, sexist or oppressive.” AFT-NH has filed a federal suit calling that law unconstitutionally vague. MORE

Action Needed on HB 1255-Teacher Loyalty Bill Local School Voucher Bill Tabled by NH House   We want to start with a big thank you to all who have reached out to their Representatives and asked them to vote against House Bill 607 as amended (local school voucher bill). Thanks to your efforts last week during the legislative session the House tabled the bill. While we must remain vigilant to make sure it is not brought up again, this was a big win for public education. We also want to thank the bi-partisan group of legislators who came together to stand up for public education and local property taxpayers—they stuck through long days to make this happen. Teacher’s Loyalty Up Next   While it is great to celebrate the victory, unfortunately, we have to quickly move to the next challenges. This week the House Education Committee met and already began taking up bills that would limit local control and one bill that expands their divisive concepts law to public colleges and universities across New Hampshire. In a continuation of that theme next week, they will hold a hearing on their “teacher loyalty” bill. MORE

As the hustle and bustle of the holiday season surround us, let us not forget that the biggest Grinch of all, HB 607, is in our midst. You can cross off one big holiday task if you take one moment to send a message to your state representative to vote NO on HB 607, the local school voucher bill. MORE

Last week we wrote to you about HB 607 AS AMENDED—a bill that could, without exaggeration, close neighborhood public schools across the state. Make no mistake—this is a continuation of a radical, sweeping agenda by those who wish to see public education dismantled. The bill allows for local property taxes to be used for private schools, homeschooling or any other education expenses (which is purposefully broad and not defined). It takes money intended for our local neighborhood public schools and diverts it, costing property taxpayers money and forcing drastic cuts including closing or consolidating many public schools which will leave public school students with a bare-bones, barely adequate education. MORE