HB 542 allows parents to object to any school curriculum for any reason.
From the Huffington Post....
"under this bill, parents could object to a teacher's plan to: teach the history of France or the history of the civil or women's rights movements," Lynch wrote in his veto message. "Under this bill, a parent could find 'objectionable' how a teacher instructs on the basics of algebra. In each of those cases, the school district would have to develop an alternative educational plan for the student. Even though the law requires the parents to pay the cost of alternative, the school district will still have to bear the burden of helping develop and approve the alternative. Classrooms will be disrupted by students coming and going, and lacking shared knowledge."
This bill passed the House and Senate and was vetoed by Governor Lynch, but that veto was overridden and this is now the law in NH.
Adam Schroadter and Josh Davenport voted in favor of this bill.
More articles and resources:
http://open.salon.com/blog/heather_michon/2012/01/06/live_free_die_dumb_war_on_education_in_new_hampshire
http://abcnews.go.com/US/hampshire-lets-parents-broad-childrens-coursework/story?id=15501980#.UG4Ie47nvao
http://www.dnhpe.org/bills-in-the-2011-legislative-session/hb542
Friday, October 5, 2012
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Wishful thinking.
At last night's Town Council meeting, a resolution was voted on authorizing the purchase of 8 new computers and a new server for the town.
To be clear, I completely agree with the council that 6 year old computers, described as "absolute clunkers" are basically obsolete and that was the general consensus last night when they voted to support this resolution.
The technology in our schools has come up in conversation a lot lately and it's my understanding that we are using computers that are 8 years old in some departments.
Personally, I will look forward to the discussion about technology during this year's budgeting process. My hope is that it goes as smoothly as it did last night.
To be clear, I completely agree with the council that 6 year old computers, described as "absolute clunkers" are basically obsolete and that was the general consensus last night when they voted to support this resolution.
The technology in our schools has come up in conversation a lot lately and it's my understanding that we are using computers that are 8 years old in some departments.
Personally, I will look forward to the discussion about technology during this year's budgeting process. My hope is that it goes as smoothly as it did last night.
33 Days
HB 334 is described by Granite State Progress as "A bill that would allow guns on college campuses and dorms, in athletic stadiums and public parks and beaches. This bill additionally restricted local communities from making local decisions regarding firearms in these areas."
Josh Davenport voted in favor of HB 334.
Here is some more feedback about the bill:
From the Union Leader:
"Rep. Stephen Shurtleff, D-Concord, said the bill would allow guns at day-care centers on state property, including community colleges, and at the Merrimack County Nursing Home.
The bill “is like yelling fire in a crowded theater,” he said. “There are some places in New Hampshire where we just don't want guns. This bill will put guns in places they just don't belong.”
From the Nashua Patch:
Written by Terie Norelli, House Democratic Leader.
"All of New Hampshire’s public colleges and universities currently ban guns on campus, and HB 334 would mandate a reversal of that policy. University officials and police, citing the prevalence of alcohol use and the fact that one’s college years are “often among the most volatile periods in a person’s life,” requested an exemption to HB 334 that would retain their authority to regulate the possession of firearms on campus. That request was denied, as supporters of the bill actually argued that allowing everyone to carry guns on campus makes us safer."
Described as "lunacy" by Boston.com:
The House approved bills allowing people to drive around with loaded rifles and shotguns, and to carry concealed guns without permits. But the killer bill, and I do mean killer, is HB 334: That one would prohibit college, state, and local officials from banning guns on state and community college campuses, and on other state property, including sports and concert arenas where alcohol is served and fights happen. That bit of lunacy passed by a 180-to-144 vote in the House.
And how do you think our legislators voted?
Josh Davenport voted in favor of HB 334.
Adam Schroadter voted in favor of HB 334.
Marcia Moody voted against HB 334.
Here is some more feedback about the bill:
From the Union Leader:
"Rep. Stephen Shurtleff, D-Concord, said the bill would allow guns at day-care centers on state property, including community colleges, and at the Merrimack County Nursing Home.
The bill “is like yelling fire in a crowded theater,” he said. “There are some places in New Hampshire where we just don't want guns. This bill will put guns in places they just don't belong.”
From the Nashua Patch:
Written by Terie Norelli, House Democratic Leader.
"All of New Hampshire’s public colleges and universities currently ban guns on campus, and HB 334 would mandate a reversal of that policy. University officials and police, citing the prevalence of alcohol use and the fact that one’s college years are “often among the most volatile periods in a person’s life,” requested an exemption to HB 334 that would retain their authority to regulate the possession of firearms on campus. That request was denied, as supporters of the bill actually argued that allowing everyone to carry guns on campus makes us safer."
Described as "lunacy" by Boston.com:
The House approved bills allowing people to drive around with loaded rifles and shotguns, and to carry concealed guns without permits. But the killer bill, and I do mean killer, is HB 334: That one would prohibit college, state, and local officials from banning guns on state and community college campuses, and on other state property, including sports and concert arenas where alcohol is served and fights happen. That bit of lunacy passed by a 180-to-144 vote in the House.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
34 Days
There are 34 days until the election.
I know most people are focused on the Presidential election and with good reason. But I want to spend the next 34 days talking about New Hampshire.
I came across a great resource that explains legislation that came before the House this past year and I hope to highlight the issues that have come before the legislature and how our representatives voted.
In the past, I've simply voted for the person who represented the party I'm affiliated with (with one notable exception) because I really wasn't aware of the issues or didn't think they really affected me, but they do.
For the next 34 days, I will post a new bill and how our legislators voted.
So here's the first issue:
HB 631-- Repealing universal Kindergarten.
I know most people are focused on the Presidential election and with good reason. But I want to spend the next 34 days talking about New Hampshire.
I came across a great resource that explains legislation that came before the House this past year and I hope to highlight the issues that have come before the legislature and how our representatives voted.
In the past, I've simply voted for the person who represented the party I'm affiliated with (with one notable exception) because I really wasn't aware of the issues or didn't think they really affected me, but they do.
For the next 34 days, I will post a new bill and how our legislators voted.
So here's the first issue:
HB 631-- Repealing universal Kindergarten.
- Joshua Davenport voted in favor of repealing universal kindergarten in NH.
- Marcia Moody voted against repeal.
- Adam Schroadter voted in favor of repealing universal kindergarten in NH.
Here are some additional resources on the subject:
Monday, September 17, 2012
We learn from our mistakes, right?
I never really paid attention to local State Representative races. I've always been interested and paid attention to the bigger races and I've voted in most elections since I turned 18. But I never thought about the local races and to be honest, never really thought that they mattered much.
Cut to 2 years ago, right around this time of year. I was on the PTA here in Newmarket and we were in the very beginning stages of planning the first Spring Auction. A friend of a friend connected me to Adam Schroadter, who owns the Stone Church, one of the places we thought might participate.
Adam and I talked on the phone and had a nice chat. I told him some of my thoughts about the event we were planning and he was very gracious about listening to my ideas. During the conversation, he told me that he was running for State Representative and we discussed that briefly.
And so here he was - a nice guy - young, articulate, owner of the Stone Church. And I admit it, I voted for him.
The problem is that I never asked him about his stances on issues important to me, and that's my fault. I didn't think about it. I didn't think it mattered.
But it does matter.
I started to pay attention to what was happening in the Legislature during the past couple of years and I got very, very concerned.
Here are a few reasons I WON'T VOTE FOR ADAM SCHROADTER in November:
Cut to 2 years ago, right around this time of year. I was on the PTA here in Newmarket and we were in the very beginning stages of planning the first Spring Auction. A friend of a friend connected me to Adam Schroadter, who owns the Stone Church, one of the places we thought might participate.
Adam and I talked on the phone and had a nice chat. I told him some of my thoughts about the event we were planning and he was very gracious about listening to my ideas. During the conversation, he told me that he was running for State Representative and we discussed that briefly.
And so here he was - a nice guy - young, articulate, owner of the Stone Church. And I admit it, I voted for him.
The problem is that I never asked him about his stances on issues important to me, and that's my fault. I didn't think about it. I didn't think it mattered.
But it does matter.
I started to pay attention to what was happening in the Legislature during the past couple of years and I got very, very concerned.
Here are a few reasons I WON'T VOTE FOR ADAM SCHROADTER in November:
- He voted in favor of HB 217, which added the death of a fetus to the list of acceptable victims under the state murder statute.
- He supported HB 1264--a bill that would have effectively legalized discrimination against gay people.
- He voted in favor of the State's new Voucher-Tax Credit system that will only hurt Newmarket schools.
- He voted in favor of HB 1659 which required doctors to tell women that abortion causes breast cancer.
- He voted in favor of HB 536 which would make gun permits optional.
- He voted in favor of NH's new Voter ID law.
- And according to this article in seacoastonline, Adam was only 70.6% of the time--missing votes on some important bills.
Don't get me wrong, I think Adam is a nice guy and it's easy to look at him and think here's this young person who owns the Stone Church and seems OK. But if you care about public education, equality and choice--he is NOT the person to vote for in November.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Town Council Meeting recap
The main topic at last night's Town Council meeting was the Hydra proposal and I imagine that's why it was standing room only in the chambers.
A lot of people were angry that the public wasn't given the chance to speak, but personally I commend Mr. Nazarro for sticking to the clear agenda and not allowing public comment. This wasn't the first time, nor will it be the last, when the public has had to sit through a presentation and hold it's tongue. I applaud you for following the agenda, even in the face of a hostile crowd. (I also think that it was very gracious to allow the State Senators to speak, but question the grandstanding that brought them there in the first place.)
The problem, as I see it, is that there was a perception that the approval of the Hydra proposal was a foregone conclusion. There are people in town, on facebook, and in the audience last night that assumed the council was prepared to vote on the proposal and sign on the dotted line.
Many people in town are willing to jump on any hint of impropriety--let's face it, we all love a juicy scandal--and the first (or at least, most recent) interaction we had with Hydra was when Mr. Wright complained about "back-room deals." And just like that, the issue became about integrity instead of looking objectively at the claims made by Hydra and Dale Bishop.
But while facebook buzzed with questions/concerns/accusations and people wrote blog posts and letters to the editor, the Town Council continued it's due diligence. As it was said last night, the financial claims made by Hydra couldn't be completely ignored and the TC did the right thing by asking professionals to take a look at the science behind the claims. (Imagine the outrage if the Council had done nothing about this proposal--the facebook comments practically write themselves!)
Personally, I think that the TC needs to do a little self reflection and figure out why this happened. Was it the lack of a Town Administrator? Poor communication? A divided council? Shouldn't we be able to talk about proposals without insulting each other?
I'm looking at this as a trial run for when we have to engage in real debate about our waste water issues, our water needs and of course, our school facilities crisis.
It's clear that we have a lot of work to do.
A lot of people were angry that the public wasn't given the chance to speak, but personally I commend Mr. Nazarro for sticking to the clear agenda and not allowing public comment. This wasn't the first time, nor will it be the last, when the public has had to sit through a presentation and hold it's tongue. I applaud you for following the agenda, even in the face of a hostile crowd. (I also think that it was very gracious to allow the State Senators to speak, but question the grandstanding that brought them there in the first place.)
The problem, as I see it, is that there was a perception that the approval of the Hydra proposal was a foregone conclusion. There are people in town, on facebook, and in the audience last night that assumed the council was prepared to vote on the proposal and sign on the dotted line.
Many people in town are willing to jump on any hint of impropriety--let's face it, we all love a juicy scandal--and the first (or at least, most recent) interaction we had with Hydra was when Mr. Wright complained about "back-room deals." And just like that, the issue became about integrity instead of looking objectively at the claims made by Hydra and Dale Bishop.
But while facebook buzzed with questions/concerns/accusations and people wrote blog posts and letters to the editor, the Town Council continued it's due diligence. As it was said last night, the financial claims made by Hydra couldn't be completely ignored and the TC did the right thing by asking professionals to take a look at the science behind the claims. (Imagine the outrage if the Council had done nothing about this proposal--the facebook comments practically write themselves!)
Personally, I think that the TC needs to do a little self reflection and figure out why this happened. Was it the lack of a Town Administrator? Poor communication? A divided council? Shouldn't we be able to talk about proposals without insulting each other?
I'm looking at this as a trial run for when we have to engage in real debate about our waste water issues, our water needs and of course, our school facilities crisis.
It's clear that we have a lot of work to do.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Vote.
Tuesday is NH Primary Voting Day.
I admit that I haven't paid close attention to the primary races, mostly because I know who I plan to vote for. If you are undecided, you can tune in as the Democratic candidates for Governor debate tonight at 7pm and the Republican candidates debate tomorrow at 7pm.
What happens in Concord directly impacts us here in Newmarket. If you haven't been paying attention, now is the time to start.
Here are copies of the sample ballots for Tuesday:
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