Public listening sessions are scheduled, but not publicly advertised by Department of Education or the State Board of Education; Public education advocates continue to call for stronger transparency and public process
CONCORD, NH – As New Hampshire’s State Board of Education reviews the 306 Administrative Rules, which set the minimum standards for public school approval, public education advocates have taken to spreading the word about public listening sessions in the absence of any publicly available information from the Department of Education and the State Board of Education.
In December, public education groups sent a letter to Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut and the NH State Board of Education, which called on the NH Department of Education and the NH State Board of Education to halt the drafting process and have any revisions reflect the needs of communities across the state.
“Now that the Department of Education has finally announced public sessions, they still remain unadvertised, so it’s up to public education advocates to do the publicity ourselves,” said Sarah Robinson, Education Justice Organizer with Granite State Progress. “The current draft is tedious to digest, unorganized, and slashes a broad pen through equity language that is meant to address the needs of all students. It’s disturbing that not only have our calls to create an open, transparent process have gone unrecognized by the State Department of Education and State Board of Education, but they haven’t even published those public sessions anywhere.”
Granite State Progress recently hosted a public education webinar about the 306 Rules to help community members understand the critical role that the 306 Rules play in the success of our public schools. In addition to reaching out to local school officials, school board members, parents and students to encourage them to engage in the listening sessions, Granite State Progress created Facebook events for each of the listening sessions known to be happening in the next few weeks.
As of right now, it appears the State of New Hampshire has scheduled the following 306 Rules Listening Sessions:
Tuesday May 9th at 6:30 pm: Dover/Durham listening session at Oyster River High School
Wednesday May 10th at 6:30 pm: Bow/Dunbarton listening session at Bow High School
Thursday, May 11th at 6:30 pm: Keene Middle School
Monday, May 15th at 6:30 pm: Winnacunnet High School
Wednesday, May 24th at 6:30 pm: John Stark Regional High School
Additional listening sessions are scheduled for the following dates at 6:30 pm:
May 17 in Litchfield
May 22 in Hillsboro
May 25 in Kearsarge
May 30 in Goffstown
Background on 306 Rules
Q: What are NH’s 306 Rules?
A: In the State of New Hampshire, the 306 Administrative Rules establish the minimum standards for public school approval. Said simply, they are a set of requirements that all public schools must comply with, setting the foundation for each and every public school across our state. A student’s zip code should not dictate the quality of the education that student is provided. The minimum standards for public education exist to make sure that no matter what a student’s zip code is, they will receive consistent access to quality education. This foundation provides the basis for ensuring all students are offered an essential and common framework for learning and engagement within their public school community.
The rules include requirements for elements such as the nutritional quality of food served in the cafeteria, to required professional development educators must access, to class size and graduation requirements. The 306 Rules are incredibly important for New Hampshire’s public education system.
These rules are revisited and edited every ten years. The present iteration of that effort is due by the end of 2024.
Q: Who writes the 306 Rules?
A: The NH State Board of Education (SBOE) is responsible for adopting and enacting the ED 306 Administrative Rules. Every ten years the board, and the New Hampshire Education Department (NHED) initiate a review and revision process. The current process for revision has involved significant rewrite of the Ed 306 rules. On November 18, 2020, the Executive Council and SBOE awarded a sole source contract, without competitive bidding, to the National Center for Competency Based Learning (NCCBL) to lead and facilitate the current revision process.
Q: Where does the public fit in?
A: The current process underway has lacked transparency, with promises of public hearings and information sessions unfulfilled. This has meant key community members, including parents and students, have been locked out of a thorough public process. To date, classroom teachers have also had limited voice in the process.
In November of 2022, the NH Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (NHASCD) gathered 40 content-area expert teachers to review a draft of the 306s and that input is part of the current draft. Specific groups that have not been included in the process are students and their parents and guardians.
Q: Where is the process at this point?
A: An initial proposal of the 306 Rules was presented to the SBOE on March 8, 2023. The SBOE chose not to take up the rules because they hadn’t had the opportunity to read the rules before voting on them. After the SBOE votes to approve the initial proposal, they will hold a public hearing. After the public hearing, the SBOE has an opportunity to revise the proposal, taking into account the public comments, and must vote again to approve them. Following that vote, the rules will be sent to the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules (JLCAR), which will review the rules to ensure that they comply with state law. Once JLCAR approves the rules, they return to the SBOE for a final vote, and if approved, they become the administrative regulations for public school compliance in New Hampshire.
Q: Why does all of this matter?
A: A student’s geography should not dictate the quality of the education that student is provided. The minimum standards for public education exist to make sure that no matter where a student lives, they will receive consistent access to quality public education. Communities need to come together to decide what the minimum standards are that we will offer all New Hampshire’s students. There is a concerted effort at the DOE to push the process forward with little public input and transparency, despite the rule revisions not being due until 2024. There is still time to engage in community conversations for the 306 rule-making process, and such efforts have been routinely requested by public education advocates since last year.
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Last Updated: June 12, 2023 by Granite State Progress Leave a Comment
Department of Education and State Board of Education Fail to Publicize Public Listening Sessions on 306 Rules Academic Standards Re-Draft, Public Education Advocates Work to Fill Gaps
Public listening sessions are scheduled, but not publicly advertised by Department of Education or the State Board of Education; Public education advocates continue to call for stronger transparency and public process
CONCORD, NH – As New Hampshire’s State Board of Education reviews the 306 Administrative Rules, which set the minimum standards for public school approval, public education advocates have taken to spreading the word about public listening sessions in the absence of any publicly available information from the Department of Education and the State Board of Education.
In December, public education groups sent a letter to Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut and the NH State Board of Education, which called on the NH Department of Education and the NH State Board of Education to halt the drafting process and have any revisions reflect the needs of communities across the state.
“Now that the Department of Education has finally announced public sessions, they still remain unadvertised, so it’s up to public education advocates to do the publicity ourselves,” said Sarah Robinson, Education Justice Organizer with Granite State Progress. “The current draft is tedious to digest, unorganized, and slashes a broad pen through equity language that is meant to address the needs of all students. It’s disturbing that not only have our calls to create an open, transparent process have gone unrecognized by the State Department of Education and State Board of Education, but they haven’t even published those public sessions anywhere.”
Granite State Progress recently hosted a public education webinar about the 306 Rules to help community members understand the critical role that the 306 Rules play in the success of our public schools. In addition to reaching out to local school officials, school board members, parents and students to encourage them to engage in the listening sessions, Granite State Progress created Facebook events for each of the listening sessions known to be happening in the next few weeks.
As of right now, it appears the State of New Hampshire has scheduled the following 306 Rules Listening Sessions:
Tuesday May 9th at 6:30 pm: Dover/Durham listening session at Oyster River High School
Wednesday May 10th at 6:30 pm: Bow/Dunbarton listening session at Bow High School
Thursday, May 11th at 6:30 pm: Keene Middle School
Monday, May 15th at 6:30 pm: Winnacunnet High School
Wednesday, May 24th at 6:30 pm: John Stark Regional High School
Additional listening sessions are scheduled for the following dates at 6:30 pm:
May 17 in Litchfield
May 22 in Hillsboro
May 25 in Kearsarge
May 30 in Goffstown
Background on 306 Rules
Q: What are NH’s 306 Rules?
A: In the State of New Hampshire, the 306 Administrative Rules establish the minimum standards for public school approval. Said simply, they are a set of requirements that all public schools must comply with, setting the foundation for each and every public school across our state. A student’s zip code should not dictate the quality of the education that student is provided. The minimum standards for public education exist to make sure that no matter what a student’s zip code is, they will receive consistent access to quality education. This foundation provides the basis for ensuring all students are offered an essential and common framework for learning and engagement within their public school community.
The rules include requirements for elements such as the nutritional quality of food served in the cafeteria, to required professional development educators must access, to class size and graduation requirements. The 306 Rules are incredibly important for New Hampshire’s public education system.
These rules are revisited and edited every ten years. The present iteration of that effort is due by the end of 2024.
Q: Who writes the 306 Rules?
A: The NH State Board of Education (SBOE) is responsible for adopting and enacting the ED 306 Administrative Rules. Every ten years the board, and the New Hampshire Education Department (NHED) initiate a review and revision process. The current process for revision has involved significant rewrite of the Ed 306 rules. On November 18, 2020, the Executive Council and SBOE awarded a sole source contract, without competitive bidding, to the National Center for Competency Based Learning (NCCBL) to lead and facilitate the current revision process.
Q: Where does the public fit in?
A: The current process underway has lacked transparency, with promises of public hearings and information sessions unfulfilled. This has meant key community members, including parents and students, have been locked out of a thorough public process. To date, classroom teachers have also had limited voice in the process.
In November of 2022, the NH Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (NHASCD) gathered 40 content-area expert teachers to review a draft of the 306s and that input is part of the current draft. Specific groups that have not been included in the process are students and their parents and guardians.
Q: Where is the process at this point?
A: An initial proposal of the 306 Rules was presented to the SBOE on March 8, 2023. The SBOE chose not to take up the rules because they hadn’t had the opportunity to read the rules before voting on them. After the SBOE votes to approve the initial proposal, they will hold a public hearing. After the public hearing, the SBOE has an opportunity to revise the proposal, taking into account the public comments, and must vote again to approve them. Following that vote, the rules will be sent to the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules (JLCAR), which will review the rules to ensure that they comply with state law. Once JLCAR approves the rules, they return to the SBOE for a final vote, and if approved, they become the administrative regulations for public school compliance in New Hampshire.
Q: Why does all of this matter?
A: A student’s geography should not dictate the quality of the education that student is provided. The minimum standards for public education exist to make sure that no matter where a student lives, they will receive consistent access to quality public education. Communities need to come together to decide what the minimum standards are that we will offer all New Hampshire’s students. There is a concerted effort at the DOE to push the process forward with little public input and transparency, despite the rule revisions not being due until 2024. There is still time to engage in community conversations for the 306 rule-making process, and such efforts have been routinely requested by public education advocates since last year.
###
Last Updated: March 30, 2023 by Granite State Progress Leave a Comment
Pro-Public Education School Board Candidates and Warrant Articles Win Across New Hampshire (Again)
Early results from town meeting season shows New Hampshire on track to once again to show up for a strong, honest, and inclusive public education; Granite Staters agree: LGBTQ+ students belong in New Hampshire
CONCORD, NH – Similar to last year’s record-shattering turnout that delivered big wins for pro-public education school board candidates, early results from this year’s Town Meeting season shows New Hampshire on track to once again show up for a strong, honest, and inclusive public education. In several races to date, concerned parents and community members in communities large and small successfully organized to elect pro-public education candidates and reject those seeking to dismantle public education and target LGBTQ+ students and families.
“In nearly every school board race, Granite State voters chose out-spoken champions for public education and an honest, inclusive education. This is a big win for public schools and for our future. These leaders are committed to keeping our public schools strong and making sure every student has the freedom to learn in a safe, affirming learning environment,” said Zandra Rice Hawkins, Executive Director of Granite State Progress. “As the State House debates support for our public schools and whether to put a target on the backs of LGBTQ+ students, they should pay attention to what is happening at town meeting.”
Members of We the People and other hate groups, individuals disrupting school board meetings lost big, along with members of the Free State Project. Meanwhile champions for a fully funded, honest, and inclusive public education won across the state:
“For more than a year, our communities have come together to protect and support public education and an honest, inclusive education,” said Sarah Robinson, Education Justice Campaign Director for Granite State Progress. “The seed work that began with the school board elections last year continues to grow as parents, students, educators, and community leaders unite to protect their communities and organize proactive efforts. From recruiting strong candidates to showing up at the school board meetings to demand the best for all students, these community leaders are building a future we can all be proud of. Public education is the bedrock of our democracy, and the politicians trying to drive a wedge between parents and their local public schools by targeting queer youth or other students are being rightly rejected.”
“LGBTQ people belong everywhere, and sometimes schools are the only place for LGBTQ youth to feel safe being who they are,” said Linds Jakows, founder of 603 Equality. “603 Equality is strengthened by the outpouring of support in communities across the state to ensure the state meets its obligation to provide an adequate and inclusive education for all students. No LGBTQ+ student should be deprived of the safety and affirmation a public school can provide.”
For the past year, Granite Staters have made it clear that New Hampshire supports a strong public education and LGBTQ+ youth. Time and again, local communities are rejecting politicians and policies that attack public education and promote so-called parental rights bills, book bans, and other efforts to harm LGBTQ+ students and undermine school efforts to create affirming, inclusive learning environments.
Every time someone comes after our public schools or our LGBTQ+ students, our community rises up stronger. Every child deserves to be safe, healthy, and loved.
To speak with newly elected school board leaders or the parents and community members behind local organizing efforts, email sarah@granitestateprogress.org, subject line: School Boards.
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Last Updated: March 30, 2023 by Granite State Progress Leave a Comment
Preventable Gun Violence Tragedy in Tennessee Underscores Urgency of Passing Gun Violence Prevention Policies Across U.S., Including New Hampshire
With weaker gun laws than Tennessee, inaction is no longer an option for New Hampshire’s people and policymakers
CONCORD, NH – On Monday morning, three 9 year old students and three staff were shot dead at the Covenant Grade School in Nashville, TN. This is America’s 90th school shooting this year per the K-12 School Shooting Database. And according to the Gun Violence Archive, there have already been 129 mass shootings so far this year. The Tennessee shooter, who was a former student and armed with two assault-style rifles and a handgun, was shot dead by the police.
It is once again more clear that we, as a country, are failing to protect our children’s lives. It’s also clear that state gun safety laws matter. Tennessee has some of the weakest gun laws in the country and tragically high rates of gun violence – according to Everytown’s gun law ranking platform, Tennessee scores only 16.5 out of 100 for gun law strength. Tennessee has no laws regulating the purchase and possession of assault weapons. In an average year, 1,385 people die by guns in Tennessee and the rate of gun homicide increased 110% in the last 10 years (2012-2021). Guns are now the leading cause of death among Tennessee children and teens. Despite the lives taken on a daily basis in Tennessee, state lawmakers have only continued to tear down existing gun safety protections. That’s unacceptable.
“With gun laws even weaker than Tennessee’s, New Hampshire lawmakers must take action before a school or community in our state makes national headlines due to tragedy,” said Zandra Rice Hawkins, director of GunSense NH, a project of Granite State Progress. “Now more than ever, our state leaders must do their part to address the epidemic of gun violence that continues to harm our communities and our futures.”
The failure of Congress to pass more meaningful gun safety legislation has resulted in record-high deaths from firearms. Gun violence is the leading cause of death for children and teens for the last two years — and a largely preventable one. While Congress and too many New Hampshire state legislators continue to protect the powerful gun lobby and uniquely unregulated gun industry, we are failing to protect our most vulnerable and precious citizens.
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Last Updated: March 30, 2023 by Granite State Progress Leave a Comment
Statement on NH House Vote on HB 351, Safe Storage of Firearms
HB 351 promotes safe storage of firearms to protect children and communities; it is the latest gun violence prevention bill to be shot down by the Republican-led NH state legislature this year, stifling progress to create safer communities and save lives
CONCORD, NH – Today, the NH House voted 203-182 to indefinitely postpone HB 351, which would have held irresponsible gun owners accountable for the negligent storage of firearms that resulted in a firearms death or injury by a child.
“Our children deserve to grow up in safe homes and communities where guns and ammunition are properly stored,” said Zandra Rice Hawkins, director of GunSense NH, a project of Granite State Progress. “When children have easy, unsupervised access to firearms, it increases the risk of injury or death. Responsible gun owners do not leave firearms improperly stored around young children. GunSense NH condemns the House vote against safe storage of firearms.”
Background: HB 351 promoted safe storage of firearms to protect children and communities, and expanded criminal penalties for negligent storage of firearms. Secure storage keeps firearms out of the wrong hands and can play a critical role in preventing firearm deaths, which are the leading cause of death for children and teens nationally. It also protects young children from the horrible experience of potentially harming themselves or someone else. New Hampshire is not immune to stories of young children harming themselves or others due to negligent storage of firearms and ammunition.
Members of the NH Gun Violence Prevention Coalition released the following statements:
Tracy Hahn-Burkett, member of the Kent Street Coalition Leadership Team and a member of the NH Gun Violence Prevention Coalition: “Safe storage bills are supported by responsible, law abiding gun owners. They offer additional protection for children and save gun owners from the horror, and the liability, that is a risk whenever an unsecured firearm falls into the hands of a child.”
Rev. Heidi Carrington Heath, Executive Director of NH Council of Churches and a member of the NH Gun Violence Prevention Coalition: “Gun violence is not just a policy issue, it is a moral, ethical and a theological issue as well. Our societies are only as strong as we care for our children, and when we put our children in unsafe situations where they can cause irreparable harm to themselves or others, we have failed.”
Jonathan Weinberg, a campaign organizer with GunSense NH, a project of Granite State Progress, and a former March for Our Lives student leader inspired by the student response to the Parkland shooting: “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that each day in America 8 children and teens are injured or killed in shootings involving an improperly stored or misused gun found in the home. This common sense bill is the bare minimum legislators could have done to prevent the death and harm of children, and to keep young children from the horrible experience of causing those tragedies.”
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Last Updated: March 30, 2023 by Granite State Progress Leave a Comment
NH Gun Violence Prevention Coalition Statement on President Biden’s Executive Order on Gun Safety Measures
A new executive order by President Biden tightens background check laws and increases support for extreme risk protection orders to keep firearms out of the hands of those who are a danger to themselves or others, along with efforts to hold the gun industry accountable and address the marketing of firearms to minors
CONCORD, NH – Yesterday, in Monterey Park, California, President Biden announced an Executive Order with the goal of increasing the number of background checks conducted before firearm sales, moving the U.S. as close to universal background checks as possible without additional legislation. The Executive Order also seeks to keep more guns out of dangerous hands by increasing the effective use of extreme risk protection orders or “red flag” laws, strengthen efforts to hold the gun industry accountable, and accelerate law enforcement efforts to identify and apprehend the shooters harming our communities. President Biden is also encouraging the Federal Trade Commission to issue a public report analyzing how gun manufacturers market firearms to minors.
Read more details on this Executive Order here.
Members of the NH Gun Violence Prevention Coalition released the following statements:
Zandra Rice Hawkins, director of GunSense NH, a project of Granite State Progress, and a member of the NH Gun Violence Prevention Coalition: “Every day our communities deal with gun violence, and each of us needs to do our part to improve public safety by keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals, promoting responsible gun ownership, holding the gun industry accountable, and keeping high capacity weapons off our streets and out of our schools. We applaud President Biden for taking decisive action to reduce gun violence in our country, and we call on Congress and our state leaders to do their part to address the epidemic of gun violence that continues to harm our communities and our futures.”
State Representative Amy Bradley, prime sponsor of HB 106, relative to extreme risk protection orders and a member of the NH Gun Violence Prevention Coalition: “Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO) are a bipartisan policy that temporarily removes firearms from those with a dangerous pattern of behavior and access to firearms, before they can pose a danger to themselves or others. It is a smart proactive policy that saves lives, particularly for those at risk of suicide. We applaud President Biden’s efforts to encourage awareness of ERPO laws, especially given how effective they have been.”
State Representative David Meuse, prime sponsor of HB 351, relative to negligent storage of firearms and a member of the NH Gun Violence Prevention Coalition: “Safe storage bills are supported by responsible, law abiding gun owners. They offer additional protection for children and save gun owners from the horror, and the liability, that is a risk whenever an unsecured firearm falls into the hands of a child. President Biden’s actions for gun safety today will prevent tragic deaths tomorrow.”
State Senator Debra Altschiller, prime sponsor of SB 247, relative to blanket immunity for gun manufacturers and a member of the NH Gun Violence Prevention Coalition: “For far too long, the gun industry has received blanket immunity to continue practices that harm our families and our communities. No other industry with such a record of harm has been allowed to exact fear and death in our country without accountability. President Biden’s efforts to hold gun manufacturers accountable for marketing to children and other harmful practices is an important step towards ensuring the gun industry takes responsibility for their role in reducing gun violence.”
Deidre Reynolds, Moms Demand Action member and member of the NH Gun Violence Prevention Coalition: “Requiring background checks whenever a person purchases a firearm is a foundational life-saving gun safety measure that can reduce gun violence and save lives. We applaud President Biden for prioritizing the safety of our communities and we look forward to working with the Administration, our local lawmakers, and fellow gun safety champions to ensure that this common-sense gun safety law is being fully and effectively implemented throughout our state.”
Heidi Carrington Heath, Executive Director of NH Council of Churches and a member of the NH Gun Violence Prevention Coalition: “Gun violence is not just a policy issue, it is a moral, ethical and a theological issue as well. Our societies are only as strong as we care for our children, and when our children leave home and parents have to worry on a daily basis that they will be gunned down and not return home, something is very wrong. The executive order by President Biden provides an opportunity for safer communities, so that families can live and grow together.”
Tracy Hahn-Burkett, member of the Kent Street Coalition Leadership Team and a member of the NH Gun Violence Prevention Coalition: “Parents and grandparents are tired of fearing for their children’s lives when they drop their kids off at school. People are tired of fearing for their lives in grocery stores, at concerts — anywhere in public. In a country where gun violence has become the leading cause of death for youth, the common-sense steps of background checks, extreme risk protection orders and accountability measures are critical to ensure the safety of the American public, and we applaud the Administration for taking these steps.”
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The NH Gun Violence Prevention Coalition has worked together for the last decade to protect and advance common sense public safety laws. Members include gun violence prevention advocates, moms, medical professionals, gun owners, veterans, law enforcement, elected officials, school administrators, educators, students, and faith leaders, and organizations representing various constituencies. The coalition is convened by GunSense NH, a project of Granite State Progress.
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