Legislators grapple on transparency versus privacy for teacher salaries
Here’s a recap of what went down during a series of executive sessions in the New Hampshire House of Representatives Education Committee on Monday, March 6, 2023.
Here’s a recap of what went down during a series of executive sessions in the New Hampshire House of Representatives Education Committee on Monday, March 6, 2023.
This bill repeals a report on charter school funding.
There was an executive session on Feb. 16 where an ought to pass (OTP) vote failed 10-10.
There was no further discussion on the bill, a motion to reconsider the bill passed 20-0 and OTP motion was recommended 16-4, with Linda Tanner (D-Georges Mills), Peggy Balboni (D-Rye), Corinne Cascadden (D-Berlin) and Hope Damon (D-Sunapee) voting in opposition to the motion.
Jeannine Notter (R-Merrimack) substituted for Margaret Drye (R-Plainfield) and Jennifer Mortion (D-Amherst) substituted for Muriel Hall (D-Bow) on this and all other votes throughout the day.
This bill addresses surety indemnification for career schools, and is similar in school to HB 155, a bill that was retained in case this bill proved infeasible.
Glenn Cordelli (R-Tuftonboro) said that this bill would make it easier for career schools to open, but Mel Myler (D-Contoocook) said that without additional information on the insurance rates required for career schools to open, students may not be able to recoup their tuition if the schools close.
Cordelli said that there had been few schools that had closed, but David Luneau (D-Hopkinton) echoed Myler’s concern, stating that additional information from Stephen Appleby of the New Hampshire Department of Education would be needed to make sure on whether the data within the bill regarding insurance requirements is adequate.
An OTP vote failed on a 10-10 party-line vote. A retention vote also failed on a 10-10 party-line vote. Several hours later, Appleby contacted Committee Chair Rick Ladd (R-Haverhill) and said testimony would not be available in the near future.
At that point, an inexpedient to legislate (ITL) vote was recommended 20-0.
This bill addresses a dyslexia and reading adequacy program, which Mike Belcher (R-Wakefield) expressed concerns with earlier due to its curricula.
An amendment passed 19-1, with Belcher serving as the only vote in opposition.
An ought to pass as amended (OTPA) motion was recommended 19-1, with Belcher again being the only opposition.
This bill allows gifted children to graduate early from high school.
Belcher said that the prime sponsor of the bill had some amendments that he’d like to add and requested the bill be retained for further tweaks.
Alicia Lekas (R-Hudson) also noted that the spirit of this bill would allow students who have already mastered a certain subject and seek to focus on that subject, such as music, a chance to do so without being bogged down by subjects that don’t draw their interest.
Several Democrats expressed concerns that even if a student is gifted, they may not have the maturity to move past high school as young as age 13. It was also noted that there are already accelerated graduation programs and programs in high school where students can obtain early college credits. Additionally, parents can home school their children if they believe high school curricula is not challenging enough.
Ladd also expressed concerns that the state may need to develop testing for early graduation, which could be a large expense, rather than using existing assessments elsewhere.
A retain vote failed 10-10, with all Democrats voting in opposition. An ITL vote was recommended 14-6. Lekas and Belcher were joined by Oliver Ford (R-Chester), Kristin Noble (R-Bedford), Katy Peternel (R-Wolfeboro) and Arlene Quaratiello (R-Atkinson)
This bill establishes a new school lunch fund.
Belcher felt it was unnecessary as elements of the concept were already happening in schools across the state and this would just add further bureaucracy. Stephen Woodcock (D-Conway) agreed, but for different reasons than Belcher.
An ITL motion was recommended 20-0. Belcher and Woodcock were asked to collaborate on a report.
This bill re-establishes the chartered public school joint legislative oversight committee. Myler said there had been limited oversight in this area since the 1990s.
An OTP motion was recommended 20-0.
This bill addresses incentive grants for school districts that improve on certain assessment scores. Action was delayed on this bill until Tuesday.
This bill requires school districts to publish school district staff salaries annually.
Democrats on the committee voiced concerns that requiring school districts to publish salaries could open up teachers to pity or harassment, especially in smaller towns, and that this bill singles out teachers versus other public servants.
There were also concerns that identities of parents who are paid for transporting special education students in certain circumstances could be jeopardized by this bill.
Republicans framed this bill as a matter of transparency, saying this information is already available through public record requests if someone really wants to know it and in many towns, this information is already published yearly. Cordelli added that this bill does not require the publication of names, only positions, although Democrats stated that in small towns, knowledge of the position is enough to remove anonymity.
Ladd said he needed more data on how many districts already provide this information and other data to determine whether it should be a local decision or a state decision.
OTP and ITL motions both were not recommended on 10-10 party-line votes. It goes to the floor without a recommendation.
This bill addresses background checks of volunteers at non-public schools receiving public funds.
Lekas voiced concerns shared by home school parents during public hearings on the bill, noting that it could be an undue burden to certain non-public schools, home schools and home school cooperatives.
She added that background checks did not actually help student safety and fingerprint requirements in the bill are not widely available.
Several other Republicans said that it is up to parents to obtain background information on potential dangers to their children, not government entities.
Myler and other Democrats said that the safety of children is paramount and the transparency is paramount for entities that use taxpayer funding.
An ITL motion was not recommended on a 10-10 party-line vote. A retention vote passed 13-7, with Ladd, Notter and Cordelli joining all of the Democrats.
