Category Archives: Teachers

Parental RIGHTS Under Attack By Nashua Teacher

A Nashua teacher wants to undermine PARENTAL RIGHTS and eliminate the OPT OUT of objectionable materials in public school law. She’s working with the AFT union to ELIMINATE a law which protects parental rights.

Ultimately, these decisions should come from the parents. We’ve seen enough examples where teachers and schools exchange real science instruction for political indoctrination.

We encourage parents to engage their school administrators and teachers in an honest discussion on all subject material, however the decision still needs to be made by the parents.

In this case, the student remained in the class but the teacher still wants to remove the rights of the parents to be the one who makes this decision. That’s WRONG.

RSA 186-11 IX-c. Requires school districts to adopt a policy allowing an exception to specific course material based on a parent’s or legal guardian’s determination that the MATERIAL is OBJECTIONABLE. Such policy shall include a provision requiring the parent or legal guardian to notify the school principal or designee in writing of the specific material to which they object and a provision requiring an alternative agreed upon by the school district and the parent, at the parent’s expense, sufficient to enable the child to meet state requirements for education in the particular subject area. The name of the parent or legal guardian and ANY SPECIFIC REASONS disclosed to school officials for the objection to the material SHALL NOT BE PUBLIC INFORMATION and shall be excluded from access under RSA 91-A.

Maybe it’s time for a PARENTS UNION? Please reach out Ms. Miller and tell her parents rights trump hers. millera@nashua.edu

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/1061171-469/focus-on-evolution-climate-change-earn-nashua.html

Focus on evolution, climate change earn Nashua teacher adventure trip through Grand Canyon

By TINA FORBES

Staff Writer

NASHUA – A focus on teaching evolution helped a Nashua High School North science teacher win one of two scholarships in the country for an eight-day rafting trip through the Grand Canyon.

Alyson Miller was awarded the scholarship by the National Center for Science Education along with a teacher in Fresno, Calif.

Miller said she was motivated last year after she had a student whose parents wanted her to opt out of learning about evolution in a high school biology class.

“Taking out evolution is like taking the tree trunk out of a tree,” Miller said. “You’re just left with a pile of leaves.”

Although the student ultimately didn’t leave her class, the policy allowing parents to opt students out of lessons they deem objectionable is state law: Chapter 186:11 IX-C.

“I couldn’t believe this law existed,” said Miller, who said she started looking into the law. She said although it appeared to be prompted by parental objection to sex education in health class, the language allows it to be applied to any course material if parents consider it objectionable.

This year, Miller secured the American Federation of Teacher-Leader grant designed to help teachers make policy changes and began working on finding a way to repeal the law. She’s working with an AFT lawyer to explore how to amend the law now.

“I’m looking to see if the policy has been used, how many times and if it’s been used in a science classroom,” she said.

Miller connected with the NCSE while researching the opt-out policy.

“The National Center for Science Education is kind of a ‘go to’ place for science leaders when you have a question on evolution or climate change,” Miller said. “They were so helpful. They sent back a whole lot of information.”

Miller noticed a posting for the Grand Canyon scholarship.

“I thought that would be really motivating, and a win-win. If I didn’t win the trip, I’d have a lesson plan really finely tuned,” she said, referring to the lesson plan she developed for the application.

Miller has been brushing up on geology in preparation for the trip, although she said experiencing science through nature is the best lesson.

“I’m thrilled to be learning about it,” she said. “I just really would like to bring back to my students something interesting.”

Read the rest of the article by clicking here

New Hampshire Teacher Speaks Up: Is Anyone Listening?

We recently came across this post from a New Hampshire teacher who was courageous enough to speak up. The question now; is anyone listening?

April 6, 2015

A LETTER TO THE EDITOR

A recent article in the Londonderry Times regarding concerns about the new, Common Core aligned SBAC test contained statements made by Heather Gage, Director of Educational Improvement for the New Hampshire Department of Education. Ms. Gage asserted, “Somehow there’s misinformation about us asking questions regarding social issues, such as gun control and sexual orientation. There’s nothing in the assessment like that”. I agree, these exact questions are probably not part of the test. However, what Heather neglected to mention is the fact that, in The US Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology Draft, “ Promoting Grit Tenacity and Perseverance” it is clearly stated that, “ noncognitive factors—and particularly grit, tenacity, and perseverance—should play an essential role in evolving educational priorities.” It also states, “we found common operating principles for designing supportive contexts and evidence that contributing psychological resources can, to a large extent, be taught and cultivated.” I’m not clear on exactly what the intent is here or how it will be implemented. However, if you couple this with the fact that FERPA laws have been weakened and the fact that there has been a shocking lack of transparency regarding Common Core and its associated data collection through SBAC and other means from both the state and federal government, this becomes greatly concerning.

In early February of this year, upon approaching the NH Department of Education myself about my concerns regarding Common Core and SBAC, I was given a link that led me to the works of Linda Darling-Hammond, proponent of using psychometric tests and close friend and colleague of the communist and Weather Underground founder, Bill Ayers. When I approached the NH State BOE regarding these same concerns, I was urged by the board’s chair, Tom Raffio, to acquaint myself with the works of Dave Coleman, head of the College Board and responsible for aligning the new SAT to Common Core. Instead of solid academic research, I was instead given biased information supporting Common Core.

Indeed, we need to be concerned about Common Core’s experimental, one-size-fits-all copyrighted curriculum standards, scripted lessons, untested methods of teaching math, corporations making billions by helping to design and implement this, “ transformation”, high-stakes tests, data mining, and emphasizing test scores which will encourage teaching to the test and inevitably narrow the curriculum. However, what we really need to worry about is the underhanded and undemocratic way that all of this has come about, who is in charge of education in this country and exactly what it is that they are doing.

I have yet to hear of a society that collects personal data on its citizens and uses one-size-fits-all instruction to effectively force “equality” on its masses remain democratic or avoid violating the civil liberties of its citizens.

Diane Rose Sekula
Experienced Educator
RPCV, Moldova, Former USSR, ’99-01

Here is Where the Money Goes

PORTLAND TEACHERS WARNED: “KEEP ON THE LOOKOUT FOR WHITENESS”

This is what teachers must endure: highly paid consultants that teach them they are bad people and racists because they are white.

One wrote: “Keep on the lookout for where whiteness shows up, share that information with colleagues,..” warns Kim Feicke in a recent email to Portland teachers. Feicke is a highly paid “Diversity Consultant” for the Portland Public School System.

This is a story about Portland, Oregon but it’s been happening here in New England since the early 1990s.

IMPORTANT MEETINGS IN CONCORD : NCLB Waiver, etc.

What federal mandates will be forced upon NH public schools over the next FOUR YEARS under the Commissioner’s new NCLB Waiver – which up to this point has been shrouded in secrecy?

These decisions should be made in “consultation with educators at all levels, business people, government officials, community representatives, AND PARENTS” …. according to RSA 193-C.
However the NH DoE will be filing an application for a WAIVER this MONTH.
Here is some information on meetings this week you are encouraged to attend and listen in on.

MONDAY March 16th
Statewide Education Improvement & Assessment Program Legislative Oversite RSA 193-C:7
Room 207 Legislative Office Building (LOB)
9:30am Regular Meeting

TUESDAY March 17th
House Education Committee
Room 207 Legislative Office Building
10:00 am Committee meeting to receive NCLB waiver request briefing from DOE

WEDNESDAY March 25th
NH Board of Education Meeting
Room 100F, State Dept. of Education
101 Pleasant St. Concord
9:00 am No Child Left Behind/ESEA Flexibility Waiver

Submission for NH’s 4 year NCLB waiver is March 25, 2015
Pass this on to TEACHERS too, this is where the State normally agrees (NCLB waiver application) to comply with the Feds and target teachers.

NEA-NH: A Voice For Teachers ?

FullSizeRender-2

FullSizeRender-3

Teachers in NH, are you being well served by your union representation?
IF not, please make sure you are letting them know where you stand on Common Core and the Smarter Balanced Assessment.

Last year we had an opportunity to withdraw from Common Core and all of the harmful practices we are seeing from this reform.  However NEA-NH chose to oppose that legislation.

FIRST: ask how much NEA-NH gave to Governor Hassan’s campaign for Governor and then ask yourself, are you being well served.

Teachers, Has This Happened to You?

This was reported to us as having happened to a teacher from NH as far back as the late 1990s.

The situation is not getting better. It’s very Orwellian and as if we live in a country where we must conform to government political bias or not have a job. If you speak out against bad education policies you will be punished and even fired, and someone who drinks the Koolaid hired in your place.

Our NH teacher reports that she was even followed and ‘spied’ upon day in and day out, with every little move marked in a folder, INCLUDING the fact that one day when she was very busy, she DARED to eat lunch at her desk for 20 minutes instead of eating in the teachers room with the rest of the teachers.

Can you imagine being called into the principal’s office and questioned for that? They didn’t even want her to deviate from the group on her own free time. Sounds like the gulag to us.

It’s as if we now live in Cuba, North Korea, or Communist China…

Deborah Vailes has been teaching junior high in Louisiana’s Rapides Parish School District for the past twelve years. She is passionate about helping special needs children become better readers. Little did she know that an early morning post critical of the Common Core Curriculum on her personal Facebook page would lead to disciplinary action, suppression of her right to free speech, retaliation from school officials, and possible loss of her job.

Read more…

Governor Hassan’s Commissioner BEGS for MORE Standardized Testing

Council of Chief State School Officers Beg Congress to Keep Mass Standardized Testing in place.

NOW who is PART of the Council of Chief State School Officers from NH?
That would be Commissioner Virginia Barry
This is who Governor Hassan appointed as the Department head.

YOU can THANK Governor Maggie Hassan for the continued destruction in public education and the problems teachers are describing in their local schools.

Instead of working to RID our schools of this destructive practice, they are lobbying for it to CONTINUE!

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2015/01/ccsso_to_congress_keep_annual_.html

The U.S. Department of Education Wages War On Teachers and Governor Hassan Does Nothing To Stop It

The Department of Education has proposed a new rule that would link student’s test scores on standardized tests to new teachers’ performance and back to their teacher preparation programs – denying the schools funding if these teachers do not produce the desired testing results.
https://www.federalregister.gov/…/teacher-preparation-issue

Bullying OF Teachers Who Oppose Common Core Should Be UNACCEPTABLE

We hope Governor Hassan and Commissioner Barry will issue a STRONG stance against the bullying of any teachers in New Hampshire who publicly speak out on the problems they are seeing with Common Core.

We’ve had some courageous teachers in New Hampshire speak out against Common Core and it is necessary to support these teachers. Parents need to hold their school administrators accountable if there is any kind of bullying against these courageous teachers.  You can do that by going directly to your local school board if you are aware of any bullying against teachers.  Writing letters to the editor of you local papers and contacting you local elected officials can also be helpful.

We need to stand together to support the teachers who are willing to share the information that puts our children in a harmful situation.

EDUCATION

Arizona teacher says Common Core views led to retaliation

Published December 03, 2014

PHOENIX –  A Tucson teacher who says he suffered retaliation from state Department of Education staffers because his opposed Arizona’s new Common Core standards is suing the state.

The lawsuit filed by the Goldwater Institute in Maricopa County Superior Court Tuesday seeks to have teacher Brad McQueen reinstated to state testing committees and notes placed in his state file removed.

The suit says McQueen was removed from his committee roles earlier this year after he spoke out against Common Core and its accompanying tests in a newspaper story. Goldwater attorney Kurt Altman says the removal and notes placed in his file violate McQueen’s free speech rights.