Tag Archives: TomRaffio

Who is trying to destroy public education in NH? We name names

We decided to stay out of the politics when Governor Sununu appointed a new Commissioner of Education. The former Commissioner was a huge disappointment to all of us because of her allegiance to the dumbed down Common Core Standards. We never know if a new Commissioner is truly committed to quality academic standards or not. We’ve seen enough to know that there is always a possibility that we will see a re-brand of the Common Core and that only makes it worse.

Governor Sununu ran his campaign promising to scrap Common Core. This is encouraging since Governor Hassan was committed to Common Core in spite of the outcries from parents.

We would love to see Gov. Sununu follow through on this important task but the proof will come when that task is finally accomplished.

Governor Sununu appointed Frank Edelblut as Commissioner of Education. We remained neutral in spite of the outcry from partisans who decried that he was unqualified. Of course he was qualified but it remains to be seen if he will have the courage to “scrap” Common Core and put forth academic standards that are truly world class.

Commissioner Edelblut has taken a great deal of heat just for breathing. It seems as if the political forces are not going to let him move forward with any proposed changes. Whether it be the Common Core Standards, the Next Generation Science Standards or reorganizing the Department, it looks like there will be partisan opposition along the way. That’s truly unfortunate since education should always focus on children.

What we are seeing is political partisans lining up to shoot down the new Commissioner before he has a chance to do anything. That’s not good for kids, that’s partisan politics at its worst.

Stop Common Core NH is made up of parents and teachers across the state of New Hampshire. We are diverse in our political backgrounds, but our focus is always on improving public education. The Common Core Standards are not the best we can do for our kids in public schools and neither are the Next Generation Science Standards. These are dumbed down national standards and we can do better.

Everyone says, these are the minimum standards. Well we are tired of public school children getting the minimum. Why aren’t we shooting for the best?

There is NO excuse for this political game being played at the expense of your children.

Who has been fully engaged in making sure we continue with the status quo in New Hampshire? We are going to name names.

1) Executive Councilor Andru Volinsky. District 2
Volinsky has been opposed to Commissioner Edelblut since he was nominated and now he is attacking him for wanting to improve the science standards for your kids.
Volinsky represents: Acworth, Alstead, Barnstead, Belmont, Boscawen, Bradford, Canterbury, Charlestown, Chesterfield, Dublin, Durham, Farmington, Gilmanton, Gilsum, Goshen, Hancock, Harrisville, Henniker, Hinsdale, Hopkinton, Langdon, Lempster, Madbury, Marlborough, Marlow, Nelson, Newbury, Northfield, Rollinsford, Roxbury, Salisbury, Stoddard, Strafford, Sullivan, Surry, Sutton, Unity, Walpole, Warner, Washington, Webster, Westmoreland, and Winchester, and the cities of Concord, Dover, Franklin, Keene, Rochester, and Somersworth.

2) Chairman Tom Raffio New Hampshire State Board of Education District 4

3) Bill Duncan State Board of Education District 3

4) Cindy Chagnon State Board of Education At Large

5) Helen Honorow State Board of Education District 5

6) Gary Groleau State Board of Education At Large
**All of these State Board Members argued against the Commissioner reviewing the Next Generation Science Standards in an effort to improve them.

If you go here: https://www.education.nh.gov/state_board/ Click on meetings & minutes, then click on the link to the videos.
Click on: NH SB Video and scroll down to 2017 then April 6, 2017
Go to 1:50:00 and watch your State Board Members argue against improving science standards for your children.

We have a diverse group of parents and teachers working together to support quality standards in this state. We have a few partisans working against us so we need parents to recognize what is going on.

Make sure you are taking time to let these people know that you do not appreciate their partisan games they are playing with your kids and your public schools. They have become obstructionists to quality public education in this state and your kids will suffer the consequences if you do not speak up.

Send a message by attending a State Board of Education Meeting and tell them you want the Commissioner to improve the academic standards in this state. Tell them to STOP obstructing his efforts. If you cannot attend a meeting, send an e-mail and ask other parents to do the same.
Andru.Volinsky@nh.gov
TomRaffio@nedelta.com
waduncansboe@gmail.com
kcassady@allstaffcorp.com
ggroleau@nhbb.com
chags@comcast.net
hhonorow@barrylawoffice.com
annlanenhsboe@gmail.com
Frank.Edelblut@doe.nh.gov

It’s time to put our children above partisan political games!!!

Who’s Working Against Parents In NH? We Are Naming Names

This year is proving to be quite the battle for parents who want control over their local schools versus allowing the Feds to run their schools with the help from the New Hampshire Dept. of Education.

We’ve highlighted pro-parent legislation like HB206 and how Rep. Terry Wolf (R-Bedford) removed written consent from parents, in an amendment, when their children are subjected to invasive surveys on controversial issues like sexual activity, gun ownership, drugs, alcohol, etc.

We’ve highlighted how SB101 was vetoed by Governor Hassan that simply clarified that schools do not have to adopt the Common Core standards. Chairman Raffio of the New Hampshire Board of Education also ignored the voices of parents and objected to SB 101. By placing SB101 in to statute, it would have helped parents who want to direct their local schools to use superior academic standards. Here is a list of State Reps who voted against parents (voted nay)

Democrats and a few Republicans have actively worked against parents and we hope we’ve managed to point out who those legislators are.

We’d like to keep pointing out a trend among the Democrats and a few Republicans who consistently oppose parental rights in New Hampshire. We’d also like to point out that you may actually be paying the salaries of lobbyists who also actively lobby against parental rights legislation too.

Let us remind you that just a few short years ago when Governor Lynch VETOED HB542 which gave parents the right to replace objectionable material (at their expense) that was assigned to their child.

Since then a few parents have exercised their right to replace materials that were assigned to their children that they found objectionable.

The law has worked great to help parents but it has also helped the schools too. How? Often times parents have to fight to remove objectionable material from the class and/or school. Now if one parent objects, they can simply replace the material for their children and not disrupt the class if the rest of the parents are fine with the assignment.

Who stood against parents?
1) Governor Lynch
2) Bill Duncan (who was appointed to the NH Board Of Education By Gov. Maggie Hassan
3 The Nashua Telegraph
4) UNH professors
5) NH School Administrators Association (check your school budget, chances are your taxes are paying this lobbyist)
6) The NH School Boards Association (Check your school budget, chances are your taxes are paying this lobbyist)
7) Lobbyists from the NEA-NH
8) NH Dept. of Education.

It’s important to take note of the same faces/lobbyists who continue to actively work against parents in New Hampshire.

Sources:
http://nhfamiliesforeducation.org/content/hb-542-proposes-end-discrimination-public-schools

https://unh-education-department.wikispaces.com/file/view/Policy_Brief_12-01_on_+HB-542.pdf

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/opinioneditorials/947655-263/parental-rights-law-goes-too-far.html

NH Commissioner Barry Finally Agrees To Meet With The Manchester School Board

Finally Commissioner Barry has decided to meet with the Manchester School Board next Monday night, reversing her previous opposition to PUBLIC meetings. NH BoE Chairman (and lobbyist) Tom Raffio will join the Commissioner, since she didn’t want to meet alone with Mayor Gatsas.

Let’s make the Commissioner accountable to the people. Let’s have an open discussion on her new Waiver proposals.

How is that going to affect Manchester students and the rest of the state?
http://www.unionleader.com/article/20150427/NEWS06/150429252

Maine Teachers Turning On Common Core

AUGUSTA – Maine teachers are growing frustrated with the Common Core State Standards, a controversial educational reform that has quietly wound its way into nearly every American school in the past few years.

“Teachers from around the country (including many here in Maine) have expressed concerns about the way the Common Core standards are being implemented and assessed,” wrote Maine Education Association (MEA) lobbyist John Kosinski in a Feb. 19 email to Democratic leaders.

“Frustration is quickly growing among teachers,” Kosinski wrote.

The email, which was sent to Senate President Justin Alfond (D-Portland), House Speaker Mark Eves (D-North Berwick), Sen. Rebecca Millett (D-Cape Elizabeth) and Rep. Bruce MacDonald (D-Booth Bay), was obtained by The Maine Wire through a public records request.

Kosinski did not respond to requests for comment about Common Core and the MEA, but the email says the National Education Association (NEA) is “calling for a review of the standards and their implementation.”

“You can expect the NEA will be calling for greater collaboration with teachers on retooling the standards,” he wrote.

Maine replaced the Maine Learning Results with the Common Core in January of 2011, becoming the 42nd state to have adopted them.