Why The NH DOE Commissioner Virginia Barry Needs To Be Censured
by John Lyscars
To David, John, Gregory, Bill, David, House Education, Emma, Molly, Virginia, Gary, Kevin, Helen, Tom, Cindy, Nancy…
Good Morning Senator Boutin,
I have copied the state legislators who have a keen interest in the future of NH education of our children and am hopeful that you and other Senators and Representatives can reign in some of the unelected positions within the NH Department of Education. Please let me explain.
Last night, at a Hooksett School Board meeting, I made the following motion, and while making the motion I clearly stated that the motion did not put the Superintendent or School District in any path of violating the law.
Motion: “Upon a parent or guardian submitting a notification to the Hooksett School District to refuse their child participate in the Smarter Balanced Assessment Test, the Hooksett School District is responsible for bringing that child to an alternate location with supervision for the duration of the testing period. Furthermore, no penalties will be assessed to children who do not participate in the Smarter Balanced Assessment Test.”
Unfortunately, the Superintendent had included in his updates the following Technical Service Advisory from Commissioner Barry…
http://www.education.nh.gov/standards/documents/assessment-no-opting-out.pdf
…which included scare tactics to be employed against the parents and elected school board members, and because of this, the motion was defeated, with most of the arguments stating that the Board did not want to put the district or the Superintendent in a position of violating the law.
As a life long citizen of New Hampshire, USAF Veteran and elected Hooksett School Board member, I am calling on those in the Senate and House who value the protection of children and parents ultimate rights to refuse the Smarter Balanced Assessment Tests for their child to formally censure Commissioner Virginia Barry and any other officials who are not elected by New Hampshire constituents, and who participate in these types of tactics, to remind them that irresponsible and heavy handed statements carry a great deal of weight down here close to the children and parents, and that irresponsible scare tactics will not be tolerated by our elected legislative body.
Respectfully Submitted,
John Lyscars
Founder – H.E.L.P. – Higher Education Lifts People
https://www.facebook.com/groups/helphooksettkids/
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
~Martin Luther King Jr.