Re: Written Testimony in Opposition to Senate Bill 193

First, I would like to thank Representative Kurk and the Committee for the opportunity to address our opposition to Senate Bill 193, an act establishing education freedom savings accounts for students.

As President of the Nashua Teachers’ Union, I write this letter on behalf of more than 1,000 teachers and with unanimous support of my Board of Directors.  We adamantly oppose any type of education freedom savings account or voucher programs in our state.  This bill would take away state per pupil aid and give it to non-public, unregulated schools.  There is no meaningful accountability for those students that are no longer in public schools, creating a different standard for our students across the state.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court threw out the Congressional District maps approved by the Republican-controlled legislature in 2011, ruling on Monday (Jan. 22) that the voting districts were gerrymandered to give GOP lawmakers an electoral advantage. "The court's decision is a huge victory that protects voters from being marginalized by a dominant political party. AFTPA is proud to have played a role in protecting the rights of thousands of Pennsylvania voters." AFTPA President Ted Kirsch said.

Spearhead Newsletter Winter 2017-2018

PLAISTOW, NH— January 10, 2018 —the leadership of the Timberlane Teachers’ Association and Timberlane Support Staff Union released the following statement:

After a prolonged public discussion over drastic cuts proposed to the Timberlane Regional School District 2018-2019 budget, the Timberlane Regional School Board adopted, without deliberation, a default budget that does not adhere to the formula prescribed in RSA-40-14b. 1, according to Timberlane Teachers’ Association President, AFT#4796, Ryan Richman and Timberlane Support Staff Union President, AFT#6530, Laurie Herchenroder. 

Congratulations to eight schools where educators are represented by OFT that received the 2017 All A Award. The eight schools represent five of our  locals. The All A Award is presented by the state board of education recognizing schools that earned straight As on all applicable report card measures. Awards mark the hard work of our members at Cleveland's Clark School, Citizen's Leadership Academy and Glenville High School, Toledo's McTighe Elementary and Whittier Elementary, Cincinnati's Roberts Academy: A Paideia Learning Community, New Lexington Middle School and Triad Middle School.

It's time to start thinking about Classified Employee of the Year!!..  We have some changes to the procedure this year.  We would like each building site to recommend one person, so each site participates and no site is left out.  From all district sites winners will be chosen.  Look for an email in the next few weeks.

The AFT Healthcare-Maryland bargaining team is pleased to present the 2018-2020 Tentative Agreement to the AFT Healthcare-Maryland bargaining unit.  There are four separate documents for review, as follows:

1.  The Tentative Agreement for the 2018-2020 contract

EARLY DISMISSAL FOR TODAY, JANUARY 8, 2018
Liberal Leave for Non-Essential Employees at 1:30 p.m.
(Authorization is required)

Effective at 1:30 p.m., liberal leave is in effect for non-essential employees.  Non-essential employees must follow departmental leave request procedures.  Non-essential employees working afternoon/evening shifts should seek guidance from their immediate supervisors regarding reporting. Employees will be required to use accumulated vacation, personal leave, or compensatory time, or authorized leave without pay.

For the complete bulletin, click here, or on the image below. 

The NH Legislature managed to meet one day this past week, but Thursday’s snowstorm and the bitter cold led to the cancellation of Thursday’s scheduled House session.  Instead, the House will convene this Tuesday, January 9, to continue working through the remaining retained bills from 2017.  Although an additional session day on Thursday, January 11 is possible, most expect the House to finish retained bills on the 9^th and then commence committee hearings on 2018 bills.

SB 193  The big news this past week was House passage of Senate Bill 193 as amended , the bill establishing so-called “education freedom savings accounts.”  In simple terms, the bill takes funds normally distributed by the State to local school districts and places the money into accounts that can be used by parents who home-school or choose to send their children to private (including religious) schools.  The NH Constitution explicitly prohibits expending public funds in support of religious schools, so the “education freedom savings accounts” are an attempt to bypass that prohibition.  As one House member noted in debate, these accounts will act as a pass-through system, or in more direct language, as a “money-laundering” system to render public revenues into non-public money and thereby circumvent the state’s Constitution.