NH School Scoop - February 4, 2025
The Trump Administration wasted little time in making decisions affecting schools, NAEP scores are rosier for NH than most states, and a NH bill is designed to fire a school superintendent.
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It is challenging to keep up with the flurry of Trump Administration actions that impact education. Look for potential mid-week updates from the Scoop.
🏦 This just in: President Trump aims to defund significant portions of the US Department of Education (USDOE) to eliminate the Department eventually. According to reports, the first step will be to diminish portions of the agency through executive action and then appeal to Congress to shut down the department altogether, as Trump promised during the campaign. The Administration will be looking to cut anything from the USDOE budget that is not mandated by law. CNN has reported today that dozens of USDOE workers were already asked to go home and possibly be fired. These specific employees attended a DEI workshop during Trump’s first administration and participated in a follow-up workshop during the Biden term.
🫶 Trump has also mandated that USAID, which generally supports poorer countries throughout the work, be closed indefinitely. Shutting down USAID might bankrupt a Milford organization supporting children with disabilities. Inclusive Development Partners (IDP) receives nearly all of its funding from USAID, and Trump’s decision to close the agency will impact scores of children if IDP goes bankrupt. Also, Trump shuttered a federal safety board amid continued school safety concerns.
🍎 Trump released two executive orders last week expanding private school choice while attempting to ban school curriculum that emphasizes racism and gender discussion in classrooms. Schools in NH may also be brought into the immigration world if ICE officials decide to enforce their operations by capturing students from their classrooms.
👨⚖️ Meanwhile, a House Resolution sponsored by Republican Mike Belcher seeks to fire Bow and Dunbarton’s School Superintendent. Angry by the decision from Bow administrators to ban adults from protesting a transgender player during a local soccer game, Belcher feels it’s essential for someone to stand up for free speech. Superintendent Marcy Kelley is concerned by the precedent the legislation brings.
📝 NAEP results were bad news for the nation but slightly better for the Granite State. The pandemic slide appears to have stopped in math; racial minorities and economically disadvantaged children all did better in math, although overall scores are still lower now than before the pandemic. On the other hand, there is no good news for reading, as these scores dropped across the board. Scores were better for NH in particular. Even Peggy Carr, Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, was upbeat about the Granite State’s NAEP performance. However, NH scored lower than our neighbors to the south, as Massachusetts often scores in the top three US states.
Extra Credit:
Lawyers for Bow/Dunbarton school administrators are asking a temporary injunction be denied, which would allow adults to continue protesting a transgender athlete. (potential paywall.)
Another “parent’s bill of rights” is being considered by the legislature. This version states that educators must disclose personal information about their students absent “compelling governmental interest.”
Now that we’ve had some time to debrief PowerSchool about its data breach, we know it was likely the most significant breach of personal information about US children.
Sexual misconduct rules will change under the Trump Administration’s Department of Education.
Some NH House Republicans would like to cap local school budgets to keep school costs down. At the same time, the NH School Funding Fairness Project testified in support of HB 550, as they see a lack of state funding as the primary issue.
The NH Department of Education released guidance regarding transition for students with disabilities.
The NH Teacher of the Year, Candice DeAngelis, has created a teacher recognition program for innovative instructional methods entitled Trailblazers of Education.
Merrimack Valley School District’s non-public meetings raise questions about when and how central office administrators informed their school board about the $2 million overspent last school year. (Thanks to the Concord Monitor)
Bedford voters will be asked to fund full-day kindergarten.
Cellphone bans across NH are growing and receiving support from the State House and school districts. Somersworth School District embraced a cellphone ban recently.
Last year, the Laconia School District had to cover $50,000 in outstanding student food service debt due to unpaid lunch tabs.
Administrators: NHED’s sample letter for this year’s spring state assessments is at this link.
The NEA-NH Legislative Update includes information on potential collective bargaining changes, air quality legislation, and more.
Picks of the Week:
February is Black History Month. Why not take some time this month to enjoy poetry by the great American poet and civil rights leader Langston Hughes, whose birthday was February 1. Here are some splendid resources on Hughes. The National Association of Elementary School Principals also has ideas on teaching black history.
Instructional Rounds utilize the medical model of in-time professional development. The problem is making it happen, but rounds have great potential.
One of the most significant concerns of new teachers is how to manage a classroom day after day. As Carol Ann Tomlinson suggests in this classic article, perhaps humanizing your class makes the most sense.
