NH School Scoop - May 27, 2025
Students may soon be reclaiming their cellphones at dismissal, school choice is in while the arts are out, and the US Department of Education might be making a quiet comeback.
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📱In her Inaugural Speech, Governor Ayotte expressed her desire to eliminate cellphones from New Hampshire’s classrooms. In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Ayotte supported a “bell-to-bell” ban on cellphones, which may become the strictest policy in the nation. The House Education Committee is split on the issue but a majority of states now have laws banning cellphones in schools.
🏛️ In NH legislative news: The latest consideration of the parental rights bill has been postponed to June 5. Heading to the Governor’s Desk is HB 520 which would give subpoena power to the NH Department of Education, HB 90 permitting unlicensed part-time teachers to teach in NH schools, HB 235 expanding the Educator Code of Conduct to include non-descriptive responsibilities regarding parents, HB 324 which would criminalize various educator actions around book banning, and HB 148 allowing businesses and government entities to classify bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports by biological sex, not gender identity.
🏫 A federal judge has reversed the Trump Administration’s decision to shut down the US Department of Education and lay off most staff. While administration officials claim that the personnel moves were made to make the department more efficient, the Judge in the case disagrees with the motive. This latest court decision stems from a pair of lawsuits filed in March.
💵 If passed, funding for school vouchers in the House’s “big, beautiful bill” may be used to fund private education, including religious schools. Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court struck down the creation of the first public charter school in the country. The vote was 4-4 with Justice Barrett’s abstention.
👩🏫 A big shout-out to the nine semi-finalists for 2026 NH Teacher of the Year. selected from 105 nominees. We will announce the overall winner this fall, and this educator will participate in the National Teacher of the Year program, administered by the Council of Chief State School Officers.
🎭 The NH Senate is leaning toward eliminating the NH State Council on the Arts due to budget troubles. How does this impact schools? Many districts apply for grants, such as the artist-in-residence program.
🏅 Extra Credit:
Congratulations to Merrimack High School for winning Granite State Challenge this year, beating Tilton School for its fifth overall victory and third in a row. Did you know that Bow High social studies teacher Jon Cannon has been the host of the program since the 2018-19 season?
Three professors and literacy program creators, Lucy Calkins, Irene Fountas, and Gay Su Pinnell are off the hook as the class action suit against them has been dismissed.
Congrats to Jo Slavitz, a teacher at Dover Middle School, for being named among 10 middle school teachers from 10 states selected to participate in the National STEM Scholar Program.
Should school districts allow a posthumous diploma to a student who died during their senior year? A Conval family wants the district to reverse its decision.
Through the years, this editor stayed with students scores of times after school events, waiting for parents to pick their child up. About three-quarters of educators surveyed do the same thing, for as long as it takes. Approximately 1/4 of these students are sent to an after-school program, 18% of educators call the police, and 13% drive the students home. (Potential paywall.)
A 2018 anti-discrimination law protecting transgender students’ rights may be overturned if Governor Ayotte signs House Bill 148. Meanwhile, some trans kids are leaving the state based on the legal climate.
As we’ve covered in the Scoop, Tom Ambrose, the former Superintendent of the Sanborn Regional School District, resigned over a student abuse case this year. He will receive $500,000 in severance pay and compensatory damages upon his departure. The investigation overall revealed several instances of poor judgment by staff and administrators. Would you like to delve into the details of the case? The public Investigation Report is right here.
This week, the NH School Administrators Association named its Champions for Children during a special event in Concord. Congratulations to Tracey MacLean, Cindy Burnell, Troy Bressette, Sue Wilson and Elizabeth Sides.
Right now, Epipens are free to place in NH schools. However, a new GOP bill would require these devices in every school, despite the future potential cost.
Should the Manchester School District be part of the city government? This question will be put to voters this fall.
While UNH’s Child Study and Development Center faces potential outsourcing (as do Keene State and Plymouth University’s counterparts), the 35 UNH employees being laid off do not include faculty. (Thanks to Seacoast Online.)
On Wednesday, US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon testified that the USDOE budget will include funding to support literacy and school choice.
You and your children may not have easy future access to COVID-19 vaccines, according to new FDA policies.
Educators: Be aware of the dangers of TikTok challenges. It could land you in the hospital.
📖 Picks of the Week:
It’s hard to ignore the press coverage on teenage cell phone use. The accelerant for this issue has been NYU Professor Jonathan Haidt, who wrote the best-selling book, The Anxious Generation. (If you haven't read Haidt, check out his comments in this video.) Last Thursday, Haidt published an in-depth look at a new study based on his book, and wrote this review on his Substack, After Babel.
Evidence on the teaching of reading is unequivocal that students must be taught in all Five Pillars of Reading, first developed by the National Reading Panel. But even in a school with expert early-grade reading instruction, why do some students still struggle to read at older ages? This MindShift article is a clear examinations on that critical question.
