UPDATE
Executive Session of House Ways and Means Committee: Tuesday, February 17, 2:00 PM LOB Room 202.
Rep. Delmar Burridge (D) has proposed HB 583 which would impose a State income tax on the citizens of NH even though Governor Lynch has repeatedly said he would veto any such tax.
Bill text:
HB 583 – 2009
Other provisions of the bill would make teachers employees of the state not the school districts for which they worked: (regionalism!)
“This bill establishes an income tax at the rate of 5 percent to adequately fund public education. The bill requires public school teachers in this state to become state employees, beginning in fiscal year 2012. The bill also requires applicants for state licenses and registrations to be current with their state income taxes. The bill also repeals the interests and dividends tax.”
This bill would bring us closer to the goals of some ‘reformers’ who advocate abolishing local school boards, and centralizing the control of curriculum and funding of education through federal and state channels, not local school boards, such as they are.
CNHT has many teachers on its board and among its membership. We agree that more money is NOT what is needed to improve education in the state of NH, or anywhere.
What is needed to improve schools is less time and money spent on educational fads, many of which are programs being peddled by reformers and consultants that do nothing to educate but do everything to line the pockets of the programs’ creators. These programs often emphasize values and beliefs over the teaching of skills, and often ascribe to impractical methodologies and unproven theories.
Instead, more time should be spent on skills-based learning. Teacher training goals should be the improvement of their classroom management skills and knowledge of their content area.
Teachers should be reinstated as the authority in their classrooms and they should be supported in all disciplinary matters.
Districts that are top-heavy with administrators should either cut these positions or place these personnel in the classrooms where they are needed and the real work is to be done.
The law should be dedicated to the preservation of local control, and there needs to be a return of parental and taxpayer rights in all educational matters.
This bill will be heard before the House Ways and Means Committee on February 10, 2009 at 2:30 in Room 202 of the LOB.
Please either write to the committee and your legislators or plan to appear and express your OPPOSITION to this bill.