{"id":7070,"date":"2017-12-24T14:44:16","date_gmt":"2017-12-24T19:44:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cnht.org\/news\/?p=7070"},"modified":"2017-12-24T14:44:54","modified_gmt":"2017-12-24T19:44:54","slug":"sb466-another-partisan-attack-on-new-hampshires-commissioner-of-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cnht.org\/news\/2017\/12\/24\/sb466-another-partisan-attack-on-new-hampshires-commissioner-of-education\/","title":{"rendered":"SB466, Another Partisan Attack on New Hampshire\u2019s Commissioner of Education?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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New Hampshire\u2019s Senate Democrats filed legislation to limit the activities of the Commissioner of Education. SB 466<\/a> says; \u201cduring their term of appointment, a commissioner may not hold or campaign for elective office, serve as the officer of a political party or political committee, use his or her name in support of or in opposition to a candidate, participate in or contribute to political campaigns or act as a lobbyist.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

SB466 is sponsored by Senators: Woodburn, Dist 1; Cavanaugh, Dist 16; Feltes, Dist 15; Fuller Clark, Dist 21; SHennessey, Dist 5; Kahn, Dist 10; Lasky, Dist 13; Soucy, Dist 18 and; Watters, Dist 4. <\/strong><\/p>\n

In this article by Brietbart<\/a>, Volinsky\u2019s line of questioning appeared to be more of an \u201cinquisition\u201d rather than a hearing to determine if the Commissioner could carry out his duties. It should be noted that in his line of questioning, Councilor Volinsky never asked Commissioner Edelblut about his views on the most important issue in public education today\u2013 Common Core. From the beginning, Councilors Pappas and Volinsky made Commissioner Edelblut a controversial figure, not based on what he would do for public education, but for partisan reasons. Had they really cared about public education, they would have addressed the most important issue facing public schools today.<\/p>\n

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Commissioner Edelblut has challenged the education establishment in New Hampshire. He was appointed by Governor Chris Sununu with the task of reviewing and replacing Common Core. Governor Sununu was elected by the voters in New Hampshire on the campaign promise to \u201cscrap Common Core.\u201d By appointing Commissioner Edelblut, the job is getting done.<\/p>\n

Commissioner Edelblut has run into resistance by some of the current State Board of Education members who were left over from the Hassan administration. They are still committed to the dumbed down Common Core Standards that plague New Hampshire\u2019s schools.<\/p>\n

Elevating the standards and testing would go a long way to improving our public schools in New Hampshire, but that means taking on the education establishment. This isn\u2019t an easy task given the political nature, and we see it in the constant attacks on Commissioner Edelblut.<\/p>\n

The latest attack<\/a> comes in the form of legislation. SB466 seeks to tie the hands of Commissioner Edelblut. Is this another partisan attack on the Commissioner? SB466 for instance, says that the Commissioner is prohibited from acting as \u201ca lobbyist.\u201d However, during former Commissioner Barry\u2019s tenure, she lobbied against parents who supported legislation to rid their public schools of Common Core.<\/p>\n

Here is a video of the lobbying by former Commissioner Barry. In her public testimony, she disparages parents who were fighting to improve their local public schools. (1:10) The room was full of parents who had come to Concord to share their stories of how Common Core was dumbing down their schools. Former Commissioner Barry not only ignored their testimony, she publicly shamed them for actively engaging the political system.<\/p>\n