New Hampshire Commissioner of Education Virginia Barry gave yet another power point presentationon the Common Core State Standards to a gathering of the New Hampshire School Administrators Association at Bedford High last night. Approximately ninety school board members and district staffers from the south central region were in attendance, as were more than eighty ordinary citizens hoping to get long standing questions about Common Core answered. The night got off to a bad start when association president Michael Delahanty, Salem’s Superintendent, told Hooksett State Senator David Boutin he could not ask questions or make comments because that was only for school district personnel that could, and I quote, “make decisions.” In saying with due respect that he too was in a position to make decisions, Boutin said he thought it was a public meeting, which Delahanty said it was, but only association members would be allowed to participate.
One of the night’s more interesting exchanges took place between Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas and Commissioner Barry. During her presentation, Barry said the waiver that was being used only gave the state of New Hampshire a two year reprieve from the requirements of the No Child Left Behind law she all but said ruined public education. Gatsas asked when the clock began to tick and when it would expire. Looks like it expires at the end of the two thousand fifteen school year. He also asked what happens if it’s not extended. Barry said she didn’t know and that they’d deal with it two years from now. In follow up, Gatsas told the room how years ago, Manchester built schools without classroom walls when it was all the rage. Now, he said, it’s not the way things are done anymore, but we still have schools without classroom walls and he questioned why the state would change everything knowing it could go away in less than two years. After the meeting, he said it just didn’t make sense to him.
Finally, Barry admitted that school districts do not have to adopt Common Core, but she also said that the State Board of Education had not adopted Common Core, that it had only endorsed it, which is why its voluntary. Well, that got my email box filled with minutes of the July eight two thousand ten meeting of the board, where it clearly says, and I quote, Daphne Kenyon made the motion, seconded by Tom Raffio, that the State Board of Education adopt in principle the final draft of the Common Core State Standards and that the Department of Education commit to a thoughtful, orderly transition process for implementation and assessment to ensure that all New Hampshire students experience a successful and productive future. The vote went four to one with Chairman Lyons opposed, expressing quote significant concerns over the process, end quote. Those emails also reference the waiver application noting that the state adopted Common Core.
We’ll have much more on this during the show.
News from our own backyard continues after this.
As you awaken, you’ll come to know your government shut down at Midnight last night. Let’s try to keep it together, people. Of course, Senator Jeanne Shaheen has put out the statements about how dire this is for small business and individuals, the very people she’s gladly stuck with the tenets of things like Obamacare while exempting herself and her staff from the same rules. G O P Senate Candidate Jim Rubens put out a statement saying the whole fight misses the primary point and that is this: Lawmakers need to be discussing reforms to correct our nation’s horrific systemic debt and deficits, which they’re not. And, surprise! Comprehensive Kelly Ayotte, whose staff is now monitoring our program, put out a ridiculous statement expressing her quote unquote disappointment that Democrats wouldn’t entertain Republican amendments eliminating the ObamaCare Medical Device tax and delaying the implementation of Obamacare for one year to the continuing resolution. Really, Kelly, you expected Harry Reid to allow votes on those amendments because you caved on the filibuster? All I can say is we the people aren’t surprised. We’re not that dumb.
That’s news from our own backyard, Girard at Large hour ___ starts right now!
