At a meeting in Washington, DC, Governor Chris Sununu met with Federal Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. There, he talked about charter schools and workforce pathways, according to NH1 News:
Sununu said he and Devos talked a lot about creating workforce pathways for students as early as the sixth grade. He said they want to make sure that students have a choice when it comes to taking more creative classes and classes that are going to help them achieve their career goals.
“We talked very directly about charter school grants, which we have not received in this state for quite some time, but we are applying for again,” Sununu said. He said New Hampshire has seen some great successes with its charter schools.
“We’re going to keep promoting them, and they provide a great alternative within the public school system,” Sununu said.
Also discussed between Sununu and Devos was a recently passed bill that changes the number of times students must participate in statewide standardized testing. HB 166 changes statewide standardized test requirements to mandate one statewide standardized test in elementary, middle and high school. Currently, students must take a statewide standardized test in grades 3 through 8, and one in high school. Under the new law, in the years that third- through eighth-grade students don’t take a statewide exam, the schools will be required to administer their own standardized tests to evaluate progress.
Sununu said they are hoping to get a waiver from the Federal Department of Education to allow the process to take place.
“It’s going to free up time in the classroom for teachers, time to create more individualized lesson planning and things of that nature,” Sununu said.
Source: Gov. Sununu addresses education, NH environmental concerns during DC trip | NH1 News
