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What is Competency-Based Learning?

$57 million in federal funding at risk if lawmakers waive certification requirements for teachers 

An effort to waive certification and licensure requirements for part-time teachers and paraprofessionals could put $57 million in federal funding at risk, according to...

Legislative Update: What’s happening with the NHED’s standards overhaul? And co-ops take spotlight this...

At their February meeting, the NH State Board of Education voted to advance the NH Education Department’s proposed overhaul of the minimum standards for...

Lawmakers face dueling priorities: Expanding school vouchers or restoring funding for public schools?

The New Hampshire House Finance Committee is considering a bill that would restore $62 million in state funding for public schools, beginning next school...

Legislative Update: March Madness – NHED subpoena power, school voucher accountability, uncertified part-time teachers,...

This week, lawmakers are on a break with their winter recess. Next week, the first week of March, the legislature resumes with a jam-packed schedule...

Teacher Certification and Student Outcomes: What the Research Says

Lawmakers are considering two bills that would allow uncertified and unlicensed individuals to teach in public schools as long as they work “part-time,” or...

PRESS RELEASE: Overhaul of public school minimum standards are a cause of concern for...

On Thursday, February 15, the NH Department of Education is expected to introduce their proposed Minimum Standards for Public School Approval, also known as...

Mary Wilke: School Vouchers and Fiscal Responsibility | Union Leader

Mary Wilke, a retired public school teacher living in Concord, wrote to the Union Leader on the School Vouchers and Fiscal Responsibility. From the Union...

Social Emotional Learning ban brings out strong opposition 

On Monday, February 5, Representative John Sellers (R-Bristol) introduced a bill that would ban social-emotional learning (SEL) in public schools. House Bill (HB) 1473...

Partial school voucher expansion could cost the state up to $66 million per year,...

Increasing the income eligibility for the state’s school voucher program could cost the state up to $66 million per year, according to Reaching Higher...

Legislative Update: House will vote on universal school voucher expansion on Thursday while committee...

After a marathon voting session last week, the House is scheduled to vote on universal school voucher expansion this Thursday, which could cost the...
New Hampshire State House

School voucher expansion will be “a floor fight” in New Hampshire House

Three bills that would usher in a universal school voucher program will go to the House floor in the coming weeks. The House Education...

Legislative Update: Marathon voting day next week includes school voucher expansion; hearings expanding State...

Next week, the House Education Committee will hold a two-day session voting on recommendations for nearly 50 bills, including four bills that would expand...

Legislative Update: Non-certified teachers in the classroom? Some lawmakers say OK

This week, lawmakers heard from thousands of Granite Staters who oppose school voucher program expansion. Ninety-three percent (93%) of the testimony submitted was in...

10 things to know about HB 1652, the local school voucher program 

The House Education Committee will hold a hearing on House Bill (HB) 1652, a proposed law that would create local school vouchers that are...

WEBINAR: Looking Ahead Education Policy in 2024

Wednesday January 10, 2024 | 1:00-2:00 p.m. Looking Ahead to 2024, rewatch Reaching Higher NH's webinar on the education policy landscape and what we're expecting...

Universal school vouchers could cost the state $105 million per year, according to RHNH...

Bills that would expand New Hampshire’s school voucher program are expected to be introduced in the House Education Committee on Wednesday, January 16. Two...

PRESS RELEASE: School voucher expansion could cost state $82 million in new state spending in...

Released: January 12, 2024 Contact: Christina Pretorius, Policy Director, Reaching Higher NH, (603) 767-6694 or christina@reachinghighernh.org Concord, NH -- Four bills that will be considered by...

Legislative Update: School voucher expansion will be major focus of lawmakers next week

Next week, the House Education Committee is scheduled to hold four public hearings on bills that would expand the state’s school voucher program, most...

Legislative Update: School voucher expansion bill would render hardship laws “completely meaningless”; Senate passes...

The 2024 legislative session kicked off on January 3, with the House and Senate voting on the retained bills of the last session. The...

Senate kicks off 2024 with public hearings on school voucher expansion, school building aid,...

The NH Senate is opening the 2024 legislative session by re-introducing some of its most controversial legislation of 2023, including school voucher expansion and...

Senate committee unanimously recommends teacher recruitment program for rural and underserved schools

On Monday, November 27, the NH Senate Education Committee unanimously recommended the passage of Senate Bill (SB) 217, which would create a loan forgiveness...

Court finds school funding formula unconstitutional, orders at least $500 million more for public...

In a historic ruling, Rockingham County Superior Court Judge David Ruoff ruled in favor of school districts on Monday when he ruled that the...
Photo Credit Jimmy Emerson, DVM, Merrimack County Superior Courthouse

New Hampshire Superior Court Judge dismisses suit challenging the state’s school voucher program

A Superior Court Judge dismissed a lawsuit challenging the state’s school voucher program, ruling that the state “did not delegate its duty to provide...

As school voucher program cost surpasses $24 million this year, state oversight committee raises...

A legislative oversight committee charged with monitoring the state’s school voucher program raised questions about the program’s cost and transparency during their meeting on...

Recommendations to Reverse Harm and Strengthen Public Schools

All New Hampshire students deserve access to public schools where they can learn, grow, and thrive. Public schools are often the heart of their...

Looking Ahead: 2024 LSRs at a Glance

The window for lawmakers to file prefiled bills, or Legislative Service Requests (LSRs), for the 2024 session opened in early September. To date, Reaching...

WEBINAR: Unpacking the Public School Approval Rules

Join Reaching Higher NH staff as we review the key elements of the NH Department of Education's proposal to overhaul the public school approval...

Far-right media company’s application raises questions about what can, and should, constitute public school...

On Thursday, September 14, the NH State Board of Education will revisit an application from far-right media company PragerU to offer a financial literacy...
Image from PragerU's website featuring thumbnails of their "Featured Kids Content" and "Trending" videos.

Conservative media advocacy group seeking approval to offer public school courses in New Hampshire

UPDATE: The NH State Board of Education unanimously voted to table the PragerU application. They are expected to revisit the application at their meeting...
Lawmakers pass bipartisan budget that boosts public school funding, creates teacher retention program

Lawmakers pass bipartisan budget that boosts public school funding, creates teacher retention program

In a historic vote, lawmakers in both the House and Senate passed a bipartisan budget this week that includes more state funding for public...
EFA Oversight Committee

Education Freedom Savings Account Oversight Committee holds regular meeting

Monday, June 5, 2023 | 2 p.m. On Monday afternoon the Education Freedom Account (EFA) Oversight Committee met for a regular meeting. Both Department of...
WEBINAR: Unpacking the Senate Finance Committee's Recommended Budget

WEBINAR: Unpacking the Senate Finance Committee’s Recommended Budget

Wednesday May 31, 2023 | 12-1 p.m. The NH Senate Finance Committee is wrapping up its 2024-2025 state budget recommendations. Watch our webinar below to...

School voucher expansion could come with a $48 million price tag

The bill that would expand the state’s school voucher program will have one more vote at the Senate Finance Committee on Friday: if passed,...
Photo by ReDunnLev, New Hampshire State House.

SB 140 provides opportunity for Senate to invest in teacher recruitment through the State...

As the New Hampshire Senate works through its state budget negotiations, one teacher recruitment bill remains and will be taken into consideration this week....

About the School Approval Rules: Takeaways from the NHED Proposed Overhaul

The NH Department of Education has proposed an overhaul of the state's school approval rules, with significant implications for public schools across New Hampshire....

NH Department of Education attempts to redefine state’s role in public education through SB...

Senate Bill (SB 266), a bill that was written by the NH Department of Education, is raising flags among lawmakers and education experts as...

HB 464 could clear a path to universal school voucher program; hearing scheduled for...

The Senate Education Committee is scheduled to host a public hearing for two school voucher expansion bills on Tuesday, April 25, including a bill...
Photo by Ryan McVay, Teacher helping a student.

What Impacts the Educator Workforce? Results from the New Hampshire School Staff & Educator...

Reaching Higher NH, in partnership with 15 professional organizations, recently completed a statewide survey of educators and school staff who are changing positions or...

As part of statewide effort to recruit and retain high-quality teacher workforce, lawmakers eye...

New Hampshire lawmakers have proposed a number of programs aimed at addressing the state’s teacher shortage, including student loan forgiveness and financial incentives for...

NH Education News Digest, April 2023

Dear Friends and Colleagues:  April is a time of transition for us at Reaching Higher. Our Communications Director, Sarah Earle, is moving to another organization...

How do you build a positive school culture? At one middle school, students and...

Once a month at Bow Memorial Middle School, a group of student leaders and school staff meet to focus on building community. The goal:...

5 Things to Know About the House’s State Budget 

On Thursday, April 6, the NH House passed a state budget that substantially increases need-based funding for public schools and eliminates the school voucher...

WEBINAR: What to know about the House Finance Committee’s proposal for the state budget

Monday, April 3, 2023 | 12-1 p.m. The House Finance Committee has finalized their recommendations for the 2024-2025 state budget, which include an expansion of...

What to know about the House Finance Committee’s proposal for the state budget

On Wednesday, March 29, the NH House Finance Committee finalized their recommendations for the 2024-2025 state budget. The proposal has significant implications for public...

‘Weyler Amendment’ would lower state contribution to Education Trust Fund,  require school building aid,...

Update: The Weyler Amendment was removed from the state budget before its passage on June 8, 2023. On Tuesday, March 21, House Finance Chairman...

What to know about the Governor’s school funding formula proposal: modest increases in total...

In early March, Governor Chris Sununu’s school funding proposal was released as part of House Bill (HB) 1 and HB 2, the bills that...

Letter signed by 150 local leaders calls on state to fully fund public schools

A letter signed by more than 150 local leaders and presented to the NH House Finance Committee on Monday, March 13, urges lawmakers to...

New Hampshire school funding formula unfair to students with highest needs, according to report

According to a national study by the Education Law Center, New Hampshire’s school funding formula underfunds schools with the highest needs, putting students from...

Hearing for state budget scheduled for Monday, March 13, at 2 p.m. in Reps...

The public hearing for the state budget is scheduled for Monday, March 13, 2023, at 2 p.m. in Reps Hall in the State House....

NH Education News Digest, March 2023

Dear Friends and Colleagues:  Last month’s newsletter led with budgets.  This month – well, spoiler alert, we’re going to talk about budgets again, but we...

Legislative Update: House passes bill to ‘restore the intended purpose’ of school vouchers; approves...

On Thursday, February 23, the New Hampshire House passed House Bill (HB) 430, which would add a public school attendance requirement to the state’s...

HB 371 would restart process of updating minimum standards due to concerns over NH...

On Monday, February 13, the House Education Committee will hold a public hearing on House Bill (HB) 371, which would restart the process of...

NH Education News Digest, February 2023

Dear Friends and Colleagues: February is quite a suspenseful month here in New Hampshire. No, we’re not talking about groundhog behavior or romantic pursuits or...

Proposed funding package would give a $100 million boost in state funding to state’s...

House Bill (HB) 529 would restore two state funding sources for high-poverty school districts and school districts with low tax capacity in New Hampshire.  Key...

Legislative Update: Lawmakers hang on to key school funding bill, school vouchers head to...

The House is buzzing with activity as they quickly reach the first round of deadlines to act on legislation: the House Education Committee has...

Federal funding allowed districts to invest in their students and schools. Now the state...

After soliciting input from the community last year, Somersworth district leaders used a large portion of their federal relief funds to hire a behavior...

WEBINAR: Looking Ahead: Education Policy in 2023

On Wednesday, January 18, Reaching Higher presented the following webinar to the New Hampshire Education Network, offering a preview of key themes in education...

Legislative Update: Minimum standards revisions overlook key concerns; public hearings on school voucher eligibility...

This week will be busy in Concord -- there are dozens of public hearings on school-related legislation, as well as other happenings.  Here’s what you...

Minimum standards revisions overlook key concerns

Late last week, Reaching Higher NH obtained the latest available revision of the Minimum Standards for Public School Approval, which was released to a...

Legislative Update: Public hearings on school voucher expansion this week, Department backtracks on minimum...

This week, the House Education Committee will hold public hearings on two bills that would expand the state’s school voucher program: HB 367, which...

Latest draft of minimum standards expected to be released on Friday

The New Hampshire Department of Education is expected to release the latest draft of the Minimum Standards for Public School Approval, a Department representative...

‘Divisive concepts’ law impeding efforts to recruit and retain teachers, DEIJ directors tell lawmakers;...

A 2021 law that restricts what teachers can say about racism, sexism, and other sensitive topics is making it harder to attract and retain...

NH Education News Digest, January 2023

Dear Friends and Colleagues:  We’re poised on the edge of another busy legislative session in New Hampshire, and once again there’s much at stake for...

Meet Our Team: Matt Gerding, Policy Analyst

Matt Gerding joined Reaching Higher in the summer of 2022 as our new policy analyst. Matt comes to us from the Somersworth School District,...

Legislative Update: 2023 begins with hearing on repeal of divisive concepts bill, meeting of...

While we’re still waiting for the majority of 2023 bills to be released, the work of the House Education Committee will begin this week...

Where do New Hampshire students go to school? 3 key takeaways on K-12 school...

Enrollment in public district schools, private schools, and homeschool programs dropped between 2021 and 2022, according to recent data released by the NH Department...

Time-honored Hanover High School Council models shared decision making

A familiar component of the high school experience, student government isn’t a guaranteed conduit for student voice. To be effective, a student government has...

The NH Education News Digest, December 2022

Dear Friends and Colleagues: Happy December! The end of 2022 finds us in a state of gratitude and anticipation, and we’d like to take this...

Committee proposes school incentive grants and teacher stipends to address ongoing educator shortages

A legislative committee is expected to propose four policy recommendations to help strengthen and diversify New Hampshire’s teacher workforce. The Committee to Study New...

Prepare for a student school board member with our customizable guides

The new law requiring a student member on NH school boards will have an impact on students, school boards, educators, and community members. Effective...

Reaching Higher is pleased to present our new toolkit for student members on school...

Beginning in January 2023, every school board in New Hampshire must have at least one student member from each of the high schools maintained...

A student school board member is a great first step toward equity. Here are...

Having a student on the school board is an important means of elevating student voice, and many schools find that it leads to additional...

Student membership on school boards provides benefits for all

Student membership on school boards is fundamentally democratic because it elevates a traditionally underrepresented point of view in education governance. It can be a...

Student representation on school boards can help empower all students. Here’s how

School boards should strive to engage with as many members of the community as possible, including students. A student school board member can help...

What you should know about the new law requiring student members on NH school...

Beginning in January 2023, every school board in New Hampshire must have at least one student member from each of the high schools maintained...

Educators focus on social-emotional learning as foundational to student success

Had they known they were going to have their sense of rhythm put to the test, some of the educators who gathered at the...

NH Department of Education will not release newest version of Minimum Standards revision; meanwhile,...

Lawyers for the New Hampshire Department of Education (NHED) denied Reaching Higher NH’s request for the latest version of the Minimum Standards for Public...

Legislative Update: House Education Committee to vote on 14 interim study bills during executive...

The House Education Committee will meet for an executive session on Monday, October, 24, to vote on education bills that were referred to interim...

Reaching Higher requests latest version of minimum standards revision before teacher feedback session

On Wednesday, October 19, Reaching Higher NH requested the latest version of the ED 306 Minimum Standards for Public School Approval from the NH...

Low interest in Learn Everywhere programs: Eight students received credit last year; Four programs...

Eight students enrolled in a Learn Everywhere program in New Hampshire during the 2021-2022 school year, according to a report released on Tuesday by...

NH Education News Digest, October 2022

Dear Friends and Colleagues:  We all know that teaching is much more than a profession. Teachers shape our lives in profound and lasting ways and...

Fair and competitive pay is critical to a strong teaching workforce, but NH lags...

Fair and competitive teacher compensation is a critical part of ensuring that schools can attract and retain qualified and well-prepared teachers, Reaching Higher NH...

WEBINAR: Drafted without public input, proposed changes to public school standards could strip local...

On Wednesday, August 31, Reaching Higher NH presented a briefing to the New Hampshire Education Network (NHEN) on proposed rule changes to the Minimum...

NH Education News Digest, September 2022

Dear Friends and Colleagues:  Welcome to the 2022-23 school year! Whatever your connection to public education, we hope you’ve had a restorative summer and are...

Proposed standards could remove student protections, strip local control, and open door to “unbundling”...

A draft document obtained by Reaching Higher NH indicates that the state is considering sweeping changes to New Hampshire's Minimum Standards for Public School...

Legislative study committee begins studying teacher recruitment and retention

A study committee of five lawmakers will spend the next year examining the key factors in the state’s teacher workforce shortage. The Committee to...

Meet our team: Kayla Provencher stays focused on students

Kayla Provencher, Reaching Higher’s Public Policy Researcher, has been a student almost her whole life, finishing grad school just this past spring. She experienced...

‘I didn’t know these doors were open to me.’ Schools promoting equitable access through...

Heading into the 2020-2021 school year, Stacey Kallelis was facing the unfortunate task of telling several of her students who were working toward criminal...

Students: Apply now for Student Voice’s 2022-23 programs

Attention students with a passion for education justice: Student Voice, a student-led call to action for more equitable schools, is now accepting applications for...

NH Education News Digest, Summer 2022

Dear Friends and Colleagues:  Let’s face it: Summer never seems to deliver that languid, laid-back pace many of us remember from childhood and dream of...

Middle schoolers get a glimpse of career and technical education pathways at alumni events

Faith Lanzillo was not surprised by the shrugs and blank stares she received from her middle school audience when she asked what they knew...

‘Claremont’ podcast series offers context for current school funding lawsuits, debates

A new school funding lawsuit was filed last month and a second one is scheduled for trial early next year -- but the issues...

Education funding a top issue in upcoming election, according to Citizens Count survey

State funding for public schools and school voucher programs are among the top issues Granite Staters want candidates to address in the 2022 election,...

WEBINAR: Reaching Higher Policy Director Christina Pretorius joins New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute for...

Reaching Higher Policy Director Christina Pretorius shared insights on how NH schools are using federal relief funds as a panelist for the New Hampshire...

NH Education News Digest, June 2022

Dear Friends and Colleagues:  Before we begin with our regular news digest, we’d like to take a moment to reflect and remember those who have...

WEBINAR: What’s Next for Child Nutrition Programs in NH, and What That Means for...

Monday, June 13 4-5 p.m. Register: bit.ly/childnutritionandschools This meeting will focus on food security and changes in programming for New Hampshire’s students and families. We’ll be joined...

Community colleges will use ‘second-chance Pell grants’ to create opportunities for incarcerated individuals

Two NH Community Colleges, NHTI and White Mountains Community College, have been chosen as experimental sites to utilize Pell grants to support educating incarcerated individuals....

Reaching Higher and partners release survey measuring school staff and educator departures

Update, April 18, 2023: This survey has closed. Thank you to all those who completed the survey. Your input will inform critical conversations around...

PRESS RELEASE: Statewide survey measuring school staff and educator transitions and departures will help...

Released: May 23, 2022 Contact: Sarah Earle, Communications Director, at s.earle@reachinghighernh.org or (603) 545-4918 CONCORD, NH -- Reaching Higher NH, in partnership with 15 professional education...

Parental bill of rights revived by committee; Governor vows to veto bill

A “parental bill of rights” that legal experts say could violate the state’s anti-discrimination laws is headed for a final vote after a committee...

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