NH Secrets Legends & Lore: Ep 91 OUR Children - The State of the State On Public Education Funding

OUR Children - The State of the State On Public Education Funding

Listen here: https://feeds.podetize.com/BIjvIDwDD.mp3

When it comes to public education, Representative Mel Myler and Representative David Luneau remind us that we are talking about OUR children. Not just yours or mine but all of our children.

Rep Mel Myler & Rep David Luneau, both of Merrimack District 9 are the Ranking Democrat members and the Deputy Ranking Member respectively of the NH House Committee on Education. They have been leading the charge within the legislature for greater accountability and equity in public education, particularly with respect to the new Educational Freedom Accounts that provide annual grants to families who place their children in private schools, with virtually no accountability, educational standards, or oversight.

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When you listen to this podcast you will find yourself both disgusted by the unjust and likely-unconstitutional (soon to be adjudicated) use of millions of dollars of taxpayer funding being doled out to thousands of families whose children were already in private, often-religious, schools before the passage of the Education Freedom Account law, administered by a private contractor - not the NH Department of Education, and not subject to any legislative oversight.

Parents who enroll their children in the program forfeit all special education assistance to the child, leaving their child as the primary victim of the transition.

The only requirement to qualify for this grant is that the household is beneath an approximately $80,000/year income level but this requirement is only for the first year. If a family enrolls a first grader in the program this year, irrespective of how high their income goes over the course of their child's education, they will be eligible to collect the grant through the end of high school, with no recertification of income level.

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3,200 children are enrolled in this program, receiving a public grant of between $7-$9,000 per year per child. 3,100 children were already in private schools before the program went into effect and only 100 students applied to move from public schools to private schools. This represents a direct transfer of wealth, from communities throughout the state to families who were already sending their children to private schools.

Then there is the hopeful news.

For the first time in more than 20 years, a committee was appointed, Chaired by Rep Luneau, with support from the Carsey Center at UNH, a think tank, to do a broad assessment of educational funding, based on empirical data now available. What they discovered is that funding for public education is adequate but that changes to the formula for distribution are needed to provide a more equitable use of those public funds..

That's right. More money is not the problem. How that money is allocated could substantially improve the equity of public education for all of our kids.

Report of the Commission to Study School Funding.

The Commission released its final report on Dec. 1, 2020. You may read the pdf here: https://carsey.unh.edu/sites/default/files/media/2020/12/final_report_forcommission_v5_12012020.pdf

https://nhsecrets.blogspot.com/2023/03/ep-91-our-children-state-of-state-on.html

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Video link

https://youtu.be/K3htKB7yMn0

Video link

" https://youtu.be/K3htKB7yMn0 "

Mel Myler (Democratic Party) is a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, representing Merrimack 9. He assumed office on December 7, 2022. His current term ends on December 4, 2024.

Myler (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the New Hampshire House of Representatives to represent Merrimack 9. He won in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Committee assignments

This membership information was last updated in March 2021. Ballotpedia completes yearly updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.

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2023 Ranking Dem House Education Committee

2019-2020 House Education Committee, Chair

Mel Myler Experience:

Representative, NH House of Representatives (2012 - present); Former Executive Director, National Education Association of NH; Former President, California Teaching Association Student Association

Home Address:

PO Box 82Contoocook, NH 03229United States