Summer 2022 Newsletter
Giving voters a voice by empowering elected school district officials to reclaim control over budgets and curriculum.
Announcing SDGA's New President: Eric Pauer
Eric Pauer, formerly SDGA Vice President was elected President at the SDGA Annual General Meeting on July 9th. Eric brings a strong background in organizational leadership, and we look forward to his direction especially in legislative matters. You can read his impressive CV here: https://sdganh.org/about-2/
Updating the Croydon School District Budget Cut
At Croydon's annual district meeting this year, voters cut the school district's proposed $1.7 million dollar budget down to $800,000. This lower figure reflects a per student cost of $10,000. The district that fought for and obtained school tuitioning to private schools thanks to our own Jody Underwood, did not, however, hold onto its extraordinary budget cut. Citizens called for a special meeting where they organized a supermajority to pass the $1.7 million budget.
If you wish to puncture the worn and polished, but false old chestnut that schools are starved for resources you will get great assistance from Ian Underwood's powerful printout: https://granitegrok.com/blog/2022/03/budget-or-ransom
SDGA's Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held over Zoom on Saturday, July 9 from 9 to noon. Those in attendance passed a new annual budget, revised our bylaws to eliminate Standing Committees in favor of Ad Hoc Committees, and elected a new board. This is your newly organized SDGA board :
- President (Eric Pauer)
- Vice President (Donna Green)
- Secretary (Jody Underwood)
- Financial Officer (Jan Bettencourt)
- At Large (Jon Dipietro)
- At Large (Glenn Cordelli)
- At Large (Robert Chase)
Please thank these committed individuals and consider offering to volunteer a few hours a month to improve public education in NH. Membership participation is the fuel of board effectiveness. We are especially in need of a membership coordinator. Calling the extroverts among us!
*** MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW! ***
SDGA Events
August 28, 2022: Let Your Voice be Heard: How to promote or support a bill in the NH legislature. Conducted by David Saad of Right to Know NH, and Eric Pauer, President SDGANH. 7 pm - 9 pm on Zoom. Free but advance registration is required to obtain a Zoom invitation. Register here: https://sdganh.org/event/webinar-let-your-voice-be-heard-how-to-promote-or-support-a-bill-in-the-nh-legislature/
September, 2022: Meet and Greet NH Legislators. This is your chance to talk to legislators about bills of importance to you.
Details TBA soon. Will be held in Manchester.
October 3, 2022, 7:00-8:30pm. Budgeting Staff - the Elephant in the Room
Staffing costs typically make up over 70% of a school district budget yet are rarely questioned by the elected officials. Staffing drives annual increases in payroll, health insurance, and pension contributions which easily dwarf the marginal trimming which the elected members try to apply to the non-staff portion of the budget. Learn strategies to effectively challenge the core staffing model while protecting quality of education. Arthur Green, our presenter, is a past member of the Timberlane Regional School District Budget Committee, a founding member of the SDGA, and a semi-retired consultant in the banking industry. Registration is free, but required in order to receive a Zoom invitation. Register here: https://sdganh.org/event/webinar-budgeting-staff-the-elephant-in-the-room/
Legislative Update:
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SB381 "An act establishing an office of the advocate for special education" – signed into law
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HB1431 “Establishing the parental bill of rights.” – failed in House
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HB607 “Establishing local education savings accounts for students.” – tabled in House
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HB1026 “relative to budget information provided to a budget committee.” – failed in Senate
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HB1033 “Prohibiting recipients of state or local grants or appropriations from using such funds for lobbying.” – tabled in House
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HB1070 “relative to the default budget in official ballot jurisdictions.” – failed in Senate
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HB1131 “relative to facial covering policies for schools.” – vetoed by Governor
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HB1137 “relative to the duty of school boards to provide education.” – interim study in House
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HB1169 “relative to public comment and inquiry during school board meetings.” – failed in House
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HB1236 “relative to the legislative oversight committee for the education improvement and assessment program.” – signed by Governor
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HB1241 “prohibiting a school district from mandating a COVID-19 vaccination for school attendance.” – failed in Senate
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HB1276 “allowing for school district budgets and warrant articles to include cost per student information.” – failed in House
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HB1298 “relative to eligibility for the education tax credit.” – failed in Senate
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HB1366 “relative to cooperative school board reapportionment.” – interim study in House
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HB1393 “relative to the adoption of school district budget caps.” – failed in Senate
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HB1399 “relative to school district withdrawal from a cooperative school district.” – interim study in House
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HB1679 “relative to the dissolution and repeal of cooperative school districts.” – interim study in House
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SB410 “relative to public comment periods at school district meetings and meetings of the state board of education.” – signed into law.,
SDGA's bill, HB 1393, to enable district voters to cap school district budgets based on enrollment, met defeat in the Senate. In the next session we will try again to get this passed and hope to also reintroduce a bill to require collective bargaining of public entities to be conducted in public.
Did you know that SDGA has outstanding model policies and newly elected school board member training?
- Save public education by helping to make known our cutting edge school district policies. We continue to put timely and critical policies on our website ( SDGANH.org under "Resources,") for you to promulgate in your district. These policies promote parental rights, transparency and best practices in governance. You won't find the likes elsewhere. We are truly a different voice and our policies should be adopted by school boards throughout NH.
- Tell the newly elected school board members in your SAU that there is a better training program for new members than what is offered by the NHSBA. The SDGA's webinar, "Newly Elected School Board Members Toolkit" is available on our private members' website which you can access with your password provided when you joined. Here is a link for your convenience: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Xz_BJk6zjYRBMA9F_jrEdm7viWZzYmH1/view?usp=sharing
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Upcoming Board Meeting
***Saturday, August 6***
9 am - 11-30 am via Zoom.
Open to all members. If you wish to attend, email me for a live Zoom link invitation. SDGAofNH@gmail.com
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A New Way to Change School Boards for the Better
Here's a pleasant thought experiment... Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could get a majority of SDGA oriented members elected to one or two school boards? Our model policies could be implemented and parents rights would take the forefront - along with administrative accountability. If we can identify four or five boards that are close to having a right-thinking majority, we could work with the 603 Alliance to recruit and train good candidates to run in those district. Once elected, of course, the SDGA would then train and support the new member. One well functioning board would be a model for so many others.
WE NEED YOUR HELP TO IDENTIFY PROMISING BOARDS AT THE TIPPING POINT.
Drop me an email with some board names and we will see what can be done. Donna at SDGAofNH@gmail.com
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SDGA Committee Updates
Every year SDGA introduces at 1 - 3 bills to promote greater transparency in the governance of school district. SDGA President, Eric Pauer, is heading a Legigislative Committee to explore worthwhile bills, draft them and then shepard them through the legislative process. He would very much like some members to help him draft bills, write testimony and testify in Concord when our bills come into committee. This is not a big commitment but it does require some consistent follow up.
Please join Eric's committee for a rewarding time making NH better. You can reach Eric at SDGAofNH@gmail.com.
SDGA's Policy Committee has produced a good number of timely policies intended to replace the NHSBA model policies so many districts adopt with little critical thought. The Policy Committee under Arthur Green's leadership is seeking people who would like to draft model policies for the committee to vet and to eventually obtain legal vetting. You can reach Arthur at SDGAofNH@gmail.com. The committee meets over Zoom once or twice a month on weeknight starting in September.
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Get your school board candidates to sign this pledge and let's change the culture of our schools! Spread this pledge far and wide!
SDGA Candidates Pledge
I, _________________________, PLEDGE TO THE VOTERS OF ____________________________
THAT I WILL DO MY UTMOST AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL TO
1) Promote education that cultivates in our children a profound respect for our nation's founding principles and the U.S. and New Hampshire Constitutions;
2) Promote an academic program that teaches that all people are created equal and have equal rights and responsibilities under the law;
3) Prevent school faculty and staff from politicizing education, while respecting the free speech of individuals and the educator code of conduct;
4) Insist on maximal transparency to the public, including, but not limited to, curriculum, budgeting, grants, expenditures, bidding, academic outcomes, school environment, etc.;
5) Respect that parents are the ultimate authority of their children's values, education, and well-being;
6) Pursue academic excellence through an academic program actively overseen by the elected representatives;
7) Advocate for reading, writing, and arithmetic as foundational to academic advancement;
8) Treat all academic program innovations or changes with healthy skepticism;
9) Represent the residents of the school district by responding to questions, being prudent in budgeting, and holding administration and faculty accountable to those residents;
10) Hold administrators and staff accountable when they fail to uphold these standards.
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