NH Gov. signs bill requiring that parents must opt-in for student surveys in school

[Keith and stuff]

Governor Sununu signed SB 43. The bill provides that no student shall be required to volunteer or submit to a non-academic survey or questionnaire without written consent of a parent or legal guardian.

Opt-in vs. out-out is a good deal in respecting the right of a parent to control a child's education. There is an exception for adults still in school and emancipated minors.

The bill
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/billText.aspx?id=211&txtFormat=html&sy=2017

Anti-education advocates and Democrats don't like the bill because they thing that the state owns children. The previous governor vetoed a similar bill. Now we have a good person in the corner office

Senate Bill 43 would require schools to get written permission from parents before administering any non-academic survey to students. The bill’s backers say it’s imperative parents have a say if their children are going to be surveyed about sensitive topics.

“We have to protect parental rights. And that is the concept of this bill. Bringing it to the federal standards, and protecting parental rights,” Nashua Republican Sen. Kevin Avard told a committee of lawmakers last week.

A nearly identical version of the bill passed the Senate and the House last year before being vetoed by then-Gov. Maggie Hassan, a Democrat.

concordmonitor.com/Bill-would-require-parents-opt-in-to-all-non-academic-surveys-children-take-at-school-8705076

 

[sparebulb]

Governor Sununu signed SB 43. The bill provides that no student shall be required to volunteer or submit to a non-academic survey or questionnaire without written consent of a parent or legal guardian.

Opt-in vs. out-out is a good deal in respecting the right of a parent to control a child's education. There is an exception for adults still in school and emancipated minors.

The bill
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_status/billText.aspx?id=211&txtFormat=html&sy=2017

Anti-education advocates and Democrats don't like the bill because they thing that the state owns children. The previous governor vetoed a similar bill. Now we have a good person in the corner office


concordmonitor.com/Bill-would-require-parents-opt-in-to-all-non-academic-surveys-children-take-at-school-8705076

Does it apply to drug tests?

 

[William Tell]

Glad NH is coming around on parental rights. That's one issue that NH really seems to suck on.

 

[Keith and stuff]

While NH moved from average to above average over the last few years when it came to education freedom, NH legislators realize that was difficult to accomplish those achievements because before Governor Sununu, the last 12 years were under Democratic governors. Given 4 years, Gov. Sununu will be able to replace everyone on the Board of Education, but those appointments only last for 4 years. So legislators wrote SB 44 to make it clean that the executive branch would understand the limits to the role it plays in education, just in case another Democrat becomes the governor of NH at some point in the future. To those ends, SB 44

- prohibits the department of education and the state board of education from requiring the implementation of the common core standards in any school or school district in this state
and
- prohibits the state board of education from amending any existing academic standards or approving any new academic standards without prior review and recommendation of the legislative oversight committee

States elect governors independent of the legislature as notoriously Democratic leaning states and notoriously Republican leaning states frequently elected governors from the other major party. You can never be too careful when it comes to protecting the children

Below is from a previous article about this bills after they passed the NH Senate.

State Senate acts on school choice, parental control
By DAVE SOLOMON
State House Bureau
February 24. 2017 12:26AM
http://www.unionleader.com/state-go...ts-on-school-choice-parental-control-02242017

On matters of local control, the Senate passed SB44, prohibiting the state from requiring any school district to use the Common Core educational standards.

Democrats argued that the bill is unnecessary because there is no state statute that requires use of the Common Core, and that standards used in New Hampshire and nationally are in flux.

“This bill is a local control bill and that’s why we should pass it,” said Sen. Majority Leader Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfeboro. “We do not want Washington or national standards dictated to local school boards. Let’s pass this bill and make sure that parents and local school boards are running our state’s schools.”

The Senate also passed SB 43, which states that no student can be required to take a school survey or questionnaire without written consent of the parent or guardian.

The bill also allows a parent or guardian to opt out of the youth risk behavior survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Sununu issued a statement shortly after the passage of SB 8 and SB 44.

“I applaud the Senate’s actions today, passing legislation that further promotes and protects local control in public education through providing parents greater choice and flexibility and empowering local school boards to make the best decisions for their communities,” he said. “I encourage members of the House to embrace this legislation and I look forward to the opportunity to sign these important bills into law.”

 

[William Tell]

While NH moved from average to above average over the last few years when it came to education freedom, NH legislators realize that was difficult to accomplish those achievements because before Governor Sununu, the last 12 years were under Democratic governors. Given 4 years, Gov. Sununu will be able to replace everyone on the Board of Education, but those appointments only last for 4 years. So legislators wrote SB 44 to make it clean that the executive branch would understand the limits to the role it plays in education, just in case another Democrat becomes the governor of NH at some point in the future. To those ends, SB 44

- prohibits the department of education and the state board of education from requiring the implementation of the common core standards in any school or school district in this state
and
- prohibits the state board of education from amending any existing academic standards or approving any new academic standards without prior review and recommendation of the legislative oversight committee

States elect governors independent of the legislature as notoriously Democratic leaning states and notoriously Republican leaning states frequently elected governors from the other major party. You can never be too careful when it comes to protecting the children

Below is from a previous article about this bills after they passed the NH Senate.

State Senate acts on school choice, parental control
By DAVE SOLOMON
State House Bureau
February 24. 2017 12:26AM
http://www.unionleader.com/state-go...ts-on-school-choice-parental-control-02242017

NH is still pretty draconian when it comes to home education freedom last I checked, which is the only real education issue that matters. only VT, NY, PA, MA, and RI are in a worse category. TX, OK, MO, IL, IN, IA, MI, ID, CT, NJ, and AK are the freest. Texas lead the way.

 

[Keith and stuff]

NH is still pretty draconian when it comes to home education freedom last I checked, which is the only real education issue that matters. only VT, NY, PA, MA, and RI are in a worse category. TX, OK, MO, IL, IN, IA, MI, ID, CT, NJ, and AK are the freest. Texas lead the way.

While homeschool is just one part of education freedom, you bring up a good point that NSLDA should update their map. Some in the NH homeschooling community don't like that organization because it is a bit statist, like how the NRA is on guns and the ACLU is on civil liberties. Because of that, I'm not really concerned to try to correct NSLDA.

The map also doesn't mention that there is a business tax credit scholarship program that covers homeschooling expenses in NH. The program used to only be open to a limited number of homeschoolers, but the percentage of homeschoolers that qualify was greatly expanded, so long as the private scholarship program is able to raise the needed funds. When the program started, NH was the only state where homeschooling expenses were covered with what would otherwise be tax dollars via a program. NH had no problem expanding the great scholarship program, so maybe that also means other states are copying our freedom in this area? I can only hope so, because it is for the children.

 

[William Tell]

While homeschool is just one part of education freedom, you bring up a good point that NSLDA should update their map. Some in the NH homeschooling community don't like that organization because it is a bit statist, like how the NRA is on guns and the ACLU is on civil liberties. Because of that, I'm not really concerned to try to correct NSLDA.

So you are saying that the map is incorrect when they list NH as a state that "requires parents to send notification, test scores, and/or professional evaluation of student progress"?

HSLDA is not perfect but I've always found their statements on what the law is to be accurate. Perhaps they need to update if you can show that NH no longer required notification or testing etc. But I've seen no evidence that that has changed. Credits and such can be good or bad, depending if there are strings attached but most liberty folks want to pay for their own education.

 

[William Tell]

Unless this has changed this is serious big brother.

Summary of the Legal Requirements for Homeschooling in New Hampshire

Home education in New Hampshire is governed by RSA 193-A, which went into effect on July 1, 1991. A few changes have been made to the original statute. Under this law, parents or legal guardians who wish to homeschool their child(ren) are required to:

• Contact a participating agency (in most cases, the local school superintendent or a participating private school) of their intent to homeschool.
• Keep a portfolio of the homeschooled child’s work and log of reading materials
• Have an annual evaluation demonstrating educational progress commensurate with the child’s age and ability. These requirements are explained in more detail below.

http://nhhomeschooling.org/legal-requirements/

The NH Home Education law (RSA 193-A and the corresponding rules, Ed 315) requires homeschoolers to do yearly evaluations, and testing is one of the three options available. The California Achievement Test (CAT), the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), the Stanford Test, and the Personalized Achievement Summary (PASS) test are perhaps the most commonly used tests. Homeschoolers order these tests from special test providers, administer the tests at home, and then return the testing materials to the test provider for scoring. Costs for the test range from $25 to $60 per test. Typically, you have to pay for the return postage, although some services charge a shipping and handling fee that includes a postage-paid return envelope.

The state assessment test administered by your local school district can also be used; you should probably inform them at the time of notification if you plan to use that option.

http://nhhomeschooling.org/testing/

 

[Keith and stuff]

So you are saying that the map is incorrect when they list NH as a state that "requires parents to send notification, test scores, and/or professional evaluation of student progress"?

- There is a one-time notification to the school district or a private school in which the child lives.
- Parents have to keep a portfolio on what a child did each year, for two year running. The government doesn't look at the portfolio.
- Parents have to do something in the form on an assessment every year. This could include having a private school teacher look at the portfolio, a standardized achievement test, or any other method acceptable to both the parents and participating agency (a private school the parents work with for paperwork purposes).

So, if you are asking does NH require both a one time notification and a professional to look at a portfolio for a few minutes (or whatever else the parent and an organization the parent partners with for paperwork purposes decide to do), than yes. 1 to 2 hours per year of state compliance is required in NH if a parent decides to follow the laws of the state.

Of course, NH has been on the news for the large unschooling community here. You may have seen it on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Phil, CNN, Nightline, Wife Swap, or Fox News. Millions of people around the nation are aware of the NH unschooling that has seen zero people arrested for ignoring federal and state law as far as I'm aware. People complain that we are too free, that our unschooling is going too far, yet we persist. We maintain the freedoms that we've won, we continue to increase education related freedoms, and we ignore bad laws.

 

[Keith and stuff]

The California Achievement Test (CAT), the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), the Stanford Test, and the Personalized Achievement Summary (PASS) test are perhaps the most commonly used tests. Homeschoolers order these tests from special test providers, administer the tests at home, and then return the testing materials to the test provider for scoring. Costs for the test range from $25 to $60 per test. Typically, you have to pay for the return postage, although some services charge a shipping and handling fee that includes a postage-paid return envelope.

Right, any of those tests are options for this requirement:
- Parents have to do something in the form on an assessment every year. This could include having a private school teacher look at the portfolio, a standardized achievement test, or any other method acceptable to both the parents and participating agency (a private school the parents work with for paperwork purposes).

$50 a year in compliance costs isn't bad considering a NH parent can get $500 a year to cover the homeschool costs, including this cost. Of course, having a teacher review a portfolio is another option and may be done at no cost.

Even if a parent chooses to not get the free homeschooling scholarship, no one would argue that $50 and 90 minutes a year in regulation to homschool a child is a difficult undertaking for a homeschooled parent. The truth is, I've never heard of a homeschooled family anywhere that didn't already keep some type of portfolio. So it would be nice to get rid of that, and if you move to NH as part of the Free State Project, and work towards that goal, I'll help you. Let's me know We can do this together

 

[Anti Federalist]

More good news...god I hope we can keep Sununu for more than two years.

In any event, liberty minded GOP and Libertarians in Concord, having secured all four (yes four, House, Senate Executive Counsel and Governor) have made progress on freedom, leaps and bounds ahead of the worthless, spineless, feckless entrenched GOP in DC.

And I speak from experience, homeschooling and "unschooling" in NH is not particularly burdensome.

 

[Keith and stuff]

More good news...god I hope we can keep Sununu for more than two years.

In any event, liberty minded GOP and Libertarians in Concord, having secured all four (yes four, House, Senate Executive Counsel and Governor) have made progress on freedom, leaps and bounds ahead of the worthless, spineless, feckless entrenched GOP in DC.

Even if Gov. Sununu isn't reelected, we get to keep Frank Edelblut, probably the most pro-liberty Commissioner of Education in the nation, for another 2 and 1/2 years so there will be 2 gubernatorial elections before another Commissioner of Education may be appointed When Edelblut was a state rep., the libertarian New Hampshire Liberty Alliance gave him a 91% score. That's a higher score than the official Libertarian Party legislators receive in NH. When he ran for governor, he was the first candidate even endorsed by the NHLA for governor. Commissioner Edelblut recently spoke at the Coalition of New Hampshire Taxpayers Annual Picnic and was the keynote speaker at the NHLA's annual Liberty Dinner.

Yes, though, I hope and expect Sununu to be reelected