NEA-NH 2020 Voter Guide
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Special Issue - Voter Guide - October 2020 Volume 102, No. 1 Losing Health Insurance for Pre-Existing Conditions is a Very Real Possibility This Election Cyan Cyan Magenta Magenta Yellow Yellow Black 2020 Legislative Report Card and Voter Guide Important Information Every Educator Should Know President’s Message- NEA–New Hampshire Elections Matter - Be Heard ISSN 0279–3539 Vol. 102, No. 1 It’s been two years since the last “big” election. I think tional money. As educators, we believe credit should be we all could have predicted that Betsy DeVos and Donald given where credit is due. When it comes to school fund- Concord, NH Trump would continue to undermine public education ing, Sununu deserves no credit at all. October 2020 every chance they could - and they did. I think we all His priorities are wrong, and his agenda is dangerous. know that Commissioner Edelblut would do everything in Now more than ever, we need a leader who will fight Published by his power to implement the Trump-DeVos agenda - and for students and educators – not leave them out to dry. NEA–New Hampshire he did. I think we all hoped that Governor Sununu would During his time in the state senate, Dan Feltes has 9 South Spring Street be more moderate in his approach toward education. been a champion of education and educators – fighting Concord, NH 03301 Instead, he showed just how devoted he was for and securing the largest boost in educa- to the notion of dismantling public educa- tion funding in state history. Sununu and tion when he opposed funding increases, Edelblut have never understood or appreci- NEA–NH Officers and how little he cared for our health and ated our public schools or the dedicated President: Megan Tuttle safety as the pandemic dragged on and we educators who work there. We need look Vice President: Carolyn Leite were told we’d be protected by his Swiss no further than the Swiss Cheese school re- Secretary/Treasurer: Rebecca Butler Cheese reopening plan. opening plan which contained no minimum Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos was health standards for reopening our school NEA Director: Terry Burlingame in New Hampshire last month. We knew she buildings. Dan Feltes showed true leader- Board Members was not here to advocate for additional sup- ship by listening to the voices of educators Capital: Kim Bleier port and resources for our public schools and built a comprehensive plan to keep kids because she had never done so before. And and educators as safe as possible and give Jan Santosuosso we were right. schools the resources they need. Eastern: Ed Olson Her visit to celebrate the reopening NEA-NH President We’re confident that Dan will do this as Julie Doiron success of some of our schools was disin- Megan Tuttle Governor - listen to the voices of NH’s edu- Lakes: Karen McLoud 2 genuous at best as both she and cators - something Sununu and Monadnock: Melissa Alexander our own Governor and Educa- “Here in New Hampshire, with Governor his commissioner have failed to Patrick Cogan Cyan Cyan tion Commissioner succeeded do during their 4 years in office. in diverting funds meant to help Sununu’s full support, Commissioner Edelblut NEA-New Hampshire recom- North Country: Tracy Locke public schools reopen safely to has adopted the DeVos agenda, promoting mended candidates are pro-edu- Seacoast: Ed O’Brien Magenta Magenta private schools. voucher schemes to fund private and charter cation, pro-educator, pro-student, Amy Wilson As President Donald Trump’s schools, rolling back local control of graduation and believe as we do that every Southern: Susan Harden Secretary of Education, Betsy requirements, and diverting COVID relief funds. child in NH deserves a great pub- Michelle Martel Yellow Yellow DeVos has made it her mission lic school, and caring qualified Lisa Stone to dismantle public education. educators. I urge you to support She promotes the privatization of public schools through them. They are listed in this edition. South Central: Meg Morse-Barry vouchers, continually calls for deep cuts to federal The recommendation process used by NEA-New Ann Kalasky Black funding, rolls back protections for vulnerable children, Hampshire has been in place for many years and has Western: Andrew Gamble and completely disregards their safety and the safety of been used countless times to make recommendations in Jennifer Bewersdorf educators during a global pandemic. the past for federal, state and local offices. The Gov- ESP: Jennifer Simon Here in New Hampshire, with Governor Sununu’s full ernment Relations (GR) Committee is responsible for support, Commissioner of Education Frank Edelblut has producing these recommendations and forwarding them Retired: Sandra Amlaw adopted the DeVos agenda, promoting voucher schemes to the Executive Board for approval and action. Educator Staff to fund private and charter schools, rolling back local The GR Committee conducts candidate interviews, Executive Director: Rick Trombly control of graduation requirements, and diverting COVID evaluates candidate’s positions in regards to education Editor: George Strout relief funds. When the largest increase in funding to policy and forwards any recommendations to the Execu- public education in state history was passed, both the tive Board. This process is not a popularity contest or a Communications Assistant: Lori Cyr Governor and Commissioner opposed the plan, opting member survey. It is designed to determine, face-to-face, The NEA–New Hampshire Educator (ISSN 0279– instead to seek federal funding for charter schools. where candidates stand on our issues, and then recom- 3539), is published six times per year in 4 printed The Trump and Sununu administrations have both mend to our members the candidate who the Committee and 2 online-only issues by NEA–New Hampshire, been disasters for public education. Having Betsy DeVos believes would best serve our students, our members, in town certainly amplified the link between them and and public education. The Committee does not look at is- 9 South Spring Street, Concord, NH 03301. their efforts to undermine public education. sues beyond public education and public sector collective Periodicals postage paid at Concord, NH, and at The simple truth is, we’d love to not be involved in bargaining rights. additional mailing offices. politics, but almost every part of our profession is con- Our ability to sit with each candidate, ask questions trolled by politicians and voters. and report back to our members allows us to look be- NEA–NH Educator Elections matter. Our students are counting on us to yond stump speeches and commercials, and more deeply 9 South Spring Street make a difference. For the sake of our students and their into the candidate’s position on our issues. We are the Concord, NH 03301–2425 parents, we need to be sure that the Governor’s office only state affiliate of NEA that uses this face-to-face rec- returns to the hands of a champion of public education ommendation method. Phone: 603–224–7751 Fax: 603–224–2648 and working families. Public school students, educators In evaluating each candidate, the Committee reviews E-mail: [email protected] and their families cannot trust Chris Sununu as governor their responses and their voting record. The committee Web site: http://www.neanh.org now and can certainly not afford to have him remain in is looking for past support of public education funding office for another term. and policies, support of collective bargaining rights, and Advertising rates: Governor Sununu was the cheerleader for a program protection of retirement security for educators. Full page $1,000 that stripped locally elected officials and locally run We need elected officials who will keep our students school districts from determining when and how stu- first and extreme political ideology out of the discussion. One-half page $500 dents would earn credit for graduation. When he was We cannot afford to allow New Hampshire to become a One-third page $340 most needed to provide just a modicum of guidance at state where a few people do really well, while a growing 0ne-fourth page $250 the state level to lead the safe reopening of schools dur- number of people struggle to get by. One-sixth page $170 ing this pandemic, he abandoned his responsibilities and Because so much is at stake, we know that this year’s left everyone else to “figure it out.” election will be different from previous cycles, with more All advertisement copy should be camera-ready Chris Sununu opposed additional aid to school dis- people expected to vote by mail and voting earlier than tricts which would have provided taxpayers relief from a and is subject to approval by NEA–NH. Call or write ever before. Stand strong for education this election and for specifications. Circulation to more than 17,000 too underfunded school system and when it was passed vote for NEA-NH recommended candidates. over his objections he tried to take credit for the addi- active, associate, special, student, reserve and retired members of NEA–NH. 213 NEA–New Hampshire Educator Month year Losing Health Insurance for Pre-Existing Conditions is a Very Real Possibility This Election very year we hear this is the most important election ever. A strong argu- Ement can be made that the 2020 elec- tion is exactly that. The question we hope to answer for you is: How does this election affect you and your family? One issue that drives contract negotia- tions is health insurance coverage. The cost of medical insurance depends on what types of coverage you and your family receive. When the Affordable Care Act be- came law, insurers were required to provide coverage for pre-existing conditions.