The House, Thursday, February 20, 2020

Rep. Glenn Cordelli (R - Carr 7)Thank you, Mister Speaker. This bill repeals a statute that was put into place two years ago and set up the State Board of Education to establish rules for alternative programs for granting educational credits, what has become known as the Learn Everywhere Program. It expands opportunities for students and recognizes that learning takes place actually sometimes outside the classroom. This program provides for nonprofits that have educational programs for children to apply to the State Board of Education to have their program approved for graduation credits. It was stated in testimony that the program lacks oversight from professional educators. I wish those people with that testimony had read the actual rules adopted by the State Board of Education. Those rules include that applicants must complete an application that includes their goals, their competencies, and assessments as well as compliance with federal and state health and safety requirements. There is also a program approval committee and that approval committee includes the Department of Education, Administrator of Academics, department experts in the program content area and a member of the district extended learning program network and one or two local certified teachers. This approval committee reviews the application and writes a report to the state board with their recommendations. The rules do provide professional educator oversight. You will probably hear that some districts have staff to do their own local extended learning programs. Yes, some do but what about the smaller districts? What about those districts that cannot have, not afford to have staff specialized for this role? What about the large nonprofits that have programs throughout the state? We heard this morning from Civil Air Patrol who is involved with a softball program. They provide aeronautics and STEM learning opportunities to children around the state. There is no way that they would be able to go around from district to district and fill out different requirement application processes to get their programs approved by each district. It's not possible and who suffers? Kids. This is also about our Commissioner of Education. The commissioner, you see is not a member of the club. He was never in a teacher's union and he never was an administrator. He's a businessman and an entrepreneur. He thinks outside the box and this program is an example. He's not into the status quo. He thinks about kids and opportunities. Please repeal this bill. It is about the status quo, not about opportunities, not about kids. It needs to be rejected with your red button. Mister Speaker, I request a roll call vote.

Speaker ShurtleffThe question before the House is the recommendation that the bill Ought to Pass. The Chair recognizes the member from Sunapee, Rep. Tanner, to speak in support of the recommendation.

Rep. Linda Tanner (D - Sull 5)Thank you, Mister Speaker. Today's New Hampshire public schools offer internships, apprenticeships, career technical education, community service, capstone projects, extended learning opportunities, senior projects, and much more all involving learning out in the community. These are real world experiences that demand rigorous academic achievement but also build skills that promote student's personal development in an area of their interest. These experiences are an important extension of a student's education and are often life changing learning experiences. They are not new innovations. Schools have been accepting graduation credit for work based learning and extended learning situations for a long time. Back in the dark ages when I graduated from high school, I spent my senior year in Australia with Rotary International and had to go through a process with my local school board and teachers to receive credits so that when I completed those credits in Australia, I could come back and graduate with my own class. That was 1964. In our high schools, charter schools and career technical schools, more and more students have taken advantage of these projects. Local schools provide the necessary directed, safe, and well thought out framework for these learning experiences. These extended learning opportunity programs involve oversight from professional educators who set benchmarks, rubrics and competencies that align with the school's graduation requirements. There are extended learning opportunity coordinators and teachers who establish relationships with community mentors and businesses and nonprofits and check on student progress, troubleshoot issues and work to support the student to have the best learning experience. Educators encourage all students to be lifelong learners, to be curious, thoughtful, critical thinkers, to take their experiences outside the classroom and relate them to their directed learning within the classroom. Education must be relevant, but it also must be rigorous to be directed by standards and benchmarks and meet the local requirements for graduation. This bill codifies the role of the local school system and the school board as the agency to accept and approve credits from these extended learning opportunities for graduation. We should be assured that our students are in a safe environment, benefit from quality learning experiences which best happens not with the state oversight but at the local area where there is coordinated effort between the parents, the local school, the extended community, learning sites both nonprofit and profit, and the local professional staff. Graduation credits should be determined at the local level and this bill simply authorizes local school boards to determine that academic credit for alternative extended learning and work-based programs. I urge you to support this bill. Thank you. Speaker Shurtleff: The question before the House is the recommendation that the bill Ought to Pass. Rep. Cordelli has requested a roll call. Is that sufficiently seconded? It is sufficiently seconded. This will be a roll call vote. Members will kindly take their seats. The question before the House is the recommendation that the bill Ought to Pass. The Chair recognizes Rep. Ladd for a parliamentary inquiry.

Rep. Rick Ladd (R - Graf 4)Thank you very much, Mister Speaker. If I know this bill expands educational opportunities for students and recognizes that learning can actually occur outside the classroom. And, if I also know it's time for lunch so press the red button so we can get the right motion forward? Thank you.

Speaker ShurtleffThe question before the House is the recommendation that the bill Ought to Pass. The Chair recognizes Rep. Cornell for a parliamentary inquiry.

Rep. Patricia Cornell (D - Hills 18)Thank you, Mister Speaker. If I know that local control is always preferable to mandates from the state. And, if I know that local school boards should decide whether to grant academic credit to alternative extended learning and work-based programs based on competencies, benchmarks, and a means of assessment. If you agree that local control should remain with local districts who have the students' educational best interest as their main concern, would you now press the green button to pass HB 1454? Thank you.

Speaker ShurtleffThis will be a roll call vote. The question before the House is the recommendation that the bill Ought to Pass. If you are in favor, you'll press the green button. If you are opposed, you'll press the red button. Voting stations will be open for 30 seconds. Have all members present had an opportunity to vote? The House will be attentive to the state of the vote. With 202 members voting Yea and 142 Nay, the motion carries.