News – Politics – Opinion – Podcasts
Ann Marie Banfield 
More examples of Social and Emotional Learning are in the school classroom now. Here is a psychological exercise given to middle school students in Seabrook by a health teacher. Normally, these kinds of exercises are given to individuals after they’ve been assessed by a mental health professional, not in Seabrook schools. They just hand mental … Read more
It wasn’t that long ago that the Executive Director from the New Hampshire Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers testified before the New Hampshire Senate, and indicated that Social Workers were violating Federal Law: Executive Director Lynn Stanley, from the New Hampshire Chapter National Association of Social Workers, testified before a Senate Judiciary … Read more
Some of the worst fads in education have come from education reformers with no track record of success in public education. So when you hear the term “student-centered learning,” you might want to consider what this means. Student-centered learning sounds good, but what does it look like in the classroom? I’ve already reported on how … Read more
Several years ago, student privacy legislation was introduced in the New Hampshire Senate. I was the only person in the room supporting privacy protections for New Hampshire students. Ed Tech lobbyists were there to protect their profit stream. I was warned that the Ed Tech vendors would send their lobbyists to fight for their interests, … Read more
If you watched President Trump Addresses Joint Session of Congress, March 4, 2025, you may have noticed a mom that was recognized that night, January Littlejohn. She was recognized by President Trump when he told the nation how her daughter’s school SECRETLY transitioned her daughter’s gender identity at school. Watch 1:30:00. This is also why … Read more
Dear Commissioner, Legislators, Executive Councilors, and State Board of Education Members: We are seeing school budgets rising while enrollment declines. Changing the model in public schools to the Community School (CDC’s) model will certainly add to those escalating costs. Turning our schools into mental health facilities has brought a whole new set of problems, and next … Read more
I’ve been warning you about the chaos in the classroom for a while now. There are a few reasons for the chaos, but it looks like Stratham taxpayers may be on the hook for more of their tax dollars in order to manage it. There are a few reasons for the “chaotic classroom.” Some of … Read more
Last year several parents, including myself, began warning school administrators about a child sexual predator attending the high school girl’s soccer games. Several parents went to work to not only warn administrators, but to address the court system that allowed Marc Jacques to roam freely at these soccer games. FROM THE U.S. ATTORNEY’S OFFICE: Marc … Read more
Send this to your school board and Superintendent. When you look at your school’s proficiency scores in math, you might be surprised that many students have not reached proficiency in mathematics. This might help them figure out where the problems exist. 1)Find your school’s proficiency scores HERE: https://www.education.nh.gov/who-we-are/division-of-educator-and-analytic-resources/iplatform2) Scroll down and click on IReport3) Scroll … Read more
Social and Emotional Learning has come under fire since it first began showing up in schools. SEL was going to be used as part of a behavior framework known as the Multi Tiered System of Support. The MTSS-B is a 3-tiered framework that guides schools on how to handle behavior or mental health problems with … Read more
Dan McGuire’s Bill, that narrows down what an adequate education is in New Hampshire, has everyone in a tizzy. HB283 would reduce the list of subjects that define what an adequate education. You can see how an adequate education would be defined if this bill were to pass, and be signed into law. The state would … Read more
It’s become the norm for Superintendents to eliminate teachers if they do not get the budget they want. This time the Portsmouth Superintendent is threatening to eliminate teaching positions if he doesn’t get the increase in the school budget. Why is it, they never take that hammer to their own salaries? Most SAU administrators working … Read more
During the school deliberative session, a resident (37:00) in Pelham presented a warrant article to adopt Singapore Math. In part 1, I explained how this was not a bad idea. In fact, it’s better than continuing down the failed path set for students in the school district. What math program would Pelham be replacing ? … Read more
During the Deliberative Session in Pelham, a resident rose to support a warrant article to change the math program, and replace it with Singapore Math. Why would anyone want to support Singapore Math in their school? There’s a simple answer to that question, Singapore students finish at the top on international math and science tests, … Read more
School administrators are jumping on the SEL Social and Emotional Learning bandwagon. It may sound good, wanting to help children with their social and emotional needs, but what are children really learning? One SEL program used in Merrimack, and other schools, is called Second Step. I wont go in depth on the data mining that … Read more
It seems that the State has decided that they need to move mental and medical clinics into your child’s school. Why even parent your children? It appears as if the State, in conjunction with school officials, will happily take over your job. There is no need to take your child to see their doctor during … Read more
In a time where we need to help parents become even better parents, the Manchester School Board is going in the opposite direction. Today, the New Hampshire Senate Education Committee heard a bill (SB34) to support parental consent for Medicaid billing. In many cases, parents will sign off on Medicaid services, but services can change, … Read more
Yesterday, there was a hearing in Concord to expand the EFA (School Choice) program. The EFA program allows families to use state tax money, and take that to an alternative school if needed. It opens up options for families who want an alternative education for their children. Here is a link to the proposed legislation. … Read more
A few weeks ago, PowerSchool issued an alert that there had been a data breach. In quieter news, PowerSchool is involved in a lawsuit charging the ed tech vendor with selling student data. Parents need to realize that their child’s personal information is not secure in our public schools no matter what they tell you. … Read more
Merrimack is using three English Language Arts programs, however, one of them causes emotional harm to children. According to the lawsuit against Wit & Wisdom, parents reported that their children had suffered psychological harm because of the Critical Race Theory focus in Wit&Wisdom. All of this was reported here. Now that parents have begun questioning … Read more