These three petitions were submitted to be added to the Merrimack Valley School District Warrant. The meeting is to be held on March 4th, Penacook High School, and starts at 7 pm.
ARTICLE III. Shall we adopt the provisions of RSA 40:13 (known as SB 2) to allow official ballot voting on all issues before the Merrimack Valley School District on the second Tuesday in March? (By petition. 3/5 – majority ballot vote required)
In my opinion, it is time to adopt SB2 to allow the voters in our school district which includes Boscawen, Loudon, Penacook, Salisbury, and Webster to vote in their own town by ballot on the MVSD warrant.
Some voters drive one-half hour to vote for school board members. Yet if an employee of the high school or middle school is a voter of the school district, then that person just walks a short distance and votes for school board members. It has been said if we vote in SB 2 then one of the larger towns could vote in a warrant article and a smaller town could not override that vote. Well that same situation could happen under our current voting system.
We want to thank Louise Andrus for this Op-Ed.
Please direct yours to Editor@GraniteGrok.com.
ARTICLE VIII. Shall the School District prohibit the teaching or propagation of topics such as Critical Race Theory or any of its derivative philosophies, defined as any program that instructs that the United States, the State of New Hampshire, or any New Hampshire resident is inherently racist or intolerant, and direct the school’s curriculum to avoid any such discriminatory educational practices and modules? Further, shall the school board members, district administrators, and faculty be responsible and accountable for enforcing state law and this warrant to protect students from discriminatory educational practices and modules? (By petition)
At the May 10, 2021, MVSD school board meeting, the subject of HB2 and Divisive Concepts Language was brought up. To Quote from the minutes, “Chairperson Seelye Longnecker discussed that the State budget bill (HB 2) includes language that prohibits discussion of divisive concepts in schools. While the Board normally does not take public stands, this directly impacts our schools. Seelye offered the following proposed statement from the Board. The statement reads: “The Merrimack Valley School Board strongly opposes the language in HB 2 which restricts open and honest discussion of topics that might be considered divisive. We are committed to offering our students an ‘apolitical’ curriculum that fosters safe and respectful conversations from diverse perspectives and encourages them to critically analyze issues that impact equity and inclusion in our schools and our community.”
I believe silence implies consent, therefore I disputed this statement. If you have read HB 2 it states, “II. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit discussing, as part of a larger course of academic instruction, the divisive concepts listed in RSA 10-C:1, II in an objective manner and without endorsement.”
One of the real issues is the taxpayers paying for conferences and workshops that teach Critical Race Theory and then in turn the teachers are teaching divisive concepts and indoctrinating the students of our school district. Please let me explain. The information in the February 8, 2021 school board meeting packet pages 93 through 96 related to curriculum revisions. I have done some research. Picked out one of the subject matters listed at the Middle School level “Dismantling White Supremacy Culture.” I googled it and at the end of the article was listed drWorks and a website www.dismantlingracism.org. I went to the website and among the listed headings was “Racism Defined.” Under that heading found the following:
“WHITE SUPREMACY
The idea (ideology) that white people and the ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and actions of white people are superior to BIPOC communities and people and their ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and actions. While most people associate white supremacy with extremist groups like the Ku Klux Klan and the neo-Nazis, white supremacy is ever-present in our institutional and cultural assumptions that assign value, morality, goodness, and humanity to the white group while casting Black, Indigenous, and People of Color as worthless (worthless), immoral, bad, and inhuman and “undeserving.” Drawing from critical race theory, the term “white supremacy” also refers to a political or socio-economic system where white people enjoy structural advantage and rights that other racial and ethnic groups do not, both at a collective and an individual level. For more, go to the white supremacy culture page.”
Why did the MVSD taxpayers have to pay for conferences on “Dismantling White Supremacy Culture?
This told me that we the taxpayers are paying for teachers to attend conferences and workshops and in turn teach white privilege, white supremacy, etc. to the children of the MVSD.
My question has been how does the school board school justify, condone and uphold this racist indoctrination, propaganda and trash to our students in the MVSD?? This whole Critical Race Theory is racist full of despicable hate for one another.
No wonder the test scores of students in reading, math, science are low if the school district spends more time on SEL and on teaching trash of divisive
concepts. There are many parents pulling their children from public schools. When are we going to sit down and have a real conversation and ascertain what the real problems are, and fix those problems rather than just turning our heads the other way and ignoring the subject?
ARTICLE IX. Shall we adopt the following provisions to be applicable to the Merrimack Valley School District School Board and School Administrative SAU 46, effective immediately upon passage by a majority of the votes cast in the election:
During any public meeting held by the school board, there shall be, on the agenda for each such meeting, a designated time period for interactive questions and answers from the board, with sufficient time allotted to hear comments, questions, and complaints from members of the public.
The public must be able to sign up to speak at the meeting, or otherwise be given time to speak during the meeting, where they may comment or ask questions. And during any public meeting held by a school board or the school administrative unit, elected members of the school board, and any other school administrators present, shall respond publicly and substantively, at such meeting and without obfuscation or delay, with as much detail as known at the time, to comments, questions, and complaints from any members of the public assembled at such Public meeting. (By petition)
I totally stand with the parents that this petition would open conversation between the school board, school administrators, and the public. Generally speaking, that would refer to the parents. It is up to the parents to make any and all decisions that relate to their child. That is not the job of the school personnel. We all have to stand up and fight for the children and demand a better basic education for them and leave behind the SEL (social-emotional learning). In other words, it is up to the parents to teach the social-emotional aspects of life to the child and not the school.
I am a candidate for the school board in the MVSD.
My name is Louise Andrus and I am a candidate for the school board from Salisbury. I am an NH native, a current member of the NH House, a former bookkeeper, office manager, and secretary. All my children attended and graduated from the MVSD high school.
I am running for the school board as I believe we need to do better for our children as they are not receiving the education they deserve. I believe every child should be taught, “Yes I can.” I stand with the parents that they are the final decision-makers for all matters pertaining to their child. There needs to be better listening and communication between the school board and the parents. Also, believe the school board’s actions must be transparent and accountable to the public.
For the past 8 years, I have attended approximately 98% of monthly school board meetings, some committee meetings and all annual meetings. During this period of time, I have gained a confident working knowledge of the school district. With my enthusiasm for educating our children and my investment in learning about our school district, I believe I am qualified to be a significant member of the school board. I am asking for your vote on March 4.
