News – Politics – Opinion – Podcasts
New Hampshire has a math problem. In 2026, about 62% of New Hampshire’s 11th graders met the state’s proficiency standard in reading. In math, only 30% did. That gap is hard to ignore. But high school isn’t where the story begins. The Gap Begins Earlier New Hampshire’s statewide assessments tell an interesting story. In the … Read more
One of my superfans sent me a link to a conversation on WMUR between Fred Kocker and Brad Reynolds. The topic? “How New Hampshire ranks last in the U.S. for state support of public education with property taxpayers anteing up $7 of every $10 of cost.” The headline really sells it, though. “The Granite State … Read more
Today, on the morning update, more from fellow ‘Grokster Ian Underwood and his talk on education. The problem is one of doing too much, or so much that you can’t do anything well or, in some cases, at all. Watch on the ‘Grok Rumble Channel if the Embedded Video does not load. Ep 245 Links: … Read more
You can’t always get what you want. Rolling Stones. Also, when searching roughly 60,000 pieces of content on GraniteGrok. You want it, but you can’t get it. But “It’s out there, somewhere.” American Tale (Ronstadt and Ingram). In this case, beneath the pale blue-light glow of your device. And in this case it was. It … Read more
Citing 1850 Constitutional Record Unavailable to the Claremont Courts. Windham taxpayer and former Windham School Board member and occasional ‘Grok contributor ‘ Tom Murray has filed a constitutional challenge to New Hampshire’s education property-tax structure. He argues that previously unconsidered constitutional history undermines the foundation of the New Hampshire Supreme Court’s landmark Claremont school-funding decisions … Read more
In an August 5th missive to parents of students at John Stark High School, Principal Gary Dempsey outlined some curriculum changes. Sadly, most Engineering courses have been canceled. These include Welding, Small Engines, and all Physics courses. A local source tells me that the teacher quit for better pay in another district, and that Administration … Read more
In 2017, 49% of Americans said a four-year college degree was worth the cost, according to NBC News polling. Last year, it was down to 33%. This week, the University of New Hampshire responded to those cost concerns by unveiling a pair of three-year online bachelor’s degrees available through the College of Professional Studies. These … Read more
If you missed, skipped, or dismissed Ian Underwood’s Rethinking Education, you should be making time to watch it. In today’s Morning Update, I share the first of several excerpts that should change how you think about education. So much so that we encourage you to watch it and then share it with policymakers and legislators. … Read more
Ian Underwood explains why we need to rethink education and key areas to change in this 40-minute talk presented at Freedom Palooza in North Country, NH, in July 2026. Ian summarizes three of his books on education covering three areas to rethink. He recommends changing “fairness” to be about what is learned rather than being … Read more
With the passage into law of House Bill 1300, voters this fall will have the opportunity to cap their local school district budget increases and administration spending. How would this work? Josiah Bartlett Center President Andrew Cline wrote in NH Journal in May about the strange fact that Massachusetts has a statewide property tax cap, but New … Read more
Editor’s note: The New England Take is off this week but will return next Saturday. A. J. gives a postmortem on his discussion with Andru Volinsky on his 3-3 Tax Savings Plan to fund New Hampshire schools through an income tax. A chat with a dishonest, smug leftist who does not have a solution to … Read more
If college should be free, then colleges should offer education for the low, low price of zero dollars. If health care is a right, then doctors and nurses should work for nothing. But you can’t do that? How will they pay for the stuff they need to do the work, even if it’s free? My … Read more
A Democrat education questionnaire now circulating in New Hampshire is built to manufacture quotes, not to inform voters. Here is how Republican candidates should answer it, and the five questions to hand back. Post summary: A five-question education “voter guide” is making the rounds on New Hampshire Democratic social media. It presents itself as neutral … Read more
Following on my earlier post, Dems-n-Energy, I bring you another fake concern of the left that could be addressed, at least in part and almost immediately, if the Dems tried this one easy thing. In Dems-n-energy, it was the price of energy. Here, we’re talking education costs, which are the single greatest driver of high … Read more
Here’s something you may not have known: About 88% of New Hampshire’s Class of 2025 graduated from high school. But when that same cohort was tested in Grade 11, only 63% demonstrated proficiency in reading and 30% in math. That’s quite a gap. It made me wonder: How are so many students graduating when so … Read more
I’ve got to say it’s more than a bit distressing to head into the celebration of our great nation’s 250th birthday on the heels of Democratic Socialists winning a bunch of elections in New York and Colorado. So, this semiquincentennial (yes, I had to look it up, and even my spellcheck still doesn’t believe that’s … Read more
Today’s America is being brought to us from roughly a century of communist infiltration, organizing, and the indoctrination of those who are our Country’s future. Counter to their former obscurity, their current actions and words have confirmed what many have suspected. To our detriment, the fact is that since the sixties, these commies have amassed … Read more
Legislation was passed in my town of Kingston during the March election and recently at the NH State House offering “tax caps” as a solution to exploding town and school budgets. These measures – while tempting – resemble the “price controls” economists normally condemn. Economists routinely oppose price ceilings. The best outcomes are achieved when … Read more
“It is in the Interest of Tyrants to reduce the People to Ignorance and Vice.” Samuel Adams warned us – tyranny is built on people who lack knowledge and strong morals. That’s because he knew freedom is built on the opposite foundation. “For they cannot live in any Country where Virtue and Knowledge prevail.” He … Read more
In the wake of Act 73/H.955 education “reform” and the emphasis on consolidation, there has been considerable worry in rural Vermont about what this means for their small, local schools. For many, it will mean closure. A recent op-ed by Nina Antin notes, “When Sen. Ruth Hardy, D-Addison, presented H.955 on the Vermont Senate floor, … Read more