This week, the House Education Committee is finishing up hearings on five anti-Common Core bills  – bills that seek in one way or another to end New Hampshire’s use of the Common Core and any future academic standards, including the Next Generation Science Standards.

The push comes mainly from a small number of legislators (here is their recent press conference), established opponents of New Hampshire public education.  In the last Legislature, Lenette Peterson supported bills to abolish DOE, end compulsory school attendance, lower the dropout age and repeal universal kindergarten.  Al Baldasaro and J.R. Hoell were cosponsors or supporters most of those same bills.  As a member of the House Education Committee, Ralf Boehm supported bills to end universal kindergarten and lower the dropout age.  In addition, freshman legislators David Murotake and Glenn Cordelli are sponsors on most of the anti-Common Core bills.

HB 1508-FN (testimony here) is a one sentence bill that seeks to “terminate all plans, programs, activities, and expenditures relative to the implementation of the common core….any assessments and instruction based upon such standards.” Prime sponsor: Lenette Peterson Cosponsors: Alfred Baldasaro, Pamela Tucker, Patrick Bick, Jeffrey Harris, David Murotake, Jane Cormier, Donald LeBrun, Jeanine Notter, William Infantine.

House Education Committee Chair Mary Gile recessed last Thursday’s packed public hearing on HB 1508 (here’s the Union Leader report) until next Thursday, February 13, 2014 at 3:00.

HB1432 (testimony here) will be heard by the House Education Committee Tuesday morning at 10:00 in LOB 207.  The bill effectively ends the Common Core by delaying use of the standards and the tests for two years.  It also requires a study of educational impact, privacy and funding issues and hearings in each Executive Council District.  While there is no fiscal note attached, there would clearly result in substantial costs and uncertainties.  Prime sponsor: David Murotake Cosponsors: Ralph Boehm, Glenn Cordelli, John Kelley, Andy Sanborn.

HB 1496 would prevent the Smarter Balanced Assessment from being used.  The bill is a collection of blog quotes about what’s wrong with the Smarter Balanced test.  The sponsor is J.R. Hoell

HB 1397 (here is the public testimony) asks the Democratic House to establish a Republican study committee to investigate charges that NHDOE disobeyed the law by promoting the Common Core.  Prime sponsor: Jane Cormier Cosponsors: J.R. Hoell, Glenn Cordelli, Joseph Pitre, Sam Cataldo

HB1239 -FN-L (here is testimony on the bill) would establish a new process for adopting academic standards in New Hampshire, requiring benchmarking and implementation cost analysis based on extensive new data provided by each of New Hampshire’s 172 school districts.  Like HB 1432, the bill requires the department to hold hearings in each Executive Council District.  Prime sponsor: Glenn Cordelli.  Cosponsors: Ralph Boehm, J.R. Hoell, Jeffrey Harris, David Murotake, John Reagan, Sam Cataldo, Dick Marston.