Bill Walker, a member of the Republican County Committee in Sullivan County, accused the Department of Education of “bullying” Croydon students in his Union Leader “Another View” column, when in fact, they are merely enforcing the law.Walker writes:
Education Commissioner Virginia Barry is bullying four Croydon children. Like George Wallace standing in the doorway of the University of Alabama, Barry is saying that four Croydon children who tuition out of the government-run schools have no right to go to schools that are meant for their social betters.
This over-the-top comparison is just untrue. Dr. Barry is only following the law. RSA 193:1 and 193:3 outline the requirements of parents and students regarding school attendance; the law states that districts must assign children to public schools. The state, according to Barry, “has implemented a system to guarantee that all public school children receive an adequate education. This system is exclusive to public schools.”
Here is Commissioner Barry’s letter to Superintendent Gallagher.
The DOE isn’t preventing children from reaching their potential and getting the best education possible, as Mr. Walker suggests. In fact, the state is being praised across the country for its creative solutions to nationwide problems. The state licenses charter schools, which are available to all students in that district. It also participates in innovative programs like PACE, which reduces the number of standardized tests students must take.
The full article can be found here.
Advancing New Hampshire Public Education 