Senator Denise Ricciardi: Supporting all children in NH

It's time to stop the partisan bickering and start supporting all children in New Hampshire.

Former Senator Jeanne Dietsch, while serving District 9, made disparaging comments towards homeschool families —a community of parents who’ve dedicated their time and money to providing the best education for their children. Now she is fighting against parents who want a better education for their children.

In her recent op-ed using biased talking points, she used every excuse to deny children a better education.

The old excuse of public schools suffering if a child leaves the public school ignores so many factors. Parents withdraw their children for a variety of reasons everyday, like excessive bullying or lack of academic progress. When they remove their child, the state funding to the public school stops. No one says a word because they respect a parent’s decision to seek an alternative.

But when there is the option to use the state funding to help parents pay for tuition at another school, it becomes a partisan battle with Republicans supporting choice and Democrats in opposition.

As a parental rights advocate in New Hampshire, I’ve heard from parents across the state who’ve needed to place their child in another school. They range from girls who have been bullied and assaulted, to children who are falling further and further behind. What are parents to do? Why doesn’t Dietsch ever talk about these situations? Why does she and the other partisan democrats ignore this injustice?

Bedford is considered one of the best school districts in the state. So these issues may not be plaguing parents in Bedford. Residents have no reason to stop SB 130, the proposed legislation that creates Education Freedom Accounts. (EFA’s)

Most parents want their children in their local public school. That’s why it’s critical to always support public schools. But that doesn’t mean that you get to ignore the children who need an alternative. Legislators represent all parents, and cannot ignore the parents who are desperate to seek a safe alternative for their children.

Money out of the school budget is diverted to lobbyists who have opposed improving public education and opposed supporting parental rights. Check your school budget for dues paid to the New Hampshire School Boards Association and the New Hampshire School Administrators Association. Both are funded by taxpayers through their school budgets, and no one says a word.

Senator Ricciardi is taking a balanced approach versus the extreme stand that Dietsch and others have taken when it comes to education policy. Supporting public education and families in poverty who need an alternative.

School choice has always been available to families who can afford it, but SB130 would make state money available for children living in poverty so they have the same access to a better school if needed.

The newly appointed U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona seems to be taking a similar approach. Appointed by President Biden, Cardona responded to a question about charter schools by saying, “Charter Schools provide choice for parents that are seeking choice, so I think it’s a viable option.”

According to EdWeek, Cardona has been affiliated with New Leaders where he participated in a fellowship program. New Leaders embraces school choice. We can see that the Biden administration is NOT taking such a partisan stand against offering some choice to parents.

School choice doesn’t have to be a partisan issue. We can look for ways to support improving public schools without ignoring children in poverty who are bullied, assaulted or not thriving under extreme circumstances.

This has become a civil rights issue and it is interesting to see who is on the side of civil rights right now and who is not.

Bedford doesn’t have a high poverty rate and they are considered one of the best schools in the state. I don’t believe we will see a mass exodus that others are predicting. They are simply using that excuse to force children to endure suffering. That’s the sad reality.

Let’s stop the partisan bickering and support all children in New Hampshire.