EDUCATORS AGAINST SUNUNU
In addition to his recent failure to lead on school safety, Chris Sununu has been attacking public education since he entered the corner office – pushing to divert funding from public schools to unaccountable private and religious schools, nominating our state's own version of Betsy DeVos to the Department of Education, and flat-funding colleges and universities in his budgets.
Now is the time to stand up and fight back to end Sununu's attacks on public education once and for all.
LEARN MORE ABOUT CHRIS SUNUNU'S ANTI-PUBLIC SCHOOL AGENDA
SUNUNU'S INADEQUATE SCHOOL RE-OPENING "PLAN"
Chris Sununu's scheme to reopen NH schools punts responsibility for the health and safety of Granite Staters to local school districts, and does not give school districts adequate funding in order to implement precautions to reopen safely. Educators across the state have spoken out against Sununu’s sham non-plan and lambasted the guidance, saying it has a “low safety bar” and makes them “feel like guinea pigs,” while the state’s own epidemiologist compared the plan to “swiss cheese,” because it has a lot of holes. Now more than ever, we need leaders who will fight for students and educators – not leave them out to dry.
DIVERTING PUBLIC MONEY TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is trying to take what was a perfectly clear law on how education funding can be distributed in the midst of a global pandemic, and distort it so that it fits the narrative of her anti-public school agenda. Chris Sununu is standing in lockstep with DeVos, taking advantage of the pandemic to divert taxpayer CARES Act funds from public schools and students in need to unaccountable and already wealthy private institutions. [WMUR, 6/26/20]
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OPPOSING EDUCATION FUNDING
Chris Sununu vetoed New Hampshire's budget, which included much-needed education funding, and instead prioritized tax breaks for corporations. According to the Concord Monitor, “A spokesman for Sununu said the governor is in favor of education funding [included in the state’s budget], as long as the business tax rate of 7.7% doesn’t climb to 7.9%.” [Concord Monitor, 7/24/19]
FLAT-FUNDING NH COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES
In both budgets he proposed, Chris Sununu flat-funded New Hampshire's colleges and universities. According to Fosters Daily Democrat, "USNH receives the lowest state funding per capita of any university system in the country, and as a result tuition costs for New Hampshire students are among the highest in the nation. Granite State students also rank near the top nationally for student loan debt upon graduation." [Fosters Daily Democrat, 2/10/17]
SUNUNU'S DISASTROUS EDUCATION COMMISSIONER
Frank Edelblut is unqualified to hold the position of Education Commissioner. He believes in creationism over evolution, supports gay conversion therapy, and rejects teaching about climate change. Chris Sununu should have known better than to give this important position to someone like Edelblut.
Read more about why Frank Edelblut is problematic here.
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THEIR RECKLESS SCHOOL VOUCHER PROGRAM
Chris Sununu and his handpicked state education commissioner are pushing a voucher program that would divert millions of dollars away from public schools to unaccountable private and religious schools that are, in some cases, ill-equipped to handle students with disabilities or unwilling to enroll LGBTQ+ students. [Fosters Daily Democrat, 4/20/17] Their 2018 school voucher bill was opposed by students, parents, teachers, principals, superintendents and administrators, public school advocates, and newspaper editorial boards across the state.
FAILING OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR STUDENTS
According to a national study by CNBC, “America’s Top States for Business,” under Chris Sununu, New Hampshire has fallen sharply in education rankings. [CNBC, 7/19]