CONCORD, NH – In honor of Teacher’s Appreciation Week (May 2-6) Democratic members of both the House and Senate Education Committees have placed ads in newspapers across the state thanking teachers for their work through one of the most challenging times and climates in recent history.
The lettter can be seen this week in the Union Leader, The Concord Monitor, The Keene Sentinel, and The Conway Daily Sun.
Ranking House Member of the Education Committee Mel Myler (D-Contoocook) released the following statement on the thank you letters:
“We owe New Hampshire teachers, administrators, and their support staff a debt of gratitude we can never repay. They have worked through one of the most-challenging professional environments for educators I can recall in my lifetime, and they have done it with tremendous grit. We thank them, from the bottom of our hearts, and hope to serve their interests in the legislature in a way that honors their service to our community.”
Ranking Senate Member of the Education Committee Jay Kahn (D-Keene) released the following statement on the thank you letters:
“At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our teachers were heralded as heroes. Letters to the editor and op-eds filled local papers congratulating them for their Herculean efforts to keep our children’s education moving forward. But over the past two years, we have seen a seismic shift in the way public officials treat public school educators. Heroes have been recast as supervillains, who, according to an extremist minority, must be controlled at all costs. One needs to look no further than the New Hampshire legislature to see how ingrained this disdain has become.
“That’s why we want to recognize educators–the teachers, paraprofessionals, support staff, principals, and superintendents–who have endured shifting health and education mandates over the last three school years and dedicated themselves to supporting students and families during this global pandemic. It’s Teacher Appreciation Week, and we thank you for your critical role in developing the most precious asset of our state, our students.”
— Complete text of the letter below:
TO ALL NEW HAMPSHIRE TEACHERS,
We trust that our professional educators give their best to students every day, in the classroom, through the use of remote learning resources and through interactions with parents.
Your dedication to students during the pandemic has been remarkable, offering personalized learning opportunities and building a rapport with students, helping them feel safe outside their homes.
Your ability to adapt to changing mandates has been remarkable.
We stand in support of educators and against legislation that reacts to pandemic conditions rather than focusing on student educational outcomes.
Thank you Teachers, Education Support Staff, and Administrators for guiding Granite State student learners and for enduring the pressure as front line workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
You make us proud of our public and private schools.
DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS OF THE EDUCATION COMMITTEES IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE:
Representative Mel Myler
Representative Dave Luneau
Senator Jay Kahn
Senator Suzanne Prentiss
Representative Patty Cornell
Representative Marjorie Porter
Representative Linda Tanner
Representative Art Ellison
Representative Steve Woodcock
Representative Muriel Hall
Representative Sue Mullen