If you?ve watched state leaders struggle with the education funding problem for the last four years, you may have found yourself thinking, ?I could do better than that!? Recently, a group of prominent citizens got together to try. As NHPR?s Trish Anderton reports, former members of the ?Leadership New Hampshire? program sat down to brainstorm about how to improve the quality of schools ? and how to foot the cost of education.
ABOUT 40 PAST GRADUATES OF LEADERSHIP NEW HAMPSHIRE GATHERED AT THE TECHNICAL INSTITUTE IN CONCORD, ARMED WITH TAX TABLES AND POLICY PAPERS. NHPR?S JON GREENBERG ANNOUNCED THEIR ASSIGNMENT, SHOULD THEY CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT.
007 128 you?ve got a simple task in front of you. all you have to do is come up with an education policy that?s effective, fair, and improves the quality of education.
LEADERSHIP NEW HAMPSHIRE IS A TRAINING PROGRAM FOR THE STATE?S MOVERS AND SHAKERS, AND SOME OF THEM KNOW A LITTLE ABOUT SCHOOLS. STATE EDUCATION COMMISSIONER NICK DONAHUE, FOR EXAMPLE, ATTENDED THE EVENT. SO DID ANDRU VOLINSKY, LEAD LAWYER FOR THE TOWNS WHO ORIGINALLY SUED THE STATE OVER EDUCATION FUNDING. BUT WHEN THIS HIGH-POWERED GROUP BROKE INTO DISCUSSION CIRCLES, ITS MEMBERS DREW ON THEIR EXPERIENCE AS PARENTS, EVEN MORE THAN THEIR PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE.
(woman) The fact that my son did not have to read a book this year disturbs me. did not have to read a book.
19 20 (man) that town is notorious for you?re there three years and then you leave. Because the next town pays more or has kids that are more fun to teach.
(woman) my kids are in elementary school and I?m pleased with the education they?re getting. But in our commty too we?ve got overcrowding at middle school and can?t get bonds passed.
FOLLOWING AN OUTLINE, THE DISCUSSION GROUPS WEIGHED A VARIETY OF OPTIONS FROM VOUCHER PROGRAMS TO FUNDING REFORM. THE IDEA WAS TO LOOK AT ALL THE ANGLES, THEN BOIL DOWN THEIR THOUGHTS AND IDEAS INTO A COHERENT PLATFORM. A GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE WAS CHOSEN FROM EACH OF THE THREE GROUPS. THEN, OUT CAME THE MAGIC MARKERS ?.
Magic marker sound
FOR CAMPAIGN SIGNS.
More magic marker sound
AND SOON IT WAS TIME FOR SPEECHES.
24 08 (greenberg) if the candidates would make their way over to the podium?..
THE THREE GROUPS ARRIVED AT SURPRISINGLY DIFFERENT CONCLUSIONS. DANA HUNTLEY, A TRAVEL AGENCY PRESIDENT, LED THE MOST LIBERAL PARTY. THEIR CAMPAIGN SIGN READING ?MAX THE TAX? DREW A GIGGLE FROM THE CROWD. HUNTLEY ARGUED THE STATE MUST COMMIT ITSELF TO FUNDING PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
26 110 nobody in new hampshire out to be going to school in buildings with the ceiling falling down and outdated libraries. We believe that?s got to be paid for and we cannot resist statewide taxes to provide these basic fundamentals of education.
A RIVAL GROUP WAS LED BY MIKE OSTROWSKI, PRESIDENT OF CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. OSTROWSKI?S PARTY TOOK A MORE CONSERVATIVE TACK, COMING OUT IN FAVOR OF CHARTER SCHOOLS AND OTHER WAYS OF EXPANDING CHOICE. AND WHILE THEY LEANED TOWARD KEEPING TAXES LOW, THEY COULDN?T REACH A CONSENSUS ON FUNDING. OSTROWSKI?S COMPROMISE SOLUTION WAS A HIT WITH THE VOTERS.
25 129 I?ve decided to appoint a blue ribbon commission of leadership nh graduates, who have their finger on the pulse of taxation issues in nh, and they undoubtedly will come up with fair solution (laughter, applause)
THE LAST GROUP, LED BY PUBLIC RELATIONS COUNSELOR LYNN MERRILL, STUCK CLOSER TO THE MIDDLE. THE MERRILL PARTY PLATFORM FOCUSED ON TOUGH STANDARDS AT BOTH THE STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL. MERRILL WOULD CONTINUE USING THE STATEWIDE PROPERTY TAX, BUT HER ADMINISTRATION WOULD DISTRIBUTE THE FUNDS DIFFERENTLY. THEY OPTED FOR WHAT?S CALLED A MARKET BASKET APPROACH, UNDER WHICH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS PAY FOR BUILDINGS AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE WHILE THE STATE COVERS BOOKS AND SALARIES. MERRILL PORTRAYED THIS AS A WAY TO BALANCE STATE VERSUS LOCAL POWER.
27 118 that will allow us to have state salaries for teachers, they will still come under local control, but with state funding, state salaries and state standards.
THERE WAS NO FINAL VOTE, SINCE THE PLATFORMS WEREN?T REALLY THE POINT. THE EXERCISE WAS AIMED AT HELPING PARTICIPANTS WORK THEIR WAY THROUGH THE DIFFICULT ISSUE WHILE APPRECIATING EACH OTHERS? POINTS OF VIEW. CANDIDATE DANA HUNTLEY SAID IT SUCCEEDED.
29 242 I can?t say my priorites were changed but I carried away points that helped me understand other peoples positions better
HUNTLEY HIMSELF ILLUSTRATES THE DIVERSITY OF OPINIONS. HE CHEERFULLY ADMITTED HE DIDN?T AGREE WITH HIS OWN ?MAX THE TAX? PLATFORM.
30 00 the pro tax position was sort of snuck in to support how we?re going to pay for these infrastructure ? I mean personally when it comes to the education dialog I?m everyone?s worst nightmare because I?m a christian libertarian. (laughs).
MANY PARTICIPANTS, LIKE MIKE OSTROWSKI, EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION WITH THE STATE?S PROGRESS ON EDUCATION.
29 205 I'm disappointed in the legislature, they?re stalled in the water, they've been treading water last two years
BUT THEY ADMITTED THEY FELT THE LEGISLATURE?S PAIN. AFTER ALL, SAID LYNN MERRILL, LOOK HOW HARD IT WAS EVEN FOR THIS ROOMFUL OF FICTIONAL POLICYMAKERS TO ARRIVE AT CONSENSUS.
32 46 this is far less politicized. Nobody here is running for reelection.
INDEED, BY THE END OF THE EVENING, THE CANDIDATES SEEMED RELIEVED THAT THE CAMERAS, THE MICROPHONES, THE CAMPAIGN SIGNS AND THE CHEERING CROWDS ?. WERE ONLY MAKE-BELIEVE. FOR NHPR NEWS, I?M
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