Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Educator Code Of Conduct topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bill to add parents to educator code of conduct draws opposition from educators and lawmakers
Summary
House Bill 235 would add parents and guardians to the educator code of conduct’s definition of the 'school community,' a change supporters describe as recognizing parental partnership and critics say is unnecessary and ambiguous.
House Bill 235 would modify the code of ethics and code of conduct for New Hampshire educators by adding parents and guardians to the statute’s description of the school community and to educators’ responsibilities.
Representative Glenn Cordelli described the change as acknowledging parents as vital partners in education and said the bill adds a definition from the RSA to the code of conduct. Cordelli said the measure does not create a separate parental code of conduct; rather, it would explicitly mention parents in the educator code’s language about professional responsibilities and maintaining professional relationships inside and outside of school.
Several witnesses and senators opposed the change. Representative Peggy Balboni and Megan Tuttle, president of NEA New Hampshire, said educators already have a clear code focused on responsibilities to students and the school community, and that the Department of Education enforces the code. Tuttle presented written feedback the union had collected during the House hearing—she said 57 testified in opposition and 9 in support at the House hearing—and warned that adding parents could create conflicts between district direction and individual parent expectations and could expose educators to disciplinary scrutiny tied to their license.
Senators asked where enforcement authority would lie if the change passed; witnesses said enforcement remains with the Department of Education and that local school handbooks already set expectations for parental behavior in many districts. Several senators and representatives urged careful drafting if the legislature intends to create new parental rights or separate statutory obligations for parents rather than adjusting educator rules.
The committee did not record a final vote on HB 235 in the portion of the transcript provided; testimony and questions focused on scope, enforcement and the risk of creating ambiguity that might affect educator licensure and school operations.
