Senate Education Committee Hears Bill to Allow College Faculty to Teach Dual‑enrollment Courses Part‑time in High Schools

Representative William Ladd introduced House Bill 90 to the Senate Education Committee, saying the proposal would allow faculty employed by a state community college or university to teach approved dual‑ and concurrent‑enrollment college courses in public high schools for up to 20 hours per week.

Ladd said the intent is to expand access in districts that lack a teacher with a master’s degree in the subject area, enabling students in tenth through twelfth grades to earn college credit while still in high school. “This bill was put forward … we have concurrent and dual enrollment programs offered in the state which are really high priorities … to have our students … experience the opportunity to take courses which give them credit for college,” Ladd said.

Proponents described the measure as a way to keep academic rigor and expand student opportunity. Patrick Coates, identified as president of Lake Community Community College, told the committee that community colleges already partner with high schools through three common delivery models — instructor‑led high school courses with a college mentor, online partnerships, and students attending classes on campus — and said those partnerships could be formalized under the bill. “We support this because … the dual and concurrent enrollment is really important to the students that we serve,” Coates said.

Opponents and school representatives warned that the proposed language was broader than intended and could be used to staff non‑dual enrollment classes with noncertified instructors. Deborah Howes, president of the American Federation of Teachers New Hampshire, opposed the bill as introduced and urged narrowing it to limit college faculty to approved dual‑ and concurrent‑enrollment courses only. “We do not feel that community college or university faculty coming down to teach in the high school should be open to any course,” Howes said, citing concerns about differentiated instruction for English‑language learners and students with special education needs.

Several senators asked whether the measure includes enforcement mechanisms if part‑time instructors fail to follow the New Hampshire Code of Conduct and Ethics for Educational Professionals. Ladd said the bill requires a criminal background check, employment by a postsecondary institution, and adherence to academic standards identified by the state Department of Education and higher education accrediting standards, and that the Department would make rules clarifying implementation. “What we’re really wanting to make sure is that our academic standards in this state don’t go underneath that bar,” Ladd said.

Committee members also pressed on whether district need should be a condition for bringing in noncertified instructors and on safeguards to prevent districts from substituting uncertified instructors for certified K‑12 teachers. Senator Auchiluk asked why the bill does not require that a high school demonstrate it has exhausted local hiring options before contracting college faculty; several witnesses and Ladd said the community college system and Department of Education would be involved in crafting agreements and that the bill’s 20‑hour cap and criminal‑background requirement limit possible misuse.

No formal vote or committee action was recorded in the transcript; the hearing concluded after public testimony and questions. The bill remains subject to further amendment and Department of Education rulemaking if enacted.