Category: Granite Views

Why is school choice and expansion of the charter school system in New Hampshire such a political hot spot? If we simply think about offering every student the opportunity to learn in the environment that works best for him or her, why would we not want to expand the charter school system, and why did the Democratic-led Fiscal Committee repeatedly reject a $46 million federal grant? This federal grant was awarded to New Hampshire more than a year ago, and in a decision that defies logic and reason, the Fiscal Committee rejected the funds (the only state in the nation to do so) multiple times. The funds were awarded for the expansion of charter schools statewide, and it was the largest charter school expansion grant in the country.

The argument against receiving the funds was essentially that by expanding the charter school system, costs in the public school system would increase. There are two important points here. First, charter schools are public schools. While they receive a higher per student reimbursement from the state than traditional public schools, they do not have access to local taxes or other state aid. While charter schools are able to educate their students at a much lower cost than traditional public schools, there is still a gap between funds received from the state and funds spent, requiring the schools to rely on private donations and fundraising. Second, if there are fewer students in the traditional school system due the expansion of charter schools, shouldn’t the overall operating budget decrease? Enrollment in traditional public schools has steadily declined over the past 10 years; however, overall school budgets continue to increase.

With a change in party leadership, there is hope that the now Republican-led Fiscal Committee will immediately move to accept the federal grant. As a whole, our children are best served when the traditional public school system works with the charter school system to determine the best learning environment for the child. Education is not a one-size-fits-all reality, and when the focus is on “who gets the money,” the mission of education is lost. By keeping our focus on the student first, we will see better outcomes.

For more years than I can remember, at this time of year someone within earshot would say, “Christmas carols so soon? It’s the day after Thanksgiving and the carols have started. Far too early.” That always struck me as a little Grinch-like. This year, however, no one has uttered those words. Instead, there seems an almost universal haste to bring on the holiday season.

Our favorite nursery and hardware store reports their stock of wreaths, garlands, lights, candles and festive decorations is nearly sold out. Drive through neighborhoods after dark and more houses than usual seem festooned. And while many of us are staying away from retail shops for health and safety reasons, seasonal shopping is at a brisk pace online as witnessed by the UPS, FedEx, Prime and USPS trucks out and about.

We should not be surprised at ourselves this year. As we enter the 10th month of mask-wearing, social distancing and cabin hibernation, we are looking for the comfort of those seasonal traditions that were commonplace before the pandemic.

Across cultures worldwide, regardless of their religions, rituals bring meaning to ordinary time and action. They lift us out of the commonplace by changing what we see, hear, taste and smell. In short, rituals of whatever kind link the present with the past, whether it is our tribe’s, family’s, community’s or our very own. And we seem to need them most when the world around us seems dark and possibly even dangerous.

For centuries and in many cultures the winter solstice (which occurs this month) has been seen as a significant time and has been marked by festivals and rituals. It marked the symbolic death and rebirth of the sun. The seasonal significance of the winter solstice is in the reversal of the gradual lengthening of nights and shortening of days.

With the pandemic death toll in our country now approaching 280,000, we are truly in a very dark time. And while the promise of effective vaccines offers a light ahead, as does the solstice promise the return of the sun, we seek some comfort in rituals of this season and trust they will bolster our hope for better times.

So this year, whatever festival we observe, we are likely to do so more thoughtfully and with greater intensity. As much as we may trust in science, we also take comfort in our rituals.

Being a local merchant before the pandemic was hard. The tides were against us — from competition from Amazon to the rising cost of rents and labor, it was hard to be a small business in New Hampshire.

But that didn’t stop many people from taking up the challenge, and for that I’m grateful. Small independent businesses — your local restaurant, bakery, gift shop, pet store, salon and music shop — give our community part of its character. It’s the basis for Hippo’s annual Best of Readers Poll. And as we’ve talked about for the past 20 years, these small businesses are what help make this region what it is.

Those small businesses also employ a lot of local people and more of the money you spend with us stays in the area; 73 percent of money you spend at an independent small business stays local versus 43 percent of money spent at a non-locally owned business, according to one recent study. I would guess even less stays local when spending money with Amazon or another out-of-state e-tailer. Locally owned businesses also contribute a lot more money to local charities and pay a lot more in local taxes. This keeps your taxes lower. Spending local makes sense for your community and yourself.

That in-person connection of a Toadstool Bookshop or a Manchester Music Mill or an Alapage or the Bakeshop On Kelley Street or Granite State Candy Shoppe or Palace Theatre or Cheers Bar and Grill has been severely impacted with the limiting of in-person contact throughout the pandemic. It’s like the very thing that gives these businesses their special sauce was yanked right away from them. At the very same moment, their chief competitors like Amazon, Walmart and UberEats got a huge boost by people stuck at home. This is understandable — Amazon is easy and makes a lot of sense when we’re trying to reduce our in-person contact.

What we can do, though, is make an effort to spend some of our money at these local businesses. Since many of our local businesses can’t afford some of the online shopping tools or their service can’t be sold online, our efforts might require us to pick up the phone or if we feel safe enough go down there and use their service. Support your local restaurant by buying a gift certificate or ordering takeout.

Just as we need to make the effort, small businesses need to as well. Consumers can recognize when businesses aren’t reasonably supporting local businesses around them. Just as with consumers it isn’t always easy but with some effort the rewards can be tremendous.

Though it can seem a bit overused, the saying “we’ll get through this together” has the right sentiment. We’ll get through this together by supporting each other.

Ready or not, the holidays are here, with Thanksgiving arriving this week. Thanksgiving has been celebrated in various ways since that very first holiday in 1621 between the Pilgrims and the Native Americans, but it was Abraham Lincoln who declared it a national holiday in 1863 during the midst of the Civil War. According to History.com in its “Thanksgiving 2020” article, Lincoln issued a proclamation imploring all Americans to ask God to “commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife” and to “heal the wounds of the nation.”

In present time, we are suffering through a worldwide pandemic that has taken more than 250,000 lives in the United States alone. With record high Covid-19 cases, we are being asked to reconsider traditional Thanksgiving gatherings. Local leaders and governors are asking for diligence to stay the course and follow the recommendations from the CDC and health authorities, celebrating in smaller groups or with only household members, celebrating virtually, or even hosting an outside Thanksgiving get-together.

In addition, we have just completed an election that laid bare the division and polarization of our country. Each party is convinced it has the answers to resolving the ongoing “civil strife” of present day, yet there is very little evidence of seeking common ground upon which to develop real solutions. Even post-election, hate and vitriol continue to spread across social media and traditional news outlets.

These events have taken a toll on Americans in 2020. We are weary and yearn for some sense of normalcy. Is it ironic that Lincoln’s words from 1863 ring so true in 2020? As we gather for Thanksgiving, may we remember Lincoln’s proclamation and commit to doing our part to once again heal the wounds of our divided nation. There is continued hope for a vaccine to help contain a virus that has taken so much. In the meantime, we must not politicize a personal responsibility to do our part in slowing the spread. We may not be able to physically gather this Thanksgiving, but we can certainly find ways to come together as a nation. Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving.

Make no mistake about it, Donald Trump lost this election and the passion on both sides was either for or against Donald Trump. While many were hopeful of a blue Democratic wave, it didn’t happen. It looks likely that the Republicans will hold onto the Senate and gain House seats. And, although New Hampshire voted for Joe Biden, Republicans fared very well in other elections around the state. It is my belief that this election was less about whether Trump did a good job with his presidential policies and more about the style in which he carried off his duties.

This style leaves a list of “don’ts” for future presidents. These should have been no-brainers for virtually anyone elected to that office and had Trump avoided these things he probably would have been re-elected.

1. Don’t call the scientist idiots — and wear a mask.

2. Don’t make fun of people with disabilities.

3. Don’t disparage prisoners of war (this alone probably cost Trump Arizona).

4. Don’t stereotype people.

5. Don’t anger our allies. We need them.

6. Release your tax returns. Everybody else seeking that office seems to have no problem releasing theirs. It looks like you have something to hide.

7. Don’t trash all of your predecessors. It makes you look small.

8. Have an actual health care plan. (Trump had four years!)

9. Don’t call people names. Schools across the country teach students that this is bullying.

10. Clearly denounce white supremacists. (I know that when pressed on the issue Trump denounced them but it never seemed genuine.)

11. Don’t separate parents from their kids.

None of the above are hard to understand. Anyone else in the president’s position would have followed these. So many who were inclined to support many of Trump’s policies were turned off by actions like these. I believe that Trump could have still been that quirky commander in chief that so many seem to love and still not made so many of these obvious errors. Obviously, my advice is too late.

Fred Bramante is a past chairman and memtber of the New Hampshire State Board of Education. He speaks and consults on education redesign to regional, state and national organizations.

We have selected a new president and vice president for the United States and as happy as I am with the results I can say that a lot of places within me hurt. Insights gleaned from this particular election have caused me to pause because they serve as unfortunate reminders of how deep our ache runs.
Where my heart feels pain the most is around racism. Donald Trump did not create this system and, as we work to create a more just society, it’s clear that there is much to be addressed to eradicate the disease that has permeated the fabric of this nation. Although he is not guilty of establishing oppression, I don’t feel as if he ever had a sense of obligation to address it, either. In fact, I believe he intentionally fed the sickness with a toxic, sometimes deadly, dose of lies and “othering.” 
These tactics manifested in a myriad of ways, starting in the executive branch and trickling down to our communities across the country. From locking innocent children away in cages to putting gag orders on those who are working each and every day to bring awareness to the systems of privilege to attempted lynching here in our own state. When you offer cover and opportunity for those most afflicted by addiction to indulge with reckless abandon, there will be consequences.
We, of course, chose to fight with one another in a variety of ways. I am not innocent of this and, looking back, neither am I proud of this. I played along with the game and I’m walking away wounded as I abandoned my dedication to love and connection in a culture that is doing its best to tear us apart.
I try to find not justification but purpose as one of my survival mechanisms. For me, the last four years, in the depths of darkness, the stars shined the brightest. Those stars cannot and will not go away in my life even under a new administration.  
Listening to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and President-elect Joe Biden speak brought me relief but it did not heal the pain. Just as no one person got us here, no one person can lead us out.  We must come together — unified in our purpose — to do that.
The great civil rights activist and icon Ruby Sales was interviewed by Krista Tippett for the On Being radio show where she talked about the collective pain of our nation. She asked all listeners to find the source of the pain and to explore it with curiosity, compassion and love. I can think of no better commitment for each of us to take on in these times.
Allyson Ryder serves in a variety of statewide capacities to address social justice. She can be reached by email at [email protected]