Public schools are a foundation of community and democracy

Nicole Heimarck of Reaching Higher New Hampshire delivered the following remarks at a Foundation community event in September:

Good evening, my name is Nicole Heimarck and I have the honor of serving as the Executive Director of Reaching Higher NH. Reaching Higher is a small yet mighty, Concord-based nonprofit working to ensure that all young people have access to high quality public schools across New Hampshire.

Growing up in the Upper Valley, my childhood was shaped by those things that make the Granite State wonderful: a stunning environment, a strong and unwavering sense of community, and a deep commitment to the common good. The schools that I attended were a centerpiece of my upbringing and my own children share that same level of pride and commitment as active members of their school community.  When well and fairly resourced, all schools have the potential to propel the hopes and dreams of every young person, ensuring New Hampshire is a place where everyone can thrive.

It is this belief that defines Reaching Higher’s mission and serves as the foundation for all that we do. Launched in 2015, our aim was simple: cultivate deep support for public education and assist the types of innovations necessary to help all New Hampshire students develop the skills they need to be ready for life after high school. We work hard to make NH a better place for all.

At Reaching Higher NH we push a vision of public school that is safe, affirming, inclusive, honest, challenging and engaging.  This vision is possible when our public schools are equitably funded and our teachers are valued and supported.  We build momentum toward that end by serving as the state’s go to resource center on public education by informing the public with fact based and easily accessible information, offering context to complicated policy initiatives, and by engaging communities and organizations around the state in the issues that matter most for their young people.

Right now, not every student or family has access to a high-quality public school.  New Hampshire struggles to equitably resource our schools yielding great disparities in opportunity and outcome. Furthermore, new threats have emerged aimed at changing the education system that has, for years, been ranked as one of the best in the nation. While funding and resourcing our schools has been a decades long struggle, new threats exist:

• Privatization efforts aimed at dismantling our schools;
• Culture wars that prevent access to honest and just curriculum;
• Teacher shortages;
• Chronic disparities in opportunity;
• Community trauma impacting student mental well-being. And more.

As Horace Mann, the “father of public education” once noted and has been repeated by many scholars in the 21st century: “Public education is the great equalizer in a democratic society.”  These threats not only place access to a high-quality education in jeopardy but the very principles that offer opportunity and voice for all.

The time is now to support our schools.  In New Hampshire, nine out of every 10 students attend a public school. Families choose, and trust, their local public schools to educate their children. Our public schools are in fact the great equalizer for all and a promise to every family that opportunity is widely available for their children to grow and give back.

With this introduction, I would like to offer some insights on how we advance our vision, protect our schools and support the people who come to work each day out of commitment for our state’s youth, our state’s future.

You may have seen recent media coverage of The Minimum Standards for Public School Approval, the “306’s,” which outline the recipe through which our students, regardless of where they live or how much money their family has, have access to a high-quality public education. These rules are currently undergoing a once in a decade overhaul. I ask each of you to pay attention to this overhaul.

The Reaching Higher team has worked tirelessly with decision makers, educators, and families to ensure this process reflects all community voices, shared decision-making, and collaborative, evidence-based solutions.

Through this tireless work our team has delivered.  We have tracked this through:

• Record engagement and public comment attempting to influence what these rules require for every school — hundreds of individuals and organizations have exercised the power of their voice;
• Our research and recommendations have become a cornerstone in the dialogue about a positive and affirming vision for our schools.
• The adoption of the overhaul has seen numerous delays resultant of public outcry;
• State-based and regional media outlets have consistently covered this overhaul for the last 2 years in their reporting of New Hampshire education news;
• Reaching Higher New Hampshire team members have been cited over 100 times by media sources in their coverage of the Minimum Standards.

This offers you a small glimpse into how our daily work impacts the statewide dialogue on opportunity for our young people.

We do this work because when we get it right, when we answer education’s hard questions, when we make administrative rules and education law inspiring, when we ensure that everyone’s voice, experience, and values are reflected in the policy that governs New Hampshire’s public schools — we ensure that everyone thrives. We ensure that all of New Hampshire’s students have a chance at the life they aspire to. We ensure that our public schools are here…for good, and for the good of our children, families and communities.