HB 1774

NH has a severe teacher shortage. Schools across the state can't fill positions in special education, math, science, and foreign languages. The University System of NH — including UNH's education program — is one of the primary pipelines for new teachers in the state.

HB 1774 directs the university system to ensure no state funds support "low-earning degree programs." Education degrees are, by definition, "low-earning" — teachers in NH start at around $35,000-$42,000 depending on the district. So do social work degrees, art degrees, music degrees, and many of the humanities programs that produce the teachers, counselors, and support staff that schools desperately need.

The bill also directs the Governor to pursue federal workforce Pell Grant funding and pushes the university system toward workforce training programs. There's nothing wrong with workforce development, but using it as a justification to defund liberal arts and education programs at public universities is a false choice. A state can value both job training AND producing educated citizens.

The message this sends to anyone considering a teaching career in NH is devastating: the state that can't fill teaching positions is actively working to defund the programs that produce teachers.