Valley News Forum for May 28, 2023: Pull your kids from public schools

Published: 05-28-2023 6:14 AM

Pull your kids from public schools

After seeing the Democrats kill SB 272 Parental Rights bill last Thursday, I strongly, strongly, strongly suggest that parents get their children out of the public government schools. These schools have become a black box of the unknown and allows staff to keep secrets and openly lie to parents (see school policy JBAB, privacy section).

SB 272 stated the parent must inquire, has a right to know, opt out, consent to, right to exempt, right to be advised, right to be notified, have access to, and the right to inspect. As you can see the parents must take action to activate their rights. These disgraceful incompetent Democrats don’t trust you to be good parents.

You have options to teach your child: private schools, charter schools, pods or home schooling.

Home schooling for example takes about 12 hours a week whereas the public school takes a week. The other nice benefit of home schooling is the older children helps the younger ones and you need less time to teach older children because once you give them their assignment, they need little supervision. Also, there are many home school meet-ups and activities AND by law, public schools must allow your child to participate in or take a specific class, sports, music, drama, field trips, and clubs, after all you are still paying taxes to the school.

There is a wide range of curriculum to choose from, online material, conservative, Christian and everyday curriculum and the cost is inexpensive too. You can teach by your schedule, at night, weekends or a few days a week. Contact john.sellers.grafton18@pm.me or the Children’s Scholarship Fund https://nh.scholarshipfund.org/ for more information. If you qualify for the Education Freedom Account (EFA) you could receive about $4,800 per child per year.

Those against freedom of choice do not want you to learn how easy it is to teach your child the way that’s best for your child. Start now so you’re ready for the fall!

N.H. state Rep. John Sellers

Grafton 18: Alexandria, Bridgewater, Bristol, Canaan,
Dorchester, Enfield, Grafton, Groton, Hebron, Orange

Let’s not look past ageism and its impact on mental health

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Yesterday's Most Read Articles

Last Sunday, Dartmouth hosted its first suicide awareness walk since the COVID-19 pandemic. While suicide is a leading cause of death among all ages, people aged 85 and older have the highest suicide rate of any age group. Older adults deal with many sources of stress, from social isolation to physical limitations to the loss of loved ones; together, these stressors have led to a crisis for older adults’ mental health.

However, there is one stressor that is often overlooked: ageism. New Hampshire and Vermont have the second- and third-oldest populations in the nation, respectively, according to 2020 Census data. Many of our neighbors, friends, and family deal with ageism every day. In Manchester recently, a 62-year-old resident filed an ageism lawsuit against Market Basket. After working for Market Basket for eight years, this employee claims, he watched from the sidelines as one younger worker after another was promoted from part-time to full-time status. And, when his promotion was grudgingly given, the lawsuit claims, it was met with a caveat: that he would agree to step down to part-time when he got “too old.”

Ageism is not always this overt however. In some ways, ageism has become a form of socially acceptable discrimination. From anti-aging advertisements to “harmless” jokes, ageist attitudes are pervasive. Yet these attitudes feed into a singular view of aging: that it is synonymous with decline and deterioration. Internalizing this message is perhaps the most harmful consequence of ageism.

Every ageist remark worsens the mental health crisis that older adults are facing. Studies have found that everyday ageism is linked with an increased risk of poor physical health, chronic conditions and depressive symptoms. Ageism causes older adults to believe that physical, functional and cognitive decline are normal features of aging, and this self-stigma worsens their mental health. In some cases, the National Alliance on Mental Illness argues, older people begin to believe that their life has no value or purpose — and that ending it would relieve others of a “burden.”

With mental health at the top of our minds, let’s recognize a prejudice that is consistently overlooked. Let’s make ageism as socially unacceptable as any other “-ism.”

Vandana Venkatesh

Hanover

Keep your cool with lane closures

Important driving advice! There’s no need to panic and rush into the (often stopped) traffic lane on the right when you see “Left lane closed ahead, 1 mile.” Dare I say, there’s no rush even at the “Left lane closed ahead, ½ mile” sign! Traffic will flow more smoothly, and not block exits ahead, if drivers keep their cool and continue to use both lanes all the way up to the lane closure. Then everyone simply, alternately, merges together. Oh, the logic! I appreciated in Connecticut recently that the electronic “construction ahead” signs instructed drivers to continue to use both lanes until the lane closure. Perhaps our construction and police crews could post such helpful signage. It certainly would help my blood pressure while driving on Interstate 89 North near Exit 20 these days.

Jeannie Hines

Plainfield