PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO THEM ASAP!! The vote is on Weds. 23!!
———- Forwarded message ———
From: Ann Marie Banfield <banfieldannmarie@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Apr 21, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Subject: Executive Council Meeting : Grant to authorize MTSS-B
To: Executive Councilor Janet Stevens <Janet.L.Stevens@nh.gov>, Executive Councilor David Wheeler <David.K.Wheeler@nh.gov>, Executive Councilor Joseph Kenney <Joseph.D.Kenney@nh.gov>, <John.A.Stephen@nh.gov>, <karen.liothill@nh.gov>
Dear Executive Councilors;
I see that on Wednesday, April 23rd, you will be reviewing a federal grant:
#16 Authorize to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the New Hampshire Department of Education, Concord, NH, in the amount of $521,420 in order to provide technical assistance and support to New Hampshire school districts for the implementation of a Multi-Tiered System of Supports for Behavioral Health and Wellness, with the option to renew for up to five additional years. Effective upon G&C approval through September 29, 2026. 100% Federal Funds (State Opioid Response Grants)
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Since this framework has been instituted in our public schools, it is astonishing at the amount of money that has been used to address the mental health of students in our public schools. Does anyone have any idea how this has improved public education? We certainly have not seen any improvement in terms of academic improvement.
We’ve been told if we address a child’s mental health needs, this will result in increased academic outcomes. Where’s the proof?
I’ve seen a slick marketing pamphlet prepared by Keene State BHII telling us that the MTSS-B, used in our schools, has been working great. One would think that when preparing feedback to the Federal Government on a mental health program, they’d use some critical thinking, and include information on how MTSS-B has not worked well in our schools.
Before accepting any more money to turn our schools into pseudo-mental health centers, can we at least get some kind of independent, peer reviewed studies on how this is working in New Hampshire schools? How much money has been spent on MTSS-B? How has it contributed to the academic outcomes in our schools? What are the problems that have accompanied the implementation of MTSS-B in our schools? Why are there four MTSS-B Consultants employed at the Department of Education? Would these resources be better spent on mental health facilities outside the school system? How much money has been spent on MTSS-B by the State of New Hampshire, and by all of the schools currently paying for the three-tiered services?
MTSS-B is a three-tiered framework that addresses student-behavior problems in the school. At Tier 1 all students are subjected to Social and Emotional Learning. (SEL) SEL programs can include the DEI, CRT, and Gender topics that parents do not want for their children. In addition, SEL online vendors now have a way to data-mine a child’s personal mental health information. SEL is even included in some of the math programs used in some NH schools. The SEL data has become a commodity for the for-profit SEL vendors.
Tier 2: If a student is misbehaving, that could mean a trip down to see a school counselor, social worker or school psychologist. I have numerous complaints from parents on how they were not informed of this, and how some of these visits turned into a disaster for the family.
Tier 3: To avoid suspending a student, they may be sent to an outside Tier 3 mental health provider. We are now exchanging consequences for mental health treatment.
From my vantage point, I’ve seen more problems than I can list in an email, so I will mention a few here:
1) Mental health services are provided by individuals who are not properly trained or educated in the field of mental health.
2) Counselors, Social Workers, School Psychologists are not always obtaining parental consent before providing mental health services or assessments on children. This is required by federal law in Every Students Succeeds Act.
3) Personally identifiable information (PII) has been shared by school counselors with Keene State BHII. This is a violation of a student’s privacy rights, and violates the school counselor’s Code of Ethics.
4) Parents have reported that bullying in some schools goes ignored, and instead is treated like a mental health problem. Kids have learned to manipulate the system. (Seabrook 9:00)
5) Around $100k was added to the Winnacunnet school budget this year so that a student who would have been suspended, would instead attend Seacoast Youth Services. This is a tier 3 provider. SYS provides “restorative justice” therapy which has had mixed reviews on whether it is truly effective. How do you even gauge success? |
6) Privacy of student data is not secure.
I personally want every child to get the mental health care they need; however, this is one big mental health experiment in our schools. If we are going to provide mental health treatment for children, let’s not put this on the backs of schools that already struggle to teach children how to read and write.
Please focus mental health funding towards mental health institutions, and give children the expert care they need. This kind of money can be contributing to an increase in behavior problems in the schools–and that isn’t fiscally responsible.
Please vote NO on #16 and redirect any funding for mental health care for children where it is needed.
Ann Marie Banfield
Parental Rights Advocate
Preview YouTube video Seabrook NH School Board Meeting April 2025
