EFA is questioned, not harassed
I am deeply troubled that our state continues to fund the EFA program. I have recently read a very disturbing newspaper article in the Concord Monitor about Kate Baker Demers. In the article, she accuses my friend Patty Long of harassing vendors that received EFA dollars.
This, I know for a fact, is untrue. Patty and I worked hard last year to become better able to understand how New Hampshire public schools are funded. We both have retired after spending our professional careers as teachers in New Hampshire public schools. We didn’t understand the EFA program and we set our sights on understanding how it fit into the totality of public school education.
At that time, we were disturbed by the expenditures we could see. It did not take much sleuthing to find the out-dated document listing the vendors, the amount of money allocated and the number of students who were taking those dollars.
We were both upset to see some of the listings. We wondered/questioned how some of these expenditures were legitimate.
Both of us came to the state house and testified our concerns. That is what we believe we should do, participate more in our government.
I do not believe Kate Baker Demers should have anything to do with accepting my tax dollars and dispersing them to EFA applicants. She is earning a salary and I’m paying for it.
Let’s calm down and realize that asking questions does not mean harassment. It is our duty as a citizen to become involved. I encourage all of us to inquire openly and honestly when questions arise for you.