Nancy Brennan, a past recipient of the New Hampshire teacher of the year award, wouldn’t jump into education if she were starting her career today.
It’s not because she didn’t love working with her students, she said.
“It’s very, very hard to teach today, because you have to be so careful about what you teach,” said Brennan. “If I were as aware of everything that is going on, everything from not funding schools to accusing teachers of being groomers, I would think twice about it as much as I loved it.”
Brennan, of Weare, sees legislative efforts like House Bill 1132 as part of that growing pressure.
The proposal would ban the display of certain flags, like Pride flags and other LGBTQ+ symbols, in public and charter schools, something she said would restrict educators and make schools less inclusive.
State Rep. Lisa Freeman, the bill’s prime sponsor, said its purpose is to maintain “neutral and nonjudgmental” classrooms and create an environment where all children feel welcome and accepted.
Freeman did not explicitly reference gender or sexuality when introducing the bill. But she said she would be open to amendments that allow certain displays, such as maps used in geography lessons or flags representing the home countries of exchange students.
She also clarified that school sports flags would not be affected.
But State Rep. James Thibault was more blunt about his opposition to certain flags in schools.
“I don’t care if it’s a pride flag or a MAGA flag,” he said. “They indicate an instructor’s political biases and they will make students feel isolated and fear retribution for engaging in freedom of speech.”
The bill does not ban these symbols in forms other than flags.
But, Thibeault said he would support expanding the legislation to include nontraditional items—such as magnets, stickers, posters, and other classroom decorations—that convey political messages.
He said the bill is about “respecting parents’ authority to raise their children according to their values.”
Under the bill’s current language, public and public charter schools would be allowed to display only the U.S. flag, the New Hampshire state flag, and the POW/MIA flag.
Any other flags could result in fines of up to $1,000 per violation.
Of the testimony submitted online, 293 people opposed the bill, while 70 supported it.
Brennan said that when she was still teaching, she did not have a rainbow flag in her classroom, but she acknowledged students of different sexual orientations, gender identities, and races, and treated them fairly and ensured that all students understood that everyone belonged.
She said sometimes even a small flag in a classroom can help children feel included.
“This bill is just silly, it’s cruel, and it hurts kids,” said Brennan. “I just think all this has gone way too far and we need to pull back the other way and have a little more love, a little less, what I call, willful ignorance.”