1. Parental Rights
2. First Magnet Schools in the State?
3. Small Schools' Remedy to Consolidation Fears
4. The Unfunded Mandate Debate
5. School Choice Polling
6. Charter Schools in NH

PARENTAL RIGHTS ONCE AGAIN ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK

To hear the Vermont Library Association tell it, there is a privacy crisis taking place in our local public libraries and one of the ways to battle it is to enshrine in law the confidentiality of all library records, even – maybe especially – children's records.

The VLA is supporting S.220, a bill that requires libraries to keep patrons' records private.  This certainly isn't a bad principle.  But it does beg the question: why is this such a pressing issue when the VLA already provides guidelines on privacy issues, and many (if not all) libraries have their own privacy policies, usually put together by community-based library boards?

S. 220 is yet another case where the state is inserting itself into the parent/child relationship. Take, for example, the case of children's library records. Under S.220, parents would not be able to access their child's library records unless the kid has overdue fines.

Parents can often use books their kids are reading to start conversations about difficult subjects in order to counsel or guide their children.  Under S.220, a parent who had the idea of using her child's reading habits to address complex issues couldn't ask the local librarian for a list of reading material her child had checked out. Or rather, she could ask….but would be told the information was protected by law (if S.220 is passed).

And, because the law protects children under the age of 13, even something as simple as determining overdue book titles for a 14-year-old would be taboo territory.

Several librarians testified for the bill. Testimony included some from a long-time reference librarian whose personal survey of librarians found that in a "one-year period, libraries had received more than 1,200 requests (for patrons' records) from a variety of people -- college professors and administrators, neighbors, police officers, spouses—all kinds of people."

The librarian didn't note where the requests were honored. After all, the VLA provides guidelines on confidentiality and privacy issues, as does the ALA.   The testimony didn't indicate how many librarians had been included in the survey.

VLA also presented the testimony of a librarian and mother who spoke about children's confidentiality issues. She stated that kids of a certain age are "starting the process of separating from their parents…trying to figure out what the 'grown up world' is all about…Even in the best parent-child relationships, sometimes there are topics one does not want to share with a parent, because it can be awkward."

This certainly is true. But it's by no means a compelling rationale for allowing the librarian to know more about a child's reading habits than the child's parents.  When a child starts exploring the "grown up world," sometimes a parent is the best guide of all.

The specter of abuse was also raised in testimony – what if a kid was checking out books on abuse because he himself was abused in the home by a parent? Should the abuser have access to those records?  Well, maybe the abuser's spouse would find them helpful, especially given the possibility that the librarian would do nothing with this knowledge but a non-abusing-parent could use it to uncover the painful truth.

These examples notwithstanding, it's highly unlikely that Vermont libraries are going to be, or ever were, inundated with requests from parents for their children's library records. But in the cases where a parent believes it is important – maybe even crucial – to see what her child is reading, why should the state of Vermont say that it knows – more than the parent – what's best for that child.

Yes, privacy rights are important. And yes, the confidentiality of library records is important. But does it take a law to ensure this confidentiality? Or is this an issue better worked out through library policy, determined by libraries' local community boards?

Now House Judiciary is getting into the fray. The library bill was just introduced where its constitutional issues will hopefully be properly weighed. The rights of parents concerning the education and upbringing of their children should be supported by the State of Vermont.

A POSTSCRIPT TO THE LIBRARY SAGA

In addition to wanting the state to ensure library records are kept secret from parents, the state's libraries are also holding out the tin cup to the taxpayers, asking for nearly two million dollars in funding. On average, libraries around the state receive one-tenth of one percent of their budgets from the state. They want to raise that to a ten percent contribution, according to a Vermont Public Radio report.

Libraries are important institutions, but the reality is that many people who can afford to plunk down the $6.99 for paperbacks like "The DaVinci Code" get them for free at the local library. Those folks don't need a subsidy.

Any taxpayer-funded grants to libraries should target children's materials and programs for low-income patrons.

VERMONT'S FIRST MAGNET SCHOOLS?

Burlington's school board is considering setting up the state's very first magnet schools, according to a recent Burlington Free Press article.

Magnet schools, which are flourishing throughout the country, are schools of choice, attracting students from outside their district boundaries. Often the schools focus on specialized curricula. For example, many magnet schools for the arts are popular choices for parents, taxpayers and school boards.

If Burlington is successful in setting up magnet schools in the city, students in nearby towns who want to access these schools might still be prevented from doing so unless the students' parents can afford the tuition, or Vermont institutes a charter school/magnet school law that allows students to choose these schools with no financial penalty.

IS YOUR SMALL SCHOOL AFRAID OF CONSOLIDATION?

The district consolidation movement in the state is a fearful prospect for some communities that value their small schools. In these communities, residents worry that consolidation is just a euphemism for "small school closure."   In the name of economizing, consolidation advocates will state that larger school districts (perhaps built on a county district model) would get rid of redundancies in administration, particularly superintendents' offices.

But some communities are looking into a way to preemptively attack this problem and keep their small schools open, no matter which consolidation plans may or may not become law. These communities are looking at other school structures, such as creating an independent school from their public school and allowing students more choice. If a district "goes independent" with its public school, it can maintain far more local control and still have a small school in town. By going independent with their schools, these communities create a school that families from other towns might want to attend.

Several Vermont towns are looking into this process now.  For those who need help, Vermonters for Better Education compiled a booklet, "How To Privatize a Public School in Vermont: A Layman's Guide."  This booklet, put together several years ago, includes specific references to Vermont statutes, a step-by-step guide, and the story of Winhall, which privatized its public school in 1998.

The booklet is available for free download here. 

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE...

Both House and Senate Education Committees scheduled time the week of January 27 to discuss "education mandates."

This should be familiar territory. Four years ago, as the result of a provision in Act 68, the Vermont Department of Education was instructed to compile a list of "unfunded mandates," based on input from schools and school boards around the state.  Once the report was compiled, the Commissioner was then to make recommendations on how to lift or change the mandates.

The Commissioner's January 2004 recommendations on unfunded mandates can be found here.

In many instances, no changes in law or policy were recommended, leaving the so-called "unfunded mandates" in place.

This time around, Legislative Council created a broad list of all possible mandates created in the past ten years. The grand total is 109 mandates, covering every aspect of the public school system.

Legislative Council also collected a list of 75 reports requested by the legislature over the same time frame. Some were one-time reports and some are required every year. This year alone, the Education Committees have received 19 reports. Legislators readily admit they read very few of these.

What is done with the information and data collected in these reports? The consensus is: very little.

FROM ELSEWHERE...

Nevadans (Like Vermonters) Want More School Choice

The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice has announced the results of a statewide survey on Nevadans' attitudes toward the state's education system.  The complete report is available at www.friedmanfoundation.org.

Poll results indicate widespread dissatisfaction with Nevada's public education system and clear majority support for broad reform measures that would give parents more choice and control over their children's education.  Among the key findings:

A majority of Nevadans are not satisfied with their current system of public schools – 53 percent of all Nevadans and almost 60 percent of 36-55 year-olds rate Nevada's public schools as poor or fair.

A majority of Nevadans indicated they either strongly favor or somewhat favor programs that would give parents more choices in the education system, including special needs scholarships (56 percent), charter schools (55 percent) and school vouchers (54 percent).

Nearly one out of two Nevadans (48 percent) indicated they would prefer to send their own child to a private school when given the choice from a list of five types of schools,.  Only 11 percent said they would choose a regular public school, while 23 percent chose a charter school and 15 percent said they would home school their children.

"Policymakers and opinion leaders in Nevada should heed these results," said Robert C. Enlow, Executive Director and COO of the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice. "Nevadans are obviously tired of the status quo, and they want more choices and more educational freedom."

The scientifically representative survey of 1,000 likely Nevada voters was conducted Dec. 14-16, 2007 by Strategic Vision, LLC, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent.

Survey co-sponsors include local organizations such as Nevada Policy Research Institute, the Nevada Business Journal, the Nevada Manufacturers Association and the Center for Charter School Development. National co-sponsors include Agudath Israel, the Black Alliance for Educational Options and the Center for Education Reform.

New Hampshire Already Has Charters…

New Hampshire is ahead of Vermont in education reform. With a charter school law on the books, the state now wrestles with funding and related issues. This year, eight charter school funding bills are being introduced in New Hampshire. For a look at the trailblazing going on to the east, check out http://www.nhschoolreform.org

Year after year in Vermont, charter school bills are introduced but are stymied by legislators who continue to ignore the benefits of this system.  As noted in a story above, Burlington City is now considering a way to construct several magnet/charter schools within their district. Perhaps their example will provide inspiration to legislators unwilling to move on this important education reform.

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The VERMONT EDUCATION REPORT is published by Vermonters for Better Education PO Box 72 Woodbury, VT 05681 - 802-472-5491. The Vermont Education Report may be reprinted with the editor's permission. For more information contact: VBE@comcast.net or visit us on the web: http://www.schoolreport.com

VERMONTERS FOR BETTER EDUCATION is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization whose mission is to enlist parents and the public at large in achieving quality educational opportunities for all the children of Vermont by monitoring the state of education in Vermont; promoting the value of educational freedoms for all parents; and giving parents the evaluative tools with which to identify excellence.

Retta Dunlap, executive director
VBE@comcast.net