________________________________________  THE VERMONT EDUCATION REPORT April 03, 2006 - Vol. 6, No. 14 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯  Covering education news in Vermont and beyond... Informative, provocative, unique... Published by Vermonters for Better Education  VBE 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. Libby Sternberg, executive director: VTBetterEd@aol.com NEWS & ANALYSIS... ***HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE TO VOTE ON EARLY ED*** This week the House Education Committee will continue to discuss and mark up S.314, the early education bill that calls for a study of universal early ed programs while tying the hands of the State Board of Education from doing anything to restrict current drawdown of Education Funds for early ed in Vermont. This bill, a "compromise" put together by State Board of Education chairman Tom James and Senate Education Chairman Don Collins (D-Franklin), was passed by the full Senate a week ago with an amendment calling for greater inclusion of private preschool providers, whose livelihoods could be put at risk when public schools offer similar "free" services. The VER has learned that the House Education Committee might consider elaborating on the study committee proposal by spelling out precisely who sits on it. The study committee could be composed of two senators, two representatives, one appointee of the Department of Education, one appointee of the Agency of Human Services, a representative of higher education and a business person appointed by the governor, one representative of a child care provider who is currently involved in a collaboration with a public school, and a public school representative from a district that provides universal preK. With a committee composed of those members is there any doubt what the conclusions will be? More preschool -- funded by the taxpayer even for children whose parents can afford to pay. HOUSE EDUCATION NAMES AND NUMBERS Contact information for House Education Committee members is below. If you contact legislators, you might suggest they put a moratorium on all NEW early ed spending for children who are not deemed "at risk" (who are disadvantaged due to economic or other circumstances or for whom English is a second language) while the issue is being studied. You can leave messages by calling: Sergeant at Arms at the State House 800-322-5616 or 802-828-2228 Or contact them individually through their home phones or email: Rep. George Cross (D) of Winooski, Chair -- 655-4611, gcross@leg.state.vt.us Rep. Kathy LaVoie (R) of Swanton, Vice-Chair -- 524-6581,klavoie@leg.state.vt.us Rep. Denise Barnard (D) of Richmond -- 434-4248, dbarnard@leg.state.vt.us Rep. Gregory Clark (R) of Vergennes -- 877-2531, gsclark@adelphia.net Rep. Kevin Endres (R) of Milton -- 893-0765, kendres@leg.state.vt.us Rep. Tim Jerman (D) of Essex -- 878-2972, tjerman@leg.state.vt.us Rep. Duncan Kilmartin (R) of Newport City -- 334-7883, dkilmartin@leg.state.vt.us Rep. Judith Livingston (R) of Manchester -- 362-1949, jlivingston@leg.state.vt.us Rep. Rosemary McLaughlin (D) of Royalton -- 763-5262, rmclauglin@leg.state.vt.us Rep. Anne Mook (D) of Bennington -- 442-5028, amook@leg.state.vt.us Rep. Dave Potter (D) of Clarendon -- 438-5385, dpotter@leg.state.vt.us   SENATORS WHO VOTED FOR MORATORIUM Last week, we reported that only a handful of senators voted for a moratorium on early ed spending except for "at risk" students. Because that vote was not a roll call, we've relied on eyewitness reports of the yeas and nays. We've learned that we left out a senator. The complete list of moratorium voters is as follows: Senators Coppenrath (R-Caledonia), Harold Giard (D-Addison), Kevin Mullin (R-Rutland), Hull Maynard (R-Rutland), Mark Shepard (R-Bennington), and Wendy Wilton (R-Rutland).   NEW SBOE MEMBER Governor Douglas has appointed Ms. Sigrid Solomon to the State Board of Education. Solomon takes over the spot vacated by Lisa Cox, whose appointment (by Governor Howard Dean) just expired. Solomon is the dean of students at Southern Vermont College, located in Bennington.   *   *   * COMMENTARY ... WHAT TOM JAMES HAS WROUGHT by Libby Sternberg Anyone who attended the February meeting of the State Board of Education's early ed ad hoc committee would have thought that SBOE Chairman Tom James was making the case against universal preschool funded at taxpayer expense. James thoughtfully ticked off the states involved in universal preK and how they differed from Vermont in either implementation or funding of these programs. His information and understanding was impressive. He included concerns that not even opponents of universal early ed had raised. In particular, he pointed out how these other states' differences made it difficult to draw the conclusion that what they were doing was the right thing to do in Vermont. James also carefully pointed out how most of the studies on preschooling focus only on its benefits for "at risk" or disadvantaged children. Everything he said about his study of early ed seemed to point in the direction of proceeding cautiously, funding only disadvantaged children so as not to overburden taxpayers or unfairly undercut private preschool providers. But then he negated his thoughtful approach by proposing a "compromise" -- instead of recommending to the full State Board that early ed funding should be limited to at risk students, he suggested that they recommend the legislature continue to study the issue while keeping the funding status quo. The funding status quo, unfortunately, means that all children, even those whose parents can well afford to write a check for these services, are now eligible for these "free" programs with the Vermont taxpayer footing the bill. And the status quo also means that private providers have to compete with these free programs. James was the deciding vote when this compromise prevailed during the full State Board's consideration. It's bad enough that his compromise represents a complete reversal of the case he so carefully presented to his colleagues earlier. Even worse is the inclusion in this compromise of a provision that undercuts the authority of his full board as well. As part of this compromise, you see, the State Board can take no action on early ed for two years. It seems incredible but it's true. The State Board of Education chairman was instrumental in a plan that restricts his organization's impact on a crucial education issue for two full years. So Tom James's colleagues get to sit on the sidelines of this important debate with their hands tied and their mouths muzzled. Now a fuller picture of what James's compromise has wrought is appearing. This week, the House Education Committee will take up S.314, the bill that calls for the study of early ed, possibly voting it out to the full House. The House Ed Committee might put some meat on the bones of the "compromise" by specifying who sits on the study committee. Surprise, surprise -- the study committee is likely to be composed of people whose predisposition is for funding of universal early education. Here's an idea: save the taxpayers the money that would be spent on this study committee's per diems and staff support and just write the report. Does anyone have any doubt that the committee's final product will recommend more money for early ed? And once this report is written, advocates for universal early education will have another tool with which they can promote their agenda. They'll be able to point to the study committee's findings. And the study committee, after all, was part of a grand compromise engineered by the SBOE chairman to begin with, thus giving the committee's recommendation the patina of inclusiveness, nonpartisanship and general goodwill. Arguing against it will be like taking on Santa Claus. This is what SBOE Chair Tom James has wrought. He has gagged his own board -- which is supposed to be the "boss" of the Vermont Department of Education -- on an education issue affecting thousands of children and all Vermont taxpayers. He has set the stage for a study committee of the issue not likely to include many (if any) dissenting voices raising the very same concerns he articulated at the February ad hoc committee meeting. There is an alternative to his Tomfoolery, however. If studying the early ed issue is what House Ed chooses to do, they could devise a study committee that includes private providers not involved in any collaboratives with public school districts, as well as representatives of taxpayer groups, representatives of the SBOE's early ed ad hoc committee (thus "unmuzzling" the SBOE to some small degree) and members of Select Boards in towns that voted against early ed spending. At least that effort will do away with the sham of neutrality and allow diverse voices to be heard and realistic programs designed. And while this study is going on, the House Education Committee could also declare a moratorium on the start-up of any new universal early ed programs in the state. After all, if these programs require a study committee's imprimatur to justify dipping into the taxpayers' purse, no new programs should begin until that imprimatur is granted. At least then the "study" that James envisioned in his compromise will have real meaning.   *   *   * FROM ELSEWHERE... FROM....The Milton and Rose Friedman Foundation On the web at: http://www.friedmanfoundation.org ARIZONA ENACTS CORPORATE TUITION TAX CREDIT Up to 5,000 children in Arizona will now have the freedom to attend a school of their parent's choice after Gov. Janet Napolitano allowed a corporate tuition tax credit bill to become law without her signature. "After two years of struggle, Arizona parents finally can breathe a sigh of relief," said Gordon St. Angelo, president and CEO of the Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation, one of the nation's leading advocates of school vouchers. "Thousands of children will no longer be forced to attend a school simply because of where they live or how much their family earns. Parents will now be free to choose a school based on what's best for their child." Senate Bill 1499 will create a corporate tax credit for businesses that donate to non-profit organizations that distribute private-school scholarships. The total credits are capped at $5 million annually and will allow scholarship organizations to provide vouchers to Arizona children whose family income does not exceed 185 percent of the income limit to quality for a free and reduced price lunch. The program, which provides vouchers worth up to $4,200 for K-8 and $5,500 for high school, includes a five year sunset provision. "The dedication and leadership of Senate Majority Leader Ken Bennett and House Speaker Jim Weiers serves as an example not just in Arizona, but for the country," St. Angelo said. "School choice does not happen overnight. But the tenacity of parents, opinion makers and legislators makes it happen eventually." The addition of this program complements the existing personal tax credit, which provides over 21,000 students with scholarships worth over $28 million. Other school choice programs, such as one similar to Florida's voucher program for children with special needs, are still being discussed in Arizona this session. "Success happens when everyone works together," said Robert Enlow, executive director of the Friedman Foundation. "The local and national groups that have forged partnerships in Arizona have been a tremendous asset to the effort to provide greater educational freedom for children." "This is the second year in a row that Arizona passed a school choice bill and the second year in a row that a Democrat governor allowed a school choice bill to become law. Arizona really is a state of choice; the only thing left for the state to do is pass a universal voucher program for all children," added Enlow.   *   *   * WHO COVERS EDUCATION IN VERMONT? We do! Consider a gift to Vermonters for Better Education, the publisher of the weekly Vermont Education Report, Vermont's ONLY continual source of education news. Send donations to: VBE, 170 Church Street, Rutland, Vermont 05701. VBE is a nonprofit organization and contributions are tax-deductible.   *   *   * The VERMONT EDUCATION REPORT is published by Vermonters for Better Education 170 Church Street, Rutland, VT 05701, 802.773.5240 Contact VTBetterEd@aol.com for more information.   Subscribe Here SubscribeRemove

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