1. Report on the Friedman Dinner
2. The Candidates on Education: Governor and Lt. Gov.
3. How to Choose a School in Vermont – booklet available!
4. Four School Choice Ideas for Vermont

Every year Vermonters for Better Education cosponsors a dinner with the Ethan Allen Institute to honor Milton Friedman on the anniversary of his birthday. This year's dinner, on July 31, 2008, was held in Rutland and featured a panel discussion about schools and parental choice in education. 

The panel was chock full of people in the know about educational choice in Vermont. Panelists included representatives from private religious schools, a non-religious school, a former Commissioner of Education, a teacher, and an economist. Vermonters for Better Education has been saying many of the things discussed by this group, although not as eloquently as the panelists did. It was a truly informative evening. 

Art Woolf, a UVM professor of economics, said in talking about the rate the school population is falling and the costs of education are going up, "something has to give." We cannot maintain this pace. More and more of the taxes are being proportionally eaten up by education and human services costs. One of his suggestions should be noted here. If we were to provide school choice to families throughout Vermont, it would be a calling card for families to want to move here. It would raise student populations and bring in the types of professionals we need for the work force. It could bring home many of Vermont's children who have left over the years to make a living else where.

Peter Lind from the Rutland Area Christian School stated that parents choose his school for reasons such as a safe and nurturing environment, quality of educators, parental involvement, a Biblically-based education, and a good reputation. 

David Wolk, president of Castleton State College and former Commissioner of Education, views parental involvement as critical in the education of a child. If parents are actively immersed in their kid's education, you see lower drop-out rates and better test scores. Wolk suggested that expanding the opportunities available to parents and kids would encourage parents to be actively immersed in their child's education. If kids deserve parental involvement like this, what are we waiting for? Wolk also asked, "What do we need to do to bring our children and grandchildren back [to Vermont]?" So many have moved out of Vermont to make a living elsewhere. They are having their children elsewhere too. How can we bring them home? Wolk and Woolf complemented each other perfectly along these lines. Wolk also had a list of suggestions that are well worth repeating here:

1. ACT 150 was a start – let's not stop there

2. 90 towns have choice – why not more?

3. Not every school/program is for every child – the beauty of opportunity is that we can focus on parents and children

4. In the technical ed spending formula, the money follows the child – expand this to all children. 

5. Expand Dual Enrollment programs to all colleges and not just the state colleges

6. Reduce the drop-out rate by creating educational alternatives

David Wolk is right -- "Why wait?"

Curt Hier, founder of First Class Education for Vermont and teacher, suggests that teacher preparation should be deregulated. We need alternative routes to teacher licensing to be easier, which would allow more professional people to enter the teaching profession. And good teachers should get merit pay to keep them in schools teaching. He also stated that school choice for kids who are victims of harassment and bullying should pass through the legislature. He ended by saying choice should be for everyone including teachers.

Chuck Scranton, retired headmaster of Burr & Burton Academy, commented that we can choose everything else, why not schools? We need vision, long range planning, leadership, and dedicated staff. If kids are failing at a particular school, why not send them to a school down the road where they might not fail? We could all gain. He too asked, "Why are we waiting?"

Peter Giancola, chairman, Rutland Catholic School Board, stated that schools need a consistent vision and dynamic leaders. Universal choice gives the broadest array of choices. He too echoed economic sentiments. In order to foster economic growth, intertwine it with school choice and give people a reason to settle here. Making our schools better with school choice will help to market Vermont.

Retta Dunlap
Executive Director

They’re off and running! The candidates for office, that is. Summer is prime campaigning time and candidates are sparring over a number of important issues. Unfortunately, education doesn’t seem to be a high priority for campaign material, if candidate web sites are any guide. Below is a brief round-up of what the major statewide candidates for governor and lieutenant governor say on their web sites about education

To see a list of all candidates in the state, go to the Vermont Elections website.

To see a "Voters Report Card" on specific votes in the legislature this past session – including a few key education votes involving choice and early education – go to the Ethan Allen Institute web site Voter's Report Card (pdf).

James Douglas, Republican
http://www.jimdouglas.com/index.html

Governor Douglas has a few paragraphs on "The Next Generation" on his web site. He states that "too many young people are leaving our state in search of jobs and opportunity elsewhere," and believes the solution is to "make Vermont a more affordable place for young people to live, work and raise a family." He advocates for more college scholarships and workforce development programs but doesn’t say anything about K-12 education. 

Douglas has left his mark on the State Board of Education, whose members the governor appoints. The SBOE is not only sympathetic to school choice programs, but has constructed a school choice plan that unfortunately went nowhere in the legislature. Douglas himself has spoken out in favor of school choice.

Anthony Pollina, Independent
http://www.anthonypollina.com/index.php

Anthony Pollina’s web site focuses on three important issues: reducing health care costs, making Vermont farms profitable and lowering energy costs. But there’s nothing about education policy there. Pollina's web site does say, however, "In the 1980's, he was Director of the Community High School in Montpelier." 

Gaye Symington, Democrat
http://www.symingtonforgovernor.com/

Of the three major candidates, Gaye Symington is the only one with "Education" listed on her site as an important issue. She’s "proud of the quality of our schools and realize the critical role they play in strengthening our communities and our economy." She is a fan of access to early education and wants the state to invest more in it. 

Thomas Costello, Democrat

Several Google searches didn’t bring up a web site for Thomas Costello, who entered the race for lieutenant governor late in July, creating a Democratic primary. Costello is a Brattleboro attorney who served several terms in the House in the 1970s and ‘90s. According to one news report, Costello threw his hat in the ring this time because he wants to provide leadership to address "daunting issues" such as health care, energy and criminal justice.

Brian Dubie, Republican
http://www.briandubie.com/index.asp

Lt. Governor Brian Dubie’s campaign web site features discussions on issues in which he has already been involved: as chair of the governor’s Homeland Security Advisory Council and Commission on Healthy Aging and various other initiatives. Nothing there on education, but he did personally contact VBE and speak at length with Retta Dunlap about possible school choice initiatives. This conversation was encouraging. 

Nate Freeman, Democrat
http://natefreemanforlieutenantgovernor.onefireplace.org/

Nate Freeman is the other Democrat in the race and his web site’s press releases so far only include items on economic strategies plus concerns about the incumbent’s policies. Freeman’s biography shows he’s very involved in his local schools through serving on school boards and PTOs. But there is no reference to education issues beyond mentioning in his bio that his "commitment to his own children extends to his desire to help all Vermont children realize new opportunities which will help them navigate in more challenging environments in the years to come."

Parents of school-age children often wonder what to look for in a school, how to judge its quality and appropriateness for their children. Do test scores tell the whole story? Does a low teacher/student ratio translate into superior education? What questions should you ask when visiting schools? And what do you do when you encounter problems with your children’s school?

All these questions and more are answered in VBE’s new 27-page booklet, "How to Choose a School in Vermont: A Parent’s Guide." The booklet provides a broad overview of education issues and how they’re handled in Vermont – everything from teacher certification processes to the state’s "framework" for standards and curriculum. It also includes handy lists of web site addresses to get more information on public and private schools, tuition towns, homeschool notification requirements and much, much more. It’s a must-have item for new parents in the state and will be available for a limited time in a bound, printed booklet format.

If you’d like a copy, print out and send in this order form to: VBE, PO Box 72, Woodbury, VT 05681

Yes, I would like the booklet "How to Choose a School in Vermont." Send to me at:

Name: _________________________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Number of copies: _______ @ $5.00 (includes postage) each = ____________ Total enclosed (checks should be made out to Vermonters for Better Education).

As candidates craft their positions on education, here are four ideas for school choice programs in Vermont:

1. MAKE EVERY TOWN A "TUITION TOWN"

Statute currently allows school boards to tuition students to a public or private school, even if there is a public school in the district. It rarely happens, however, because school boards are reluctant to let students (and the money attached to them) go elsewhere. Let all parents have the same choice in Vermont. 

2. EXPAND ACT 150

This public school choice law only allows a handful of students from each public high school to choose another public high school with which their own "home" school has an agreement. For several years reports on this law have demonstrated that the sky has not fallen, that in fact, parents and students are happy with being able to choose. Do away with the limitations on numbers of students who can choose and put no caveats on public schools they can choose. Allow money to follow the child – at least the amount of money from the state.

3. PASS CHARTER SCHOOL LEGISLATION

Legislators as ideologically diverse as Jeb Spaulding (when he was a state Senator) to Hull Maynard have championed the idea of charter schools for Vermont. The reason this legislation is needed is because local school boards will rarely, if ever, take it upon themselves to reconfigure into a charter school. Other groups (teachers, parents, nonprofits, colleges, etc.) should have the power to configure charter schools. Charter schools could be a boon for Vermont’s small schools. If they reconfigure into charter schools, they can accept students from other districts with money following the child (part of a good charter school law). For a list of states with good charter school laws to model, follow this link. (pdf)  

4. EXPAND VERMONT’S DUAL ENROLLMENT PROGRAMS

Vermont has several programs where high school students can take college courses, receiving early credit and a jump start on postsecondary education. But currently, students can only use these programs at Vermont’s state colleges. This is limiting. David Wolk, former superintendent of Rutland City schools and current president of Castleton State College, tried to get the legislature to expand the dual enrollment programs (in particular, the VAST program) to include a wider range of colleges. This program can actually save taxpayers’ money because sending a kid to some of Vermont’s colleges is actually cheaper than educating him/her in a public high school. This would also be a boon to Vermont’s private colleges, some of which struggle to keep up enrollment. For information on current dual enrollment programs, follow this link.

We do!  Please 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, PO Box 255, Woodbury, VT 05681. VBE is a nonprofit organization and contributions are tax-deductible.

The VERMONT EDUCATION REPORT is published by Vermonters for Better Education PO Box 255, 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