April 19, 2010
Vermont-NEA Urges State to Work With Teachers to Bring Millions to State’s Local Schools
Union says now is time to collaborate on President Obama’s unprecedented investment in public education
MONTPELIER – The Vermont Department of Education must work with the men and women who teach the state’s children in an effort to take advantage of President Obama’s unprecedented investment in public education, the Vermont-NEA said today.
“As we learned earlier this month, when states work hand-in-hand with educators to find innovative ways to invest in public schools, everyone wins: the students, the teachers and the states,” said Martha Allen, president of Vermont-NEA, the state’s largest union. “The president has made it clear that his Race to the Top, and the potential $39 million worth of investment at stake, must be a collaboration between educators and state officials.”
The grants — a $4.5 billion program that awards innovation in public schools – are meant to spur excellence. The program last week made its first two awards, to Tennessee and Delaware. In both states, education officials worked closely with the teachers’ unions to craft an approach that seeks to empower educators, boost student performance and improve communities.
“While we in Vermont have worked hard and invested in one of the nation’s top public school systems, we are always looking for ways to propel our students even further,” Allen said. “We stand ready to work with the Department of Education in developing a winning strategy to make our excellent schools even better by taking advantage of the president’s commitment to public education.”
Vermont has until June to develop its application to federal education officials. The state’s application must show that state education officials worked closely with teachers and their union in developing its proposal.
Allen has made a point of meeting regularly with Education Commissioner Armando Vilaseca, and she intends to meet with him tomorrow to persuade him to begin collaborating on the state’s plan for securing $39 million to invest in Vermont’s local public schools.
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Darren Allen
Communications Director
Vermont-National Education Association
10 Wheelock Street
Montpelier, VT 05602
802.223.6375 x103
