Editor’s note: This op-ed is by Kalee Roberts, a school board member for the Lamoille Union District 18 Board and is current president of the Vermont School Boards Association.
The House Education Committee has proposed legislation to create an Agency of Education, under the control of a governor-appointed secretary of education. It would also create a modified State Board of Education with no powers except to articulate a vision for public education.
Enactment of this legislation will result in a direct shift of power over public education in
Vermont from the State Board of Education to the governor in the person of his appointed secretary. It is hard to justify this transfer of power from an independent body to one headed by political appointees.
The governor is quoted indicating his desire to place control of public education into the hands of the executive branch: “I have a totally different philosophy, and I’m working with someone else’s infrastructure,” The chair of the House Education Committee asks, “Is there something wrong with politics?” to justify the power giveaway in this bill.
Arguments against the bill are many and deeply rooted in facts. A history of educational excellence in Vermont supports leaving the commissioner and Department of Education outside of the control of the governor.
Under H.440 the board and commissioner would serve at the pleasure of the governor, which places direct partisan pressure on these individuals to act and speak in concert with the governor or risk replacement. Vermont leaders thought carefully about the structure they put in place when they designed the current model and the purpose of the legislation was clear in its intent to remove partisanship from those making important educational decisions.
The current model of governance through the State Board of Education was established in 1914 by the Legislature. The Legislature engaged the Carnegie Foundation which produced a report advocating the current structure; the Legislature itself wrote the bill that created the State Board.
The preamble of which states in part:
“Above all, such an organization will be of advantage because it takes education in Vermont out of politics, and this action alone enormously increases the opportunity both for education freedom and educational sincerity.”
And concludes:
“No measure which the legislature of Vermont has ever been called upon to consider has in greater possibilities for good than are contained in this bill.”
Separating the governance of education from partisan politics is crucial to maintaining a quality education for our students. In fact this is the most prevalent model of governance with 13 states using this model in 2011.
Currently Vermont schools benefit from statewide deliberation over rules, policy and finance which include taxpayers, parents, local boards as well as the State Board, the Department of Education and the Legislature and Governor. While sometimes frustrating, this deliberation ensures thoughtful action and prevents sudden or dictatorial change. It is not a part of Vermont’s tradition to centralize of power in one person as this bill envisions.
Most important is the effect of governance on student success. Vermont has always ranked well among states for its successful public education. The 2006-2007 Morgan Quitno study of state education systems measures 21 indicators of success for public school systems.
Of the top 10 school systems as ranked by Morgan Quitno the top three state systems (Vermont,
Massachusetts and Connecticut) use our current model of governance. None have governance as outlined in H.440.
This data suggests that our current governance structure is strong and has led to positive results.
The VSBA supports the aspects of the bill which strengthen the composition of the State Board of Education to ensure representation with experience and interest in Vermont’s excellent public education system. However, the VSBA and I both oppose the appointment of the commissioner by the governor, as we believe this would damage the current system which encourages deliberative interaction between executive, legislative, state, local governance and citizen interests in guiding Vermont’s public schools.
The need for H.440 is not supported by facts. It would have a negative impact on local control which has created Vermont’s top place in public education. It is a rush to solve a problem which does not exist, and should not be supported as proposed.
