Editor’s note: This op-ed by Rama Schneider was originally posted in ConnectedVermont, a blog for discussion of education, with an emphasis on school board-related issues hosted by the author. Schneider is a member of the Williamstown School Board.
Back in March I reported on one important piece of legislation, H.521, wending its way through the process. This bill “proposes to make miscellaneous amendments to education law, including provisions related to union school district formation; career technical education; Child Protection Registry checks; attendance registers; training for school board chairs and superintendents; a salary adjustment for the Secretary of Education; independent school creation; and teacher advisory groups. It also updates or deletes miscellaneous archaic sections of Title 16.”
My problem with H.521 revolved around the parts that dealt with independent school creation, and I commend the House for withdrawing those provisions that limited the ability of local districts to self-determine how they were going to handle their local school district’s infrastructure. (Special thanks to Reps. Branagan of Georgia and Donovan of Burlington — see the House journal for April 11th, 2013 for more.)
As for the issue of closing a local public school district and turning the building(s) over to a private educational institution: that’s for the local community to decide.
The offending passages (sections 16 through 18 of H.521 – scroll down to page 14) have been replaced with a willingness to stop, listen, look — and then maybe decide. The truth is we need a better understanding of our education system, and the Legislature’s willingness to seriously study these issues such as the above and student/teacher ratios and small school efficacy is important to better informed decisions.
It is important we all stay on top of these studies, and it is equally important that actual decisions resulting in actual action result from these studies. Most important, however, is that good decisions are made based upon good input — we don’t need garbage in/garbage out.
As for the issue of closing a local public school district and turning the building(s) over to a private educational institution: that’s for the local community to decide. I know if I were in that local community I would be insisting upon an independent school governance structure that mandated public oversight and management — but that’s a personal opinion.
I would also suggest the Legislature, the Vermont State Board of Education and the Agency of Education ask for input from those communities that have or are studying the possibility of closing their local districts in favor of an independent school. And when these governmental agencies ask they need to open their minds and listen to the responses instead of hearing only that which they want to hear.
In the meantime — thank you for making that change to H.521.
