Editor’s note: This commentary is by Rama Schneider, who is on the November ballot as an independent candidate for Vermont state representative, Orange-1 District. He serves on the Williamstown school board, Orange North Supervisory Union board and the Vermont School Boards Association board of directors. This commentary reflects the views of Rama Schneider only and is not intended to represent any other individual or group.
The inability of Vermont’s House of Representatives to push through wholesale, centrally mandated school district consolidation has presented us with an opportunity to restate a basic Vermont value: local voices matter.
In 2012 H.753 (An Act Relating to Encouraging School Districts and Supervisory Unions to Provide Services Cooperatively or to Consolidate Governance Structures) came to vote on the floor of the House, and Rep. Davis (Orange-1) introduced the “Williamstown amendment” which stated four things: “the consolidation of school districts, their assets, or their operations should result from the voluntary action of local communities”; “school districts shall retain their authority to enter into interdistrict contracts to consolidate or share district assets or operations without the need to explore merger”; grant money would be available for exploring the second item; and the mandated consolidations in Act 153 of 2010 would occur only if the affected local boards did not vote otherwise. Unfortunately the “Williamstown amendment” was defeated overwhelmingly 110-21. (H.753 went on to become law as Act 156 of 2012.)
In 2013, the Williamstown amendment was re-introduced as H.434 by a small but tri-partisan (Democratic, Progressive, Republican) group only to be ignored for the rest of the session. In 2014, H.883 (An Act Relating to Prekindergarten-Grade 12 Education Districts) barely made it out of the House and received such a chilly reception in the Senate that it wasn’t even considered. In 2015, we will have an opportunity to walk away from the failed attempts at state-mandated, centrally directed school district/community consolidation and instead offer voluntary pathways that will bring the best of all worlds to all schools big and small.
In 2015, we will have an opportunity to walk away from the failed attempts at state-mandated, centrally directed school district/community consolidation and instead offer voluntary pathways that will bring the best of all worlds to all schools big and small.
Our state Secretary of Education has stated the greatest educational results will come from clear expectations, accountability and local autonomy. I believe we should put her statement into action through a system that includes standards, assessment and reporting, and support for our community school districts.
In my opinion the best support our state and federal governments can provide for our state’s students, their educators and the administrators who support those educators will come when we have action that encapsulates the following principles: a quality public education defined as open to all comers and free of charge at the door; fair governance to assure large communities cannot dictate to small; a financial price tag that Vermonters willingly support; parental and student choice; local and statewide accountability; and local input and decision making.
Let’s do it.
