Nearly six months after Vermont’s former secretary of education resigned, state officials are getting closer to choosing a replacement.
Vermont has been without a permanent secretary of education since April, when Dan French departed to become the chief operating officer of the Council of Chief State School Officials. Heather Bouchey, French’s deputy secretary, has filled the position since then on an interim basis.
Now, the deadline to apply for the position is October 5. It’s unclear when a final hiring decision could be made.
Gov. Phil Scott sent a letter to the state board asking them to begin the search for a new secretary in late July, more than three months after French’s departure. Jason Maulucci, a spokesperson for Scott, told VTDigger at the time that the governor’s office first wanted to wait until the end of the legislative session, and July’s historic flooding also delayed the letter.
“More importantly, the Governor has full confidence in Acting Secretary Heather Bouchey, who previously performed the role of acting secretary prior to Secretary French’s appointment in 2018,” Maulucci said.
In that July letter, Scott suggested to board members that they take eight weeks to complete their search. The application deadline, however, will fall about ten weeks after Scott’s letter, and it’s unclear when a final candidate will be selected or will start in the role.
One factor that is lengthening the timeline is the state’s unusual process for selecting the secretary.
Nearly all other extended cabinet-level positions in Vermont are simply appointed by the governor. But by statute, the state Board of Education must propose “no fewer than three candidates” for the position to the governor, who then makes the final choice from among the board’s nominees. (The other exception is the commissioner of the Department of Liquor and Lottery, who is similarly chosen from candidates selected by the Board of Liquor and Lottery.)
Last month, Jennifer Samuelson, the chair of the state Board of Education, told VTDigger that, because the board cannot act outside of a scheduled meeting, members were unable to begin the search process immediately.
State officials posted a job opening for the new position Sept. 13, meaning candidates will have had three weeks to submit their applications.
“That felt like an appropriate level of time for us to, you know, advertise the job, get people to apply, and then go through the applications, interview people and then meet as a full board and present the information to the governor,” Samuelson said.
The next secretary will inherit a school system beset by challenges in the wake of the early years of the Covid-19 pandemic. Vermont schools are grappling with largely stagnant test scores, deteriorating student mental health, a widening gulf between historically marginalized students and their counterparts and an increasingly politicized educational landscape.
The board is hosting a virtual public hearing on the subject Monday, Oct. 2 from 5:30 to 6:30. Residents’ feedback, officials said, will help the Board of Education decide how best to fill the position.
“We’re encouraging the public to come and provide input on the qualities and attributes that they would like to see in the next secretary,” said Lyle Jepson, a member of the Board of Education. “And we would appreciate as much public comment as we can get.”
Some Vermonters have already weighed in about their desires for a new secretary. Educators, lawmakers and parents have asked the state board to choose someone who is versed in the science of teaching reading, focused on promoting equity and ready to advocate for public schools.
Candidates for the job, which pays roughly $168,000 a year, will be expected to reduce inequality, increase test scores and promote career and tech education, according to the job posting for the position.
“The successful candidate will demonstrate experience managing complex issues and exhibit a belief in the transformational power of education as the key to revitalizing our communities,” the posting reads.
Jepson, the state board member who is on a committee spearheading the search, said he did not know exactly how many people had applied for the role to date, but that the job was likely “a position that will generate interest.”
Last month, interim Secretary Bouchey told Vermont Public’s Vermont Edition that she was a “potential candidate for that search.”
Bouchey did not reply to an emailed request for comment. Asked to confirm whether Bouchey had applied for the position, Lindsey Hedges, an agency spokesperson, said that would be a “personal decision on her part.”
“The Agency of Education does not comment on personnel matters,” Hedges said in an email.
