This commentary is by Bob Laird of Williston. He recently retired from the Vermont Mathematics Initiative, a comprehensive three-year academic program for Vermont K-12 math teachers and leaders. For over 20 years he has worked extensively on national and international projects related to improving student learning in mathematics.
Like all people, Vermonters love their children and want the best for them, and across decades they have supported, guarded and embraced their schools. Thus, no one should be surprised that Gov. Phil Scott’s education transformation proposal is generating hearty discussion and pushback.
Cutting $180 million from the current amount spent on education, minimizing the role of the Vermont State Board of Education Committee, creating a school choice lottery in every district and reducing the number of school districts from 119 to 5 regional districts are monumental changes that require scrutiny. Gov. Scott and Vermont Secretary of Education Zoie Saunders should welcome Vermonters’ need for answers regarding the ramifications of these changes to our schools, our cities and towns and our children.
Their responsibility is to help us understand this proposal and to provide us with the fine details that are essential for success. Our job is to ask tough questions and push for details. A complete and sound proposal will withstand a thorough and tough analysis.
My reading of the proposal found a peculiar omission that I believe has been ignored. Except for a quote about a “statewide curriculum” from the listen and learn tour there is nothing in the proposal that specifically or even vaguely addresses improved learning for all students which is the central goal of education. If this proposal is strictly one of governance and a fiscal tightening of the belt, then let’s have that debate. If, however, this is also about improving student achievement, then I believe Gov. Scott’s proposal is severely lacking.
Within an educational system, teachers are one of the most powerful drivers of student learning. Of course, there are many other facets in a system that also contribute to learning. As in all professions, there is variability in teacher effectiveness, and we have a long way to go to meet our goal of success for all students. Yet most researchers of student learning agree that the instruction every student receives every day matters and is at the core of improved student achievement.
Thus, a proposal that is serious about improving learning for all students must focus on the needs of teachers and the supports needed for them to provide the highest quality instruction to all students. It is logical to focus on the place in the system that has the best chance to drive the academic improvement for all Vermont students. So, what do teachers need from their systems to be successful in driving improved learning for our children?
In “key themes from the listen and learn tour,” one of the resources used to create Gov. Scott’s education transformation proposal, teachers clearly described several critical supports they need. These include consistent guidance from the Agency of Education (AOE) on supports and standards, high quality professional development, high quality prekindergarten programs, student behavioral and mental health support, support for special education students and educators, and help meeting their students’ basic needs such as food, safety, housing, hygiene, health and wellness and transportation.
Those who have spent time with teachers in their classrooms know that they have been asking for many of these supports for years. None of these are apparent in Gov. Scott’s plan.
For as long as I have been involved in Vermont education, schools and teachers have been asked to take on significant educational initiatives without the support and resources needed for success. Examples over the years include implementing the Common Core state standards, developing personalized learning plans, switching to online teaching during the Covid epidemic and transitioning to Cognia, Vermont’s new assessment program.
In many cases educational initiatives have made little difference in student achievement, at least partly because schools and teachers were never provided the resources, long-term high-quality professional development, and statewide conviction to support implementation as designed. Unfortunately, taking on significant initiatives without support is something Vermont schools and teachers are used to.
A proposal that specifically addresses these issues will provide Vermonters some confidence that the proposed changes are focused on improving student learning as well as fiscal savings. More than that, schools and teachers need to hear clearly from Gov. Scott and Secretary Saunders the ways in which this proposal will support effective teaching and student learning.
Finally, in “key themes from the listen and learn tour,” teachers asked for “strong leadership from the AOE to promote the education sector” and “would like to see more positive messaging from the state around respect for educators.” To me this means we need to stop treating schools and teachers as the problem and start treating them as a major part of the solution. When we reach our goal of academic excellence for all students, I know teachers and schools will be at the heart of the solution.
