VPT Online: Public Square: The Education Debate

PUBLIC SQUARE is a VPT initiative addressing issues of concern to Vermonters. Mixing documentary footage, thoughtful insight, in-depth panel discussions and more, we’ll keep you informed about local events and issues that affect your lives.

The Education Debate

Aired Thursday, May 31st at 8:00 pm

Host Kristin Carlson This live program combined a video report and studio discussion to focus on matters of public education. Topics included education funding, possible school consolidation and future governance. The video report was from Barre, site of one of the 30 town meetings that the Vermont Department of Education held this spring to focus on the future of education governance.

Joining host Kristin Carlson:

Janet Ancel, Chair, House Education Committee
Richard Cate, Commissioner, Vermont Department of Education
Angelo Dorta, President, Vermont-NEA
Elaine Pinckney, Superintendent, Chittenden South Supervisory Union

Community Resources

The Vermont Department of Education
802-828-3135
E-mail

In May 2006, Commissioner of Education Richard Cate released a white paper entitled "The Governance of Education in Vermont – 1777 to 2006". The paper, meant to stimulate a year-long discussion, outlined a plan for changing the governance model of the education system in Vermont. As part of this discussion, from January - May this year the department hosted 30 Education Governance Meetings across the state. The goal of these meetings was to engage a large and diverse group of Vermonters in a conversation about governance in the Vermont education system.

The Vermont Department of Education oversees state standards and assessment for K-12 education, educator licensing, safe and healthy schools efforts, special education, and is required to report to the US Department of Education on financing, assessments, attendance and graduation rates, and other key data collections.

The Department has outlined the following goals for its work:

Support high-quality, innovative instruction to improve student achievement
Provide and promote high-quality educational leadership
Promote safe and positive learning environments
Build department capacity to best support external needs
Practice and promote effective use of all resources

The Vermont Legislature
Introduced by the Committee on Education, Bill H.526 proposes to make a series of amendments to education statutes designed to control costs while maintaining high quality in Vermont’s public schools.

The Vermont-National Education Association (NEA)
1-800-649-6375
E-mail

The Vermont-NEA is a voluntary membership organization of 11,500 Vermont teachers and education support professionals. Founded in 1850 as the Vermont Teachers' Association, Vermont-NEA is now a state-level affiliate of the National Education Association, the largest professional association in the United States, with 3.2 million members.

Vermonters for Better Education (VBE)
802-472-5491
E-mail

Vermonters for Better Education is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization which formed in the fall of 1999. VBE's mission is to enlist parents and the public at large in achieving quality educational opportunities for all the children of Vermont.

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