Time for a Collective Effort in Support of Public Education in Vermont

Schools across Vermont demonstrate resilience, innovation, and positive learning outcomes for students.  Yes, there are areas we must address.  However, the good news about the good work and learning happening in our public  schools does not get out to the broader public. We need a collective campaign to promote the public good of public education and to commit to the kind of investments that will impact student learning for each and every Vermont student.

Public education in Vermont has experienced a substantial disequilibrium given all of the debate around its structure and funding.  With perennial political rhetoric that advances a narrative that Vermont schools are spending too much money and not getting the results we need, it is understandable that the general public and tax payers have likely grown increasingly disillusioned with public education.  Often, it is our small rural schools that are portrayed as inefficient, high spenders who provide inadequate educational opportunities for our children. 

The negative rhetoric and threat of consolidation create instability, further jeopardizing the viability of maintaining community schools. 

Meanwhile, our rural schools persist and many are providing strong academic programs along with relevant and engaging outdoor education, place-based and project-based learning opportunities that advance transferable skills and student social-emotional development.  Many small schools are able to address chronic absenteeism and mitigate the impact of experiencing poverty by building extended community connections and a sense of belonging.  

Like ecosystems in the natural world, we are faced with complex networks, the need for continuous adaptation to change, and the challenges and opportunities of our interdependence.

We are facing what sometimes are referred to as Wicked Problems that do not have straight-forward solutions. Meanwhile, after two years of consideration in the Legislature, the work of a commission and a task force, we have new legislation that purports to transform public education in Vermont through encouraging district consolidation. Whereas there may be opportunity for efficiencies in some cases, it is unrealistic to expect we can effectively achieve economies of scale through district consolidation. Vermont is the most rural state in the nation and there are geographic limitations.

Continued cost drivers, such as health care and pension obligations, along with decreased federal support, result in a confluence of pressures that will continue to challenge our public schools. Vermont’s challenges also go beyond education.  Housing, health care, rural hospitals and environmental concerns present persistent challenges and demands on state resources.  Meanwhile, we actually need increased investments in areas such as student mental health, educator workforce development and school facilities.  The public needs to know why investing in public education remains a priority.

We need to take a lesson from Maine.  Over the past year they have launched Maine Loves Public Schools and an amazing video series called Learning From Maine.  Like Maine, there are many examples of exceptional teachers, wonderful programs and strong student achievement across Vermont schools–big, small, and rural, along a wide continuum.  The Vermont Rural Education Collaborative (VREC) does our small part to present a positive narrative through our Field Notes stories of exemplary school programs and practices.  In addition, our Voices of Rural Vermont Teachers profiles teachers with incredible passion for their work, and validates the meaningful impact educators have on their students and school-communities.

There are schools across Vermont that embrace a holistic design for learning.  Schools that have implemented the pillars of Community Schools have shown great promise in decreasing chronic absenteeism and increasing outcomes via extended school day and school year programs.  There are countless examples of schools and their supervisory unions and districts addressing the wide range of needs students and families face and providing pathways to success beyond their secondary school.  Vermont’s children are well served in our public schools, including our many small, rural schools!   

Vermonters are a pragmatic and resilient bunch.  We will need to dig deep into our well of social capital to find collaborative solutions.  We need member organizations to join forces with a wide range of state level organizations and local community partners to celebrate and promote what is best about our public schools, and especially rural schools.  …and, we need  the Vermont Agency of Education, Administration, and Legislature to be champions for public education.

The reality is that we need to embrace both continuity and change as we contemplate school district consolidation and changes in the funding. Yes, we have a lot of work ahead to ensure the affordability and sustainability of a high quality education system in Vermont. Let’s collectively commit to investing in and promoting the public good of public education. Thriving  communities and a thriving state need thriving public schools!