Children Ignored
By Senate Bill

The Senate just passed a bill to abolish the State Board of Education and create a secretary of education to replace the current commissioner of education.

Prior to passage, the Senate Education Committee held a hearing at which I testified. I was disappointed in both the tone and outcome of this hearing. In my experience, hearings are held to do exactly that—listen to the public and consider their input prior to making a decision. I observed as much time devoted to several Senators expressing their own views and positions as to the taking of testimony. I left with the distinct impression that several minds were made up prior to the hearing and that different viewpoints were not seriously considered.

It appears that when elected school officials testify before the legislature, we are dismissed as "the usual suspects" and seen as insiders defending some status quo. I believe I gain credibility rather than losing it by serving on my local school board. Let’s face it; the typical citizen is not paying attention to the nuances of every bill under consideration. They elect and expect school board members to pay attention and to represent their interests. I take my elected position very seriously and feel it is my obligation to know about educational issues and share the local perspective on behalf of those who voted for me. The combined voices of school board members across the state should be sought after and valued, not dismissed.

So just what did I say at the hearing about abolishing the state board and changing the position of commissioner?

I acknowledged our complex system for administering education in Vermont—the dual nature of state and local systems that can be frustrating and slow, but which rests on the principle of local citizens making decisions about their own schools.

I asked what the goal of the change is, what problem is being solved?

I heard about controlling the cost of education and having someone responsible for the system as a whole. I pointed out that transferring the duties from a Commissioner to a Secretary does not change the authority or complexity of our dual local and state system. Spending decisions for schools will continue to happen at Town Meetings across the state where voters support or reject local budgets. Local school boards continue to have authority to make decisions of which we are the final arbitrator. Our accountability is to our local voters. I stated that if the Senate Education Committee is looking to control costs and make one person accountable for the whole system, this bill does not achieve their goals.

What I did not hear was anything about the education of our students. I actually heard one senator say this bill was not about students. I could not disagree more. The whole reason we have schools is to educate our students, and do it well. Vermont leads the nation in success by all national measures. But we are not satisfied.

This is the central and continual struggle of school boards and the exact issue the current state board is examining through their transformation initiative. Yet apparently the Senate does not see a value in having a State Board of Education.

Perhaps we should consider changing the structure we use to administer our schools, but we must be able to make the case that the changes lead to improved student learning. Change that attempts to meet the interests of adults versus the educational needs of students not only can be disruptive, but has the potential to create a system that is more complex, less efficient, and less responsive to student learning. What a waste of time and energy!

The majority of those that I heard testify did not support the bill, yet it passed out of the Senate Education Committee on a weak 3-1-1 vote and went on to pass the Senate as a whole 17-12. It now sits in the House, where I hope representatives will take the time to think about what they are trying to accomplish, how, if at all, it helps students and listen to the testimony of local school board members and all the other citizens that take the time to share their perspectives.

Laura Soares

Randolph