OPINION: Taking issue with expanded childcare credit
I am writing in response to the May 3 Waterbury Roundabout letter, “Act 76 sparks newfound stability for child care programs, families” submitted by 15 Vermont child care program directors.
OPINION: Equity is not an initiative
With school budgets being voted down and pandemic-era funding waning, Vermont schools are being forced to weigh the strength of their commitment to educational equity.
The new and ‘improved’ CLA
The current plan to reform Vermont’s notorious CLA—Common Level of Appraisal—looks a lot like Nixon’s blanket. It doesn’t actually change how things work, it just makes them look a little better to the public.
LETTER: Act 76 sparks newfound stability for child care programs, families
To the Community: Last year, we came together as child care program owners and early childhood educators from around Vermont to sound the alarm on the dire state of Vermont’s child care system.
LETTER: Former chair asks school board to ‘focus on what we CAN control’
This letter was sent to the full Harwood Unified Union School Board and is shared here with the community.
COMMENTARY: ‘This is the best and cheapest budget’ without harming our school system
For the moment, this is the best and cheapest budget that we are going to get without hamstringing our school system. Hopefully, the perfect storm will recede, and the state will create a better funding system, but we need to let our school system adjust to these cuts for a year while we craft a strategy for future reductions.
LETTER: ‘We are all in this together’
As one of the Duxbury reps on the Harwood Unified Union School District School Board, I urge all Duxbury residents to vote YES on the revised school budget on April 30. And not just Duxbury residents but all residents of the district. After all, we are all in this together.
LETTER: Reasons for one voter’s ‘no’ to the revised school budget
To the community - some reasons to feel justified in rejecting the HUUSD revised budget on April 30.
LETTER: Voting yes, board chair asks for budget support
Speaking for myself as a Vermonter, I am torn over our current situation. I am angry at our legislature for not understanding the depth or the urgency of the problems we face.
LETTER: School staffing ratios for quality outcomes
To the Community: As our school board faces upcoming budget cuts, it is important to clearly distinguish between two metrics that significantly impact our educational system: the student-to-teacher ratio and the student-to-staff ratio.
COMMENTARY: Taking a beat on education funding reform
A projected jump in school taxes next year has everyone’s hair on fire in Montpelier. But before taking drastic action, legislators and the administration ought to take the time to assess all of the reforms of recent years to understand what’s really going on.
LETTER: Where is the equity?
To the community: In Morrisville, Vermont, a recent Front Porch Forum post reads: “Vote down the school budget! They don’t want to just survive, they want to thrive.”
Montpelier High School alumni plan all-school reunion, July 26-27
To the community: Excitement is building for the MHS Alumni Roundup 2024, an all-school reunion including district-wide faculty, staff, coaches, and their families, set for July 26-27.
LETTER: Rick Weston seeks EFUD commission seat
To the voters of the Edward Farrar Utility District: On Wednesday, May 8, an election for three seats on the Edward Farrar Utility District Board of Commissioners will be held.
School board urges community to vote on revised 2024-25 budget
As most of you know our school budget failed on Town Meeting Day. There is another vote that closes on April 30th, on a revised number that reduces spending by almost $2 million.
Opinion: Act 127 & real spending per pupil
I find the presentation of information that the public has been getting, while possibly technically correct, to be misleading at best and deceptive at worst.
Rep. Wood: Bill aims to regulate ‘forever chemicals’
These chemicals will continue to plague the environment and the people of Vermont. They are pervasive, and in some situations, there are no currently known alternatives.
LETTER: Teacher, taxpayer says vote ‘yes’, then demand change
We need to do more than vote "yes" because we are in the midst of a crisis that will not go away until we go to Montpelier and maybe even Washington.
LETTER: This mom, teacher, taxpayer is voting ‘yes’ on the school budget
Voting yes on this second budget before or on April 30th is crucial for HUUSD being able to maintain quality education.
COMMENTARY: Former chair urges voters to share their thoughts with school board
Whether you decide to vote “yes” or “no” on April 30th, I hope you will consider also reaching out to the school board to (politely, constructively) let these hardworking neighbors know more about why you are voting the way you did.