________________________________________  THE VERMONT EDUCATION REPORT February 16, 2004 Vol. 4, No. 08 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯  Covering education news in Vermont and beyond... Informative, provocative, unique... Published by Vermonters for Better Education  VBE is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization whose mission is to enlist parents and the public at large in achieving quality educational opportunities for all the children of Vermont by monitoring the state of education in Vermont; promoting the value of educational freedoms for all parents; and giving parents the evaluative tools with which to identify excellence. Libby Sternberg, executive director: VTBetterEd@aol.com NEWS & ANALYSIS... MESSAGES POUR IN BUT STILL NO MOVEMENT ON SCHOOL CHOICE BILL Two public hearings have now been held about public school choice, and at each one, supporters outnumbered opponents. In fact, each hearing -- one before the State Board of Education and one before the House Education Committee -- only attracted a handful of opponents but between 20 and 30 supporters each time. When the VER reported last week that the House Education Committee might not vote the public school choice bill to the floor, one House Education Committee member reported receiving more than 50 emails urging the Committee to vote it onto the floor of the House. But as of this writing, opponents to the bill appear to be intractable. In fact, the House Education Committee's schedule this week does not include any discussion of school choice. Instead, committee members will hear about childhood wellness, students on school boards, the homeschooling driver's ed bill and more, while in the Senate Education Committee, members will talk about NCLB, civics education, high schools, and S.166, the early education bill. To refresh readers' memories, likely opponents on the House Education Committee to the House public school choice bill include the following: House Education Committee Vice Chairman George Cross (D-Winooski) Ph: 802-655-4611 82 Dufresne Drive, Winooski 05404 Rep. William Aswad (D-Burlington) Ph: 802-862-2067 74 Ridgewood Drive, Burlington 05401 Rep. Harry Chen (D-Mendon) hchen@leg.state.vt.us Ph: 802-775-1695 (h) or 802-747-6216 (w) 7 North Road, Mendon 05701 Rep. Stephen Hingtgen (P-Burlington) shingtgen@leg.state.vt.us Ph: 802-355-6853 PO Box 8401, Burlington 05402 Rep. Rosemary McLaughlin (D-S. Royalton): rmclaughlin@leg.state.vt.us or rozo@valley.net Ph: 802-763-5262 273 Rousseau Road, South Royalton 05068 Rep. Ann Seibert (D-Norwich) Ph: 802-649-1282 Fx: 802-649-3086 386 Main Street, Norwich 05055 Several readers have reported talking with legislative opponents and being told that the legislator in question "supports school choice in theory." Other readers have reported that some opponents are claiming that no one is contacting them to voice support for this issue. Supporters who have contacted legislators about this issue might also want to send copies of their notes and emails to the House Speaker, Walter Freed (R-Dorset). He can be reached at: Speaker of the House Walter Freed (speaker@leg.state.vt.us) Ph: 802-362-2775 488 Morse Hill Rd., Dorset 05251 HOW TO CONTACT LEGISLATORS AT THE STATEHOUSE: CALL AND LEAVE A MESSAGE AT: 1-800-322-5616 or 1-802-828-2228. FAX A MESSAGE TO: 1-802-828-2424. OR EMAIL LEGISLATORS WHO HAVE EMAIL: HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE Rep. Howard Crawford (R-Burke)chair: hcrawford@stj.k12.vt.us Rep. George Cross (D-Winooski), vice chair Rep. William Aswad (D-Burlington) Rep. Carolyn Whitney Branagan (R-Georgia): cbranagan@leg.state.vt.us or Dunmore@adelphia.net Rep. Henry Chen (D-Mendon): hchen@leg.state.vt.us Rep. Virginia Duffy (R-Rutland City): vduffy@leg.state.vt.us Rep. Kevin Endres (R-Milton); kendres@leg.state.vt.us or MrMtBus@aol.com Rep. Steve Hingtgen (P-Burlington): shingtgen@leg.state.vt.us Rep. Kathy LaBelle LaVoie (R-Swanton): klavoie@leg.state.vt.us or klavoie@together.net Rep. Rosemary McLaughlin (D-S. Royalton): rmclaughlin@leg.state.vt.us or rozo@valley.net Rep. Ann Seibert (D-Norwich)  WHY IS A VOTE IMPORTANT? While the governor supports public school choice and there could even be a majority of representatives ready to okay a public school choice bill, its chances of survival in the State Senate are slim. The Senate Education Committee, led by Sen. James Condos (D-Chittenden), is unlikely to push for school choice legislation, and even if it did, there might not be enough votes on the Senate floor to approve such a measure. So why is a vote in the House so important? First, while it's a long shot, it's possible that the State Senate will listen to the public support for school choice if the House passes a bill. But secondly, and just as important, supporters and opponents need to be clearly identified whenever possible. When the session is over and members go back to their constituents, many of them may say they support school choice, when in reality they did nothing to advance it. As pointed out above, some legislators currently opposing the public school choice bill have told people who contact them that they support school choice "in theory." The most blatant example of this Support/Don't Support dichotomy was when Senate Education Chairman Jim Condos (D-Chittenden) testified before the State Board of Education. The SBOE was just discussing passage of a resolution in support of the CONCEPT of school choice. Their resolution was not a law, nor even a set of rules. It was merely a show of support. Sen. Condos showed up to testify AGAINST even this resolution, yet began his comments by saying he supported school choice. The only way Vermonters will be able to see their way past this doubletalk is to get legislators on the record. A vote will do that.  MONTPELIER LAWYER'S TESTIMONY One of the most eloquent witnesses at both the SBOE hearing on school choice and the House Education Committee's public hearing was Montpelier lawyer David Kelley. Pasted below are his comments from the February 11 public hearing: Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen-- The amount of material schools need to teach is growing exponentially. At the same time the number of students in our school system is shrinking. That is creating heavy pressure to reduce budgets. Yet we continue to expect all schools to be all things to all students. The result is unsustainable burdens for taxpayers, unrealistic expectations for teachers and inadequate resources for students. Not every school is right for every student. Today almost 20% of our students are dropping out of school before they graduate. Most schools will lose twenty percent of their block grants before a class graduates, but there are no savings to the taxpayers. They have to pick up the tab for higher unemployment benefits, increased health care costs and the expense of more correctional facilities. We can change this equation. Some students need more independence. Some need more language skills. Some need more vocational training. Some need to escape harassment. But by expanding school choice we give more students access to more programs and we give more schools the opportunity to develop stronger, more focused programs. But this debate is about more than just being practical. Despite all of the promises of Brigham and Act 60, equal educational opportunity is a myth in Vermont. Wealthy families have choices. Poor families are usually shackled to one school whether it fits their needs or not. There are some important exceptions. Even the poorest students in Westmore, Kirby and St. Johnsbury have choices. With those choices they have access to the best performing arts programs, the best language programs, and the best vocational programs in Vermont. To suggest that children from low income families without choice in neighboring towns like Barton, Concord or Richford, have access to equal educational opportunity is sheer fantasy. I went to Otter Valley High School. I dreamed of being a foreign exchange student but instead I was warehoused my senior year. If it hadn't been for a great debate coach I probably would have dropped out, as my brother and sister both did. To the entrenched educators who pay lip service to school choice and then block it at every turn I would say the Irish poet Yeats could have been speaking for our students who don't have your money or your lobbyists when he wrote: "But being poor I have only my dreams. I have spread my dreams under your feet. Tread softly, because you tread on my dreams." Thank you.  *   *   * COMMENTARY A SCHOOL CONSPIRACY... Burlington Free Press Editorial February 16, 2004 Some Vermont educators apparently believe that Sen. Edward Kennedy, most of his fellow congressional Democrats and President Bush are engaged in a conspiracy to destroy public education through the No Child Left Behind Act. "It's a weapon of mass destruction aimed at the well-being of our nation's public schools and the public's confidence in our public schools," said Angelo Dorta, president of the Vermont-NEA, during a conference earlier this month. Hold on. No Child Left Behind was largely drafted by Bush and Kennedy and more House Democrats voted for it than their Republican counterparts. The measure was also supported by Democratic presidential contenders Sens. John Kerry and John Edwards. It's absurd to think that all those people seek the demise of public education. No Child Left Behind means just that. For the first time, the federal government is holding schools accountable for ensuring that each American youngster -- whether poor child, handicapped child, immigrant child, rural child or inner-city child --receives a quality education. According to the 2003 scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the "nation's report card," roughly 70 percent of the country's fourth and eighth graders have reading and math skills below their grade level. Those falling below standards are disproportionately low-income and minority youngsters whose scholastic failings have long been tolerated by the public education system. The primary criticisms of No Child Left Behind center on cost and accountability provisions. Those complaints are either premature or off-base. As for academics, No Child Left Behind lets Vermont and other states define for themselves what constitutes a solid education. Vermont has done that with its Framework of Standards and Learning Opportunities. In effect, the federal government is merely holding Vermont responsible for meeting its own educational expectations. Likewise, No Child Left Behind permits each state to select its own test to measure academic performance. Vermont has done that, already mandating state assessments in grades two, four, eight and 10. The only significant federal change is that Vermont must also test grades three, five, six and seven. It doesn't seem too much to ask young people to take one exam a year to help gauge how well schools are doing. The other major gripe is funding. Some educators claim No Child Left Behind means approximately $130 billion in new costs annually. That figure is disputed in a study released last week. James Peyser, chairman of the Massachusetts Board of Education, and Robert Costrell, a professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts, say that federal funds earmarked for testing are "more than adequate." They also note that between 2000 and 2004, federal educational spending increased from $23 billion to $37 billion. At most, Peyser and Costrell say, No Child Left Behind is underfunded by $8 billion nationwide, with the gap primarily concentrated in a few large states. In truth, no one really knows how much it will cost to reach the No Child Left Behind goal that every American child is proficient in math and reading by 2014. Indeed, the goal may be impossible. But the law deserves a chance to work. The federal government is right to expect that Vermont and other states fulfill their educational obligations to each child. If that's a conspiracy, it's one most Americans would support.   IT'S NEVER TOO LATE... ...To consider a donation to VBE! Not only will it help support the continued circulation of the Vermont Education Report, it will also help us fund a radio campaign to explain the benefits of school choice. We've been receiving contributions steadily, but we could use more! Send your checks to: VBE, 170 Church Street, Rutland, VT 05701. Thanks!  ELSEWHERE  FOR TEACHERS: OPPORTUNITY FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT From the U.S. Department of Education.... A New NEH Professional Development Opportunity Landmarks of American History: Workshops for School Teachers During the summer of 2004, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) will offer a new series of professional development programs, Landmarks of American History Workshops for School Teachers. These week-long, residence-based programs provide the opportunity for K-12 educators to engage in intensive study and discussion of important topics in American history at major historical sites around the nation. Full-time teachers in American K-12 schools, whether public, public charter, private, or religiously-affiliated are eligible to participate, as well as home-schooling parents. Other K-12 school personnel, including administrators, substitute teachers, classroom paraprofessionals, and librarians are also eligible to participate, subject to available space. Teachers selected to participate will receive a stipend of $500 to help cover living expenses and supplies: travel supplements for educators traveling long distances will be available and allocated after participants are selected. Landmarks Workshops are designed to give participants direct experiences in the interpretation of significant historical sites and the use of archival and other primary historical evidence. They include the best scholarship on a specific landmark or related cluster of landmarks, enabling participants to gain a sense of the importance of historical places, to make connections between what they learn in the Workshop and what they teach, and to develop teaching materials for their classrooms. Landmarks Workshops for the summer of 2004 include Mt. Vernon and the Shaping of the U.S. Constitution; History, Memory, and Memorial at Pearl Harbor; Alabama's Civil Rights Monuments; the United States Capitol; Fort Robinson, Nebraska and the Great Plains; Salem, Massachusetts 1801-1861; Portsmouth, New Hampshire and American Identity; Savannah's Three-Century History; Black Artisans and Entrepreneurs of Antebellum North Carolina; Encounters and Change in 17th century Plymouth, and many others. For full listings, eligibility requirements, and application instructions, please see: http://www.neh.gov/projects/landmarks.html These listings contain project titles and the means to contact each Landmarks Workshop director. In response to a request for information, workshop directors will send a letter describing the content, logistics, and expectations of that project. Requests for information and completed applications should NOT be directed to the National Endowment for the Humanities; they should be addressed to the individual projects as found in the listings. General questions concerning the Landmarks of American History program may be directed to the NEH Division of Education Programs. (202-606-8463 or e-mail sem-inst@neh.gov). The deadline for applications is March 15, 2004.  *   *   * The VERMONT EDUCATION REPORT is published by Vermonters for Better Education 170 Church Street, Rutland, VT 05701, 802.773.5240 Contact VTBetterEd@aol.com for more information.   Subscribe Here SubscribeRemove

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