________________________________________  THE VERMONT EDUCATION REPORT May 31, 2005 - Vol. 5, No. 22 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯  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... BUDGET BILL HEADS TO CONFERENCE H.516, the budget bill containing early education language, heads to conference committee now where Senate and House representatives will try to reconcile the two chambers' approaches to the Big Bill. The Senate, as reported last week, inserted language in H.516 that codifies the practice of school districts drawing down Education Funds using ADM calculations for universal preschool. This language was inserted during the Appropriations Committee's consideration of the bill. Sen. Don Collins (D-Franklin) provided the language even though he was working with the Senate Education Committee, of which he is chairman, on an early education bill. In order to make sure private early education providers are not completely squeezed out when the money spigot is turned on, Sen. Wendy Wilton (R-Rutland), working with Sen. Robert Starr (D-Essex/Orleans), promoted an amendment that specified it was the "intent of the General Assembly" to encourage public school districts to work with private providers. Her amendment passed on a vote of 20-7 in the Senate. The House, however, did not include any of this language - neither the ADM language nor Sen. Wilton's amendment - and the conference committee will have to agree on what stays in. MEMBERS OF THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE ON H.516 ARE AS FOLLOWS: House: Rep. Martha Heath (D-Westford): mpheath@aol.com Rep. Richard Marron (R-Stowe): DickMarron@aol.com Rep. Mark Larson (D-Burlington): mlarson@leg.state.vt.us Senate: Sen. Susan Bartlett (D-Lamoille): sbartlett@leg.state.vt.us Sen. Richard Sears (D-Bennington): rsears@leg.state.vt.us Sen. Diane Snelling (R-Chittenden): dsnelling@leg.state.vt.us Legislators can also be reached by leaving messages for them at the Statehouse or by faxing: Phone: 1.800.322.5616 Fax: 1.802.828.2424 S.132 STILL ON THE SCHEDULE One of the big questions surrounding the recent move by Sen. Don Collins (D-Franklin) to include language related to early ed in the Appropriations bill is this one: why didn't he allow S.132, the early education bill, to be voted out of committee? Chances were he had the votes to get it to the floor. And, if last year's record on its predecessor, S.166, is any guide, it probably had a good chance on the floor of the Senate as well. While the answer to that question is unclear, he has promised to continue to consider S.132 in the coming year. It is on the Senate Education Committee schedule this week.  GET ON THE FREEDOMWORKS MAILING LIST FreedomWorks-Vermont, a new organization that shares VBE's concerns about S.132, would like to build an email list. Co-founded by staunch school-choice advocate Jack Kemp, FreedomWorks is 501c4 grassroots organization dedicated to fighting for greater economic opportunity less government intrusion. The Vermont chapter of FreedomWorks is organizing and mobilizing throughout the state.  To learn more about FreedomWorks-Vermont, or to become a member, visit www.freedomworks.org, www.freedomworks.org/processor/signup.php, or contact State Director, Rob Roper at rroper@freedomworks.org, or 802-999-8145.  FEDS RELEASE: CHOOSING A SCHOOL FOR YOUR CHILD The U.S. Department of Education has put together a booklet entitled "Choosing a School for Your Child." It's available at: http://www.ed.gov/parents/schools/find/choose/index.html and includes handy worksheets for parents to take on school visits, as well as general tips on what to look for and questions to ask when selecting a school.  *   *   * FROM ELSEWHERE... The Center For Education Reform's NewsWire On the web at: http://www.edreform.com TICKING TIME BOMB In the most recent issue of CEO Voices, a supplement to Chief Executive magazine, Intel CEO Craig Barrett sounds off about public education in this country today. "The biggest ticking time bomb in the U.S. is the sorry state of our K-12 education system. It's the educational quality of our workforce that will determine our competitiveness."  Thomas Friedman, Pulitzer Prize-winner and best-selling author of The World Is Flat, recently argued, "in recent years with the flattening of the global playing field, it should be apparent that we are not just competing against ourselves. The opening of China, India and Russia means that young people in these countries can increasingly plug and play - connect, collaborate and compete - more easily and cheaply than ever before. And they are. We, alas, are still coasting along as if we have all the time in the world."  Friedman and Barrett join a growing list of CEO's and thought leaders nationwide who are fed up with a poorly educated workforce - and some are putting their money where their mouths are. Trailblazers like Microsoft's Bill Gates and John Walton of Wal-Mart have already made a difference by establishing programs and foundations designed to keep America's competitive edge and give kids in this country a better chance at success in life.   The Milton and Rose Friedman Foundation On the web at: http://www.friedmanfoundation.org MODEL CHOICE LEGISLATION AVAILABLE Lawmakers looking for templates for school choice legislation can find it at the web site of the Milton and Rose Friedman Foundation -- http://www.friedmanfoundation.org/model The Foundation has posted several model school choice bills, ranging from full-blown universal vouchers to special education choice to tax credits.  WHO COVERS EDUCATION IN VERMONT? We do! Consider a gift to Vermonters for Better Education, the publisher of the weekly Vermont Education Report, Vermont's ONLY continual source of education news. Send donations to: VBE, 170 Church Street, Rutland, Vermont 05701. VBE is a nonprofit organization and contributions are tax-deductible.  *   *   * 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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