On Friday, Emily Simmons (General Counsel, Agency of Education) gave the Senate Education Committee an overview of the statutory obligations surrounding public tuitioning for independent schools.

The Senate Education Committee reviewed the home study provisions of H.461 on Tuesday. Chairman Campion asked Retta Dunlap (Home School Advocate, Vermont Home Education Network) to share some basic background information for newer members of the Committee. She shared a presentation showing some historical trends on home study students. The data was provided by the Vermont Home Education Network because the Agency of Education (AOE) only recently started tracking some of these metrics.

The Senate Education Committee heard from Senator Hardy on Wednesday about S.66. She described the bill as being about the changing education landscape in light of recent US Supreme Court rulings (Carson v. Makin, etc.). She stated that the bill prioritizes the designation of public schools only for public tuitioning of students (regardless of whether one is within a practical distance). However, it does allow for tuitioning to independent schools that meet three parts of a four-part test intended to carve out the four historic academies (St. Johnsbury, Burr and Burton, Thetford, Lyndon Institute). She highlighted that her desire is to “really prioritize public schools” and that there are areas of our state where we have “divested from public education and communities don’t have the options for public schools that they once had.”

On Tuesday the Senate Education Committee took up the latest draft of their Miscellaneous Education bill. Chairman Campion asked to start at the back of the bill, the sections dealing with the drivers education pilot project. He informed Senator Hashim the
Agency of Transportation has weighed in opposing the funding source.

On Wednesday, the Senate Education Committee took up the latest draft of their miscellaneous education bill. One of the major components of the bill is study on the compensation and staffing levels for the State Board of Education (SBE).

The House Education Committee and the Senate Education Committee held a joint meeting on Tuesday to get an update from school officials on PCB testing.

Jay Nichols (Executive Director, Vermont Principals Association) joined the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday. Chairman Campion said he had invited them to respond to the question: “Should we consider encouraging or requiring NEASC evaluation for public schools?”

The Senate Education Committee began working on the annual miscellaneous education bill on Friday. There are several things this bill does, including:

Mary Newman (Head of School, Sharon Academy) introduced her school and the students that were with her to the Senate Education Committee on Thursday. Eighth grader Chloe Evans was the first student to testify. Chairman Campion asked what she likes about the school, what she doesn’t like, and what her message was to the Committee. Evans shared that she feels like there is a misconception that independent schools are just for rich kids and that has not been her experience. She was bullied and mistreated at her last public school because minorities were not widely accepted there. She has diagnosed trauma and would often fake sickness so she didn’t have to go to that school. She didn’t know a school couldn’t be so supportive until she was at Sharon Academy. She didn’t know there was a place she could feel at home before her current school.

The Senate Education Committee revisited Education Quality Standards (EQSs) on Wednesday with Heather Bouchey (Deputy Secretary, Agency of Education).