Rutland Herald highlights Friends of Vermont Public Education

The Rutland Herald Capital Beat column on February 15th cites Friends of Vermont Public Education's press release on Governor Scott's education reform proposal.

Education plan

Closer to home, Friends of Vermont Public Education voiced opposition to Gov. Phil Scott’s recently unveiled “Education Transformation Proposal,” warning that it mirrors voucher systems seen in other states and threatens Vermont’s public schools.

“The governor did not come up with this plan on his own. We’ve seen this playbook before, from Arizona to Indiana,” said Geo Honigford, chair of the FVPE Board of Directors. “It’s the same Koch Brothers-backed strategy to siphon public funds into private institutions with little oversight, undermining the foundation of public education.”

According to the group, the proposal would extend the use of public tuition dollars from non-operating districts to all students statewide, allowing even more public funds to flow to private schools, including those that discriminate against LGBTQIA+ students and students with disabilities.

Senate President Pro Tem Phil Baruth, of Chittenden County, released a statement this week: “Vermonters have made clear that they want transformation in the educational system, changes that will address property tax rates and education spending while improving the quality of education for Vermont’s kids. … What Vermonters did not demand was an expansion of school choice in our state. Put simply, insisting on recasting choice in Vermont has the potential to sink education transformation efforts. Allowing that to happen would be an unforced error, and would set our reform efforts back substantially.”

The Republican governor issued his own statement: “Vermonters have identified this as a top priority, and this bold plan lays the groundwork for Vermont to have the best public education system in the nation. … Yet, defenders of the current system — which has declining test scores, massive annual property tax increases and pays teachers unequally — have misleadingly referred to this proposal as a ‘voucher system.’ They are wrong.”

Scott said the plan is designed to support stronger schools, stronger students, and more vibrant communities.