Bellows Free Academy-Fairfax Seniors Visit State House

[Gary Gilbert]

Bellows Free Academy-Fairfax seniors visited the State House this week. The students were all participating in a required Senior Social Studies Course. While most school trips merely involve a tour of the building and watching some floor work, this trip required each student to get into committee rooms and listen to testimony as well as to meet with a sponsor of the specific bill each student had chosen to track over the last month. They also were able to meet with their local Representatives (Branagan and Gilbert) and Senators (Collins and Kittell).

It was wonderful to see how these students intruded on the activities of the day and the willingness of legislators to make time in their busy schedules to meet with them. Lt. Governor Dubie administered the Freeman’s Oath and registered new voters from Mr. Brooks and Mr. Clark’s class on Wednesday. Governor Douglas registered new voters from Ms Stewart and Ms Mack’s classes on Thursday.

I received many comments from representatives about how well the students understood the issues and how impressed the legislators were with the way these students were dressed and behaved. It was a great reflection on the students, their families, and their teachers.

This week was the first time the House Education Committee heard testimony about a proposal to abolish the State Board of Education, and to replace the Commissioner of Education with a Secretary to be appointed by the Governor. Currently, the Governor appoints all the members of the State Board and the Board hires the Commissioner, who can be removed by the Governor. This system of checks was designed to take politics out of educational decisions. There is much to learn about what the effects of the proposed change may be for school districts, their voters and students. I will need to learn more about whether the change will elevate or diminish the importance of education, whether the loss of the State Board function as a citizen watch-dog will make the Department of Education more responsive to citizen input or whether it would consolidate rule-making, rule-enforcement and appeals within the same agency and exclude citizens and local boards of education the decision making process. Will a Secretary require greater authority than enforce innovation? How might this affect the role of elected school boards?

These questions are not new. The membership of the Board of Education was changed in 1912,1915, 1923, 1935, 1947,1969,1975, and 2000. The Commissioner was elected by the legislature in the 1820’s, appointed by the Board in 1912, and appointed with the Governor’s consent in 1933. The Commissioner’s duties were amended on several occasions.  Thus change is not something new. But we should understand why we are doing it.

Please let me know how you feel about these or other issues. I also invite you to come to Montpelier to see the legislative process in action. I can be reached during the week in Montpelier by calling toll free at the State House 1-800-322-5616, by E-mail at ggilbert@leg.state.vt.us, or at my home answering machine at 849-6333.

Gary Gilbert
State Representative
Franklin 1
Fairfax/Georgia

[Loctavious]

Great questions Mr Gilbert.  I share the concern of putting too much politics into education.  By replacing the board with a position appointed by the Govenor, we're walking inviting more instability into the system.  IF ANYTHING, there should be expaned action moving towars forming long-term goals that can be worked towards each year.  Thus adding more and more stability and consistency and thus moving progressively forward.  Not saying that this can't be done with an appointed position - just i can forsee turblence when you add individual agendas of the coming and going of govenors from different parties.  Vermont is positively progressive in many ways, i hope this divergence from the norm over 48 states, will keep with that trend.
we'll see what happens - and if things DO begin to sour, i'm sure our citizens will step up and do what it takes to make it right.