Search Results for 'Commission on the Future of Public Education'
Update on the Future: No silver bullets to cutting costs
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC As school districts are working on their 2025-26 budgets, the deadline for the preliminary report from the state Commission on the Future of Public Education’s — including short term cost containment strategies — is fast approaching. The message from recent subcommittee meetings is that it’s complicated and […]
To the editor: ‘Friends’ group seeks to protect Vermont public schools
Be informed. In early spring this year a small group of longtime school board members – most former, one current – got together to talk about pushing back against the steady attacks on our public schools, which are also longtime. We decided to start a grassroots effort, calling ourselves Friends of Vermont Public Education. Our […]
Future of Education to hold first ‘public engagement’ session on Oct. 21
The Commission on the Future of Public Education in Vermont will hold its first public engagement session from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday Oct. 21 at the Randolph Union Middle High School, 15 Forest Street in Randolph. This will be the first of many such sessions to be held across the state over […]
Future of Education panel sets first public input session for Oct. 21 Commenter asks to make education jargon understandable
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Commission on the Future of Public Education in Vermont will hold its first in-person public feedback session from 5 to 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 21 at the Randolph High School/Technical & Career Center, 17 Forest St. in Randolph. It will be preceded by a full […]
Education finance panel brainstorms cost containment
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Education Finance subcommittee of Vermont’s Commission on the Future of Public Education met for the second time on Monday. In the first two hours of a three and a half hour meeting, the committee received presentations by the Agency of Education and the Vermont Tax Department. […]
Future of Education panel narrows focus to engagement, short-term cost containment
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC Two months into its work, the commission that’s charged with looking at the future of public education in Vermont is preparing to hold the first of a series of public sessions on Oct. 21, with a venue still to be identified. The sessions are intended to solicit […]
State education commission members may not ‘fully represent Vermont,’ chair says Calls for 'good faith' efforts to bring other voices to the table
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC While the second meeting of the full Commission on the Future of Public Education in Vermont covered agenda items in detail, one thread ran through the three-hour meeting: public representation, engagement and credibility. Even before the meeting’s agenda and previous meeting’s minutes were approved, commission chair Meagan […]
Ed Commission creates group to fix school financing Hears public criticism of members' 'hidden agenda'
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC At the third meeting out of 30 budgeted by the Vermont legislature, about half of the members of the Commission on the Future of Public Education in Vermont assembled as the “steering group” on Monday and got down to making some decisions on how their work will […]
The Future of Public Education in Vt. – a big lift on short time
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC Toward the end of this year’s session, the Vermont legislature passed a bill – H-887, also known as the “yield bill” which made adjustments to rein in tax increase for this year by finding other sources of income. It also established a commission to recommend fixes problems […]
Chester planning panel kicks off zoning rewrite with first public workshop
By Shawn Cunningham © 2002 Telegraph Publishing LLC In preparation for a new re-write of the town’s zoning regulations — known as the Unified Development Bylaws — the Chester Planning Commission held the first of several workshops with consultant Jason Rasmussen Monday night. Rasmussen is the executive director of the Mount Ascutney Regional Commission, which […]
State: Chester must reappraise, future ed tax hikes likely
By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Perhaps one of the driest items on the Chester Select Board agenda last Wednesday could have the greatest impact in the future, while the town officer who understands the system it is a part of will be leaving before the work will begin. Lister Wanda Purdy told […]
In Chester 3-year race, Lindsay and Cote talk town future
©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Two candidates are running for one three-year term on the Chester Select Board. Incumbent Bill Lindsay is seeking re-election and Dan Cote is hoping to unseat him when elections are held on Tuesday, March 1. As we have done for previous contested races, The Chester Telegraph asked the candidates a set […]
Ed finance panel delays internal deadline for cost-containment suggestions Kornheiser calls commission timeline 'impossible'
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC Anyone who watched the Sept. 30 meeting of the Education Finance subcommittee of Vermont’s Commission on the Future of Public Education might well have expected that this Monday’s session would see members hammering out a list of short-term cost containment ideas to present to the full commission […]
A Q&A with Charlton and Chase, candidates for Vermont House for Windsor-Windham District
©2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC Heather Chase, the Democratic incumbent, and Thomas Charlton, a Republican newcomer to politics, are running against each other for a two-year term in the Vermont House of Representatives representing the cross-county Windsor-Windham District consisting of the towns of Athens, Chester, Grafton and Windham. Voting will take place on 9 a.m. to […]
Chester GOP holds event for State House candidate Tom Charlton
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC Around 40 people turned out in front of the Fullerton Inn in Chester on a cool, blustery Sunday afternoon to hear Vermont House candidate Tom Charlton speak on a wide range of topics including infrastructure, education and the state’s “clean heat standard.” But the event’s main message […]
GMUSD board mulls finances, new bond effort, restructuring
By Shawn Cunningham ©2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC Late summer board meetings are often sparsely populated, with both members and the public on vacation, and light on topics to tackle. But while the former was true of the Thursday, Aug. 15 Green Mountain Unified School District board meeting, the latter was not. With just five members […]
‘Nobody is looking to close Cavendish’ – A tale of two meetings
By Shawn Cunningham © 2024 Telegraph Publishing Last week, two meetings looked at the same topic, but the tone of each could not have been more different. At issue is a proposal to move the 6th grades out of the elementary schools and create a grades 6 to 8 middle school. Currently, the middle school […]
To the editor: Why state lawmakers overturned Gov. Scott’s vetoes
Dear residents of Athens, Chester, Grafton and Windham, As your state representative, I am proud to have participated in the democratic process of legislating last week. On Monday, June 17, the state legislature reconvened at the State House to vote to override Gov. Phil Scott’s veto of six bills of importance to Vermont residents, taxpayers […]
To the editor: Clarkson on why taxes increased so much and what can be done about it
Most towns in Windsor County have received their education and municipal property tax bills by now. Many, but not all, towns have big tax increases. Woodstock residents have yet to receive their bills but we can expect a 30% increase. These are increases none of us have budgeted for, and one that will be a […]
To the editor: Rep. Chase offers 2024 legislative preview
The Vermont legislature opened its 2024 legislative session on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. As the state representative of Athens, Chester, Grafton and Windham, I have a positive expectancy about meeting the goals and priorities of this session as we address issues of continuing importance to our communities and our state. Vermont was once again hit […]
