Governor Phil Scott today issued the following statement on his appointment of Zoie Saunders to serve as Vermont’s next education secretary.
Saunders is a former Charter Schools executive who also led a school consolidation effort for Broward County (Florida) schools.
“Last week, I announced my appointment of Zoie Sunders as the next secretary of education in Vermont.
“Since that time, I’ve been disappointed to see many in and around the State House spreading or believing misinformation, making assumptions and levying attacks on her character – all without ever having met her or spoken to her.
“Disturbingly, all these false accusations and judgements appear to be based on the state she currently lives in, and a cherry-picked part of her resume that’s been turned into a boogeyman with no attempts to understand her work or the value her experience could bring for Vermont kids and schools.
“Frankly, I’m embarrassed by the message it sends, that a smart, extremely capable professional woman, who has dedicated her career to improving outcomes for kids and addressing inequity for impoverished communities and families, is being villainized simply because of the state she currently lives in. And that legislators would believe what they read on Twitter, and jump to conclusions about her experience, goals and perspective without ever speaking to her.
“As we struggle to recruit people to government and families to Vermont, this sends a terrible message. Especially as a state that prides itself on being open-minded, accepting, warm, friendly and welcoming.
“Fortunately, I have more faith in the people of Vermont, who I believe will look at Secretary-designate Saunders with an open mind. And when they have the opportunity to learn more about her, they will see that she is someone who cares deeply about improving outcomes for students – and has a track record of doing just that – and who also has the strategic leadership experience we need to address our significant cost challenges in a way that best serves kids, teachers, schools, employers and taxpayers. This is exactly what we need right now, and I look forward to working with her to make Vermont the best cradle to career education system in the country while ensuring Vermonters can sustain this critical investment.”
Watch her introductory press conference here.
View Secretary-designate Saunders resume here.
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Categories: Education, Press Release, State Government
comments on this have already been made by me/// the agenda will keep moving forward in a scott government///
If she’s from Florida, progressives will automatically be against her. If progressives are against her, she’s got to be OK or better. Enough politics in schools, let’s get back to achievement and learning. Progressives have turned public schools into woke petri dishes. People with brains need to start running the show again. Public education is a bottomless pit of underachievement and overspending on woke ideology.
Apparently, this is the response when one hires by merit and qualifications, not DEI.
Her qualifications for this position are actually pretty thin and your knee-jerk response is so predictable and tiresome.
Really, your disappointed. Aren’t you the individual who appointed Xusanna Davis of the state equity office, who has caused endless misery and pain to Vermont’s children as they are segregated into Affinity spaces and labeled as oppressors and the oppressed. This is done with the support of Ms. Davis and her equity program. I saw the presentation this race hustler was allowed to present to EWSD high school children. Absolutely disgusting. You have lost all credibility.
Is this segregation documented somewhere on the internet you can link to, or are you speaking metaphorically? Sounds like a lawsuit.
@VermontVermonter
My daughter went to EWSD and graduated 3 years ago. The school children were/are assigned to attend one Affinity space or another. This is based on race. All white children in one Affinity space and BIOPIC children in another Affinity space as part of the school Equity program. Children are forced to participate in race based conversations with white children being told they are oppressors and that white people oppress black people. A high school student told parents about the affinity program and shared the SEL and Courageous Conversation slides with parents. The SEL slides included all the BLM revolutionary slogans such as SEL: Say Their Names. One Courageous Conversation session asked children to discuss when they became aware of their race; asks them beyond being self-educated, what important action you they take going forward; discuss the parallels between policing and lunching. The goal of these Transformative SEL programs is to change children into political change activists. The Merriam Wester dictionary changed the definition of racism in 2020. My old 2016 version defined racism as a practice of racial discrimination, segregation. The 2020 definition update deleted the above language (removing the word segregation) and added the systemic oppression of a racial group to the social, economic, and political advantage specifically: white supremacy. In these Affinity spaces children are required to discuss whiteness as a system of power over minorities. The term Affinity Group (space) was brought to America in 1969. It was regarded as a new type of extended family in which families are replaced by empathetic relationships with common revolutionary ideas and practices. I have an entire presentation on this topic and would be happy to share it. Email me at transparencymatters.info@gmail.com and I will send you what I have.
The sooner they quit using the e word (equity), the sooner we get back to reality.
Why? They will just make up another word. Thats what Commiecrats do.
“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street and building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day, minute by minute, history has stopped, nothing exists except the endless present in which the party is always right”. George Orwell’s 1984
What is he embarrassed about? The fact she is a Broward County leftwit or she quit her prestigeous education appointment after three months to be in Vermont – the grifter’s paradise? If it wasn’t for his buddies and co-conspirators propping him up and talking him up, he’d still be padding State construction bids. Resign and go away Governor before the indictments are unsealed. Maybe Diddy has room at his safe house.
Will the Governor hold firm or reach across the aisle as he usually does and capitulate?
Frankly I was glad to see she was from Florida! That is a 100% positive for me!
Best of luck to her! I hope she is able to make the positive change that is needed in Vermont’s education system right now. Not all Vermonters are Progressive. We need some common sense – before we are totally lost. Hopefully Gov Scott will prescribe to that theory as well.
Her priorities includes equity, which means the unequal distribution of resources including money to create equal outcomes is society, as all unequal outcomes are blames on systemic racism. The teacher colleges have been corrupted by leftist, United Nations propaganda and objectives. It actually makes no difference that she worked at a charter school because most of these schools have circumbed to the same DEI programs. Maybe she left Florida because Governor Desantis is cracking down on DEI and equity policies in schools, so she came to Vermont, where this would not be the case.
Back in the ’60’s when I was in school, we did our best to thwart the administration and their policies as often as possible. It was all a game and we were the résistance. But we did take our studies somewhat seriously and did not want to be the class idiot, class clown though was okay.