Vermont’s K-12 system is broken.
by Kolby LaMarche
Vermont’s K-12 system is broken.
This year, both the legislature and statewide school districts are blaming each other for projected, education-related tax increases, without a clear and fair solution in sight.
Voters throughout Vermont will be asked this March, on Town Meeting Day, to increase their property taxes. A 14% increase will appear on the ballot in Burlington, 16.5% in South Burlington, and as high as 20% in some other areas of the state.
Here, in Burlington, despite the enormous requested increase, voters and candidates seem bound to rubberstamp the school budget once again.
Both major-party mayoral candidates, Joan Shannon and Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, along with fourteen out of the fifteen city council candidates running, pledge to “support our schools.”
Unfortunately, they seem to place unwavering trust in a school board and state government that lacks a full understanding of our education system – it’s that complex.
Many of those same candidates say that reforms to education must largely be tackled by the state legislature. But while state-level reforms are crucial, local communities must also assume responsibility for charting a new course in education by talking about the things legislators won’t.
The debate surrounding educational spending and taxes should also prompt reflection on the efficacy of our current system; do we like what we are paying for? I believe Vermont needs to have two critical discussions:
The Quality of a Vermont Education
Vermont’s K-12 education is the second most expensive in the nation per pupil, with our state spending about $25k per student. Despite this, in a match-up against the nation, 28 other states beat us, including Florida, Massachusetts, Texas, and Hawaii to name a few.
Even using our own state’s generous testing standards, Vermont kids – especially after the pan(scam)demic – are in a bad way:
Vermont students are failing at reading, writing, listening, speaking, research, inquiry, problem-solving, data analysis, mathematic procedures, and basic sciences.
Furthermore, Vermont’s graduation rate has failed to meet satisfactory standards and is actively decreasing, along with schools being seemingly unable to prepare students for college and future careers.
It’s both absurd and all too familiar that Vermont persists in lavishing considerable funds on education yet consistently churning out graduates who fall short of being academically competent.
We, in this state, subvert the very notion of educational excellence, which we purport to uphold. Instead, we continue to foster a culture of pervasive mediocrity.
I’m perfectly fine with paying taxes to “support our schools” so long as we are honest that our schools are, well, garbage. And so long as we commit to fixing them and getting a better deal out of our investment.
The (Ex/In)clusion of a Vermont Education
For quite some time, agree or not, Vermont’s educational circles have been fixated on matters of racial equity and race politics – almost exclusively.
This fixation has translated into substantial investments, with districts shelling out significant sums on consultants, permanent equity personnel, training sessions, curriculum revisions, research endeavors, and the like.
However, juxtaposed against this is a glaring truth: nearly 45% of Vermont students grapple with economic adversity. This socioeconomic strain has long been recognized as a huge factor influencing both the hurdles and triumphs experienced in education.
I believe It’s high time we pivot away from a justice framework fixated solely on race and redirect our focus toward justice for all Vermont students.
Consider, for instance, the findings revealed in the Burlington School District’s Equity and Inclusion Data Report. In the academic years 2020-2021, students contending with economic adversity stood out as notably more prone to facing suspensions.
The report also noted that suspension rates and disparities among students identifying as Black or African American during that same time period were deemed “too low to report.”
Then, observe the evident gaps in reading proficiency between affluent areas like the Champlain Valley School District or Stowe and economically challenged communities such as Bennington or Winooski:
Advocating for economic-based justice in our Vermont schools does not, and should not, exclude pursuits of racial justice. The poverty rate for Vermont blacks is nearly three times higher than for non-Hispanic whites and 7 points higher than for blacks in the US overall.
Dividing students and investing huge resources solely on the factor of race, especially in the presence of severe, universally felt economic disparities, undermines the cohesion needed for progress in education.
If Vermont truly aims to confront the challenges impeding our students’ education head-on, we must reject the divisive practice of excluding certain students simply because they don’t fit into the mold of the so-called “global majority” or other identity groups favored by school leaders and consulting firms seeking to rake it in.
This narrow-minded approach not only perpetuates discrimination but also undermines the fundamental principle of equal opportunity in education.
It’s time to prioritize, I think, academic excellence for all students, particularly poor, rural students, over misguided urban identity politics and ensure that every student, regardless of their background, receives the support and resources they need to succeed and are owed.
Burning Sky is dedicated to providing critique and commentary on the issues of the day from an unapologetic perspective, fueling change in the heart of Vermont. Authored by Kolby LaMarche every Saturday.