Education

School ‘equity and inclusion’ bill awaits guv’s decision

By on • ( 5 Comments )

By Guy Page

A bill passed by the Vermont Legislature and awaiting the governor’s signature provides more funding and statutory empowerment for equity and diversity in schools and state libraries. S115, introduced by the Senate Education Committee:

  1. Expands membership and adds funding to the state Ethnic and Social Equity Standards Advisory Working Group.
  1. Expands the definition of student wellness to embrace current statutorily-required health education, including (but not limited to) human development, sexuality, drug abuse, and environmental health (pollution, public health and world health). 
  1. Restructures the State Board of Education and requires its membership to reflect Vermont’s geographic, gender, racial, and ethnic diversity. 
  1. Permits municipalities and schools to jointly fund ‘cultural liaison’ programs for families with limited English proficiency. At present, joint town-school funding is not allowed. 
  1. Creates a working group to study “the role that libraries play in emergency preparedness, cultural diversity and inclusion, public health and safety, community identity and resiliency” and examine library book collections for gaps in materials available to Vermonters.
  1. Also, S115 extends to December, 2022 the deadline for all school districts to use a centralized school data management system (eFinancePlus).

Under S115, the Ethnic and Social Equity Standards Advisory Working Group, created by law in 2019 and a driving force behind much of Vermont’s ‘equity’ curriculum:

  • would expand from 20 to 23 members and require four high school students and two Indigenous members, and includes $3700 for additional per-diem spending; 
  • allocates $50,000 for a contractor to develop “recommendations for updating educational standards to recognize fully the history, contributions, and perspectives of ethnic groups and social groups.

The members of Senate Education are Brian Campion (D-Bennington), Chair;  Cheryl Hooker (D-Rutland), Vice Chair; Andrew Perchlik (P/D Washington), Virginia “Ginny” Lyons (D-Chittenden), Thomas Chittenden (D-Chittenden), and Joshua Terenzini (R-Rutland). S115 was delivered to the governor on June 1. 

Members of the task force include Human Rights Commission member Amanda Garces; Mark Hage, author of an anti-Israel, pro-Palestian op-ed in a recent Times-Argus; and Xusanna Davis, Racial Equity Executive Director for the State of Vermont. Click here for a full list.

About Vermont Daily Chronicle: every weekday, we publish 10 Vermont-related news and commentary articles. Subscriptions to Vermont Daily Chronicle are free. Subscribing takes less than one minute: click here to subscribe and receive the daily edition in your email. The Vermont Daily Chronicle is supported almost exclusively by Contributing Readers who appreciate our unique place in the Vermont news media and generously give $108/year (some give more, some less) via PayPal or by writing a check to Vermont Daily Chronicle, P.O. Box 1547, Montpelier Vermont, 05641.

Categories: Education

5 replies »

  1. JUST MORE GOVERNMENT GOBLY GOOK that the AVERAGE person won’t understand due to the way it is presented in GOVERNMENT LEGALESE. BURY THE TRUE meaning in FERTI:LIZER.

  2. Scott will sign it – it decimates humanity & propagandizes young Vermonters, but it’s P.C. & has lots of hip/woke lingo in it!

  3. “two Indigenous members”
    You’d have to import them, there are no recognized Indian nations in Vermont. The BIA determined over a decade ago that the Vermont “Abenaki” are just a bunch of white people whose families told similar tales who found each other in the 1970’s. The BIA final determination is at https://www.bia.gov/sites/bia.gov/files/assets/as-ia/ofa/petition/068_sfaben_VT/068_fd.pdf
    The actual Abenaki nation (in Canada) have repeatedly stated those in Vermont claiming to be persistent Abenaki living continuously in Vermont “in secret” is just so much BS.

  4. Vermont is touted to be a state that has so many “firsts”. Here’s one, “The First Little State in the Northeast to FALL, and FALL HARD IT WILL”. It all started with Howard Dean (oh yes, Bernie Sanders along with Patrick Leahy too), three of the biggest losers this state has seen. It’s been going down-hill since then with all the other Losers who’ve been added. Anyone want to guess how long it will take before this State implodes?

  5. That’s the plan saltlightfaith – raise them as high as they can go and then drop them like a cement pair of shoes deep into the ocean blue! The Plan has done just that – think about how many notables (they are not worth that word, but for now I’ll go with it) have been elevated to high places so they could fall hard. Why not a state? It is so coming – these big fish in a little pond are not holding the cards – I just can’t wait…