TRANSCRIPT: Governor Phil Scott Highlights the Need for Action on Education Reform This Session

Montpelier, Vt. - At his weekly press conference Wednesday, Governor Phil Scott and Education Secretary Zoie Saunders discussed the need to make fundamental changes to the education system this session to better serve and support students and teachers, reduce administrative overhead, and rein in the cost of education spending.

Governor Scott:

There's been a lot of focus on education recently, especially after House Education passed H.955 out of committee last week. The bill is now in Ways and Means and has a long way to go before it reaches my desk.

It's not lost on me how difficult making changes to our education system is. Since 2017, my team has presented proposal after proposal to reign in the cost of education and improve the quality, which the Legislature failed to act on, and didn't come up with any credible plans of their own.

That is, until last session, when Vermonters gave us more balance in the Legislature.

So, we consolidated a number of proposals from years past and developed a plan to change the way we fund and deliver education, which would have given some much needed property tax stability to taxpayers, more resources and pay equity for teachers, and better opportunities for our kids.

And as a result of many conversations and negotiations, the Legislature passed what is now Act 73.

It's important to remember, Act 73 was a compromise from our original proposal which we negotiated in good faith with both the House and Senate, despite our objections to the Redistricting Committee, because of our concerns that those who wanted to continue with the status quo would use the time to delay and derail the implementation.

But in an effort to move the process forward, we reluctantly agreed to it, with the understanding we'd come back this session to follow through on Act 73, the bill the Legislature eventually passed.

Unfortunately, it appears our fears were validated. So far, the House has punted the difficult decisions, as well as the work we need to do, and committed to doing just 10 months ago.

And we've heard many reasons for that, including "there just isn't the political will to do it" or "we can't get the votes to pass something," which from my perspective, isn't something we should accept.

I've witnessed the tremendous power House and Senate leadership have when they really want something to move forward.

Because the fact is, Vermonters are demanding we do something to address the ever-increasing cost of living in Vermont and the cost of education in particular.

And I'm sure most would agree, we don't want to pay more in taxes. But, without major changes to our structure, we're left with no choice but to pay more for less.

Cost is only one part of the equation, because while we rein in spending, we also have to right size our system so our money is put to good use, and makes it to our kids and the teachers in the classroom, rather than being absorbed by administrative overhead.

Now, while the work ahead is daunting, it's not all doom and gloom because we still have the opportunity to act this session, rather than be paralyzed by the tough decisions voters sent us here to make.

Because we can't kick the can down the road any further and I'm hopeful the House will bring a bill to the floor that meets the moment and addresses the sense of urgency we need to act with.

There's been a lot of focus on education recently, especially after House Education passed H.955 out of committee last week. The bill is now in Ways and Means and has a long way to go before it reaches my desk.

It's not lost on me how difficult making changes to our education system is. Since 2017, my team has presented proposal after proposal to reign in the cost of education and improve the quality, which the Legislature failed to act on, and didn't come up with any credible plans of their own.

That is, until last session, when Vermonters gave us more balance in the Legislature.

So, we consolidated a number of proposals from years past and developed a plan to change the way we fund and deliver education, which would have given some much needed property tax stability to taxpayers, more resources and pay equity for teachers, and better opportunities for our kids.

And as a result of many conversations and negotiations, the Legislature passed what is now Act 73.

It's important to remember, Act 73 was a compromise from our original proposal which we negotiated in good faith with both the House and Senate, despite our objections to the Redistricting Committee, because of our concerns that those who wanted to continue with the status quo would use the time to delay and derail the implementation.

But in an effort to move the process forward, we reluctantly agreed to it, with the understanding we'd come back this session to follow through on Act 73, the bill the Legislature eventually passed.

Unfortunately, it appears our fears were validated. So far, the House has punted the difficult decisions, as well as the work we need to do, and committed to doing just 10 months ago.

And we've heard many reasons for that, including "there just isn't the political will to do it" or "we can't get the votes to pass something," which from my perspective, isn't something we should accept.

I've witnessed the tremendous power House and Senate leadership have when they really want something to move forward.

Because the fact is, Vermonters are demanding we do something to address the ever-increasing cost of living in Vermont and the cost of education in particular.

And I'm sure most would agree, we don't want to pay more in taxes. But, without major changes to our structure, we're left with no choice but to pay more for less.

Cost is only one part of the equation, because while we rein in spending, we also have to right size our system so our money is put to good use, and makes it to our kids and the teachers in the classroom, rather than being absorbed by administrative overhead.

Now, while the work ahead is daunting, it's not all doom and gloom because we still have the opportunity to act this session, rather than be paralyzed by the tough decisions voters sent us here to make.

Because we can't kick the can down the road any further and I'm hopeful the House will bring a bill to the floor that meets the moment and addresses the sense of urgency we need to act with.

Education Secretary Zoie Saunders:

Today, I want to talk directly to parents, students, community members and our educators who care deeply and work hard every day for our students. You know more than anyone that the state of Vermont needs to do a better job of supporting public schools across our state. You know more than anyone the challenges facing our public schools - and you know these challenges are rooted in a system that is not fair to schools, is not fair to educators, and is not fair to students. Vermont might spend more than nearly every state in the country, but you wouldn't know that visiting certain districts. Our highest-spending districts spend nearly twice as much as our lowest-spending districts, who often serve our most rural and economically disadvantaged communities.

A few weeks ago, I heard from a superintendent in one of those communities. The district proposed a budget with one of the lowest rates of per-pupil funding, one that eliminated positions, but even that wasn't enough to earn the support of the community or to keep taxes stable because of budget decisions outside of their control, made in other communities across the state. Disparities in funding lead directly to disparities in opportunity - and, just as importantly, disparities in expectations. Right now, what it takes to earn a diploma is largely determined at the local level. That has led to uneven rigor, uneven expectations, and ultimately uneven opportunities for students across our state.

I was recently in a conversation with UVM leadership, and they shared a story that really stuck with me. A valedictorian from a rural, economically disadvantaged community earned the Green and Gold scholarship-but despite that student's hard work and talent, they didn't have the prerequisites to enroll in UVM. Think about what that means. A student did everything we asked of them-and the system still closed a door.

We hear similar stories from our Career and Technical Education centers. Students arrive from different high schools with very different levels of preparation, which means some students miss out on opportunities-not because of their ability, but because their foundation wasn't the same. And all of this reflects something deeper. The funding, opportunities, and expectations we set are a signal-they reflect what we believe students are capable of. When those are lower in certain communities, we are sending a message-whether we intend to or not-that we expect less from those students. That is inequity. And it is wrong.

Let me be clear: as Secretary of Education, I reject that. I believe every student in Vermont can succeed-and it is our responsibility as a state to build a system that gives every student the opportunity, the preparation, and the support to meet their full potential.

Last June, we made a promise to equalize funding, opportunities, and expectations for students across Vermont. We made that promise in the form of Act 73. Yes, part of the goal is to bend the cost curve-but more importantly, this is about improving the experience and outcomes for every student in Vermont. This is about addressing real disparities and making sure every child has access to the same level of opportunity.

The way we invest taxpayer dollars reflects who we are as a state. And Act 73 is grounded in a simple belief: every student matters-no matter where they call home. That begins with a foundation formula that funds students based on their needs-not their zip code. It's a more equitable approach for students, more predictable for policymakers, and more sustainable for taxpayers. And it represents one of the most significant investments in public education anywhere in the country. Just imagine what that makes possible. Imagine what we can do when that level of investment is paired with a system designed to truly support students and teachers-consistently and at scale.

But here's the reality-investment alone is not enough. Right now, too much of our system is weighed down by complexity, bureaucracy, and fragmentation. Our resources are spread thin, diluted across too many structures, and too often disconnected from where they matter most-students and classrooms. If we don't address that-if we continue to layer new investments on top of an overly complex system-we risk diminishing the very impact we're trying to achieve. And that's how opportunity gets lost.

So this is the moment. We have the investment. We have the framework. Now we have to align how we organize and deliver education so that those resources actually reach students and support educators in meaningful ways. Because if we get this right, the potential is enormous. But if we don't-if we allow complexity and bureaucracy to stand in the way-we will fall short of what Vermont students deserve.

What do we mean, when we say getting the scale and structure right? Why is the foundation formula tied to larger districts? We could have compromised on quality and designed a system with lower expectations and fewer opportunities for students in smaller districts. We could have compromised on funding and designed an even more expensive system to maintain smaller districts at taxpayers' expense. Instead, Act 73 established a process to enact new, larger districts - not just to save money, but to bring communities together, build the comprehensive regional high schools of the future, and build the best education system in America for every - and I mean every - child in our state.

If we maintain our current system, or, worse yet, add another layer of administration, cost and bureaucracy on top, then smaller districts, many of which only have 500 students, will be at a disadvantage under the new funding system. They will face all of the same education quality requirements as their larger counterparts, but students will not get the benefit of expanded programs and opportunities.

The House Education Committee, the Senate Education Committee, Democrats, Republicans, the Redistricting Task Force, the Commission on the Future of Public Education - everyone agrees on the need for larger districts in order to deliver on the promise of Act 73. The only thing we disagree on is how hard we're willing to work to deliver on that promise and how many difficult choices we will make as state leaders.

Achieving scale through larger districts isn't controversial because it won't work - it's controversial because it's hard work. The proposal that passed the House Education Committee last week takes the easy way out.

It shifts the hard decisions to the local level and puts the burden on local communities to fix the problems that Vermonters have asked our state leaders to fix. By establishing an elaborate, optional, 4-year, 10-step merger process with perpetual off-ramps and no guarantees, the plan asks local communities to fend for themselves - again. How do we get back on track to deliver on the promise to equalize funding, opportunities, and expectations for students? We start by being honest about the challenges - and not avoiding them.

We must talk openly about: Local control-what it should mean for communities to be truly engaged in their schools; Fair and sustainable teacher pay - Fair and sustainable teacher pay means making sure educators in rural and disadvantaged communities are paid on par with their peers in more affluent parts of the state. Our funding formula should support raising salaries where teachers are currently underpaid; The role of small schools in our communities - Let's be clear that no one is talking about students being on a bus for 2 hours. In fact, Act 73 puts guardrails in place to support schools that are small by necessity in small, rural communities; School choice and how it fits into a fair system - School choice is not an excuse to avoid progress. It is a manageable issue-and with the right structure, and practical conversations focused on practical solutions, we can preserve choice and still deliver a fair, high-quality system for all Vermont students; and yes-facilities and construction, but in the right order: before we make a significant investment in our buildings, we need to understand our system. That is just a responsible use of taxpayer dollars; And we clear up misconceptions about larger districts-because they are not about taking something away. They are about making sure every student has access to the same level of opportunity. Making sure that the investment we make results in the outcomes that we all expect.

So to conclude, we know what the problems are. We've known them for years. And at this point, the issue isn't understanding the problem-it's whether we're willing to act. Because let's be honest-we are not lacking ideas, we are not lacking data, and we are not lacking options. We already have viable paths forward. Several, in fact. What we are at risk of doing right now is wasting time. Spending more time studying what we already know. Revisiting debates we've already had. And moving proposals that take us backward instead of forward.

We don't have time for that. Every year we delay, inequities deepen. Students miss opportunities they don't get back. Educators are asked to carry more of the burden of a system that isn't working. As state leaders, we cannot accept this. As parents and community members, we cannot accept this. As school leaders and educators, we cannot accept this.

So, this is the moment to focus. To take the strongest options in front of us-refine them, strengthen them, and move forward with purpose. Not dilute them. Not delay them. Not replace them with something that we already know will fall short. Vermonters expect us to get this right. And getting it right means making the hard decisions at the state level-so we can finally build a system that is fair, consistent, and worthy of our students.

The Governor and the Agency of Education will continue to offer our partnership to take viable proposals and make them better. We are listening, we are ready, we want to make this work. Let's take our roles as state leaders seriously and get back on track and back to work. And then-let our educators do what they do best. Teach. Support. Inspire. That's the work. And it's time to do it.

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