Governor Scott is set to unveil his proposals for education reform this week, fulfilling campaign promises to lower property taxes which are a direct result of public school spending. But there are powerful special interests that want to keep that money flowing from your pocket to theirs. Chief among them, the Vermont Teacher’s Union, the VTNEA.
In case you missed the clip, WCAX featured VTNEA president Don Tinney declaring “We’re not spending too much money in public education. We’re having a difficult time funding it.” Uhhhyeah.
Not spending too much money?
Vermont now spends more per pupil -- $27,000 on average – than any other state but one.
Since 2014, spending on our public school system has increased 42 percent, nearly $607 million dollars per year, to -- inexplicitly -- educate fewer and fewer students as our K-12 population declines. You know what else is dropping despite all this spending? Student outcomes. Vermont has fallen from a top performing school system to the middle of the pack, with this trend still pointing downward.
How is this allowed to happen? The public school special interests have the majority party in their back pockets. Of the 180 Vermont senators and representatives elected last November, 92 were endorsed by the VTNEA – all democrats and progressives except for one token Republican in each chamber.
And how does a candidate get that endorsement? By pledging to the VTNEA in their candidate questionnaire that you will not reform the system, you will not cut the spending, and, in fact have pledged to increase that spending for higher salaries and benefits – which means higher taxes – as a reward for the people who are running our public school system into the ground.
So, in the coming debate over the future of spending, property taxes, and affordability, if you want to know who in the Vermont legislature will be representing the government education special interests over your interests, here’s the list.
Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale CHI SE 1, Dem
Sen. Ginny Lyons CHI SE 1, Dem
Sen. Rich Westman LAM, Rep/Dem
Sen. Ann Cummings WAS 1, Dem
Sen. Andrew Perchlik WAS 1, Dem/Prog
Sen. Anne Watson WAS 1, Dem/Prog
Sen. Wendy Harrison WDH 1, Dem
Sen. Nadir Hashim WDH 1, Dem
Sen. Alison Clarkson WDR 1, Dem
Sen. Joe Major WDR 1, Dem
Sen. Becca White WDR 1, Dem
Rep. Robin Scheu ADD 1, Dem
Rep. Peter Conlon ADD 2, Dem
Rep. Matt Birong ADD 3, Dem
Rep. Mari Cordes ADD 4, Dem
Rep. Herb Olson ADD 4, Dem
Rep. Jubilee McGill ADD 5, Dem
Rep. David Durfee BEN 3, Dem
Rep. Robert Hunter BEN 4, Dem
Rep. Kathleen James BEN 4, Dem
Rep. Michael Nigro BEN 5, Dem
Rep. Scott Campbell CAL-ESX, Dem
Rep. Jana Brown CHI-1, Dem
Rep. Kate Nugent CHI-10, Dem
Rep. Brian Miner CHI-11, Dem
Rep. Martin LaLonde CHI-12, Dem
Rep. Tiff Bluemle CHI-13, Dem
Rep. Bram Kleppner CHI-13, Dem
Rep. Barbara Rachelson CHI-14, Dem/Prog
Rep. Mary-Katherine Stone CHI-14, Dem
Rep. Brian Cina CHI-15, Prog
Rep. Troy Hedrick CHI -15, Prog/Dem
Rep. Jill Krowinski CHI-16, Dem
Rep. Kate Logan CHI-16, Prog/Dem
Rep. Carol Ode CHI-18, Dem
Rep. Sarita Austin CHI-19, Dem
Rep. Wendy Critchlow CHI-19, Dem
Rep. Angela Arsenault CHI-2, Dem
Rep. Erin Brady CHI-2, Dem
Rep. Doug Bishop CHI-20, Dem
Rep. Gayle Pezzo CHI-20, Dem
Rep. Daisy Berbeco CHI-21, Dem
Rep. Chloe Tomlinson CHI-21, Prog/Dem
Rep. Karen Dolan CHI-22, Dem
Rep. Lori Houghton CHI-22, Dem
Rep. Lenora Dodge CHI-23, Dem
Rep. Ray Garofano CHI-23, Dem
Rep. Alyssa Black CHI-24, Dem
Rep. Edye Graning CHI-3, Dem
Rep. Trevor Squirrell CHI-3, Dem
Rep. Phil Pouech CHI-4, Dem
Rep. Chea Waters Evans CHI-5, Dem
Rep. Kate Lally CHI-6, Dem
Rep. B.M. Burkhardt CHI-8, Dem
Rep. Emily Krasnow CHI-9, Dem
Rep. Chris Taylor CHI-FRA, Rep
Rep. Dan Noyes LAM-2, Dem
Rep. Lucy Boyden LAM-3, Dem
Rep. Saudia LaMont LAM-WAS, Dem
Rep. Dave Yacovone LAM-WAS, Dem
Rep. Monique Priestly ORA-2, Dem
Rep. Jay Hooper ORA-WAS-ADD, Dem
Rep. Larry Satcowitz ORA-WAS-ADD, Dem
Rep. Leanne Harple ORL-4, Dem
Rep. Dara Torre WAS-2, Dem
Rep. Candice White WAS-2, Dem
Rep. Teddy Wazazak WAS-3, Dem
Rep. Connor Casey WAS 4, Dem/Prog
Rep. Kate McCann WAS 4, Dem/Prog
Rep. Ella Chapin WAS 5, Dem
Rep. Mark Mihaly WDH 6, Dem
Rep. Tom Stevens WAS-CHI, Dem
Rep. Theresa Wood WAS-CHI, Dem
Rep. Zon Eastes WDH-1, Dem
Rep. Laura Sibilia WDH-2, Ind
Rep. Michelle Bos-Lun WDH-3, Dem
Rep. Leslie Goldman WDH-3, Dem
Rep. Mike Mrowicki WDH-4, Dem/Prog
Rep. Emily Long WDH-5, Dem
Rep. Emily Carris-Duncan WDH 6, Dem
Rep. Emille Kornheiser WDH 7, Dem
Rep. Mollie Burke WDH 8, Dem
Rep. John Bartholomew WDR-1, Dem
Rep. Elizabeth Burrows WDR-1, Dem
Rep. Alice Emmons WDR-3, Dem
Rep. Kristi Morris WDR-3, Dem
Rep. Heather Suprenant WDR-4, Dem
Rep. "Coach" Christie WDR-6, Dem
Rep. Esme Cole WDR-6, Dem/Prog
Rep. Kirk White WDR-ADD, Dem
Rep. John O'Brien WDR-ORA 1, Dem
Rep. Rebecca Holcombe WDR-ORA 2, Dem
Rob Roper is a freelance writer with 20 years of experience in Vermont politics including three years service as chair of the Vermont Republican Party and nine years as President of the Ethan Allen Institute, Vermont’s free market think tank.
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