Commentary from the

Ethan Allen Institute 4836 Kirby Mountain Rd., Concord VT 05824

802 695 1448 eai@ethanallen.org www.ethanallen.org

St. Johnsbury VT Caledonian-Record, March 13,2018

• • •3 • & 4:44e-• •wit42. •.-77-,7, - - ••',V•31`i '

c au 4'44'

Over the lit& . six weeks the es, Universakcp0*..:;:that

,House Ways Arid Means - Corn- can claim lkftion:e. vielast_ - ir ••'; nittee has 'ifilikett' worked to Mg ?.e ucati

firochtee4,,o4'crent bill to shift an .enortnoit:.....xpen4i,tire Educatt.id spending ,froi- per -pub#, tor; speci g !eau,

:•Sikne 14Witid_ district4. ,oth- eatio,ti;sIggf',4„, er people- arid Iiiiiiridts; end', erect Bttti,teytkid 'addressing

.°e•sq"§09,o1 these, we 4k....:We-c*- disttiot spending. .ttii syery. 4,417,1 intricate arid difficult task . that, we *Ve steadily dialed frankly probably 90 percent. of e;ciietie rnIL

lowering school proper rates. ' ' ,early.:.,:e orts .xvere, the: ..' e'tilix Mt - "'Z' ..'"'`'. ';'- '. , •,::',-:',' ..:: '''

41,107.1egislatorS) don't readily ;.ithschii Systeni.•.Maybe, we should • •'Eat43tetattees ' edttia$iiitit.ito;kteoMeS'fOi V.-eittiott

•0'..k." • • POMO 11-. ,CainegioliveT.and eobipete the'' - - • • .'•-•

r U 113, •

rstan. g for a. new-21steentury nity childtei4dineecteir&better-iiiit- • O'dd''' -

"et: :-4.4.fri,,,51A- enjoyed by the .pçople employed by -the teachers union in the `sySteM';:jiitd'Aisinissive covering':',4Mktilf0i0g. .Of the...abilitles-ilank2-1#eferenceS the uinOmeOritra4: ' ,Of parents and: children„ is a . ;•. , ,

• + al143,414.-• off I:pa:totally wrong _ , • - scliy-4,1ers : select-direction' Whatris,insupportable ed classes. - make Use of is the continuing and 'ever gtow

, resource, par- mg )t-p.p,ctionf pf„.wp11, 'over it fAsti.x.c5F, to t,syy

tiesat h 1 : overpps'ed and itMOstitigMshitcic.,

nori4nStrtictiOns1-..-‘,...icosts;•• )ealouslyProteetiVe.Ofthebendfits

!iii2.40. 0', cliariging•.tfi&'paraineters:-. 'Soli tld'ijnY ''' ' ' ''''' . .:',..el fr°M? ... ,.,,'.Ztsf Century"

in

..irst. and 8.thica certifiCatiOn,r,e,4itirenientS;.i.andot,', ' '....:"A$Ot-,siiiiiiiiiii0,6, the"edlicatiOii:' , ,. in the school proPertY 1.4,;(deter.::- tionE.keedom,1?..1 4tIct,ProPC-§.41,5-0 ferillg't4enl'.1:11PritiPAY,, 4-f; .i:•,,-,: : :,--:SlaiCe lOpik-,Tfaned no part of

' ' ' ' - eliminating'• ..2 ' . ' latter- ' proposed -' -1 ' • .- 1- -reeeli*iff.' liji . ' O 'iiii ' ' ' ' ,... punat, ico - for,ntulN4,,,.....-.. , .... e,,, toloos-. pational F:, .,.. 0)..,, pt.-. the C nun. .„,..on a .recommenda- ' the

income sensitivity program nthe leash on ditrictsr-ititerested matter 7 teSts for itiideriti: (stiff is.: tiotis-:beetai:s-e'-iieeejitini many of

;As

4 , that lets 70 percent 'OfVeiniotit -cregivi direc- pa SehOor. taxes ori-,the•hasW'of '7tiOnS ci,t7i7;e14:519; their inomes, g,̀..1.iiei`ii.°‘'$'59 their di'Sfrigt' c4.--„ot

liCattOti j3i'thli,4470.-iii,Agoe, in charge and putting ei.,_ery-teitOolv.04113kit of 'a pqt1Oce)t-cotTOlic .,d: district into What up io'ildvi,.ha.;r..''Sititern'cliarapt. Vii'c,3491 hem .puniti've exce-4'40eudiiii:Iion,';p4tenacijc;fc,;40porj..cyti,- -Pet);

; territory. diversity . . . . . •,.. Ju#,'*„....itingH.:thizfs' abbreviated, ence, and ..tetOOlyerteWlo,local.:-.,do .ereatiVe -.things g that eitgi ' - oo .' ....

, 114 illustrates ho difff. enit''qt „i ' ejtfienS:ail,Vote'ii.,::T.:::- :'.. : -: ''eis'iweiailk8144.'"liii-j-tuiatedF:5' . ''idiVtilc''''''Icil-'-i.' ''

. 1o' filik,1:*.sijititipivto,' t;d,.u.ca' lion al:: , ,. Aril' : o'n'g the. , OP'15.;:;t):iititieS'',,avaii-' - .."ain.:_s'' ';''` tw''' ?fv....' .----ott7._ .)0''rl'is-4-'-.th--''ee'''''IsallIvconcerned el' , finai-liWjiliai:'7 01. -.0tiSfY, . even '. a ''abie to the. neW'distiTCIVOT.ilit be: ' effaii47ofr,- - ,,A0 iseitiiiiiic., nfiiii;7-..-feiniii.' . : :tiigiini,j,:;iiy Of.HOPic:kpit,Senate • exemption from .state • man- Committee, the education stake- Mg "tliat..by c , .,..:-...41011,1j.et§4 Phts.-t-be c.4.00tor; : Oates ,at 'id .: tOt#04;;IpsilirTvisorY 'holtkrs7, killed Ote EFD:s..1)11 in ' Hammer to beat

iliy1,e it .,.i.ti,itei.ttilye',„:(i.Ort, .',.,oe:iheaciAeseeit.Azir.i.019„ rights cotrunittee..... g,":,..,..i,,.., v., .2(4..i., „.,...-,::4.- ., ,;..i.', inPli.o..b1.1,1:!siO!"..-,';',,-.).',.., .,,,.. tritot ,4Pdfcgii.101610,41tcti, haCk and fittigeiii:lacc".o.ioaSiiitiy .'. , :.:!., Eight -yeati..,'id-tefifie....10drf lot'':-.13del,vaiflinirlitte..H-MitY§e.the'.:••• .. , . ,

.ea lancing .0yergro publte..sc " :system, iund-itseIfjsprobletnee .

....-411 ' Nr1A• •"• **'* • ••• • . or.561alig ..1-*.trAtirr.e3‘.7 * ••

W06.1* * Z vas '1 d'isioact.* Verraorit. er edueatitinalinnigrams. of leieliers, ,Ort,e • env •:47.;4fa,51 y . , f (I:141nd

has the ilatioWs.low.est student to '-.•VotqApPloY 0 , . A cp Iratrolk - Iiaffiratio- (4.8: 0,; atr,:byerstipply : school ' bif4.*:600.pt ,ilingOslanoug. .,expenar

.• \ :MtV-

examine why i • Vermonts parents1;horee„Nyttk:,.0tIca-, the, Commtsst9p...,,c,.. education 04s -rfai:40,111„eto„

-44#i)66,j for cc ;74..p4brhE - the nation. Four et*,0,a, ,sOrts, tjarsig , , work-study r oth; er:e4vp „

- Ali-sehools and.sinalt,class- • the district;.-Sehoiil 1)&4 it:?nuterl ,.t.q.xpayert d 11

, theiltAtilif-Vireateii to illistupt . contracting for Inst. dLtlOfl •.th,Oir:'.:P9pfx.f4bk***tni:0-0041..

rnailtti:t,iTail90,giO0a0gpA$';

- ..girAilkF40404;is:C*.h101*: So today s legislators valiantly Scholarships,tor special education sold er on /6i,Pg,IO'fiiiii,ce. a O'

,stotkots,i, 3. , 4srefit C011ection Of faipOers Tea': The idea. hhind the -EF.Piiltile4sierii;i*O'Cifk-bitire. pow-

as to gto;i:iistitieei7Ptg:'cliSttiC4: kepi to excessive .4t ,qpeitslin.fg. At. the

" rightly

lean 'toward do-u*ig ' .9iesf Big

- districts

Commentary from the Ethan Allen Institute 4836 Kirby Mountain Rd., Concord VT 05824

802 695 1448 eai@ethanallen.org www.ethanallen.org

St. Johnsbury Caledonian Record, March 11, 2003 Wr.

• •

.. . .., , . ,

BY JOHN MeCLAUGHRY -aited4!noiinatter What • ., . . , : . Once upon A tilu'eJhe Kiug.df.-....Atboq g.::Fhool, furidioof00.0:4?

oVvingi..tribUt0! to:. the,Xing of ' (foe; -.ci;,4 ..,: . 14/4i4th10*.e coh le ,tqreed, .eac14:y.,*;j0,401te'l:'§e•y0 e-acli--i.Of. ,.., , CO-St.45t;Oblic .6804

. ' t''' ”.; ..lue#'1-0-wilin'cri.-,,: ,..WOO'buy*biug to- :G.retf.,0ifihioW•ith°;:: ittoott:e0titol:'' The go ,

' ' 0.0.0.. nOili::.ribservation''edlibes . - ' AeVOured siiiiilar; remarks . by (3ov. •,,:i.i • . , ..

*MT9t4PE. I . •,pvi '414de • °Vet thepas • - •-• .'., ,‘• I ' ent was alw,ayi. 1 o

,.A Nieiiing, arid . , ., . , !, w

, . , . hile legislators, .int on year after . s. ally the House Ways

... .

-N404

and extraordin4Y' costs of special eJica- tion state. responsibility, and nia4, the, state department . defend tbe;'ade:tritiacy, of individualized ,education plans 'against,'

• legal attacks?: ' Most independent schools in Vermont- --'-

- .0.!p!ei!goly. faith based' schools - educate children far :MoreeConorinea0Y. than pub-lic schools,;:and.,froin all indicatibils'every.:. bit as well: Why not assign the .baSie State

grant to parents, and let them esse;hp9:6p000se among public and thdcpdent'

irt

s for their children? And 'wh' not

'n çnsj adtDco'vtder on

!., • p.• etiti4sAbUi•is always produce better and ; more '.E;Ost.7effee'fiVeyesnits thn'ic..,OP'7heaVyl • :monopolies.; ,

Legislators should for ingnus new'• ways to fded the public education monster. Theseus who will demand tlt our tax dol-

"");Nvir-v•

UI They were black satlg!, Th youths intp. by the

For tli'[ • a"...matter civic Imp

AO'S' It was not d death 'Wish. the- -.

!•• •i sg4.1.,. . a',.sWord with him, found and ': inorister, led the Athenian

.1dhYrinth;,'anc,i,S414 ee1horne,Witl9heM to Athens: • '

• •;.;..r ,meeting , Day„ this month ,A school ,budgets went down

to defeat. It's haro:I.,.to refute the obvious arguifient that the wave of i'tjections is a

VOect.re'spAt.'ef taxpayer resentment',•With 1).tP004..taXeS OW Act -60. Taxpayers ' are

ifeid,Offee4ingikeMeM$Cr. But by png VAO*n'§014-.61.1 34g0:s.140Y have

tho sige:NVill-foree Angry total taxpayers toadopt school, budgets, the Benson .episode of„1 9.9!,4'. SO Vividly 04AvOd.' 110-:Aon voters rejected '12 successive .school buhetOile,'.1,egislattire authorized the .schoOrbOatil ,beorrcOW Money to operate at 871),ereent ofthe previous rear's budget until4lifinifos caved in. :

'AnitY„,"fueSday Gov: .-Douglas

anOkans Committee, are strtiOing .to find -some • diffetent;w4 , feed, the-inonster.:•Since‘proOrty ta the most itnpOtpqsM4q.004Y.4.14, rage, their. 0414 tO.4-eltice-:the pro) ,t,4.horden-:anliV;ShifflOication hiolor. in:. • .0 ..,.plopioil-

.Pet-h4 a:41'1st: fef monstert.ffikk:Ouldo'hegthe -retn44§, .of - the current and imtoilioto, past goye'nprs. Why ,areo S.FimOng;,,n_yet $111,0,0Q per. child 4. • otit',.§,i?tit.ifio school systems? What.' we aO about it? Hereare some -

aces ,to „ iint•public schools have' the cher ratio OD the country. Instead •

‘torithe'Stage7 teaching 25 in a „Orient teachers on #r.age are

tea4Viilf-that many. .13liggerielasSe!..-7. and litOigger schools --ate:an:::ob,V.i011.-5. ansike_cLybUtrt.ately end ap,4aying:jrnoney (bei,41:transOortation.4iti.49(124he AildtitbiltauCiaq soon eattipl#0StiVingS' from larger 0440)7

.c..06erti4Aiehers into: 10,i0.1i4

000eteáchërs to

4t. 50' di"eré' pupils but of

n'ourse the teachers will have toleaMa whole

way:.,:,0(.c.)perating

/that nothing'..ahout in elucation school.

f school teachora..'enjoiyery:CoStly,

ce benefitS,,,, t.,)10t.:opreate a stitevii0einsurance pooi, 2ffè a choice of defined

-

contribution ;!: • and gj. N't,e' teackrs inç.entjvs.to114044 V):

q0

Thhod

, •

440,1;00gOtiateS.:teacherTar oblitopo#4:;, en puts the price to the votçrs The voters can accept the budget.

•-•titttp4h:taltit C- to*Why not let

thevotrs 'vOtC on two budgets on

teaCherS!,.ebtitract, the,oth:-:‘ • „ . of the building, school lunch;

.„ . . .

anon, has become a ,#)a.lo,r, cost factoPior many schools,. as schools classify dyslexic., instead of what they all tqc? qften are, victims of instructional Ailtire:;-,WhY:friot insist that

*Schools- 4e, tax - dollars IP leaCh-phonics? b0.044,904,..,4nd -:get .1 6.90 of those "dy414 . special 'education

one44 for -why not make the placement

er9;41101ens, son of the ikyciltinieered to he one of

4-44'

1.

s and administration” , !ars be, :used efficiently to produce good educational outcomes, and not in re y pre-serve the power, pay and perquisites of an OVerrt. p'cp-eSiv‘ Act .60-funded near-' ,1

o ' itiOn0Poly education system. ' . John Ailablcniginy is presidciil of gi!.'

E!;itn.ri. 1,‘ • Allen Institiae (thi@ethanollenOrg) He was formerly

, .vice:igiOnan of the Senate Education 'Committee.'

Commentary from the Ethan Allen Institute 4836 Kirby Mountain Rd., Concord VT 05824

802 695 1448 eai®ethanallen.org www.ethanallen.org

St. Johnsbury Caledonian Record, July 25, 2006

• - ontrnllih

" - BY JOHN mccLAudilay tr hq.biOni41.4;ction seasOn1s0On',..

Al and .therelS.no shortage tot;.e,iiiclidat i *eri showing':theoters:41.14.016.:4

the pain otsoaring properW.ta*..: comes to, actually doing sontlIin it, mostibandiq4ts.talkstratig§fsti

In recent years state KL12, edn spending has, risen at, roughlyHdotkl

i rate'. of , inflation, and fias:now:04, astounding -..11,606 per pupil per,,y the the number .of chiJd school has been „edging downward, 405,793 in : to an estimated

In the-public schools empl 0857 "cen 'ekeaciliprs4d,416,Uy e

14A-44 :zko.,

th 41

;,:t141

paying! e.„ tsk: eratie;.cehtrat

cif?, onopo y, s

titi.dotits; èhoól 4,I.Se Who has a

-44$19.f,t, A144,

,OCOY..eis a)',

stiotj1d doubtless tideit'a 'Se6taiSttil3.; to „Well=paid deputy superin dren s educatio 4•at,:anybf a iivot.t4pge.,of tendehtS4;:80tete would .cpnifiotv : prO•

'the Siviriga.cbirie from? 'dependent; ‘aelibiils; ,-,faith1D4ped Any signifieant. savings Charier schbOlS :Internet-based' • •Virtual

•,ban: onlyVnie frpfn, 4?0,t1:‘ schools.,.emptoyer= anclunionrrup schools, . SolidatiKAkIall Sebtkk tnentoring programseareersttidy Orb-into" ;•• ::4,atge•ii;::;:: schools,•• • :irainS, earlY': -,college'„prpgram8,- whatever

. Whether latt-setiools- are aiie`§ic; meet the -demand M the Market= cent than stnall4.09,910

o . eh:at-004,0.'46_6o

eW6A ; - • Itat'Vsbilltion .1.asa1sva

tesiatalce • • . etlaitinVedn the•na-

A, -ctif.g ....,..,:busmess: - •s9tptio..n: ,- fewer :dent and parent satisfaction...

VIPigkirge't 'Tclass Sj 6, ' f'erer :aides, What's not to like? Nothing, unless you. eiNO-dits teams, leaner Olarl $ched-.. ' f.e,ParVof;,61-yi:e.ddeci to; the tigre4i.eFarit. .

0-th§-:...expen-sivehi;gh-ddhetible : Centrall5;-Contiblled13tibliC,sehOl 'm,6nol)',1 • • r

%Villil"'Aiiiii esimilar Ad What private ,.. • .... ,..,. . .e.. , will join ... . , ,:!,.. ._. ne , ,....... , :.. oh system sys.tem. If you ar , yon, ll .. in 4...„,

fa..t.qiitisses are ,adopting. : • shtie,Ki •••ng • . ; chorlis . denOutieihg:. ; o1nt4).ii

;e6mritonSeitse solution . rinis. up Fi . • : -, -,. ,- - , e. '. ' , t ; eniritnitnity.4uppert. for local • Bin •hantl.preaSed•: takp4ers',.. should • i",e.,

`Obiltiand lots ̀ rpt.po.i-ts teams.. It is. :,meniber this', Solution OneWill.•;ebat'y'Ou eresel ,,Oppee:c1'by the, Yetpont:NE ,. 'more ati4-iitore.SOltition Two will' destroy .•

ch;isn',1abonttof•gi.up,:any benefit it - Vermont's . . .,,s economy - Solution ,. • • Three won't'

. - ,t , • . , w : . ,..,, Oifgeij• to negotiate .overtie r,; ; :. Work Solution Font won't he tried' - -46-41,;§:::,' ' • . - , ; ,s ,. .. . ' '':',1*-1-- . 1 .;,' . . , . ',:. ', . ''...

, This major structural h.a4ge:.,-;fif',01,1A, . 1,04i,eu.Tiye•-is..radi41.,Ae0.. give up .':,.. ! J, o. bit. . ilf,d..Claukkry is President of the , eatication. '.‘i%otkiiiake" life .nineh:siMpleriOn•,,,Alte bureaucratic, 'benfrallY4enntr011et.: .,'Elltail, '.... i1110: Institute (wwwethan--. ,

and asie.r. for 'ci6ti-o.vti*orited ,SuPer.iti.,;1•. ; .Ptiblic schOol'MonOpOly-;systern, which , d//eii.bir);', .s• . .

, . , . . , . . „ ., .. , . , . .

l'tendents but there would Still be 63,9f. Meth, They would doubtless be More

;;.41,10. ItheY

guarantees .sieadily:n ,•,,ta,•Kpaer. cpstO regardless Qf tl!.,-Ilurr,lb,1,.9f-12411.§,..pad re7 gardlesa,Ofilieif,inedio'bre ablnjent;

plae inAidWer all

iti

more effibient The curre sens tr-tis , •:4fiu.tneriti:on goy,ct:11,411c0.

- ItWe'bOuld,coOkaiclate..th

Commentary from the Ethan Allen Institute 4836 Kirby Mountain Rd., Concord VT 05824

802 695 1448 eaiAethanallen.org www.ethanallen.org

St. Johnsbury Caledonian Record, May 20, 2003

A 777, UR.

44a ,01:0 dtlefated by

ni;

z̀k 1.*

Ffr

rkti:

st.,),Vgt `tfi• -t6gI1'‘"

10...,,bnreancratic matdn tpënsive iddle management c1,e4dWO;0:0'i loss of -Lernployee, initiative slow response to cornp0titiOh?antf-,lesjor AiiaYprOfit,

•)•0419yien iriVre.as,0.d„

.,e 4

nprased 40ffietcent;trbfpi,) bile Wi.5.iF2OTS.tiftt. tfF

- • ,

, eciv*iof years Yern-iont policyniaKs,S

. -40g 04. erition .ta.what jo iec'erbrOf6V4claring that ,Act 60 .warlicLlInStea0. of trYine- II' • ,

a

6,1TV)1F-t., .c

rn!,thliitre .S'i;nAtion

,t the. facIA: the state is nov,'in re e, co cation,spqn

q nOt.yet,gr,_ 4:10.tralitigg'414,0ji01 .;;; .0.1*C ,

,SIVV.FrAtIck.iittirngf0V-4%' ." cgVontatnmenwthqi1)9f*

aidj1ouers.,0

iCifzi

gOkaO0n, weUl

ge%t4 4C.

Stem.They re no' try7, at is' 'the 'only' ral`retdfen . . . ;mg to make that , yAteit.1.1 :llpronlnse,s,•:eslucat row resptirtsivA! more efficient ,through to "verse needs of all \lertiiijnt::: 'Cavi.:Viitfo'iiansi-.)1'id4601. ing:indegendeiit, • • . , . •• , . .

to mention honiescho"ohng)rarkEt1rfioa waysAess'eNpenswe. tharygoygrnment-rup SOTifi0js,rharkt-based-'04catiiin is the cilf7; ly reform th'it offers an;,:real;resttaint_,',00„,'-'

...ta cpayr•costs , That .cvoilld, of course mean ending the

• - •• •'

.oly, and putting arents,'ib'.ernment'.j$';

spo-d4ig ‘:caps,.' §y.§terp:.

joint. fOlt „4t

gAfan

s:llan'd., red*

•• . Seat:

.Generl tabtythat is .also-The 'one solution that fSbil Rand; and, nat under a0tiv.e.00400roion in Montpe,-..,

dtfeat it lN41.61'.1y..i'..-k"441'66,it.F..1.:.N-.: v

415.1')1.,.1.napdge a ,"\kny? Bes0ause ii-atp-ACts fierpentipoSi't tithOire • frOrri'... from the grriiii,s that have long hen " • .

to :do, that leads to one,- :feeding Off the governrri.0ht, school

02.16, fanatically oppOgik .cbhsurrr4 chp,i0.00

'19/in .30,a4y .

a1Ieflxg ) •

- rippOly, At some point SOp:n legislators illheed to decide ‘;yhOhciriliey will start

at1ng in the :ibtereStS'.:CifyistObl' hildrei :and "tOpayerS, or whether they will go. nieekly supporting 'the' we111:10)-gani4

man- n'aking out very wolIfom

4! public-education Interet groups that

:eo4a school tnOxib

JOHN LAUGHRy

BY MCC

Commentary from the Ethan Allen Institute 4836 Kirby Mountain Rd., Concord VT 05824

802 695 1448 eai@ethanallen.org www.ethanallen.org

St. Johnsbury VT Caledonian-Record, December 9, 2014

DUBIOUS REMEDIES FOR CONTAINING

EDUCATION COSTS Governor Shumlin and the leg-

islative leadership have recently discovered that Vermonters are re- , ally, really unhappy about ever rising school property taxes. In a commentary published Dec. 3, the governor observed quite correctly "We all know that rising property taxes to fund education have put an unsustainable burden on Ver-monters. Despite a steady decline in school enrollment over the last two decades, property tax payers have not seen a decline in their property taxes; they've seen the opposite."

He didn't think to mention that education property taxes do not just "rise," like cream to the top of a milk pail. Somebody has to "rise" them, and the signature on the bills that increased the home-steal property tax rate from $.89 to $.98 per $100 of fair market value — and will soon increase it to $1.00 — is and will be Peter Shumlin's.

Recall, it was Sen. Peter Shum-lin who in 1997 steered Act 60, the education fmance "reform" law, to enactment. At the time, critics argued that the funding mechanism for that court-driven state takeover of public education would break the essential restrain-ing link between voters and spending. Some of the supporters scoffed at that possibility; others welcomed the state takeover.

Eighteen years later we have come to a situation where not in-creasing the homestead school

property tax rate would ,be more painful than in-creasing it another two cents. Not raising the rate, by itself, would cause a $42 million shortfall at a time when the General Fund is facing a deficit of $100+ million. Either that shortfall has to be made up by other taxes— very painful — or the Agency of Education must be given the power to force school districts to reduce their voter-approved budg-ets. That "solution" has never been attempted in the past 227 years.

House Speaker Shap Smith cre-ated a working group to find an exit ramp from this politically dangerous highway. The 10-mem-ber bipartisan group has produced three exit ramps.

The first is the "renovation plan." The core of that plan is state mandates to increase local pupil-teacher and pupil-staff ra-tios, both of which are the lowest in the nation.

Or, alternatively, make local taxpayers financially liable for the high costs of a low pupil-staff ratio. That would violate the redis-tributive principle of the Brigham decision underlying Act 60.

The second model is a "variable income tax." This alternative fea-_ tures uniform state-set property tax rates. District; voters who wanted to spend more than the state-provided amount would

have to raise the funds through a local income tax surcharge. This also flies in the face of Brigham and Act 60.

Then there's the "re-gional block grant" model advocated by Rep. Oliver Olsen. This is based on complete state responsibility for education spending.

The state would distribute the tax dollars it raises to "regional enti-ties" (no further information available), through which it would flow to local school districts..

Doubtless unbeknownst to Olsen, in 1967 New Brunswick had a public school system almost identical to Vermont's in 1996.Then it started down Olsen's Highway by enacting its "Equal Opportunity Program."

The result (fran my commen-tary of July 1998): "A province-wide education property tax...The installation of local 'Directors of Education' accountable to and re-movable by the Ministry. The statewide teachers' contract. The conversion of:superintendents to state employees. Abolition of local school boards as wasteful overlapping bureaucracies: Re-duction of "local control" to input sent to the Ministry from PTA meetings."

"The only curious part of this story is that it took New Brunswick 30 years to achieve the centralized, unitary schocil system

that is the inevitable result of full state funding of local schools. Barring a political revolution, the same results should be attained much more quickly in Vermont." We are now 18 years into Act 60, and.— if Olsen is successful - it looks like we will reach New Brunswick's condition sooner than they did.

Fortunately, there is an alterna-tive path for Vermont (from 2006): "Give up the bureaucratic, centrally controlled public school monopoly system, which guaran-tees steadily rising taxpayer costs regardless of the number of pupils, and regardless of their mediocre achievements."

"In its place, empower all par-ents with scholarship money to pay for their children's education at any of a wide range of compet-ing programs: public schools, in-dependent schools, faith-based schools, charter schools, Internet-based virtual schools, employer-and union-run schools, mentoring programs, career-study programs, whatever arises to meet the de-mand in the marketplace, many of them at lower cost than the public school system.".

The The ."parental choice and provider competition" model is gradually becoming the future of 21st Century American education. Why not here?

John McClaughu is vice presi-dent of the Ethan Allen Institute (www.ethanallen.org).

ewkotif-t.d,i pves izio

Schoolchildren First By John McClaughry

What should the focus of Vermont edu-cation policy be? Schools? Or school-children?

That's the question posed by an important new report published July 17 by the Ethan Allen Institute, entitled Schoolchildren First.

The goal of the report is to expand and iitiprove high quality educational opportuni-ties for all of Vermont's children. To achieve

JOHN that goal, the report McCLAUGHRY

proposes to shift the focus of education pol-

icy from "schools" to "schoolchildren." Its plan would, for the first time, empower all the parents of all of Vermont's children to choose the kind of edu-

, cation that they believe is best for th,!ir children. Everyone's child is different. Some thrive in a dis-

ciplined environment,Some do better with student-centered learning. Some prefer traditional subject matter.

Some prefer a curriculum built around a theme, such as art, music, science, community service, or work opportunities. Some want moral and religious values integrated with their schoolwork.

About eight percent of Vermont's parents choose independent schools or homeschooling, as better for their children than public schools. If the parents are wealthy, this is easy. The parents of thousands of kids, however, make real sacrifices to make it possible for their children to attend what they think is the most suitable school, rather than saving the money and allowing the government to assign their child to a

public school. For 132 years, parents in (today) 90 Vermont towns

have had a choice of schools for their children to attend. In those towns, parents can send their chil-dren to any public or independent school, in or out of the state, except for sectarian schools.

Schoolchildren First proposes to expand that edu-cational choice system to all parents and all children in all towns of the state. It also proposes a tax credit mechanism that will generate private contributions to underwrite scholarships for pupils wishing to attend faith-based schools not now eligible to receive pub-lic tuition payments.

Schoolchildren First proposes no major departure in school financing. There is no magic pot of money that will allow the repeal of the two state property taxes.

The report does propose to eliminate one of the state property taxes — the so-called sharing pool — by increasing the other state property tax. Much as most Vermonters would like to reduce the depend-ence on the property tax for the support of edur;ation, there appears to be no feasible way of doing so.

What about "local control"? "Local control" in edu-cation means to most Vermonters that local taxpayers vote local taxes to pay for local education. The Supreme Court put an end to that era with its Brigham decision: Despite some complicated accounting meth-ods, the fact is that all the funds for education are now levied by the state and disbursed by the state.

Act 60 is leading the state into creating One Big School System. Running such a system from Mont-pelier is possible, but long distance management of a government education monopoly would not be good for Vermont's kids.

Schoolchildren First recognizes that the state will continue to levy all the taxes to support education. It proposes that, instead of the state paying out the funds to 251 captive local school districts, the state pay the funds out to parents to enable them to choose the edu-cational opportunities they think are best for their

children. It replaces the disappearing "local control" at the town level with real "local control" at the fam-ily level.

Why all this now? Because, the report points out in detail, Act 60 is steadily running aground. Without the annual $36 million sharing pool subsidy (voted by the legislature in each of the past three years), support for Act 60 will steadily dwindle. The current busi-ness slowdown, plus the escalating fiscal demands of the Medicaid program, mean that there is not likely to be any surplus to bail out Act 60 in years to come.

More and more Vermonters are realizing that it's time to find a replacement for Act 60.

Schoolchildren First is a well-conceived replace-ment. It's based on experience in other choice .states like Florida and Arizona. It makes a strong case that the parental choice and competition among schools will go further to satisfy consumers — parents and their children — than a system where government makes the decisions for everybody's child. It com-plies with the equity requirement of the Supreme Court's Brigham mandate.

Not surprisingly, three liberal Democratic Senators (Shumlin, Rivers, and McCormack) called a news conference to denounce Schoolchildren First. They • said that such a parental choice plan would under-mine public schools, low income people would find that being able to choose their children's school is "fool's gold," and it looked (to Sen. McCormack) like this plan was the creation of the much-despised (by him) "Christian Right." It will be interesting to see how thoughtful Vermont parents respond to those attacks -- especially parents who are unhappy with their child's education and wish they could afford to choose a more suitable one, public or independent, secular or religious.

John McClaughry is President of the Ethan Allen Institute. He was formerly vice chair of the Vermont Senate Education Committee. (The full text and the executive summary of Schoolchildren First can be

. found at vvwwethanallen.org.)

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