Education Agency Admits A Years-Long Failure As Student Performance Nosedives

Vermont elementary school students’ reading scores have fallen below the national average and show no sign of trending back upward. Mississippi on the other hand has ascended to a level above the national average after many years of serious under-performance.

We (Ben and I) attended an event last week hosted by Let's Build Homes. The room was full of different voices, including banks, local businesses, developers, chambers of commerce, statewide politicians, utility companies, local broadcasters, and nonprofits. It was a coalition of people and organizations that recognized the dire need for housing in our state. In a little under a year, this coalition has already changed the housing landscape in Vermont by passing the historic CHIP bill. But, there is more work to do. Regulatory changes are needed to guarantee predictability for developers and unlock private investment from out of state that is sorely needed in order to truly grow and modernize our housing stock. We also need to find innovative ways to bring down the cost of construction for "affordable" state subsidized housing units. We need to cut the $500 per square foot cost of construction in half. In our 2025 research priorities, we are looking at one way of pursuing that.

Ah, the eternal tug-of-war between "things were better back in my day" and "look how far we've come." Art Woolf's latest Substack dispatch, "Things Are Better Today, Really," offers a counterpoint to claims of wage stagnation since the 1970s by populists like Bernie Sanders. Woolf highlights a 34% real increase in median family income from $79,000 in 1969 to $105,800 in 2023 (adjusted dollars), and a 20% rise in median household income to $83,000 over that same period. He also emphasizes qualitative improvements — ­­such as advancements in consumer goods and medical technology —­ which inflation metrics often understate, that lead to an improved quality of life.

Rising health care costs in Vermont have emerged as a pressing economic and social challenge, with an outsized impact on working families across the state. As premiums and out-of-pocket expenses surge well above national averages, many households are grappling with financial strain that extends beyond medical bills to influence decisions on housing, education, and daily necessities.

As Vermonters, many of us have felt the pinch of our state's housing shortage. Although we may not realize it; our state's housing crisis manifests itself in our high rents, short-staffed workplaces, increasing property-tax burden, aging population, and rising healthcare costs. Making our state inaccessible to young working families has significant consequences.

Housing is a cornerstone of stability and prosperity in any community, but in Vermont, its importance is amplified by the state's unique demographic, economic, and environmental challenges. With a population that is aging rapidly—projected to see 170K households aged 55+ by 2029—and a persistent shortage of affordable units, housing directly influences the ability of Vermonters to live, work, and thrive. Our state requires an additional 24K to 36K homes by 2029 to meet growing demand, normalize vacancy rates, and accommodate workforce needs, yet only about 2,300 new homes were permitted in 2022, far below the annual target of 5,000 to 7,000. This shortfall exacerbates issues like homelessness, where Vermont ranks second nationally in per capita rates, with over 3,295 individuals counted as unhoused in 2023, including a 200% increase in child homelessness since 2020. Without sufficient housing, basic social structures erode, affecting health outcomes, family stability, and community cohesion. This is particularly true for low-income and BIPOC families.

Every year, Campaign for Vermont sets a research agenda for when the legislature is out of session. These are topics that we want to focus on in the spirit of bringing forward new information and recommendations for our state's policymakers. This work might result in new research papers, new position statements, new legislation, or just furthering our own understanding of an issue.

This bill amends two sections of current law related to health insurance practices. The act focuses on claim edit standards (used by insurers to process and validate healthcare claims) and prior authorization requirements (pre-approvals insurers often require for certain services). It aims to reduce administrative hurdles in healthcare delivery while maintaining some safeguards for insurers and compliance.

Dear Members of the Act 73 Task Force,

You have no easy task before you to reconcile all the different perspectives you bring to the table and produce a pathway forward for education reform in Vermont. We were part of the conversations that led to Act 46 and that effort may have just been a foreshadow of this one.

Since 2010, Vermont has consolidated 271 school districts down to 119. During that same timeframe, we have seen spending accelerate and outcomes fall. Today, we are spending 79% above the national average but performing below average when you account for Vermont’s demographics.