This week we received the broad strokes of Governor Scott's plan to transform Vermont's education system. It is undoubtedly the boldest policy proposal he has ever put forward; doing away with local control and 52 supervisory unions and consolidating our 119 school districts down to 5.

After much teasing, Governor Scott's team introduced a comprehensive education reform that is undoubtedly the boldest policy proposal he has put forward during his career in public service. It would make dramatic changes to the way that Vermont's education system looks and functions.

Vermont taxpayers hard hit by the recent property tax increases and in the line of fire for another increase this year may be alarmed to know Don Tinney, the President of the state teachers’ union, recently said “We’re not spending too much money on education. We’re having a difficult time funding it.”

We are of to the races! The first week of the legislative session was as active as you would expect as a flood of new legislators sought to get up to speed on big issues like education spending, health care costs, and carbon-pricing.

A thriving, prosperous state is a goal that all Vermonters can agree to. That goal is easier to achieve with a growing population.

More people means a larger selection of workers for businesses, government, and non-profits. It means more people earning incomes, supporting local businesses, and paying taxes to support government programs—many of which serve the neediest of our citizens. A growing economy means more opportunities for us and our children.

Good evening, I wanted to be sure that the Commission took the recent Education Outcomes & Spending report from Campaign for Vermont into consideration. As well as the original report from 2014 that Tom Pelham and I co-authored.

Senator Baruth,

I’m sure it is not lost on you how important the pick for committee chair of Education is at this moment in time. Vermont is in the midst of an education spending crisis that will take care, attention, and perspective to address. Who is steering the education policy ship in the Senate will matter a great deal as the legislature rises to meet this challenge.

Today, Campaign for Vermont Prosperity (CFV) released a report looking at education data in Vermont to help identify opportunities for cost savings and better performance. A decade after Act 46, it’s clear that district consolidation was not the answer. Education spending has skyrocketed while outcomes have declined.

As a property taxpayer, I was relieved to see that the December 1^st letter from the Tax Commissioner did not warn of another double-digit tax increase. However, as a public policy advocate, that relief dissipated as I dug into the details.

Today we released a report examining migration patterns into and out of the state using Census and Internal Revenue Service data.