By Amy Ash Nixon, VTDigger.org Wardsboro Elementary School children want a turnip to be the state vegetable—the Gilfeather turnip, grown in and around Wardsboro. On Tuesday, a dozen students told the House Committee on Forest and Agriculture Products to consider […]
Tag: amy ash nixon
Fewer school budgets defeated at Town Meeting
By Amy Ash Nixon, VTDigger.org Voters rejected just 20 school budgets on Town Meeting Day, about half the number that went down a year ago. All told, 37 school budgets were defeated in 2014. Jeff Francis, executive director of the […]
Rural schools struggle to keep teachers
By Amy Ash Nixon, VTDigger Rural Vermont schools with high poverty rates have higher numbers of first-year teachers than other schools in Vermont, according to information in a federal report that looks at educator equity in public schools nationwide. The […]
Business group suggests alternatives to earned leave bill, oposes “one-size-fits-all” mandate
By Amy Ash Nixon, VTDigger.org A House bill that would introduce paid time off is not sitting well with everyone in Vermont’s business community. H.187, introduced last week, proposes to establish three days of paid leave for the next two […]
Student-teacher ratios are the focus as House Education Committee hones bill
By Amy Ash Nixon, VTDigger.org Attention turned to class sizes and student-staff ratios as the House Education Committee continued to fine tune its education reform bill Monday, Feb. 23. Brad James, education finance manager for the Vermont Agency of Education, […]
Lawmakers reminded of findings in Brigham case
Robert Gensburg, lead attorney in the landmark education funding decision Brigham vs. State of Vermont, testified before the House Education Committee on Thursday. By Amy Ash Nixon, VTDigger.org As the House Education Committee gets to work on the finer points […]
Senate committee takes up paid leave this week
By Amy Ash Nixon, VTDigger.org A bill aimed at giving workers in Vermont paid time off for illness or other emergencies is back before the Senate. S.15, which would grant workers seven earned leave days off a year, or a […]
Education Secretary presents stark contrast between schools as student enrollment declines
By Amy Ash Nixon, VTDigger.org Rebecca Holcombe, the secretary of the Agency of Education, presented two scenarios to lawmakers on Friday. School A has 300 students and a long list of science classes and several science teachers, including a few […]