Key Takeaways
- People who support public education have raised concerns about Saunders' background in charter schooling and her record of initiating school closures.
- Likely worried that the state Senate would decline to confirm her, Governor Scott asked for extra time to allow Saunders to pursue a charm offensive.
- In order to highlight their opposition to Saunders’ appearance at the White River Valley School, union members wore shirts bearing the slogan “Wildcats For Public Ed,” which were printed as soon as they found out Saunders was on her way. White River Valley Education Association members resent the fact that the governor and his team would use their place of work as a device in their PR machinations.
It’s well known by now that there has been significant pushback against Governor Scott’s nominee for Secretary of Education, Zoie Saunders. The Democratic and Progressive parties, Vermont-NEA and other unions, and people of all stripes who support public education have raised concerns about her background in charter schooling and her record of initiating school closures.
Opposition to Saunders’ record – and the governor’s pro-private school agenda – is well known and is making Scott try to focus on anything other than her record. Likely worried that the state Senate would decline to confirm her, Scott asked for extra time to allow Saunders to pursue a charm offensive. Her next week is chock full of meetings with senators and journalists in an effort to win needed support. Saunders kicked her PR tour off by visiting our building – the White River Valley High School and Elementary School – this morning.
In order to highlight our opposition to Saunders’ appearance at our school, our union wore shirts bearing the slogan “Wildcats For Public Ed,” which we printed as soon as we found out she was on her way. We resent the fact that the governor and his team would use our place of work as a device in their PR machinations. Members of the press were not allowed to accompany her on her tour, but her photographer was. The images they captured will purport to show Saunders engaging with the community, ready to learn from us and act in our interest. Missing from this story will be a genuine account of our community’s point of view.
Our community knows that we thrive when we work together. Public services, especially public education, exemplify our communal effort. As public schools face unprecedented challenges – filling gaps left as other social services are defunded, facing underfunding of our own, addressing systemic inequalities, continuing to deal with the aftermath of Covid – now is the time to confirm a secretary of education who is committed to enabling public school to work as they should, not one who appears to be qualified only to dismantle them. We urge our members, union siblings across the state, and all community members to oppose Saunders nomination and demand that our government instead revitalize our education system.
