DUMMERSTON — What does the Secretary of Education mean when she says our overwhelming votes against school merger don't matter?
The last time I looked, we were still a democracy, both in our country and especially in Vermont, where freedom and democracy have always mattered.
But now, the secretary of education and the Agency of Education's lawyers are telling us, and telling many other school districts across the state, that their community votes don't matter. If this is the case, why would the Legislature have required towns to vote on the merger plan?
We should all be furious. I am!
The secretary of education and the members of the state Board of Education are not even elected officials. They are appointed by the governor and, therefore, work for his agenda.
This is all part of a national push intended to dismantle public education and promote charter and private schools. Do we really want the state of Vermont running our schools?
It is time for us all to stand up and speak out. Write to your legislators, attend meetings (especially the one for our area, held in Chester on Wednesday, Sept. 19), testify and write to the AOE, BOE, and Governor Phil Scott.
This has got to stop before there are no more community schools in Vermont and eventually no more rural communities.