school

Some Progress In Climate Legislation

by Kurt Daims | Activism

The Climate Crisis Committee of the Windham Southeast School District is advocating bold legislation..
Two years ago BCS started a Climate Crisis Committee in the school district in order to create a standing forum for climate issues and to keep climate issues in the board directors’ attention. The school district is larger than Brattleboro, and people are more sensitive and protective about it. So, it is a good venue.

In steady times the purpose of education is the transfer of culture and society. The Greta Thunberg Resolution addresses climate crisis through the schools. Realistically, scientifically, in the ultimate crisis the purpose of education must be to prepare students for life in that crisis, and to encourage serious action for survival and rescue. Since we all recognize Greta Thunberg as an exemplary influence on our students and society the WSESD should reduce the school week to four days, so that students have time to pursue climate rescue following Greta Thunberg’s exemplary activism. Many people who say they admire and support Greta Thunberg will oppose the resolution. So, the resolution illuminates latent denial.

WSESD Board Meeting Agenda and Minutes

by Not Signed In | Education

AGENDA

I. CALL TO ORDER – 6:00 p.m. – David Schoales, Board Chair

II. RECOGNITION OF VISITORS

III. CONSENT AGENDA

• CLERK’S REPORT – Approval of Minutes – February 16, February 19, February 23, 2021

Vermont School Re-Opening Date Is Tuesday, September, 8, 2020

by Not Signed In | Education

Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott has signed a Directive officially setting Tuesday, September 8 as the universal reopening date for Vermont schools.

“Schools should take this extra time to make sure systems are ready and effective, so we can deliver for our children, and build confidence in the public education system’s ability to be flexible and responsive,” said Governor Scott. “I know none of this has been easy, and I appreciate and have faith in educators and school boards, because I know they are 100% committed to giving kids the educational opportunities and support they need.”

Originally announced on Tuesday, the directive requires all public and independent schools to open for in-person or remote instruction on September 8, with an exception for schools primarily serving students with disabilities, which can restart operations prior to September 8. The Secretary of Education will have oversight and authority in the implementation of the order and local school officials and governing bodies are required to consult with, and abide by, the direction of the Secretary of Education.

Education Reimagined

by RDavis | Education

The challenges to re-opening the public educational system are rivaling the challenges of providing health care during the pandemic.

This country has a historical commitment to provide public education through grade 12. It has struggled with budget constraints and political pressure to provide the best education possible for students, but the pandemic has forced the system to the breaking point.

Some politicians want to open the public school system by September, but their plans lack detail and they will put a lot of people’s lives at risk. Despite the threats from one of the most ignorant and intellectually challenged presidents this country has ever seen, governors know that they will be able to move more carefully because ninety percent of their funding comes from local and state budgets. That provides a bit of a financial safety valve but little comfort for a safer future for this country’s students.

Vermont Schools Dismissed For 2019-2020 School Year

by Not Signed In | Education

Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott today directed schools to remain dismissed through the end of the 2019-2020 school year. Districts will close schools for in-person instruction and be required to implement continuity of learning plans for remote learning. This extends the Governor’s previous directive dismissing PreK-12 schools from March 18 to April 6. 

This decision was made in consultation with the Vermont Department of Health and the Agency of Education in the continued effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. To minimize disruption to students’ learning, the Governor’s order directs school districts to come up with plans for distance learning by April 13. 

Windham Southeast School District Board Encourages Action to Change Student Weighting Formula

by Jaime Contois | Education

On February 26th, 2020, the Windham Southeast School District school board (hereafter, “The Board”) unanimously passed a resolution calling on the Vermont Legislature to implement changes to the weighting formula used by the state to determine a district’s equalized pupil count, as recommended by a state-commissioned study. The equalized pupil count is used by the state to set education tax rates.

In December, 2019, a study group commissioned by the Vermont Agency of Education submitted a report to the House and Senate Education Committees (among other committees) examining the formula used by the state to determine per pupil spending. The formula gave varying weight to different types of students (e.g. a Pre-K student is counted as 0.46, a High School Student as 1.13). The report recommended a number of changes to the formula to reflect higher educational costs associated with English Language Learners, schools with higher poverty rates, and schools in rural communities.

Can We Get Behind Hemp Yet?

by Matt | Economics

Close your eyes and imagine a wealthy Vermont. A Vermont with many high-paying jobs, exports, environmentally friendly manufacturing. Now open your eyes and look at the opportunity that is staring us in the face, hemp.

What are the barriers preventing the return to hemp products in the US and more specifically VT? Can we possibly overcome these barriers? The answer is yes.

Brattleboro Town School Board Dissolution and Next Steps

by Not Signed In | Education

Because of school district consolidation under Act 46, the Brattleboro Town School District’s five-member school board was dissolved on June 30th. As of July 1st, the board of the merged district, the Windham Southeast School District (WSESD), will make policy and budget planning decisions for Academy School, Green Street School, Oak Grove School and Early Education Services, as well as the five other schools of the merged district.

Information about times and locations of WSESD meetings, along with contact information for board members, is available on WSESD Board’s page on the Supervisory Union (WSESU) website at http://www.wsesu.org under the school boards menu. Meetings will rotate between schools. The next WSESD meeting is at 6pm on July 24 at Putney Central School. The next WSESD meeting taking place in Brattleboro is scheduled for August 7 at 6pm at Academy School.

Climate Emergency Declaration Begins at $50M School Board Meeting

by Kurt Daims | Activism

After admonishing the school directors at the Windham South East School Union meeting Tuesday night June 25 for failing to educate students about climate change Kurt Daims of Brattleboro Common Sense (BCS) proposed an advisory resolution to include Climate Crisis in every regular meeting of the school directors. One person spoke against the resolution, and after an enthusiastic debate the resolution was approved.

WSESD New Merged School District Warns $50,000,000 Combined Budget for Guilford, Brattleboro, Dummerston and Putney Schools

by Not Signed In | Education

Residents of Putney, Brattleboro, Dummerston and Guilford are invited to join the new merged school board, Windham Southeast School District Board, for our 2019-2020 Budget Process.

The first annual meeting of the new merged board will be held on Tuesday, June 25th. Voters present at the WSESD annual meeting will vote on the new merged budget. This budget is a compilation of the five independent district budgets developed by the Guilford, Dummerston, Putney and Brattleboro Town School Boards and the BUHS District #6 School Board (Brattleboro Union High School, Brattleboro Area Middle School, Windham Regional Career Center).

Early Voting in Brattleboro – Ballots Available

by Not Signed In | Politics

Early/absentee ballots for the Special School Merger Election to be held May 21, are now available in the Brattleboro, Town Clerk’s office.  Anyone wishing to vote prior to May 21 may apply for an early/absentee ballot until 5:00 p.m. on Monday, May 20.

Early/absentee ballots may be voted in person in the Clerk’s office, mailed to the voter by the Clerk’s office, picked up by the voter, or if a voter is in need can be delivered to the voter’s residence by two Justices of the Peace.  All voted ballots must be received by the Clerk before the polls close on election day in order to be counted.  For more information or to request an early/absentee ballot call 251-8157.

Threat at Representative Town School Meeting

by Not Signed In | Police & Fire

On 3/20/19 at around 6:30PM the Brattleboro Police Department responded to a report of a shooting at the Representative Town Meeting school information night at Green Street School. Multiple BPD officers responded and were assisted by the Vermont State Police and Windham Sheriff’s office. Approximately ten officers were involved in the response to this incident.

On Education II

by spoon | Education

After taking my seat on the Brattleboro Town School Board for the first time I took up as an early task the reading of the responsibilities of a school board member. Not surprisingly number one was to see to the education of the children. That suggested that I learn something about education. I remembered my father writing a paper on John Dewey in the 50’s when, after two and a half decades, he had the motivation to finish his Masters in education. So I read a teeny bit about Dewey, and a smattering of Piaget, Montessori, Bruner, Skinner and a few others.

Brattleboro Town and Town School District Auditors’ Reports Available

by Not Signed In | Town News

 January 10, 2019 , Town of Brattleboro  Notice of Availability of Auditors’ Reports 

NOTICE is hereby given that the Brattleboro Town and Town School District Auditors’ Reports for fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, are available upon request and may be picked up at the Brattleboro Town Clerk’s office, 230 Main Street, Brattleboro, Vermont. 

The Auditors’ Reports will also be available as part of the Town and School District Annual Report which will be available at the Town Clerk’s office no later than February 22, 2019. 

A Drawing Season

by jna | Arts

We have 5 spots left in A Drawing Season, a “low-residency” drawing study from January to March 2019. With a mix of private lessons, small group workshops and in-studio drawing time you can re-learn drawing as a natural and connective activity. Children draw and are world makers when they do. As adults we, semi-consciously, agree to draw what something looks like rather than our experience of it. They are not the same thing!