The size and window of opportunity that exists when all of Vermont’s legislators come together for the winter months is truly significant. We have the opportunity every day to meet and work with our colleagues from around the state and members of the Administration on solving problems for Vermonters. This week I have been busy working with my colleagues to establish a Rural Vermont working group, consider appropriate legislative changes to Act 46, travel home to Dover midweek to meet with my fellow Act 46 study committee members to host our second public input meeting, learn more about a rural cell service project that is in jeopardy, talked with multiple perspectives about universal background checks, coordinated a conference call for seven Southern Vermont towns to learn more about financing fiber to the home projects, participated in multiple discussions around school choice, civility and the crushing burdens some state education finance policy is placing on our rural schools.
I am grateful to be able to work full time on these challenges and many more for my district during these four months. While the long work days are rewarding and invigorating, I also look forward to my ride back to Dover on Friday night and my weekends at home with my boys.
This weekend I am still in Montpelier. Today I am going to march with other women in our Vermont capitol. The specific individual motivations of the marchers here will be varied and numerous. Mine are to stand with my daughters, people of color, a free press and the LGBT community. I also stand with those who march today in the right to life parade in Montpelier and their First Amendment right to express their religious beliefs.
Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are almost certainly right. Setting high expectations is an optimistic vote of confidence that a goal is achievable. I’m honored to represent so many people, school districts, businesses and towns that “think they can” and possess the Vermont optimism which allows us to take on big challenges without fear. I’m honored that these same folks “thought I could” and elected me as their representative two years ago. Representing a rural district heavily impacted by the recession and Irene, I have been immensely encouraged by the collaborations, recovery and growth we are seeing in our district. Stamford reaching out to work with Readsboro on improving internet service, Searsburg and Stratton working to partner on Act 46 to keep school choice for their students, Dover working for years with neighboring Wilmington to finally complete the Valley trail connecting villages and resorts or Dover and Wardsboro working together to determine if they can offer their students more opportunities. And of course the long term efforts of Whitingham and our neighbors in Wilmington to keep and improve their schools.
“With regard to the various levels of school choice that currently exist in the Valley, Section 4 of Act 46 specifically states that compliant districts cannot be forced to give up their existing school choice and that nothing in the Act is intended to take away school choice. It is important to note that a school district’s voters still have the ability to decide to change or alter school choice. The State Board of Education has elected to begin looking at the existing rules which allow independent and private schools to access public dollars. The Vermont School Boards Association, of which I am a board member, has testified that independent schools should be required to be held to a number of the same standards as public schools. A change in the rules of how independent/private schools can access public funding would require public meetings. To monitor this discussion, watch meetings, read materials and minutes presented at meetings go to 
I was talking to a young twenty-something at a breakfast last weekend and asked her if she was registered to vote. Not yet she said. I’ve known her she was little and so I pressed a bit. She then patiently explained to me that she is thoroughly disgusted by the presidential election, and that really, living in Vermont, her vote won’t count anyway.
from Dover, Readsboro, Searsburg, Somerset, Stamford, Wardsboro,
I have had to turn multiple campaign contributions away because as your independent state representative I continue to choose not to accept support from special interests, political parties or political action committees.
place in the Valley. This post includes links to the law, guidance from the AOE, and updates from other parts of Vermont, and so I am posting it again to maintain that link to information for voters, taxpayers and parents. Readers may have recently read in this past weeks Deerfield Valley News that the draft articles of agreement submitted by the WSSU have been sent back for further development. I have been in touch with the Agency of Education, the Vermont School Boards Association and elected and contracted supervisory leadership regarding next steps for the districts. There are significant untapped resources that are still available to provide assistance to the districts as they work to comply with the requirements of Act 46. I am working to help the supervisory union’s districts access them. Please stay involved in these historic and important conversations about the future of education in the valley.
I have been out making my way through the district, and have also scheduled additional times for voters to talk with me in person. This is a great opportunity to ask questions and also tell me about issues or priorities you, your business or your town may have.
