MORRISTOWN – As we all go into the next school year, I want to express my outrage at H.454.
This piece of legislation will not reduce costs in the long term, and it will irreparably damage the quality of education for generations to come, provided that alternative solutions aren’t implemented before the law goes into full effect.
First, the state has no business telling schools how many students they need to cram into a classroom. Schools know best how to structure classrooms; Montpelier doesn’t.
Additionally, state education policy requires differentiation in classroom planning and instruction. Increasing classroom sizes throws a wrench into effective differentiation. It would be comical if it weren’t actually law: the state is mandating a new policy that will make an already-existing policy more cumbersome to implement and maintain; a stark example of bureaucratic stupidity.
Larger class sizes will lead to more complex and chaotic social dynamics, increasing instances of behavior problems and classroom interruptions. More behavior problems will hinder student success and lead to more teacher burnout, which is already a serious problem in public education, especially in Vermont.
The best studies in education research show that smaller classroom sizes lead to better student outcomes: fewer students allow more one-on-one attention and fewer distractions. Sure, 15 students in, say, an eighth grade classroom may not seem like a lot, but I can testify from experience that there is a world of difference between eight and 15. And it will not always be just 15, or 18, or whatever the minimum is; with school closures and mergers, it’s likely to be considerably more.
What’s equally alarming, in addition to classroom size minimums, is that every Democrat who voted for this nonsense gave the secretary of education the authority to recommend school closures. How could Democrats be so thoroughly self-sabotaging and stupid as to give a person whose past career was inherently hostile to public schools the authority to recommend closing public schools? That’s like zealous, anti-Second Amendment U.S. Senators voting to confirm Wayne LaPierre to head the ATF. I’d expect this from Republicans. I expected better from Democrats. That was foolish of me.
Moreover, this bill is a major slap in the face to the numerous teachers who recently earned their licenses, as well as the taxpayers who helped to fund their professional development to gain that licensure. To help fill the teacher shortfall in a more expedient fashion, school districts have been spending money helping teachers on provisional licenses get trained so that they can earn their Level I licenses and secure their careers as educators.
Now, what is most likely to happen is that a lion’s share of those people will lose their jobs as districts consolidate. So, these districts will essentially be throwing away money, and hardworking, passionate teachers’ lives will be upended.
And this bill isn’t going to decrease costs in the long term. One of the main reasons they’ll continue to rise is because of health insurance costs, which, to my knowledge, haven’t been addressed. BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont claims it’s losing money, and therefore has to raise premiums by double digits, because of the rising costs of healthcare.
Assuming that’s the only reason, which anyone with a brain knows isn’t true, the state could do something. But the state, as usual, is offering no real strategy for keeping healthcare costs and insurance rates down. I see lawmakers in Montpelier talk about it as though it’s inevitable and we all just have to deal with it. So, teacher health insurance will continue to rise, because hospitals and insurance companies are run by sociopaths who view patients not as human beings with value but as commodities.
And a majority of our representatives in Montpelier have no spine. Furthermore, the consolidation of districts will likely lead to some increased costs as well as considerable logistical issues. More students means changes to busing: likely hiring more bus drivers, increased maintenance costs and increased fuel costs all need to be considered.
But one of the things I find really concerning, money aside, is the amount of time students will be on buses every day. Increased busing times will probably lead to more student absences (which is already a major problem), because there will be many students who will need to wake up considerably earlier to make it to the bus. Student participation in after-school and extracurricular activities will be affected, because of how long it will take students to get home?
Students with special needs, sensory issues, behavior problems or other medical issues, should not be stuck on a bus for an hour or possibly longer. Finally, but not of least importance, because of the consolidation of districts, this bill effectively takes away immediate, local control of schools. One of the things I love about Vermont is its deeply-rooted tradition of, and reverence for, democracy and local control. Vermont values democracy so much that it’s enshrined into our culture as a state holiday.
Now, when it comes to my community, when it comes to my local schools, I want the people in my community, the ones who know the the students, the ones who know the teachers and administrators and support staff and custodial workers and food personnelle, the ones who pay local taxes, to be the only ones representing and making decisions about our schools.
One of the foundations of (to borrow a term from John Rawls) a well-ordered society is high-quality public education. Vermont has something really special here, with its close-knit learning communities, local governance and small classrooms. It is truly unique and sets Vermont apart from the rest of the country in a wonderful way.
Accordingly, I’d like to congratulate every member of the Vermont state legislature who voted yes on this bill. Just when I thought no legislative body could disappoint me as equally as the U.S. Congress, Montpelier delivered stunningly. You all have set in motion a colossal trainwreck. Give yourselves a pat on the back and enjoy your legislative hiatus. I can’t wait to see what you all manage to ruin about Vermont next year.
Joe Murphy lives in Morristown.
