Area Students Testify About Education Bill

MONTPELIER – A student from Hazen Union School (HU) and six from Craftsbury Academy testified to a joint meeting of the House Education Committee to which the Senate Committee was also invited, Friday, April 25. The subject was H.454, an education bill that has received attention inside and outside the statehouse this session. The act is designed to transform Vermont’s education governance, quality and finance systems

Madeline Crank, a HU middle school student, said she valued being able to choose from a wide range of classes, including band, music and foreign languages, but especially history. She expects history will help her avoid hurting others by accident.

Crank said, “even in a small class with just 14 kids, it can be hard for everyone to stay focused sometimes. If there are 25 or more kids, it would be even harder for the teachers to give everyone attention.” A rule about class sizes might hurt small schools like Woodbury, she said.

Not everyone learns the same way, which should be a part of how decisions about schools are made, Crank said. “Some students do better in small schools and, if those schools had to close, it would be really hard on the families and the kids who live there.

CA freshman Ada Allen shared a portrait of life at a small school, saying to legislators, “As you make decisions about our states’ schools, I hope you remember voices like mine.” She made the point that small schools do not mean small opportunities as she shared that she has had valuable learning opportunities. Her teachers have given her one-on-one time to help her find out what her “passions are and work through stumbling blocks and challenges,” she said

Allen participates in a mentorship program, allowing her to connect with younger, elementary school students. She said the connections made in a smaller school are valuable and opportunity rich.

Leanne Harple (D), who represents Craftsbury, Greensboro, Albany and Glover in the Vermont House, serves on the House Education Committee and was there listening to the student’s. “It was great to hear directly from students about what they value most in their small rural schools. I think that a lot of legislators underestimate what smaller schools are capable of achieving and what they add to our communities.”

Kosmos Gletsos, in tenth grade at CA said he’s currently taking two advanced placement classes. Some of the advanced classes are very small, but allow students to “learn the subjects that are right for them . . . I find myself learning much more in my smaller classes than I do in larger groups of students.”

Next year, Gletsos said he’ll be attending the Creative Media program at Green Mountain Technology and Career Center, which allows him to take an alternate route to graduate. As a small school, CA does not limit how educated he is able to become, he said.

Raz Mille, a Craftsbury Academy sophomore, said, “I believe the H.454 proposition is unnecessary. If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” He said his class of seven “are very successful despite going to a small school,” noting that he’s the first Vermonter to win the International Science School award.

Mille said he and his classmates are like family. Just a month and a half ago he said they traveled to Boston where they took classes at MIT, emphasizing that it’s clear what they are doing is working. He pointed out CA is just three years away from graduating its two-hundredth class and the community does not want to put that history aside.

CA freshman Oryon Hart said the school offers a “tight-knit community and personalized learning, as well as great opportunities within the sports that I love, such as skiing and biking.” Fun and educational opportunities outside the classroom have been valuable to his education, he said.

Iris Jacobs, in seventh grade at CA, said the small school, where she knows all her classmates and teachers, makes classes feel comfortable. The teachers know each of their students personally and “have a fun way of teaching that helps us learn a lot.”

Educational field trips every week and a lot of hiking help teach us about the environment, said Jacobs. Rock climbing, ice skating and practicing chess have all been part of the curriculum and Craftsbury has been the state chess champion two years in a row. “It’s a good thing to learn about more than basic school material,” she said. “Craftsbury is a very good school and we should keep it how it is.”

Rue Jacobs, a Craftsbury fourth grader said, “I learned a lot in school.” She highlighted her experience in the school’s woodlot and studying the 1800s and said, “I love my school.”

Harple said, “These students spoke confidently and articulately about the rich and unique opportunities that they have experienced by being Craftsbury students. It was clear to everyone listening that they take pride in their school and they want to see it survive for many years to come. We should all be proud that this is our next up-and-coming generation of Vermonters.