Governor Scott is set to unveil his proposals for education reform this week, fulfilling campaign promises to lower property taxes which are a direct result of public school spending. But there are powerful special interests that want to keep that money flowing from your pocket to theirs. Chief among them, the Vermont Teacher’s Union, the VTNEA.
In case you missed the clip, WCAX featured VTNEA president Don Tinney declaring “We’re not spending too much money in public education. We’re having a difficult time funding it.”
Uhhhyeah.
Not spending too much money?
Vermont now spends more per pupil — $27,000 on average – more than any other state but one.
Since 2014, spending on our public school system has increased 42 percent, nearly $607 million dollars per year, to — inexplicitly — educate fewer and fewer students as our K-12 population declines. You know what else is dropping despite all this spending? Student outcomes. Vermont has fallen from a top performing school system to the middle of the pack, with this trend still pointing downward.
How is this allowed to happen? The public school special interests have the majority party in their back pockets. Of the 180 Vermont senators and representatives elected last November, 92 were endorsed by the VTNEA – all democrats and progressives except for one token Republican in each chamber.
And how does a candidate get that endorsement? By pledging to the VTNEA in their candidate questionnaire that you will not reform the system, you will not cut the spending, and, in fact have pledged to increase that spending for higher salaries and benefits – which means higher taxes – as a reward for the people who are running our public school system into the ground.
So, in the coming debate over the future of spending, property taxes, and affordability, if you want to know who in the Vermont legislature will be representing the government education special interests over your interests, here’s the list.
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- Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale CHI SE 1, Dem
- Sen. Ginny Lyons CHI SE 1, Dem
- Sen. Rich Westman LAM, Rep/Dem
- Sen. Ann Cummings WAS 1, Dem
- Sen. Andrew Perchlik WAS 1, Dem/Prog
- Sen. Anne Watson WAS 1, Dem/Prog
- Sen. Wendy Harrison WDH 1, Dem
- Sen. Nadir Hashim WDH 1, Dem
- Sen. Alison Clarkson WDR 1, Dem
- Sen. Joe Major WDR 1, Dem
- Sen. Becca White WDR 1, Dem
- Rep. Robin Scheu ADD 1, Dem
- Rep. Peter Conlon ADD 2, Dem
- Rep. Matt Birong ADD 3, Dem
- Rep. Mari Cordes ADD 4, Dem
- Rep. Herb Olson ADD 4, Dem
- Rep. Jubilee McGill ADD 5, Dem
- Rep. David Durfee BEN 3, Dem
- Rep. Robert Hunter BEN 4, Dem
- Rep. Kathleen James BEN 4, Dem
- Rep. Michael Nigro BEN 5, Dem
- Rep. Scott Campbell CAL-ESX, Dem
- Rep. Jana Brown CHI-1, Dem
- Rep. Kate Nugent CHI-10, Dem
- Rep. Brian Miner CHI-11, Dem
- Rep. Martin LaLonde CHI-12, Dem
- Rep. Tiff Bluemle CHI-13, Dem
- Rep. Bram Kleppner CHI-13, Dem
- Rep. Barbara Rachelson CHI-14, Dem/Prog
- Rep. Mary-Katherine Stone CHI-14, Dem
- Rep. Brian Cina CHI-15, Prog
- Rep. Troy Hedrick CHI -15, Prog/Dem
- Rep. Jill Krowinski CHI-16, Dem
- Rep. Kate Logan CHI-16, Prog/Dem
- Rep. Carol Ode CHI-18, Dem
- Rep. Sarita Austin CHI-19, Dem
- Rep. Wendy Critchlow CHI-19, Dem
- Rep. Angela Arsenault CHI-2, Dem
- Rep. Erin Brady CHI-2, Dem
- Rep. Doug Bishop CHI-20, Dem
- Rep. Gayle Pezzo CHI-20, Dem
- Rep. Daisy Berbeco CHI-21, Dem
- Rep. Chloe Tomlinson CHI-21, Prog/Dem
- Rep. Karen Dolan CHI-22, Dem
- Rep. Lori Houghton CHI-22, Dem
- Rep. Lenora Dodge CHI-23, Dem
- Rep. Ray Garofano CHI-23, Dem
- Rep. Alyssa Black CHI-24, Dem
- Rep. Edye Graning CHI-3, Dem
- Rep. Trevor Squirrell CHI-3, Dem
- Rep. Phil Pouech CHI-4, Dem
- Rep. Chea Waters Evans CHI-5, Dem
- Rep. Kate Lally CHI-6, Dem
- Rep. B.M. Burkhardt CHI-8, Dem
- Rep. Emily Krasnow CHI-9, Dem
- Rep. Chris Taylor CHI-FRA, Rep
- Rep. Dan Noyes LAM-2, Dem
- Rep. Lucy Boyden LAM-3, Dem
- Rep. Saudia LaMont LAM-WAS, Dem
- Rep. Dave Yacovone LAM-WAS, Dem
- Rep. Monique Priestly ORA-2, Dem
- Rep. Jay Hooper ORA-WAS-ADD, Dem
- Rep. Larry Satcowitz ORA-WAS-ADD, Dem
- Rep. Leanne Harple ORL-4, Dem
- Rep. Dara Torre WAS-2, Dem
- Rep. Candice White WAS-2, Dem
- Rep. Teddy Wazazak WAS-3, Dem
- Rep. Connor Casey WAS 4, Dem/Prog
- Rep. Kate McCann WAS 4, Dem/Prog
- Rep. Ella Chapin WAS 5, Dem
- Rep. Mark Mihaly WDH 6, Dem
- Rep. Tom Stevens WAS-CHI, Dem
- Rep. Theresa Wood WAS-CHI, Dem
- Rep. Zon Eastes WDH-1, Dem
- Rep. Laura Sibilia WDH-2, Ind
- Rep. Michelle Bos-Lun WDH-3, Dem
- Rep. Leslie Goldman WDH-3, Dem
- Rep. Mike Mrowicki WDH-4, Dem/Prog
- Rep. Emily Long WDH-5, Dem
- Rep. Emily Carris-Duncan WDH 6, Dem
- Rep. Emille Kornheiser WDH 7, Dem
- Rep. Mollie Burke WDH 8, Dem
- Rep. John Bartholomew WDR-1, Dem
- Rep. Elizabeth Burrows WDR-1, Dem
- Rep. Alice Emmons WDR-3, Dem
- Rep. Kristi Morris WDR-3, Dem
- Rep. Heather Suprenant WDR-4, Dem
- Rep. “Coach” Christie WDR-6, Dem
- Rep. Esme Cole WDR-6, Dem/Prog
- Rep. Kirk White WDR-ADD, Dem
- Rep. John O’Brien WDR-ORA 1, Dem
- Rep. Rebecca Holcombe WDR-ORA 2, Dem
