Commission on the Future of Public Education asks legislature to clarify how public input will be used

Megan Roy, chair of the Commission on the Future of Public Education in Vermont, told the House Education Committee on April 15 that the commission is organizing work on governance, funding and quality while expanding public engagement — but asked the legislature to clarify whether and how feedback gathered by the commission will inform policy decisions.

"Is it the legislature's intention to use the feedback that's captured this way, or will it be too late?" Roy asked the committee, summing up a recurring question from the public about whether participating in commission sessions is worth their time.

The commission has split its work into three subcommittees: governance (analyzing options for redistricting between about five and 20-plus districts and statewide leadership roles), finance (analyzing transition to a foundation formula with per-pupil base amounts and weights) and quality (considering class size, school size, course offerings, calendar and graduation requirements). Roy said each subcommittee will apply an equity-focused agenda framework provided by the commission’s engagement…