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 consultants to evaluate policy impacts.

Roy described recent public engagement activity and early themes from a April 7 public input session in Chittenden County. "There was general uncertainty about where the legislature is relative to transformation," she told the committee, and attendees raised concerns that a single, statewide approach could fail to account for substantial local variation in Vermont schools. Roy also said many attendees at the April 7 meeting had come to address recent federal Title VI DEI guidance; the commission extended the public comment period at that session so more people could speak.

Roy said student participation has been especially active in recent weeks. She quoted an unnamed student who told the commission, "We wanna be part of this conversation, but we really don't want you to ask us our opinions and not use them." The commission plans to work with student-centered organizations such as UP for Learning and the Education Justice Coalition and with its consultants, Affton Partners, to design a student-focused survey and other engagement methods.

Affton Partners will present a draft communication and engagement plan at the commission’s next meeting, Roy said. The commission meets about twice a month and aims to turn public feedback into summarized themes for the legislature; Roy warned the committee that the commission’s meeting cadence limits how quickly it can produce synthesized input.

Committee members responded that timing and communication loops must be clarified. Representative Brady and other committee members said the legislature is often operating on a faster timeline late in the session and that the commission’s analysis and public engagement must reach lawmakers in time to influence decisions. Representative Brown and others suggested adding brief informational updates about the commission to existing legislative communications so members and the public can see meeting materials and upcoming engagement opportunities.

Members acknowledged the tension Roy described: people want meaningful opportunities to be heard, but when hearings or listening tours predate policy drafts, participants can feel their input has little impact. Multiple committee members said they would discuss internally how the legislature can provide the commission clearer guidance on priorities and timing, and several pledged to follow up quickly with concrete answers.

Roy also reported that the commission nominated Nicole Mace as vice chair to ensure there is an additional point of contact when the chair cannot attend committee briefings. She said Affton Partners will help the commission provide more accessible, distributed engagement (including both in-person and virtual sessions) across the state.

No formal actions or votes on legislation occurred during the update. Roy said the commission will continue collecting and, with its consultants, analyzing public input and returning summaries to the legislature; committee members said they would work to provide clearer direction about how that information should be prioritized and delivered.

The commission’s next public meeting will include a presentation of the revised engagement plan by Affton Partners; Roy and committee members said they expect to follow up this week on how the legislature intends to use commission feedback.