Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Senate confirms Zoe Saunders as Vermont education secretary after contentious debate
Summary
The Vermont Senate voted 22–8 to confirm Zoe Saunders as secretary of the Agency of Education for a term running March 1, 2025, through Feb. 28, 2027, following hours of committee reporting and floor debate that highlighted deep divisions over the governor—s education transformation proposal and the agency—s performance.
The Vermont Senate confirmed Zoe Saunders as secretary of the Agency of Education on Thursday, voting 22–8 to approve the appointment for the term including March 1, 2025, to Feb. 28, 2027.
The confirmation followed a report from the Senate Education Committee and extended debate on Saunders— record, qualifications and the governor—s broader education transformation proposal. Supporters cited Saunders— experience working on school improvement, data systems and statewide literacy initiatives; critics said she lacks sufficient public-school administrative experience and questioned the agency—s handling of special education and independent-school renewals.
Senators voting to confirm argued the state needed a confirmed leader at the Agency of Education to carry forward a multi-year transformation effort…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
