by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Below are the letters and press releases sent to us from interested parties regarding the appointment of Zoie Saunders as Vermont Secretary of Education. She was appointed to the position by Governor Phil Scott on March 22 and her confirmation was rejected by the state Senate on April 30. Moments after her failed confirmation, Scott appointed her as the interim secretary, which does not require Senate confirmation. This is the first failed Cabinet appointment in memory and it could be unprecedented. Some in the Senate feel the interim appointment circumvents the political process and could be a violation of it.
To date, no formal action has been taken by the Senate concerning the interim appointment. Saunders could be appointed full secretary by Scott after the Legislature adjourns. In any case, her term is only through February 2025 when all Cabinet posts must be confirmed for the new biennium.
Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman acknowledged and apologized, directly after the Senate vote, for citing incorrect information about Saunders in his campaign letter and her relationship with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, whom she has never met. Zuckerman's letter went out the Saturday before the Senate vote. He announced Thursday that he is running for reelection.
Any donation links have been disabled. Related stories involving Saunders are further below.
(May 2)
Dear Tim,
Thank you.
Earlier this week, the Vermont State Senate rejected Republican Governor Phil Scott’s flatly unqualified nominee for Secretary of Education entirely on the strength of the grassroots work that regular Vermonters put in opposing her nomination.
More than a full year since Dan French announced his departure, Phil Scott announced he’d chosen Zoie Saunders to be the next head of Vermont’s school systems. Saunders’ nomination caused quite an uproar because, according to her resume, her only school system experience was spending a couple of weeks pitching a bunch of school closures in Fort Lauderdale while she was interviewing in Vermont. Before that, she was the head of strategy for Charter Schools USA, a for profit charter network in Florida with a questionable reputation.
You reached out, to us and to your state Senators, to express your dismay that Phil Scott would nominate someone whose experience with schools was based almost entirely in shoveling public money into the pockets of for-profit charter school corporations, asking your Senators to oppose her nomination because you care about the future of public education in Vermont.
I’m proud of our Democratic Senators who opposed her nomination after hearing the concerns of hundreds of Vermonters, especially our teachers.
I was shocked to learn that on the same day that the State Senate opposed Zoie Saunders' nomination by a landslide of 9-19, Phil Scott decided to appoint her interim secretary. But, I guess he is using the same playbook as Republicans across the country. The thing at the base of the problems with the Republican party in this country is that they refuse to believe people don’t agree with them. It’s the core of the election denial that led to the attempted coup on January 6th, but it expresses itself here too, when you hear Republicans cast doubt on election results because “people don’t understand what they’re voting for.” And you’re hearing it now, when Phil Scott calls the grassroots movement to oppose Zoie Saunders’ nomination “the most partisan political activists in one’s party base.”
In the pre-Trump era, Republicans had more shame.
We know this wasn’t some smash and grab by party hacks. I know this, because I’ve spoken with so many of you personally about your concerns for the future of our schools. And our Senators know it too, because you made sure of it. We have a system of checks and balances for a reason. The Governor can’t just do whatever he wants.
Thank you for your calls and your emails and your support. We have to keep fighting for our schools and a Vermont where everyone’s voice is heard. Can you chip in $24 today to help us in this fight?
Onwards,
jim
Jim Dandeneu
Executive Director
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PO Box 1220
Montpelier, VT 05601
United States
(April 27)
Tim,
Recently I was honored to receive the Vermont NEA’s Martha W. Allen Friend of Public Education Award. I’m proud to stand alongside educators as we work to ensure a quality public education is available to all of our children.
That’s why I am concerned about Governor Phil Scott’s recent nomination of Zoie Saunders as our state’s new Education Secretary. I had the opportunity to sit down with Ms. Saunders, and while knowledgeable and affable, her lack of public school experience makes her the wrong choice to serve as Vermont’s next Secretary of Education.
Ms. Saunders comes to us from Broward County, Florida where she has served in the public school system for only three months. Prior to that, Ms. Saunders worked as an executive at a for profit charter school company in Florida.
We know that school privatization, school vouchers, and for profit charter schools suck money and resources away from public schools and often cherry pick students, creating a segregated school system. We also know that Zoie Saunders considers private schools that are funded with public dollars to be “public" schools. This is very troubling.
During her time as a charter school executive, Ms. Saunders received an award from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis who has subjected Florida’s public schools to the right-wing movement to ban books and censor teachers’ ability to teach factual American history on race and sexuality. They’ve even whitewashed the teaching of the Montgomery Bus Boycott of the 1960s, removing references to Rosa Parks’s race from Florida textbooks.[1]
To counter the anti-education book ban movement, last year, I traveled across Vermont holding “Banned Books are Books Worth Reading” events at schools, book stores, and public libraries, engaging communities in conversations around free speech, inclusivity, and democracy. In this moment when too many are trying to restrict children’s access to factual history, gender and sex education, and diverse thoughts and perspectives, it is critical that we oppose any efforts to restrict students’ and teachers’ access to information.
Together, let’s keep fighting to strengthen our public schools.
In solidarity,
Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman
[1] Florida textbook altered to remove references to Rosa Parks’s race: report
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Friends of Vermont Public Education
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
April 23, 2024
For More Information Contact
Friends of Vermont Public Education
https://www.savevtpubliced.org
Governor Scott’s pick for Secretary of Education caps over a decade of failing to support Vermont’s public education system
Senate should not confirm Scott’s education secretary nominee, says group of current and former school board leaders
MONTPELIER – At a Statehouse press conference this morning, a group of current and former school board leaders urged the Senate to vote “no” on confirming Gov. Phil Scott’s pick for education secretary and to take a stand against the governor’s privatization agenda.
“Vermont’s public education system, a cornerstone of our democracy and enshrined in our constitution, is under unprecedented strain. Instead of taking the lead to ensure that over 80,000 Vermont students are provided a strong, vibrant and world-class public education system, Governor Scott has taken steps to erode local control and restrict funding of public schools while simultaneously allowing more money to flow to private and religious schools,” said Adrienne Raymond.
That the Senate Education is holding hearings on a candidate for Secretary of Education with minimal experience in public education should not come as a surprise. For years Governor Scott’s actions have signaled that he is not a champion of Vermont’s public education system:
- In 2014 Lt. Governor Scott calls for the elimination of local school boards in favor of a central board whose purpose is to regulate school costs.
- In 2016 when running for Governor, Phil Scott opposed the State Board of Education’s plan to apply the same rules to private and public schools stating the board “... should withdraw these rules and rewrite them to support, preserve and expand educational choice in Vermont. As governor, I’ll appoint board members who are open-minded about school choice and value the role it can play in growing our economy and retaining and recruiting more working-age families.”
- In 2017 Governor Scott voted “no” on his local Berlin school budget, set to increase by 3.28% due in part to an increase of 24 students over the prior year.
- In 2018, needing to appoint a new Secretary of Education, Governor Scott asked that the State Board “prioritize applicants who above all else have experience managing complex issues (not necessarily education)”. Foreshadowing current events, the Governor dragged his heels on engaging the State Board in the selection process.
- Again in 2018 after saying he was “very happy and impressed” with the fiscal discipline of school boards, the Governor suggested the state should claw back another $40 million from schools after budgets had already been approved.
- In 2019 the Governor proposed a plan to merge all of Vermont’s school systems into a single district, establish universal public and private school choice, remove local voter approval of school budgets and abolish the State Board of Education.
- In 2024, after nearly a year since the resignation of Dan French, Governor Scott selected Zoie Saunders, a for-profit charter school executive, to be Vermont’s next Secretary of Education.
In introducing their 4 point plan, Neil Odell stated “First, we request that the Senate decline the Governor’s selection for Secretary of Education. This will provide the Governor with the opportunity to revisit the search and selection process. With this opportunity he can reconfirm his strong support for public education in Vermont and make it clear to the State Board of Education that candidates with leadership experience are crucial but so too is a demonstrated knowledge and experience in our nation’s public school system with a firm grasp of Vermont’s rural character.”
Greg Hughes continued, “The Governor should immediately cease taxpayer money flowing to religious schools” noting that since last year the amount of taxpayer money flowing to religious schools has increased to over $1 million. Ken Fredette added that the Governor should partner with the Legislature to “pass legislation restoring school construction aid” and finished with a request to Governor Scott to “get out and visit our public schools. Go to a classroom. Walk through our buildings. Talk with educators and school administrators and understand what challenges they are facing in their schools.”
About Us
Friends of Vermont Public Education is a grassroots organization founded by a group of current and former school leaders from Vermont who are deeply concerned about the future of public education. Our mission is to ensure that the distribution of public money for education in Vermont is done in a manner that is consistent with our state and federal constitutions. All schools that receive public funding must agree to comply with the state’s public school rules and regulations. Together with communities across the state we hope to elevate the great work that schools and school boards are doing to maintain a vibrant, successful and high quality public education system.
Geo Honigford
former board member from South Royalton and past president of the VSBA
Greg Hughes
former board member from Bethel
Neil Odell
current board member in Norwich and past president of the VSBA
Adrienne Raymond
former board member from Shrewsbury and past board member of the VSBA
Ken Fredette
former board member from Wallingford and past president of the VSBA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 27TH, 2024
CONTACT:
Josh Wronski
Director, Vermont Progressive Party
[email protected]
(518)810-6978
THE VERMONT PROGRESSIVE PARTY OPPOSES THE APPOINTMENT OF ZOIE SAUNDERS
MONTPELIER, VT: On Wednesday, the Vermont Progressive Party issued the following statement opposing the appointment of Zoie Saunders as Secretary of Education:
"The Vermont Progressive Party opposes the recent appointment of Zoie Saunders as Secretary of the Agency of Education by Governor Phil Scott. Saunders' background in for-profit charter schools and her 3 month tenure in Broward County Public Schools in Florida raise serious doubts about her suitability for the role. Not only does she lack the requisite experience in public education, but her track record demonstrates a propensity for policies that undermine rather than strengthen public schools.
"Saunders' appointment aligns with Governor Scott's agenda of defunding our public education system. Vermonters must unite to oppose such actions and advocate for leadership that truly prioritizes the needs of all students and the vitality of our public schools.
"It is imperative that we hold our elected officials accountable and demand a Secretary of Education who is committed to investing in our public schools. Vermonters deserve an equitable, excellent, and inclusive public education system. The future of our children and the strength of our communities depend on it."
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