Current News

VermontBiz On Wednesday, Boston Globe published an article titled “New England schools are failing — and nobody seems to care.” At the Agency of Education, we know that Vermonters do care about the quality of our schools. However, we need to acknowledge some difficult truths, so we can move forward with honesty, humility, and purpose.

Vermont’s education system is at the center of Globe staff writer Christopher Huffaker’s exploration of the “Northern nosedive” — a significant decline in academic outcomes across New England that predates the Covid-19 pandemic and stands in contrast to literacy gains in Mississippi and Louisiana, two of the nation’s poorest states. “No state fell as far in early reading over the last decade as Vermont,” Huffaker writes. “But leadership in New England has shown limited interest in truly confronting the region’s decline.”

VermontBiz Norwich University’s John and Mary Frances Patton Peace and War Center (PAWC) hosted the 2025 Strategic Security Seminar this past weekend, bringing NATO officers, senior enlisted leaders, alumni, and scholars to The Hill for a high-level examination of NATO’s reserve forces in times of crisis and war. With the theme “NATO and its Reserves in Times of Crisis and War,” the seminar reflected Norwich’s enduring mission to educate leaders prepared to confront the most urgent challenges of their time.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine South Burlington-based BETA Technologies, Inc on September 29, 2025, applied to the Securities and Exchange Commission to take the electric aircraft company public. BETA has many components to the company that features its electric aircraft with conventional and vertical takeoff options. “We are redefining the aerospace industry,” BETA states in the prospectus. “We have developed an electric aircraft platform and propulsion systems that are positioned to transform the aviation industry forward into a new phase of growth. We design, manufacture and sell high-performance electric aircraft, advanced electric propulsion systems, charging systems and components. Further, we have invested in the underlying infrastructure of this breakthrough technology, which is critical to bringing electric aviation to life. We believe we have developed a differentiated presence in North America and are well positioned to expand globally."

by Doug Gilman, UVM UVM educator licensure programs have been honored by the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The prestigious Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement Award celebrates programs that achieve CAEP accreditation through demonstrated excellence in preparing future educators. National accreditation reflects the College’s mission to uphold the highest standards of quality and innovation in educator preparation, ensuring graduates are exceptionally well-equipped to make an impact in classrooms and communities nationwide.

Vermont Business Magazine Girls on the Run Vermont will host its annual fall benefit, The Sneaker Soirée, on Saturday, October 18th at Burlington Beer Company from 6-10pm. A fundraiser like no other, the Sneaker Soiree will surely be the most comfortable cocktail party in town. Suggested attire is semi-formal and of course… your favorite sneakers! This 18+ event will be held in BBCO’s Lumiere Hall event space. Check out an incredible Silent Auction packed full of fantastic getaways, lift tickets to VT ski resorts, spa treatments, yoga packages, custom artwork, and tons of additional incredible items and experiences! 

Vermont Business Magazine Members of the Plainfield community came together Wednesday, September 17th for the second step of the Plainfield Forward resilient communities process and set two concrete and actionable priorities for the future of the town. All area residents, including those displaced from the 2023 and 2024 floods, are encouraged to sign up for these priority groups online at Plainfield Forward and will meet on Thursday, October 16th. As part of the Resilient Communities process, community members discussed and prioritized a list of 24 ideas and opportunities for action that were brainstormed in the first phase of the process on July 28th. Through a two-round voting process, Plainfield residents identified two top priorities. 

Vermont Business Magazine Looking for a meaningful job that pays the bills? Want to meet entrepreneurs building successful Vermont-based businesses? You’ll find both at the Vermont Tech Jam on Saturday, October 25, at Hula in Burlington. The free event, organized by Seven Days and presented by Hula and Marvell, runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is followed by a keynote presentation. Dozens of recruiters from some of Vermont’s largest and most innovative employers will be scouting for talent at the Tech Jam, including Beta Technologies, Colchester-based VIP, South Burlington’s OnLogic and Dynapower. 

VermontBiz Many Vermonters with Medicare Advantage Plans received cancellation notices effective at the end of 2025. Affected beneficiaries should carefully review and save their cancellation letter, which provides information on how and when to timely enroll in a new plan.

Vermont’s five Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) administer the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (“SHIP”), offering free, unbiased, and confidential health insurance counseling, including assistance with Medicare Plan changes, for individuals, their families, and caregivers during annual open enrollment.

VermontBiz Treasurer Pieciak recently led a coalition of state fiscal officers challenging the continued inclusion of Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) in the influential Russell 3000 Index. The joint letter calls for stronger safeguards to protect market integrity and ensure the index reflects sound financial fundamentals. 

Financial leaders cited TMTG's dramatic stock decline – losing more than half its value since index inclusion and nearly three-quarters from its peak – along with negligible revenues, extreme volatility, and governance concerns as evidence that the company undermines the index's credibility. 

VermontBiz The Bennington Battle Monument’s elevator is officially back in operation. Visitors can now purchase tickets that will take them 200 feet up to the observation deck to enjoy commanding sights of fall foliage. From the tallest man-made building in Vermont, sights span the town of Bennington and beyond into Massachusetts, New York, the Adirondacks, and the Green Mountains.

The Bennington Battle Monument commemorates a pivotal victory for American forces on the New England front of the American Revolution. On August 16, 1777, Vermont’s Green Mountain Boys, the New Hampshire Militia, and volunteers from Massachusetts defeated British troops charged with capturing provisions stored at the Bennington military supply depot. This is the site where the monument stands today.

VermontBiz The Vermont Department of Public Safety and the State Police Advisory Commission today are releasing the latest semiannual detailed summary of internal investigations involving members of the Vermont State Police.

The release of these synopses provides greater transparency, public awareness, and oversight to the activities of the Vermont State Police, while balancing requirements regarding internal investigations and the need to have internal investigations completed before public dissemination.

A report attached to this statement contains synopses of the four investigations that came before SPAC from July 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2024. Two of the investigations arose as the result of a concern raised internally by members of the Vermont State Police, and the other two were in accordance with routine procedure.

VermontBiz Today, The University of Vermont Libraries’ Silver Special Collections Library, celebrated a newly acquired and exciting collection now available to researchers – the Vermont Public Interest Research Group’s (VPIRG) historic archives. Stewardship of the collection preserves insights into VPIRG’s legacy of civic engagement and support of the democratic process in Vermont. The new collection was celebrated with remarks and a sneak peek on Wednesday October 1, at the Special Collections Library.

“It is so fitting that the UVM Special Collections Library will serve as keepers of the history and memories of this important Vermont advocacy group started by UVM students over 50 years ago,” said Bridget Burke, Director of Special Collections, “UVM began archiving VPIRG records in 1997. This addition of more than fifty boxes makes decades of VPIRG’s history of accessible advocacy available in the Libraries. We look forward to UVM and Vermont community members working with this collection and delving into the history of civic engagement in Vermont.”