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VSBA Governmental Relations Network More Important Than Ever
As I have said many times when speaking with VSBA members this summer and fall, I believe Act 82 is a startling indication that the quality of Vermont’s public schools is, for the first time in my 35 year experience in the field of education in Vermont, in real danger of being compromised in the interest of state-level partisan politics. The VSBA must be prepared to make itself heard on behalf of Vermont’s students and communities in the immediate future. If we are not able to meet this challenge, I fear that we will become observers of the slow dismantling of one of the nation’s most successful public education systems.
The legislative session that will convene in January is certain to give serious consideration to proposals that could have long lasting effects on our public education system. Among the topics we expect to be on the legislative agenda in January are these:
Whether or not you support mandated school district consolidation, supervisory union budget votes, construction aid cutbacks or "think twice" budget votes, I think you will agree that these are all subjects that simply can not be considered without the active involvement of school boards. The question we face is how to ensure that school boards are heard (and their views respected) by state policy makers in both the executive and legislative branches of state government.
For the past four years, we have used our Governmental Relations Network or "GRN" as our primary means of communicating with board members during legislative sessions. Members of the GRN receive regular legislative bulletins and updates during the session, and are occasionally asked to make contacts with their local legislators on specific legislative issues. We have found the GRN to be effective. For the most part, GRN members have told us that they appreciate the information they get from us, and they find that it helps them to be prepared for discussions with their legislative representatives.
In the past, we have asked each board to appoint one member as its GRN representative. While this process has yielded a core of 60 or so GRN participants, it has fallen short of meeting our need to have a designated contact on EVERY board in the state. This year we have therefore decided to change the way we identify GRN members. We are still asking each board to identify one or more its members as GRN representatives. Until we hear from boards with the names and email addresses of their designees, however, we will assume that the board chair will be each board’s GRN representative. We will also willingly add to our GRN list the name of any board member, whether or not he or she has been designated by his or her board as its "official" representative. This will allow us to communicate with all of the school boards in the state as soon as the legislature returns to Montpelier in January.
I can assure you that we will not fill GRN members’ email boxes with unnecessary messages. Depending on how the legislative session progresses, a GRN member might receive one email message a week, usually with updates on the issues being discussed in legislative committees and with information about upcoming hearings or related events. We only ask that GRN members keep their boards informed about the information they receive from us and that they let us know how they and their boards feel about various issues.
I know that you have a very difficult job as board members without the additional burden of involving yourself in state policy making. If I did not feel that this is absolutely necessary, I would not be sending this message. I can assure you that the VSBA Board of Directors and the VSBA staff will work tirelessly in the coming months to represent the interests of public education in Montpelier. I know that we can be successful, but experience has shown us that real success will depend on you and your fellow board members as well as those of us who work in Montpelier.
Registration for GRN membership is easy. Just go to this link on our website to let us know that you want to be on our GRN list: http://www.vtvsba.org/legis/grn.html. If you can not access our webpage, simply call our office and ask to be added to the GRN list. If you have questions about the GRN or any of VSBA’s advocacy activities, feel free to contact me. I can be reached at 802-223-3580 and by email at jnelson@vtvsba.org.
