Agenda for a World Class Education
In 2012, the VSBA partnered with the Vermont Superintendents Association to develop the Agenda for a World-Class Education System.
Our new economy calls for creative, highly skilled graduates who are proficient in literacy, science, math, critical thinking, - and no less important – the arts. That’s a tall order, but one we cannot and must not shy away from. Every Vermont child deserves a world-class education.
Our Agenda has five pillars:
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Assuring Success for Every Student through universal access to pre-K, high expectations for every child, greater focus on student mastery through authentic assessment and real-life learning experiences, a personalized learning plan for all students, and partnerships with higher-education, business, and community so that students can access rigorous and relevant learning experiences beyond the four walls of the school.
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Supporting a New Vision for Teaching and Learning by fostering a teaching profession that prepares, attracts, supports and retains committed teachers and by creating working conditions that support creativity, flexibility, innovation and collaboration. Our teacher preparation and licensure systems must be aligned with this new vision, and the traditional collective bargaining framework, essentially unchanged in Vermont since 1969, must be revised in order to best respond to contemporary expectations for education.
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Engaging and Supporting Families and Communities through creating effective connections between families and schools and by establishing strong partnerships between human services and education systems.
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Delivering and Using World-Class Technology by ensuring that all schools have high-speed broadband connectivity, all students have access to learning devices, and all teachers are comfortable and supported in using technology to foster student learning in authentic and engaging ways.
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Providing Effective Leadership through a focus on attracting high quality educational leaders, having clear roles for board members and administrators, and requiring training for superintendents and boards. To make better decisions on behalf of students, boards, administrators and teachers will need timely data, and strong support from a highly capable Agency of Education and State Board.
We cannot, in this era of global competition and rapidly changing economic conditions, be content with a good education system. As Vermonters, we need to commit to creating a world-class system of education that meets the needs of every Vermont child. It is a process with global scope and implications that begins right here in our own back yard.