Update Archives:
April 7, 2009
February 10, 2009
February, 2009 op ed
January 18, 2009
October 30, 2008
September 27, 2008
September 23, 2008
September 9, 2008
August 8,
2008
April 13, 2008
April
6, 2008
March 7, 2008
February 29, 2008
February
1, 2008
January 17, 2008
January 2, 2008
December 12, 2007
October 26,
2007
October 1, 2007
June 5,
2007
May 18, 2007
May 8, 2007
April 24, 2007
March 26,2007
Feb. 22, 2007
Dec. 22, 2006
Nov. 29, 2006
Oct. 24, 2006
Oct. 10, 2006
Oct. 1, 2006
Sept. 15, 2006
July 19, 2006
May 23, 2006
April 15, 2006
April 12, 2006
April 9, 2006
March 9, 2006
Feb. 24, 2006
Feb. 7, 2006
Jan. 8, 2006
Dec. 15, 2005
Nov. 29, 2005
Nov. 9, 2005
Oct., 2005
Sept. 5, 2005
June 28, 2005
May 10, 2005
April 25, 2005
|
Amy Werbel Thank you for visiting my school commissioner webpage, and for your interest in the public schools and school board in Burlington, Vermont. For more information, please visit the Burlington school district homepage: www.bsdvt.org Comments expressed on this website are mine alone, and do not constitute official Board policies or statements. |
 |
_________________________________________________________________________________
June 1, 2009
Dear neighbors,
As graduations and children’s summer vacations near, the School Board has been busy moving forward with pieces of our master plan, continuing with our normal committee work, and monitoring the budget mess in Montpelier with a great deal of concern. On the first, happier notes, I believe we are making substantial progress towards financing the first phase of accessibility in the Edmunds complex. No contracts are ready to sign, but I believe the pieces are falling into place for the first renovations to begin in a year or so. I will keep you updated as plans become more firm, and also to let you know of any help we may need from community members.
On another happy note, Champlain school 4/5 teacher Colleen Cowell recently received a Heritage award from the Vermont Folklife Center and Vermont Life Magazine for her wonderful work with Champlain kids to study our community and generate ideas for civic improvement. Next year, Colleen and Betsy Patrick will pilot an integrated science classroom for third graders at Champlain, which we hope will be a model for improved science education across the District. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication, Colleen and Betsy.
The Board met for a retreat two weeks ago and mapped out the year ahead. The curriculum committee, which I chair, has its calendar and dates set for the year. Please feel free to look through and let me know any questions you may have about the topics – or just come to our meeting at the Ira Allen building on Colchester Avenue.
Our biggest area of concern, as always, is the budget. If the Governor’s plan to shift teacher retirement costs to the Education Fund somehow passes, Burlington schools will be severely impacted. Superintendent Collins and Commissioner Bernie O’Rourke testified in Montpelier last week in opposition to the Governor’s plan. Right now, listening to the dialogue on state education funding is a bit like waiting for the news about swine flu – could be a catastrophe, could be just a mild bout of fever.
So many things that are up in the air right now have the potential to cause significant problems for our schools – the State budget, stimulus funds that don’t materialize, upcoming teacher contract negotiations, to name a few. I am grateful to have such a wonderful Board (and Ward) to work with as we face what may be a very challenging year ahead. As always, feel free to write to me with any questions or concerns you may have.
Enjoy the peonies,
Amy Werbel
Ward 5 School Commissioner
12 Catherine Street
awerbel@bsdvt.org
www.amywerbel.info
__________________________________________________________________
About my service on the school board: As Chair of the Curriculum Committee, I am an active advocate for enriched arts education and all initiatives that inspire children by nurturing their creativity, curiosity, idealism and multicultural awareness. I am honored that the Burlington Education Association awarded me the 2006 People's Choice Award for Outstanding School Commissioner.
Brief Bio: I grew up in New York City, where I attended my neighborhood elementary school and then a magnet public middle and high school. After graduation from Harvard in 1986, I worked in museums for a few years and then earned a Ph.D. in art history from Yale in 1996. My two sons who are 15 and 11 attend Burlington High School and Champlain Elementary School. I moved to Vermont in 1994 to take a job teaching art history at St. Michael's College. My specialties are American, African, and African Diaspora art, in addition to special topics courses which focus on Vermont art and/or architecture. My students often construct websites as final projects-their website on Fort Ethan Allen won the Bryan Award from the Center for Research on Vermont. The website on African art is pretty cool as well: http://academics.smcvt.edu/africanart and http://academics.smcvt.edu/africanart3 . Information about my work as a professor can be found on my St. Michael's College homepage. After ten years in the Old North End of Burlington, I moved to Catherine Street in February, 2003. It has been a great pleasure to represent my South End neighbors on the Burlington School Board since 2005.
I write often about the Board, and all those neighborhood updates are posted to the left. Please feel free to check those out, and/or to write to me with any comments and questions you may have at: awerbel at bsdvt.org . Amy