October 28, 2010

Dear neighbors, 

I am writing to firmly endorse Peter Shumlin for Governor of Vermont.  As a School Commissioner for the past five years, I have watched as our Republican administration has utterly misunderstood the importance of public education for our economic future, as well as the best practices that could lead us to make Vermont schools both better and more efficient.  The Douglas administration ignored and refused to tackle the massive problems in education funding that can only be addressed at the State level -- cost shifts from underfunded social services, a lack of incentive for small schools and districts to consolidate, the need for a statewide approach to teacher contracts, and above all, some serious trimming of the hundreds of pages of expensive mandates we are required to adhere to -- no matter their cost.  Brian Dubie has proposed the same artless, facile, and uninformed plan we have seen from Douglas -- "just cut 2 percent."  Shumlin has proposed trimming budgets with a scalpel and not a saw – adding significant incentives for consolidation while maintaining local control.  I believe that he will understand that a District such as ours, which has a rising population of students, can not be held to the same percentage of cuts as schools with significantly declining enrollment, thus producing the type of inequitable funding we saw prior to the Brigham decision. 

Neighbors – Chittenden County will be critical in this close election.  Please vote, get your neighbors out to vote, and choose Peter Shumlin on behalf of our kids and their future.

See you at the polls!

Amy Werbel
Ward 5 School Commissioner
12 Catherine Street
awerbel@bsdvt.org
http://www.amywerbel.info