Gleason read a resolution of appreciation to Wilburn. The Board members thanked her for

her work on the State Board of Education. Wilburn shared her plans following graduation.

She will attend Lesley College in the fall and hopes to become an immigration lawyer or a

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator in schools.

Chair Samuelson provided a brief background on Act 67, an act relating to equitable access

to a high-quality education through community schools. The act awarded funds to five

recipients to develop and pilot Community Schools models. These schools serve as resource

hubs that provide a broad range of easily accessed and well-coordinated supports and

services that help students and their families with increasingly complex needs. She

introduced Elaine Collins, Superintendent of North Country Supervisory Union, and

Samantha Stevens, Community Schools Coordinator.

Collins began and provided context on the North Country Supervisory Union, including that it

to are improvements to chronic absenteeism and disengagement from school, and the work

of schools has become more integral.

Stevens said she appreciates the supervisory union for providing for student needs that are

essential to children coming to school. She began her work as the McKinney-Vento

Coordinator and sees her position as one that reduces social barriers to learning. She shared

this presentation and reviewed this document. She reviewed the 5 Pillars of Vermont

Community Schools, work is further supported by a Bernie Sanders Earmark Grant that

supports the Family Resource Center at the high school, the Encore Afterschool and Summer

Program, and a program that includes a service-learning component. She stressed the

sources once the Community Schools Grant ends, needing measurable long-term data to

show positive outcomes, visioning commission work, how the State Board supports this work,

the real cost of education, and possible contributions from the Agency of Human Services.

Chair Samuelson said the Special Education Advisory Panel (SEAP) was formed to provide

guidance with respect to special education and related services for children with disabilities

across the state. Katie Ballard, Chair of SEAP, provides updates to the State Board. Today’s

update will touch on critical staff shortages in special education, transition services, and a

letter to be developed.

performance plan and ensures that IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) is being

implemented as written. She unpacked the role of the paraprofessional, documented unmet

needs, and said SEAP continues to be concerned with critical staff shortages. She shared a

sampling of concerns from Vermont Administrators regarding the shortage in 2022. Some of

these concerns are LEA (Local Education Agency) IDEA budgets are sparse, pay equity,

feeling supported, complicated case load management, special education mentoring

program, workload and planning time, lack of collaboration between general education and

special education, challenging behavior around trauma and mental health, lack of

implementation of Vermont MTSS (multi-tiered systems of support), streamlining paperwork,

and elevating the role of paraprofessionals.

partnerships, positive school climate, leadership and quality curriculum, collaboration with

LEAs, colleges and government agencies, think-tanks with paraprofessionals,

paraprofessional pathways funding, housing incentives, Praxis exams, training and

professional development that extends to parents, higher education improvements, local

resource mapping, and responding to and understanding learning loss. Next steps include

forming partnerships and developing action plans.

Willis-Doxsee, State Director of Special Education, addressed the State Board, and shared

some of the priorities at the AOE. These included being a CEEDAR state, supporting

paraprofessionals on becoming licensed educators, initiative to support principals and holding

be released letter.

Lovett provided background information on The Center for Cartoon Studies. Lovett moved

that the State Board of Education renews The Center for Cartoon Studies’ Certificate of

Degree-Granting Authority to offer a Master of Fine Arts and renews a Certificate of Approval

to permit The Center for Cartoon Studies to offer credit-bearing courses leading to a

Certificate in Cartooning for a period of five (5) years commencing on May 15, 2024, and

ending May 31, 2029. Gleason seconded. After discussion, the motion carried.

Chair Samuelson said that, earlier in the year, the AOE sent a Technical Assistance (TA)

reviewed the elements of the ISTA form including enrollment policy, student facing

application, a series of checks for state law safety compliance, school record retention policy,

and elements of Rule 2229. Simmons shared that the AOE required assurances that the

Advocacy Day at the Statehouse to get youth to meet and make connections with others that

are doing the work of being anti racist and encouraging other people join in that effort. One

hundred students were in attendance. Lentzner said that, throughout the year, VSARN was

doing both the book campaign and the Let Me Be Great campaign. They visited 30 schools

and offered presentations on different books for the younger students and suggestions on

Lentzner said that summer plans include listening tours to see what students need and to

craft a new bill for the General Assembly’s (GA) consideration around education reform.

VSARN members are hoping to go to parks and libraries and attend events to spread their

message and involve more community members.

Chair Samuelson extended an open invitation to VSARN to provide updates on its work to the

State Board of Education.

Chair Samuelson asked Gleason to take a first pass at what should remain with the State

Board and what should go to the Agency and forward that document to the Roles and

Responsibilities Committee for its discussion and consideration. Gleason suggested

continuing this discussion at the retreat. Discussion followed regarding the Commission’s

charge and how it might affect the timing and content of the Board’s work on this topic.

Chair Samuelson said the Governor hoped the GA would pass a bill that would consider

updates to Career and Technical Education (CTE). The bill did not make it through, but the

the resources and expertise at the initial drafting phase since, if the initial draft is in a solid

place, then there is likely less need for refinement, and maximizing public input. This shared

approach could maximize and leverage resources of both entities. She added that the AOE is

Chair Samuelson asked Wilburn if she would share reflections on her time on the State Board

of Education. Wilburn confirmed she would be willing to share. The June meeting may also

include an update from the Otter Valley Unified Union School District regarding their board

composition and an update from the EQS Subcommittee report pertaining to the Ethnic

Studies Standards Framework submitted by the Act 1 Working Group.