Cavendish Update 4/27/18: Petition/News/Events

Bingo tonight, 6 pm at CTES.

CHECK THE CAVENDISH VT FACEBOOK PAGE DAILY FOR THE LATEST NEWS You don’t have to be a Facebook subscriber to see this page.

 4/27/18 Cavendish Update

1. Cavendish Related News

2. CTES/GMUSD: Principal Petition/CTES Board Meeting

3. Green Up Day

4. Events

1. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS

Celebrating Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn in Vermont: The Vermont Historical Society is partnering with the Cavendish Historical Society and the University of Vermont to celebrate the life and work of Russian novelist and historian Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn on what would be the 100th anniversary of his birth. Solzhenitsyn’s time in Vermont and its influence on his life and work will be explored in the exhibit, “Solzhenitsyn in Vermont” on view at the Vermont History Museum in Montpelier from May 17 to October 27, 2018 as well as through associated presentations and programming throughout the year. Press Release

Privacy and Social Media: As the state has honored the 100th anniversary of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s birth, Mary McCallum of Proctorsville, provided commentary on his need for privacy and how that might have changed if he were still alive. Her commentary can be heard at the VPR website. 

 Watch Your Speed: Three Towns Issue a Quarter of the State’s Traffic Fines: Law enforcement issued more than 24,000 tickets worth upwards of $4 million in fines to drivers in Vermont in 2017. A quarter were issued in just three Vermont towns: Plymouth, Bridgewater and Mount Tabor.  The top two towns, Plymouth and Bridgewater, have a couple of things in common. They both contract the Windsor County Sheriff's Department for speed enforcement services, and that department issues nearly three times as many tickets as any other law enforcement agency in the state. Woodstock, who many would have probably thought would have been in the top three, ranks 4th, Cavendish 41st and Chester 47th. VT Journal

2. CTES/GMUSD: Principal petition CTES Board Meeting: CTES Principal Petition: On April 19, in response to a failed attempt to hire a replacement for retiring principle George Thomson, a petition was started, As a resident in a community that is part of the Green Mountain Unified School District, I am signing this petition to ask the Board to immediately and publicly reinstate the position of Principal at Cavendish Town Elementary School to a permanent, full-time position, and to re-open the search for candidates for this position.”

 With over 200 signatures by Monday morning, April 23, an e-mail was sent to Meg Powden, Superintendent of the Two Rivers Supervisory Union (TRSU) informing her of the petition and requesting that she immediately reinstate the CTES principal position as Permanent and Full-Time, but If this is a GMUSD decision, we ask that you call an emergency GMUSD board meeting this week to approve of this change.

 Powden immediately responded that she would forward the e-mail to the GMUSD board chair, Marilyn Mahusky. To date, no meeting has been set. The next GMUSD board meeting is on May 8, 6 pm at Green Mountain Union High School (GMUHS).

The petition is still available for signifying at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/M3PHGHX Signatures will continue to be collected until the meeting with the GMUSD board.

CTES Board Meeting: The CTES board met on Tuesday April 24. While this was the annual organizational meeting, the elected board chair, Dr. Eugene Bont, noted that “it was a lot of fuss for nothing,” as the board ceases to exist after June 30th.  On July 1, the Green Mountain Unified School District (GMUSD) becomes the board for CTES, Chester Andover Elementary School and the GMUHS.

After a lengthy discussion, the board agreed to the formation of a Steering Committee to help the school deal with internal issues and to chart a course of action that works to insure the future of the school despite the many issues resulting from ACT 46 and the formation of the GMUSD.  A group of board members, teachers, parents and community are meeting to develop “by-laws” of how the Steering Committee will function, which will be presented at the May 15 board meeting.

The board also passed a motion requesting that “interim” be dropped from the search for the new principal for CTES.

Other news impacting education:

• Scott Administration Looks to Impose Student Ratios: The Scott administration introduced a new proposal Tuesday that sets a threshold student-to-staff ratio for schools. Schools that fail to meet the target would be fined. The statewide average student-to-staff ratio is 4 to 1. The Scott administration wants to set a threshold ratio of 5.15 to 1 for every school in Vermont. Some schools in Vermont currently have a 3 to 1 ratio; others have a 7 to 1 ratio. Under the proposal, districts that fall below the target would face fines that would be as much as $20,000 to $40,000, according to a formula from the Agency of Education that ties the penalty to the ratio threshold. The plan would go into effect in 2020, giving school districts time to find ways to cut staff without hurting students. Nearly 1,000 school staff statewide would be laid off over a five-year period, under the plan, saving about $45 million. Exemptions to this would include bus drivers, cafeteria workers, operations staff, special educators and pre-K teachers. VT Digger

• Education Hole Balloons to $58 Million: The education fund gap is much higher than originally projected, legislative analysts say. The gap, which had been reported by the Scott administration to be $40 million, is actually $58.2 million. That’s because special education spending is higher than anticipated, and the governor, in his public statements, hasn’t take into account funding needed to fill statutorily required reserves. The state treasurer’s office has said that if the state does not fill its education fund reserves at the 5 percent level, the state’s credit rating could be downgraded. In order to cover the $58 million gap, the statewide property tax would need to go up by 7 cents, but Gov. Phil Scott has insisted on keeping the tax rate level. VT Digger

3. GREEN UP DAY AWAITS YOUR HELP: On the first Saturday in May, Cavendish will join hundreds of communities throughout Vermont to support the 48-year-old tradition of picking up roadside trash accumulated over the winter.  Green Up Day is a fun volunteer opportunity that unites communities, raises environmental consciousness and results in litter-free roads and town spaces for us all.  Thanks to moving the date to Saturdays, town-wide volunteer participation has climbed steadily in recent years. No special gear is required to join this family friendly event, just the desire to pitch in and clean up unsightly litter.  Come to the Proctorsville Green with friends and family on Saturday May 5 to pick up special green trash bags, protective gloves and your road assignment.  The big sweep begins at 9:00 a.m. and ends at noon with a free town-sponsored barbecue on the Proctorsville Green, where hot dogs and hamburgers will be on the grill.  In case of a downpour, Green Up Day will be on Saturday May 6, same time, same place.  For more information call Diane McNamara at the Town Office at 226-7292.  Join the thousands of Vermonters who care enough to keep our state beautiful by pitching in to gather the trash that has been pitched out!

4.  EVENTS

APRIL 27 (FRIDAY): Bingo, CTES at 6 pm

APRIL 28 (SATURDAY) : National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Note that the Ludlow Police Department and the Ludlow Pharmacy offer year round Med Drop Boxes.

APRIL 30 (MONDAY) : Green Mountain Unified School District and Ludlow/Mt Holly Unified School District Policy Meeting; 5-6:30 at CTES.

MAY 1 (TUESDAY): HAPPY MAY DAY

• Community Luncheon, noon, Gethsemane Church, off Depot Street in Proctorsville. All are welcome.  The menu is ham, potatoes, veggies and dessert from the first graders.  

MAY 3 (THURSDAY): TRSU Executive Committee, 5:30-7:30 at TRSU Roost

For information on upcoming events, go to the Cavendish Connects Calendar. For area events, check the Okemo Valley Chamber of Commerce calendar.  

IF YOU READ THIS PLEASE HELP SUPPORT CAVENDISH CONNECTS

Breaking News: CTES Principal Petition

In response to a failed attempt to secure an “interim” principal for the Cavendish Town Elementary School, a petition was started last Thursday, April 19 to request that the position be posted as full time and permanent, thereby increasing the likelihood that a viable candidate will be found before the start of the 2018-2019 school year.

This morning the following e-mail was sent to Meg Powden, superintendent of the Two Rivers Supervisory Union.

Meg Powden,

In response to the lack of effective candidates brought to the Cavendish community in the search of the interim CTES principal, along with the outcome of the only remaining candidate not accepting the offer, we are asking you as the Superintendent to immediately reinstate the CTES principal position as Permanent and Full-Time.

We released a petition online as well as within local business and town offices in Cavendish, Chester, Baltimore, and Andover, which asks people to sign if they align to this statement:

“As a resident in a community that is part of the Green Mountain Unified School District, I am signing this petition to ask the Board to immediately and publicly reinstate the position of Principal at Cavendish Town Elementary School to a permanent, full-time position, and to re-open the search for candidates for this position.”

After only a few days, we have over 200 signatures and counting.  With each passing day, the groundswell of those adding their names to the petition grows.  Reinstating a permanent principal position is clearly the will of the voters.

The role of principal is critical to promoting a sense of community; consistency for parents, students and teachers; excellence in education; and minimizing the negative effects of the changes our district has seen with the Act46 consolidation.

You have the chance to gain the support of the community by doing what we know is right for our school and our town.  Therefore, we request that you immediately change the job posting to full-time and permanent, dropping “interim”.

If this is a GMUSD decision, we ask that you call an emergency GMUSD board meeting this week to approve of this change. 

Regards,

Denise Reilly-Hughes

Margo Caulfield

Carolyn Solzhenitsyn

Sara Stowell

Sara Cook

Abraham Gross

Amanda Gross

Kevin Hughes

Julia Gignoux

Ignat Solzhenitsyn

Robert Naess

Powden has replied that she has forwarded this request to GMUSD Chairmen  Marilyn Mahuskey

Cavendish Update 4/20/18: CTES/Petition/News

CHECK THE CAVENDISH VT FACEBOOK PAGE DAILY FOR THE LATEST NEWS You don’t have to be a Facebook subscriber to see this page.

 4/20/18 Cavendish Update

1. CTES/GMUSD: This Effects All of Us

2. Cavendish Related News

3. Events

1. CTES/GMUSD: THIS EFFECTS ALL OF US: If it feels like the school is dominating the news, it is. However, it’s important because, “as your school goes, so goes your town.”

Cavendish Town Elementary School (CTES) is an integral part, the heart of the community, and it serves multiple functions beyond educating children. It’s our meeting place, where we go for shelter during emergencies, where we vote, hold plays, recreate and much more. it’s also considered a “small school,” because its census hovers around 100 students. In the Act 46 climate, and the push for mergers and redistricting, small schools have reason to be concerned about their viability.

With the retirement of the current principal taking place in June, the school’s future has come into focus. Since Cavendish is now part of the Green Mountain Unified School District (GMUSD), which answers to the Two Rivers Supervisory Union (TRSU), the decision about a CTES principal is being made by the 11 member GMUSD board, which has only three Cavendish representatives. If you have questions about this, please read Understanding School Structure or Why is the GMUSD Picking Our Principal?

Initially, the TRSU informed Cavendish that the district was moving  to a model where a dean of students would be responsible for day to day operations at both CTES and the Chester Andover Elementary School (CAES), with both reporting to the current principal of CAES. In response to both protests by the Cavendish community and the fact that replacing a principal with two dean of students was a more costly option, the TRSU decided that while they worked on a game plan, an interim principal for CTES could be recruited for one year.

In the last several weeks the “interim” principal has become an extremely problematic issue.

Members of the search committee were quite clear with the GMUSD board on Tuesday evening, where one of the primary agenda items was to interview and select a CTES interim principal, that having the term “interim” in the job description significantly limited the field of candidates. Further, the two people that were interviewed in the “Interim Principal forum,” which took place at CTES the week before, shouldn’t be considered a recommendation by the search committee, but rather the best of the applicants who had applied.

As it turned out, after the community forum, one candidate, Joe Smith withdrew his name.

For many in Cavendish, Tuesday night’s interim principal’s vote by the GMUSD board was an eye opener. Despite a significant number of people in the audience, with several key attendees asking that the search be re posted for a full time principal, not interim, the board went ahead and voted to offer the position to the remaining candidate, Madeline Carlock for $80,000 plus benefits.

On Wednesday morning, Carlock, declined the offer, stating that she didn’t feel comfortable accepting a position when she knew she didn’t have the community’s support.

The GMUSD vote was 5 to 3, with the dissenting votes from Cavendish representatives Doug McBride and Kate Lamphere and Chester representative Mike Studin. Cavendish’s third representative, Fred Marin voted in favor of the candidate. However, it wouldn’t have made a difference if Marin had cast his vote with his fellow town representatives, since other towns were determining the fate of CTES.

Now, more than ever, a permanent principal at CTES is needed. Given the current and continually changing climate of Act 46, to keep CTES a viable school, a strong advocate as well as leader, is needed. For CTES to move forward in its efforts to not only maintain but to expand on its tradition of excellence, a principal who is vested in the community and school, not just passing through, is crucial.

To assist the search committee in finding qualified applicants, a petition has been started to ask the GMUSD to drop the interim and advertise for a principal.

If you are interested in signing petition, please go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/M3PHGHX This petition can also be signed in person at the Cavendish Town Office and, starting next Tuesday, at Crows Bakery in Proctorsville.

Data will be provided to the GMUSD board only and will not be shared elsewhere.

Below are a series of articles pertaining to education that have been published this week. . Please take the time to educate yourself on the school issues, as it impacts the future of the town.

• Understanding School Structure or Why is the GMUSD Picking Our Principal?

• GM Board Splits, but Hires Interim CTES Principal: In addition to agreeing to hire an Interim principal for CTES, the board also voted to approve a budget to bring to the voters on May 22, with an informational meeting on May 16. The budget, that was defeated in March, was for $12,547,513 or $15,659 per pupil cost. The revised GMUSD budget is $12,532,143 or $15,637 per pupil. In the end, the $15,370 savings from the first budget to the second is less than the cost of educating one pupil. Chester Telegraph

• Cavendish Interim Principal Pick says No Chester Telegraph

• CTES Interim Principal Candidates Shake Cavendish Community VT Journal

• Small Schools Could take big hit if state changes grant policy: Lawmakers want to change how the state’s small school grants are administered. Small schools are eligible for a small schools grant if the average enrollment is less than 100 or if the average grade size is 20 or fewer. CTES currently meets this standard. Started in the late 1990s, when VT moved to a statewide education tax, as more VT schools move toward consolidation, there have been some questions raised about continuing the grants. The State Board of Education will be making decisions about the grants prior to July 1. The new rules will go into place before the 2019 school year. VPR

• Vermont School Safety Assessment Released: In response to the alleged plot to shoot up Fair Haven Union High School, Gov. Phil Scott called for a safety review of all Vermont schools. The results were released Thursday. Law enforcement evaluated 422 schools, that's 95 percent of all schools in the state. Findings included: 96 percent of schools surveyed take part in some emergency preparedness activity; 44 percent have not communicated with families about what to do during an emergency at school; 45 percent don't have a family reunification plan.; 21 percent have a school resource officer; 64 percent have reliable cellphone coverage on school grounds. The full report is available from the VT Dept. Of Public Safety VT School Safety Center

2. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS

Work on Route 131: Resurface VT 103 in Rockingham, Chester, Cavendish, Ludlow, Mt. Holly, Wallingford, Shrewsbury and Clarendon beginning at the US 5/VT 103 intersection in Rockingham and extending northerly 42.036 MI to the VT. 103/US 7 intersection in Clarendon. This project includes milling of the existing road surface, pot hole repair, crack sealing where necessary, hot-in-place recycling, paving, milled rumble strips and line striping. This is a maintenance project designed to extend the life of the roadway and prevent further deterioration. Alternating one-way traffic patterns will be in effect along the length of the project. The traveling public can expect minor delays in these areas. Construction takes place from April 30 to Oct. 2018 FMI: Natalie Boyle, 802-855-3893 or nboy@eivtech.com

Installation of a New Traffic Signal at VT 100/103: A new traffic sign is being installed at the junction of routes 100 N and 103 in Ludlow. This project is currently underway. Expect changes in traffic patterns. FMI: Patricia Coburn 802-828-6980 or patti.coburn@vermont.gov

 GMP Customers Could Pay Less in 2019: The utility filed for a rate increase to cover the cost of doing business. But at the same time, GMP wants to kick cash back to ratepayers that it is getting thanks to those federal tax cuts. If regulators approve the plan, GMP customers would see an overall rate decrease of 0.5 percent in 2019. WCAX

Ludlow Talc Plant at Center of $117 Million Contaminated Baby Powder Case: Pharmaceuticals giant Johnson & Johnson and a company that supplied it with talc from mines in Vermont have been ordered to pay a combined $117 million in damages after a jury found their popular baby powder product contained asbestos that caused cancer. Imerys Talc America is a San Jose-based company with a location in Ludlow and calls itself the “world’s leading talc producer.” VT Digger

‘American Pickers" will film in Vermont very soon! The hosts are looking for people in our area with unique antique collections and interesting stories behind them. They are looking for large unique collections, interesting multi-generational family properties, or anywhere the guys can spend the better part of a day picking good stuff, get in touch ASAP! Sorry, no retail shops or single items. Please call or e mail 1-855-OLD-RUST (653-7878), or  AmericanPickers@cineflix.com.

3. EVENTS

APRIL 24 (TUESDAY): CTES Reorganizational & Regular Meeting at CTES 5:30-7 pm at the

For information on upcoming events, go to the Cavendish Connects Calendar. For area events, check the Okemo Valley Chamber of Commerce calendar.  

IF YOU READ THIS PLEASE HELP SUPPORT CAVENDISH CONNECTS

Understanding School Structure or Why is the GMUSD Picking Our Principal?

The following post aims to help clarify why there is a Green Mountain Unified School District (GMUSD) hiring the principal for the Cavendish Town Elementary School (CTES) and not the CTES board.

Supervisory Unions: In Vermont, all public schools are part of a “supervisory union” or district, which is basically the administrative layer between the local school and the State of VT’s Agency of Education. Starting in July 2015, and the passage of Act 46  the 151 school districts began to merge to create “unified districts” (UDs) To date there are now 34 unified school districts and 4 modified union school districts in the state. Agency of Education

Act 46 requires Unified Districts: Act 46 was created primarily for two reasons, a declining enrollment of students statewide and the spiraling costs of education. With increasing property taxes, and more school budgets failing, the legislators decided a course correction was needed. Act 46 of 2015 provides opportunities for school districts to unify existing disparate governance structures into sustainable systems of education delivery that are designed to meet identified State goals while recognizing and reflecting local priorities. The law required that over a four year period school districts would merge into larger units. Agency of Education Act 46

To encourage the creation of unified districts, both “carrots and sticks” were offered. There was a promise of tax breaks for those towns that joined and penalties-the state would assign what district you’d be in and small school grants would be withdrawn- if you didn’t merge.

Prior to Act 46/Creation of TRSU: Cavendish was once part of the Windsor South West Supervisory Union, which also included the towns of Chester, Andover and Londonderry. With changes in the Ludlow Supervisory Union, the Two Rivers Supervisory Union (TRSU) was formed to include the towns of Cavendish, Chester, Ludlow, Mt Holly and Plymouth. Londonderry went with Manchester.

Two Unified Districts Under TRSU: With the passage of  Act 46, it would have seemed logical for the TRSU to just become it’s own unified school district. However, the requirements under Act 46 mandated one high school for a unified district. Not only didn’t Ludlow residents want to give up Black River High School (BRHS) but many in Mt. Holly wanted to send their children to Mill River, which is closer to them than Green Mountain Union High School (GMUHS) in Chester.

Ultimately, two unified school districts were formed, and approved by the voters of their respective town, both of which are under the TRSU:

• Ludlow and Mt Holly created the Ludlow Mt Holly Unified School District (LMUSD) with Plymouth going with the Windsor Central Unified School District. BRHS will be closing in 2020. Ludlow Elementary will remain open, with school choice for grades 7-12.

• The towns of Baltimore, Cavendish, Chester, and Andover formed the Green Mountain Unified School District (GMUSD).

Who Oversees What: The following structure is now in place

• The TRSU oversees all schools in both the GMUSD and LMUSD. The TRSU is overseen by a board of representatives from the various towns.

• Individual school boards, e.g. CTES, cease to exist by June 30, 2018 and are currently meeting to finish any “unfinished” businesses. All decisions pertaining to an individual school are now made by the unified district board, which in Cavendish’s case is the GMUSD. They made the decision about the hiring of the GMUHS principal and are currently in the process of doing the same for CTES.

• The GMUSD board membership is as follows:

-       6 representatives from Chester

-       3 representatives from Cavendish

-       1 representative from Andover

-       1 representative from Baltimore

GMUSD Board Gets to Pick the CTES Principal: Recapping-because Cavendish, and consequently CTES, are now part of the GMUSD that board makes the decision about the principal.

Do we have any local control? The voters still determine budgets, attend board meetings and state their views, run for one of the board positions and maybe most helpful, volunteer to help your school.

What you do matters. As far as the principal for CTES, a lot of the community is concerned and they are demonstrating that via a petition. Through the hiring process for George Thomson's replacement (he is retiring in June), parents, community, teachers as well as the search committee have said that advertising for an "Interim" principal made it difficult to attract qualified applicants for the position. Many have voiced a need for a permanent principal, not a "dean of students" or even an "interim principal" as the TRSU would like. In order for CTES to move forward in its efforts to not only maintain but to expand on its tradition of excellence, a permanent principal is needed.

To assist the search committee in finding qualified applicants , a petition has been started to ask the Green Mountain Unified School District to drop the interim and just advertise for a principal. If you are interested in signing the petition, please go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/M3PHGHX

Data will be provided to the GMUSD board only and will not be shared elsewhere. This petition can also be signed in person at the Cavendish Town Office.