Participants:
Stakeholders: Laurie Courage, George Hall, Ann Ingerson, Mary Lou Issacson, Gayle Kroeger, Paula Masse, Anne Morse, Elinor Osborne, Leslie Rowell, Jen Schoen, Barb Strong, Bob Twiss, Abbey Volmer, Jeannine Young, Kent Young, Barbara Alexander, Marie Royer, June Cook(guest).
Steering Committee: Anne Volmer, Stark Biddle, Susan Houston, Harry Miller, Steve Moffatt, Tina Sweet
Facilitator: Heidi Krantz
1. Anne Volmer called the meeting to order at 6:30 pm. She introduced the panelists for the evening: Elaine Laine, Principal of Hazen Union; Betty LeRoy, former Principal at Craftsbury Academy, and Linda Aiken, Principal of the Middle School at Lakeview School.
2. All participants briefly introduced themselves.
3. Panel Presentation: (Note the following is intended as a brief overview of key points. It is not comprehensive or a verbatim transcript. Important points may have been left out or stated in a way that differs from intent.)
Elaine Laine
• Hazen Union would welcome students tuitioned in from Craftsbury and has adequate space to accommodate all comers.
• Hazen pays for busing services. (This needs to be double-checked.)
• Early transition is important and Hazen encourages transfer at the 7th grade level.
• Currently 9% of Hazen students (36) are tuitioned in from other Towns.
• Hazen is proud of its high academic performance and the rich diversity of programs that it offers. Several programs and awards were cited.
• Hazen has a student-centered culture and students take a lead in the planning of their education experience.
• Hazen focuses on “21st Century Skills” and has a “Vision 20/20 Long Range Plan."
Betty LeRoy
• Tuitioning out of students to another school is difficult and challenging. It will work for some students and not for others. It is essential to make sure there is an effective integration program in place.
• Parental participation at the Craftsbury Academy was wonderful. The tightness and community support is an important asset. The School is an important part of the community and tightly integrated with the community.
• But the Academy is small, resources are limited, and it is a real challenge to provide opportunities and a rich academic environment. Thus, creativity and imagination in curriculum design and program offerings are essential. As a former principal, the primary challenge for Craftsbury is to look at program content and student needs.
• While the Academy provides a personal touch and a deep sense of community, it may be too small to provide many of the opportunities that young people will need in the modern world. On the other hand the strength of community and parental support is an asset to be valued.
• In summary, there is real trade off between the personal touch of a small school and the academic advantages of tuitioning out to a large school. This is a difficult decision to make but in making it the needs of the students need to be given first priority.
Linda Aiken
• Comments are from the elementary school perspective.
• Parental involvement is critically important to student success.
• The idea of pursuing an alternative model is interesting and should be explored.
• With respect to tuitioning out, students may be better able to adjust than the parents.
• The high per pupil cost of running a small school is immense and constitutes a serious impediment
4. Question Period (The following points emerged. Again, this overview is not designed to represent a comprehensive description of all of the points that were made.)
• Hazen Union is comprised of Greensboro, Hardwick, and Woodbury. The possibility of a merger with Craftsbury has been discussed by Hazen Staff and the response has been positive.
• Greensboro merged with Hazen in 1968. Because of the elapsed time, lessons from this event are not accessible.
• Hazen pays for transportation costs for students in Union towns. (Note: this question needs clarification and further research.)
• Hazen average class size is roughly as follows:
Middle School: 7 to 16
Lower School: lower than above
Upper School: maximum class of 23 with some such as AP courses at 3-4.
• Hazen does not have a PTA although they do have several programs that encourage parental involvement.
• In general, the larger the school the more difficult it is to get high levels of parental involvement.
• State regulations do not in any way constrain curriculum design. Hazen has designed and offered many new courses and does not feel that the State has in any way impeded this process.
• All teachers at Hazen need to be certified. Because of honors received, Hazen is a popular employer and gets lots of teacher applications.
• In general there was a positive reaction to the idea that Craftsbury could design an alternative model that attracts students from other towns and that is rooted in Craftsbury’s unique identity and values.
• Small schools require creativity. One of the problems a small school faces is the tendency to adjust standards to the lowest common denominator.
• The central issue that Craftsbury needs to address and wrestle with is what do our children need, not what the community needs. This is an immensely complex and difficult decision.
The meeting adjourned at 8:00 pm.
Next meeting: March 25, same time, same place.
