Stakeholders May 20 Meeting
Clip Board Notes
• Needs of students is priority not needs of community.
• Collaborative process may not represent/include all voices. How to assess this? Survey.
• Are we fully utilizing the resources of our community?
• Tuitioning isn’t clear answer.
• Large % of residents feel that supporting k-12 is too expensive.
• Investigate source of tuition students near and far.
• Get our report out to community to see if they can agree.
• The issue is complex.
• The Academy can’t continue as it is now!
• Consolidation may not be best for us.
• We need to merge or we will have to pay others to merge.
• Magnet and choice vouchers schools may not be best - segregation, achievement.
• Close Academy and open as an independent school.
• We must change direction.
• Academic options enhanced while providing savings to Craftsbury if 7-12 attend Hazen (Ann’s tool).
• Can’t continue unless something changes.
• We know Hazen can take our students.
• In order to keep the HS academically and economically we need to be creative.
• Can’t sustain high costs.
• We need 120 students.
• Teachers need to be accountable.
• We need to attract tuition students.
• Is quality what we want or do we want something better?
• “Flight” – core issue for diversity in our schools.
• Need to take what panelists say from the perspective of who they are and their agendas.
• CA has been considered a fine school in the past.
• A small school can be “fine” with quality leadership.
• Need to examine teacher hiring practice to keep teachers accountable.
• Small schools are good. But what is too small?
• Small Schools are vulnerable.
• Kids need to work together in small groups.
• Great movement toward sustainability will influence.
• Sterling is receptive to working with Academy.
• We may have opportunity to bring back students from Wolcott/Stannard.
• We have a wonderful opportunity here.
• Can we measure cost factors of an independent school?
• State re-districting (REDs) may render our recommendations moot. Pressure from State.
• Craftsbury courses similar to other area schools.
• Be proactive.
• CA NECAPs comparable to area schools.
• If we are independent school are we subject to the new RED merger rules.
• Would other towns join us in a RED if we had a unique place and curriculum?
• How do we present ourselves to teachers looking for a job?
• Everyone does RED no cost savings.
• What would it cost to make our faculty what it needs to be?
• If we designate what are the facilities like at that school?
• REDs, looks like it removes local control.
• Small schools close the socio-economic achievement gap.
• Can teachers afford to live here?
• With our low teacher student ratio we should aim for higher NECAP scores.
• Important to consider factors such as post oil, quality of life, Vermont attracting more population etc when looking into the future.
• We need to attract really diverse teachers, maybe we can w/good press for creative solutions
• Our entire economy may change as we run out of oil need to consider the value of “local”.
• Look at model of sustainability Academy
• Consider teacher job loss.
