School Board and Superintendent Plan for Vermont's First "Magnet" School

January 30, 2008
With the results of parent, teacher and community surveys in hand, the Burlington School Board adopted a plan for Excellence & Equity that moves forward on magnet school options. The research highlighted the value parents and teachers place on deep connections to the arts, learning through music, dance and drama, and expansion of partnerships with the groups like the Flynn Center for Performing Arts and the Vermont Youth Orchestra. A strong desire for an increased focus on the environment as well as local and global issues is among the features that rose to the top as important to the community. In addition, more opportunities for hands-on experiential learning in and out of the classroom and a strong partnership between families and schools ranked high among priorities.

After several bi-weekly work sessions to review the research, the board voted to pursue "choice" as a core strategy to achieve a high-quality education for every child and demographic balance in every school. "Choice" refers to the use of enhanced educational features, such as those identified through the research, to retain and attract families. At this week's board meeting, the board adopted a plan which honors the values expressed by the community, parents, and teachers and builds upon the survey findings. Board Chair Thomas Fleury noted that ultimately, it is the responsibility of the board "to be accountable to the students in Burlington Schools" and expressed confidence that the board has "committed to a process that has integrity, is clear, fair and expedient while demonstrating fiscal responsibility to Burlington's taxpayers."

The Excellence and Equity process adopted by the board followed an outline of key decisions presented by Commissioner Homziak and recommendations from Superintendent Collins. The plan and timeline include:

  • Phase Ia: Magnet and Facilities Feasibility Planning - February through August 2008. Phase Ia will include defining the features of a magnet school, a fiscal review and a district-wide facilities audit. The board has authorized the administration to seek external consulting expertise to conduct this phase, which is expected to include cost estimates, design and a community visioning process that will result in the production of a viable magnet school plan, measures of success and a timeline.
  • Phase Ib: Expanding Excellence and Equity - February 2008 forward. Phase Ib will be conducted by the administration concurrent to Phase Ia. This phase includes feedback from stakeholders across the district on the priorities identified through the research. In this phase, the administration will also assess current delivery of important educational elements as identified by parents, teachers and community members. From this work, the Board will develop a clear vision for the Burlington School District and goals for excellence in 21st century learning.
  • Phase II: Board Review of Magnet and Facilities Plan - Aug-Sept 2008
    Public Engagement on Magnet and Facilities Plan- Sept - Nov 2008
  • Phase III: Pending Approval, Magnet and Facilities Implementation - November 2008 forward(according to timeline developed within the plan, anticipated to be between 8 and 18 months)

The research findings have provided the Board and Superintendent Collins with a high level of confidence in the support of the public to ensure that Burlington's schools, the state's most dynamic and diverse, continue to excel, welcome and attract families. Superintendent Collins pledged to "build upon our work to date to develop and implement a compelling vision of educational excellence that strengthens unity and trust within our community and provides the best education possible for all of our children." A timeline for the planning process and a summary of the research results can be found at www.bsdvt.org

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