By Rosemarie White
Over the last eight to nine months I have had the good fortune to spend more hours than I can remember with a small group of dedicated people representing each of the schools in the Washington West Supervisory Union. I am referring to the Act 46 Study Committee of which I am a member as one of the two Harwood Union representatives on the committee. Further, I am a resident of the town of Warren with children who are in both Warren Elementary School and Harwood Union High School.
This group of people gave up many hours of personal time with their families to determine the best path to take for our students with regard to the directives from our Legislature through Act 46. These meetings have all been open to the public and recorded by equally dedicated volunteers from Channel 44 and representatives from The Valley Reporter. Opportunities for public input have always been available and while the meetings may not have been the most exhilarating, they have been thought provoking. Public attendance during these meetings was scarce; however, on occasion a member of the public would attend and provide valuable input which was appreciated by the committee.
At the beginning of this process, the members of this group aired their concerns with Act 46, which included loss of local control as well as losing the individuality and quality of education provided by their schools. Change is scary and no one likes to have it forced upon them. However, during this process it was great to see how this group worked in collaboration with each other to understand each member's point of view. Over what I would consider an amazingly short period of time, each of the people on the committee realized they all had the same goals in mind – what is best for all of our children. Their mindset changed from fear and cynicism to "How can we make sure all of the children in the whole district benefit?" We envisioned opportunities to share resources among the schools and take successful programs that were developed at one school and expand them to our sister schools within the new school district. There was never a discussion on reducing the quality of educational experience; it was always about how we can improve our children’s experience. Occasionally, there would be dissension about a particular issue; however, within a relatively short period of time, the group would find a solution that would satisfy everyone as a whole.
I hope the community, and I am referring to everyone in the Washington West Supervisory Union, can step back and assess the data pertaining to Act 46 objectively. It is easy to be comfortable with the status quo and not take the initiative to make changes that might benefit the larger community. Seeing study committee members from Waterbury supporting issues pertaining to Warren and members from Waitsfield supporting issues in Fayston was inspiring. Watching each member ultimately support the good of the community as a whole gave me faith that if the merger were to occur, the new unified school board would put into place policies that benefit all schools in the district because each school brings to the new unified table gifts that can be shared. I believe only fear keeps us from opening our minds to the possibilities that change can provide. So as you review the information presented by the Act 46 Study Committee regarding the upcoming merger vote on June 7, please be objective and remember, we all believe our schools are special and want what is best for our children.
White lives in Warren.
