MONTPELIER, Vt. -
Governor Shumlin announced various education proposals during a press conference Thursday.
According to a press release, the proposals would ensure that all Vermont children have access to quality education, core programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and post-secondary opportunities including college and job training.
"This coalition has worked together to ensure Vermont's children have a clear path from their first year of school through high school graduation and on the higher education and job training. Today's employers across the state - and across the globe - are looking for highly skilled workers. This package of legislation gives kids those skills so they can quality for the good paying jobs that employers are struggling to fill," Gov. Shumlin said.
One of the provisions called Flexible Pathways would allow Vermont high school students in their junior or senior year to attend up to two classes free of charge at the Vermont State Colleges, the University of Vermont and participating private institutions of higher education. Depending on where the student would take the classes, the cost of the course work would range from $150 to $350 per class. The state would pay for the cost during the first two years and then the cost would be transferred to cities and towns after Fiscal Year 2016.
The Flexible Pathways provision also calls for more personalized learning styles in the classroom. The press release says this would include allowing students to utilized work-based learning like internships, virtual or online learning, career and technical education, and broader expansion of the early college program that would allow students to complete a year of college during their senior year of high school.
Among those endorsing the package are the National Education Association of Vermont, Vermont School Boards Association, Vermont Principals Association, the Vermont Business Roundtable and state Chamber of Commerce, the House and Senate Education Committees (chaired by Sen. Richard McCormack and Rep. Joey Donovan), University of Vermont President Thomas Sullivan, Vermont State College Chancellor Tim Donovan, Vermont Superintendents Association, Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, the Association of Vermont Independent Colleges, and others.
