Bennington School Choice Forum
The Bennington School Choice Forum held on February 9 was very successful. The panelists were excellent and there was much discussion of the effect of different degrees of public school choice. The audience included school officials, legislators, and interested citizens who fielded a number of good questions.
Panel member Lorna Jimerson (left) and Moderator Barbara Sirvis, President of Southern Vermont College. Lorna reported on her research of public school choice in rural Minnesota which has had open public school enrollment for more than ten years. After several years, small rural schools were decimated since large school actively recruited their students to obtain the state block grants that followed the student.
Bennington Branch President
Judy Murphy introduced the panelists and our moderator.
John Barrett III (right), Mayor of North Adams, Massachusetts, detailed his city's fight to keep a charter school from opening in September 2004. On the left is panelist Frank Spencer, principal of the Wilmington Middle High School.
Superintendent William Mathis discussed the results of the limited public school choice under Act 150 in the greater Rutland Area.
An attentive audience asked good questions.
