Vermont Agency of Education

09/16/2026

“Education quality isn’t voluntary.” Secretary of Education Zoie Saunders shared that message earlier today while updating the State Board of Education on Vermont’s Education Transformation. The Agency is working in partnership with the State Board to establish a clear, consistent and transparent framework for evaluating proposed district mergers under Act 170 of 2026.

The Quality Framework will keep educational quality at the center while examining whether proposed structures expand equitable access to opportunity and can be supported financially over time. Merger committees will receive the same criteria, data and practical tools that will ultimately be used to evaluate their proposals, so communities know the expectations before making decisions.

This work depends on collaboration at both the state and local levels. The Agency and State Board are developing a shared approach to quality, while Vermont Learning Collaborative facilitators are working to support merger committees through the transformation process.

Secretary Saunders’s update builds on her remarks at Governor Phil Scott’s September 3 press conference, where she was joined by Lead Facilitator Dave Younce as well as Rene Sanchez, who serves as the Rutland Northeast Superintendent and Chair of the Southwest CESA. At the press conference, Secretary Saunders previewed the work ahead with the State Board of Education and emphasized that education transformation is ultimately about expanding opportunity for every Vermont student while advancing educational quality, equity and long-term sustainability.

Watch the September 3 press conference below.

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09/11/2026

Meet Dawn Walls-Thumma, one of three finalists for 2027 Vermont Teacher of the Year. Dawn teaches middle-grades humanities at Coventry Village School in the North Country Supervisory Union.

In her ten years in that role, she has become known for her lively, highly engaged classes where students explore history and the world through deliberation, discussion, and simulations. Five years ago, she started a student government that holds monthly town halls, empowering students to solve problems ranging from school policy changes to ADA accessibility of athletic facilities to most recently starting their own school store.

The 2027 Vermont Teacher of the Year will be announced later this fall.

09/10/2026

Great work happens in Vermont schools every day, and we want to share it. School Spotlight is a new video series from the Agency that visits one Vermont school per episode and tells its story in the words of its students and educators.

Our first episode takes us to Windham Regional Career Center in Brattleboro, where Business and Entrepreneurship students plan, budget, and brand their own food truck businesses, then pitch them at a Food Truck Rally where visitors vote for their favorites. Their teacher, Linda Alvarez, is Vermont's 2026 Teacher of the Year. Thank you to the students and staff at WRCC for welcoming us into their classroom!

Know a school we should visit? Suggest one at https://www.education.vermont.gov/school-spotlight. The form takes about two minutes, and suggesting your own school is welcome.

09/10/2026

Meet Linda McCuen, one of three finalists for 2027 Vermont Teacher of the Year. Linda teaches high school English at Proctor Junior Senior High School in the Greater Rutland County Supervisory Union.

Linda (Callnan) McCuen, a two-time recipient of UVM Outstanding Teacher of the Year (2009 and 2025) and Vermont Council of Literacy's John T. Poeton Award Recipient (2026) is a veteran teacher with over 20 years of teaching high school English. As an alumnus of Union 32 High School (class of '95), former educator at Fair Haven Union High School (13 years), and current educator at Proctor Junior Senior High School (10 years), teaching in rural Vermont for her is a core passion and source of personal fulfillment.

With literature, written expression, outdoor adventure, and community engagement, Linda taps into students' curiosity and their personal drives for improvement. Through broadening teens' connections to the outside world, Linda highlights the power of storytelling and the significance of civic connection. An example of her students embracing the community beyond classroom walls can be seen in her Service Literature course's volunteer efforts in creating and installing Proctor Town Forest's Storywalk, as well as their numerous contributions to improving and maintaining trails at Rutland's Pine Hill Park.

Linda encourages her students to be brave and accept challenges. Whether it's taking the stage in front of the entire school to compete for Poetry Out Loud, stepping into an Advanced Placement English course for the first time, or donning a pair of skis as a new cross-country skier, students in Linda's courses step up to the task.

Linda fervently believes in the following: "All students love stories; as teachers we simply need to bring the words on the page to life to amplify that innate interest. Additionally, every student wants to and can improve; effective teachers build up students' self-efficacies then push them to achieve greater understandings and deepen their skill sets. There's nothing easy about learning, but that challenge and risk are what make it rewarding and exciting."

The 2027 Vermont Teacher of the Year will be announced later this fall.

09/09/2026

Meet Pamela (Pam) Dow, one of three finalists for 2027 Vermont Teacher of the Year. Pam teaches Kindergarten at Moretown Elementary School in the Harwood Unified Union School District. Here is Pam in her own words:

"Currently teaching Kindergarten, my journey at Moretown Elementary School spans over thirty years, from Preschool through Second Grade, where I have had the privilege of guiding our youngest learners as they discover the world around them. I believe in intentionally creating a curious learning community. By designing inquiry and place-based curricula, I connect students to the natural world and their local community, allowing their learning to thrive. I prioritize strong literacy acquisition and am committed to fostering resilience and connection in Vermont's youngest learners.

One milestone I am proud of is helping to bring our outdoor education program, Educating Children Outdoors, to Moretown School in the fall of 2011. This schoolwide initiative continues to flourish through our collaboration with the North Branch Nature Center and local naturalists. We use our school forest and surrounding land to engage children in organic, inquiry-based learning, allowing students to blossom in ways that traditional classroom settings simply cannot. I am constantly inspired by the resilience and creativity of the students I work with, and I look forward to continuing to support their growth."

The 2027 Vermont Teacher of the Year will be announced later this fall.

09/08/2026

Every Vermont community has a teacher who changes what students believe is possible for themselves. Today we are proud to introduce the three finalists for 2027 Vermont Teacher of the Year:

• Pamela (Pam) Dow, Kindergarten, Moretown Elementary School, Harwood Unified Union School District

• Linda McCuen, High School English, Proctor Junior Senior High School, Greater Rutland County Supervisory Union

• Dawn Walls-Thumma, Middle-Grades Humanities, Coventry Village School, North Country Supervisory Union

The Agency has recognized outstanding Vermont teachers through this award since 1964. This year's process began in the spring, when nominations opened to the public. Anyone can nominate a teacher, and this year's 20 nominations came from students, parents, and fellow educators. Fifteen nominees went on to submit applications. A review panel that included eight past Vermont Teachers of the Year read every application, interviewed the top six candidates, and helped select these three finalists.

Later this fall, one of these educators will be named the 2027 Vermont Teacher of the Year and will go on to represent Vermont in the National Teacher of the Year program. All three are already doing work that lifts up their students, their schools, and the profession.

Over the coming days we will share more about each finalist. Congratulations to Pam, Linda, and Dawn!

09/02/2026

Thousands of meals in the first three days of school, featuring house made pesto, local lettuce, and Vermont cheese, bread, and pizza dough. Congratulations to the Harwood Unified Union School District food service team! School nutrition professionals across Vermont are building meals around local ingredients and welcoming more students to the table, and the Agency is grateful for their work.

08/28/2026

A new school year is beginning across Vermont.

Secretary of Education Zoie Saunders has a message for Vermont's students, educators, school staff, and families: what the Agency is working on this year, and what families can do at home to support their students.

Wishing everyone a safe, joyful, and inspiring school year.

08/21/2026

The Agency of Education is continuing to develop an ambitious vision for the future of public education in Vermont.

On Tuesday, the Agency convened a Steering Committee of educators, district leaders, and community partners from across Vermont to review and provide feedback on a draft of the Agency's Strategic Plan. Once complete, the plan will guide the Agency's priorities and its work to strengthen Vermont's public education system in the years ahead. Steering Committee members have been engaged throughout 2026 to shape the plan, and this week they saw their contributions reflected in the Agency's vision and roadmap.

We are deeply appreciative of their partnership, and we are looking forward to sharing the Agency's plan with Vermonters later this year.

08/19/2026

Special Education Parent Survey: Your Voice Matters!

Are you a parent of a student who received special education services between the start of the 2025-26 school year and December 1, 2025? If so, please complete this Special Education Parent Involvement Survey ( https://anlar.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5nBacLwy8w0CQgC ). Your feedback helps to improve special education services and student outcomes in your supervisory union or district and is completely anonymous.

If you have not yet completed this survey, please submit your response by September 15, 2026.

If you need your unique survey identification code, please call: (802) 828-1256

For additional information about this survey please visit: https://education.vermont.gov/special-education/parent-involvement-survey