VANCE BISHOP

MIDDLEBURY — The Independent sent four education-related questions to each of the three first-time candidates competing next week in a five-person race for three Middlebury seats on the Addison Central School District board:

Vance Bishop, Ron Makleff and Jess Venable-Novak.

Their answers appear below.

The Independent also urges ACSD voters in the district-member towns of Bridport, Cornwall, Middlebury, Ripton, Salisbury, Shoreham and Weybridge to re-read the Jan. 9 article (tinyurl.com/4hpu26e9) in which Brian Bauer and Steve Orzech — the two incumbents who round out the five-person field for the three seats — discuss their priorities, should they win re-election.

Also on the March 4 ballot will be uncontested elections for Ripton’s lone seat on the ACSD board (Steve Cash), as well as Weybridge’s seat (Jamie McCallum).

The ACSD elections will be decided on Town Meeting Day, March 4.

Candidate responses were limited to 125 words per question.

• Biographical details that make you well-suited to the ACSD board.

Vance Bishop: I hold a bachelor’s degree in communication and a master’s in education. My teaching experience spans parochial, private, alternative, state, and charter schools, where I taught physical and special education. Before teaching, I worked in the internet telecommunications industry, regularly interacting with individuals and companies across the U.S. and Canada. Growing up, I spent a year or more as a student in seven different schools, living in various parts of New York, Florida, Arkansas and North Carolina. I am currently a stay-at-home dad with a child at MUMS. These experiences have strengthened my ability to listen, collaborate, adapt and solve problems. If elected, I will remain open-minded and committed to thoughtful decision-making in support of our community.

Ron Makleff: I am running for school board because I want to send my son into a public school system that will prioritize equality, accountability, and dialogue between decision-makers and the communities they serve. With 15+ years of grassroots activism under my belt and experience as an educator with middle schoolers, high schoolers, and college students, I think I can bring a wealth of ideas and a collaborative approach to the ACSD board. I am eager to amplify the voices of students and parents in the face of impending state and federal changes to preserve local power and celebrate the communal spirit of Vermont’s towns. I know what schools mean to communities and want to make sure they excel and serve everyone.

RON MAKLEFF

Jess Venable-Novak: Growing up, I was surrounded by helpers; people who made the coffee and swept the floors. This has impressed on me that for everything happening in a community, there are people setting up and cleaning up. I have made this spirit of service central to everything I do. The ACSD board would be no different. As a transgender person, I know firsthand how crucial it is that families see themselves considered in our schools. As a curator of public education programming on state and national levels, I know how to find common understanding and lead with shared values. In all of this, though, my core belief is that community is built on being of-service to one another. I would be honored to bring that energy to the school board.

• Gov. Phil Scott’s proposal to consolidate public education into five regional school districts?

Venable-Novak: I think the governor’s proposal is out of touch with Vermont’s values. I’ve spent many hours listening to the administration’s testimony on this proposal and what has been apparent is the lack of consideration for students and staff. From defunding access to extracurriculars, to picking apart our CTE centers, to cutting universal school meals — this plan leaves our students behind and is in complete opposition to ACSD’s current strategic plan goals. Additionally, this proposal was crafted with little-to-no input from local experts and folks who are in our school districts every day. Vermont is special because of the deep roots in our communities, and this proposal doesn’t have a trace of that. Our students deserve better.

Makleff: In the spirit of generosity, I will say that Gov. Scott’s plan at least shows some initiative, and I agree administrative inefficiencies exist. But it is riddled with serious issues, first and foremost the aggressive timeline. Any ambitious plan to improve education in Vermont, moreover, needs to start by addressing the overwhelming cost of health care across the public workforce. Perhaps even more crucially, this proposal leaves very little room for local autonomy. How much is really to be gained from forming districts of tens of thousands of students? And at what cost? In a state of small towns, democracy means local sovereignty over children’s education. Worse, Gov. Scott’s plan leaves the door open for channeling scarce public money into private schools.

Bishop: It’s a proposal. The Legislature will need to further examine details, hold hearings, gather input, and so on. The public will need to understand all sides of the issue and develop compelling alternatives. Educational reform has been a recurring theme throughout U.S. history. Voters elected Gov. Scott with an emphasis on affordable education and relief from high taxes. He is busy doing what voters asked. Continued participation is our part of the bargain. Change is difficult, but as history shows, it will happen with or without each other’s involvement. Through participation, we can effect change based on our design. It’s our prerogative to modify or try another approach in the future. We need to embed ourselves in the process.

• Ripton Elementary is expected to serve only 29 K-5 students next year, raising concerns about its viability. Other ACSD schools are also seeing shrinking numbers. Is it time to start talking seriously about school consolidations in ACSD?

Makleff: This issue animates intense feelings and will likely continue to divide voters. I would like to bring a voice to this board that doesn’t disdain or patronize those wanting to maintain rural schools, as has often been the case. Closing schools should be an absolute last resort considered only after close study of the potential effects of closures not only on budgets but on communities. We should start with creative solutions like redrawing catchment areas for schools, bringing in more teachers who can excel in multi-grade classrooms, and sharing proven teachers across district schools. I have seen no evidence to suggest that the modest reduction in expenditures is worth the gutting cost of closing down the core communal institutions of small towns.

JESS VENABLE-NOVAK

Bishop: I would hope for serious but, more importantly, productive discussions. It would be valuable for each side to consider opposite perspectives — if you support consolidation, identify one to three arguments against it, and vice versa. Approaching the conversation with an understanding of each other’s concerns allows for a healthier, more constructive dialogue. Instead of just defending our initial positions, we could ask: What are a few ideal solutions that differ from our default point of view? If we remain open-minded and willing to explore creative possibilities, I think not only acceptable, but exceptional solutions will emerge.

Venable-Novak: My understanding is that conversations about school consolidation have been serious; I think that’s apparent from so many folks sharing the impacts closing their local school would have on their families and children. I do think it’s time to start seriously exploring creative avenues when it comes to conversations about consolidation. I am extremely impressed by the work the board did over the past few months crafting a policy that offers guardrails for considering classroom size, while giving Dr. Baker latitude for exploring what’s possible on a whole-district level. That’s a tremendous step in offering innovative paths forward that consider the full experiences of families in our district. I would be honored to build upon that if elected to ACSD School Board.

What other issues are you campaigning on?

Vance Bishop: My focus is on ensuring a strong, sustainable future for our schools by balancing student success, community needs, and financial responsibility. I believe in thoughtful decision-making, open communication, and collaboration with educators, parents, and the community. Key priorities include student success, ensuring all students have access to high-quality education and support; fiscal responsibility, making informed financial decisions for long-term sustainability; and community engagement, encouraging open, productive dialogue so decisions reflect community values.

Venable-Novak: I’m not campaigning on issues, but more so campaigning on hope. In the face of the shifting landscape of public education in Vermont and chaos on a federal level, I’m hopeful that we can double-down on our commitment to deliver dynamic school experiences for our kids, with opportunities for success and space to thrive. I believe this rests on carving out avenues for student input and active family engagement. I’m eager to collaborate with other board members and ACSD leaders to build a strong district focused on equitable schools, holistic student achievement, and making sure every student in ACSD feels like they belong. I’m hopeful because I believe we have the tools, heart, and appetite in ACSD to do just that.

Makleff: We can make better use of the incredible knowledge, ingenuity, and community spirit that exists in the seven ACSD towns. Local businesses are hungry for interns, trainees, and projects; retirees want to help students learn to read, do math, and explore the woods; working parents need after-school care solutions; college students need workplace experience. We can utilize this human capital to improve student achievement and meet the evolving needs of our students, and perhaps fuse the social bonds that were decimated by COVID along the way. This may also help us re-evaluate the wisdom of widespread gamified schoolwork on ubiquitous Chromebooks in the face of research on the impact of screen use on vision and mental focus.