Any faith I had in Gov. Scott has been destroyed by his actions regarding education in Vermont.

He has appointed Zoie Saunders as scting Secretary of Education, despite the Senate having rejected her nomination as interim secretary of education by a vote of 19-9. As the acting secretary, she must again be confirmed by the Senate, but this has been ignored or delayed.

Saunders has little experience in public school management. She has seven years’ experience as vice president of strategy for Charter Schools USA. This was followed by her only public-school experience: three months as chief strategy and innovation officer in Broward County Public Schools in Florida, during which she advocated closing several schools. Given her lack of qualifications, she should not be confirmed.

Gov. Scott has proposed to eliminate the Board of Education and give the Agency of Education all the power and responsibility for our public schools. They should remain separate entities to maintain checks and balances in the governance of our education system.

The governor is rushing a drastic reshaping of our education system, yet the bill advancing his priorities was only filed this week, when it’s almost halfway through the legislative session. This doesn’t provide legislators’ the time needed to properly review it or give ordinary citizens a chance for input.

All of this is further complicated by the uncertainty over potential federal cuts to education.

We must insist Zoie Saunders’s appointment as acting Secretary of Education be confirmed by the Senate and that the Legislature be provided the necessary time to determine whether the proposed restructuring is the best way to fix

our education problems and lower property taxes.

Linda Andrews

Bristol