Let’s give credit to Gov. Scott in his State-of-the-State Address this Wednesday for putting his political capital on the line. We’ve long argued one of Scott’s failings as governor (overall, he’s been a good leader) has been his unwillingness to champion policy priorities. Being governor is not just saying you’re for or against something and letting the political battles carry the day, it’s about carrying the torch and getting your policy priorities across the goal line.

Last year, Scott took the lead on education reform (also joining others on the housing bandwagon), and in his opening address this year he’s again using his bully pulpit to champion his reform efforts (supported in Act 73 by last year’s legislature) and encourage follow-through in face of mounting opposition.

His address Wednesday was an impassioned statement of why Vermont needs education reform, and what he hopes will come of it. In it, he cites several damning facts of the current system: the rising costs, the inequities between schools, the lack of resources for teachers, the inefficiencies of the current system.

But he tells a partial story. He gently hints at the losses to come (the large number of school closings if the state is to save significant chunks of money) but isn’t forthright about how significant those must be.

He also errors by drawing a needless red line in the sand and by dismissing the solid work of the Legislative Task Force.

The red line was drawn when he said: “I want to be clear. I will not sign a budget or an education bill or tax bill that deviates from Act 73 or fails to fix what’s broken.”

It’s folly to think Act 73 is the perfect bill and no aspects of it need to be changed, and it’s folly to allow Scott to be the lone arbiter of what he judges will “fix what’s broken.”

The governor’s statement should be that he pledges to work with the Legislature to fix what’s broken. No political shenanigans about dying on one’s sword are needed; just a commitment to solve the problem.

In dismissing the Task Force’s Work, he misstates their expansive report as simply trying to thwart progress.  First, the Task Force embraced Act 73’s Foundation Formula as a needed action that would provide more savings that consolidation. It’s also fixes Scott’s objections to the gross inequities school-to-school.

Second, the Task Force’s research demonstrated that savings from cooperative school agencies would be as effective as consolidation, but without the disruption of closing schools. Other states have pursued that same model with success. The task force also embraced a more gradual transition to larger regional high schools.

There’s a lot there on which to collaborate.

Vermonters know there are two sides to this complex story. Hopefully, Gov. Scott and the Legislature do too.

Let’s tell both stories with full transparency. Inform each school district how many schools are likely to be closed in that district to achieve equity and the savings needed. Lay out the completed vision, 10 years out, and see what Vermonters say. The worst thing we can do is be afraid to tell voters what the full story is.

Angelo Lynn