It’s on to the Vermont Senate for a bill that would change the leadership of the state Department of Education from a commissioner appointed by a board to a cabinet-level secretary appointed by the governor.
The House passed the measure on Thursday.
Backers of the change say it will give the governor more authority to push an education agenda and make Vermont’s education system more responsive to voters.
Opponents say that’s a problem – that the result could be an unwarranted politicizing of Vermont’s education system.
The bill also would change the terms of members of the state Board of Education from six years to three years.