"As Burlington citizens, we believe that academic excellence and cultural diversity
in our schools are the foundation of a healthy, vibrant community.
We are committed to building a strong future for all of Burlington's children."
Background
In the spring of 2006, the Burlington School District released an Equity Task Force Report. Recommendations include socio-economic integration in all of our elementary schools and strategies to strengthen our schools for Burlington's future as a successful, vibrant, attractive, multi-cultural city.
During the months of October and into November, the school board held a number of public meetings and forums. Our plan is to develop ideas, provide constructive, positive and respectful feedback and build a network to support our schools. This website was developed to share our progress and to invite you to please join us and our growing coalition of community members in Building Burlington's Future.
This is an exciting time for our city and an enormous opportunity to come together and make a difference for all our children.
We invite you to submit feedback and share your creative, thoughtful, proposals.
Find out more about how we can work together to strengthen our schools and our community. Join us in making Burlington the Queen City of Education!
Building Burlington's Future is a collaboration of parents and community members working together to strengthen our schools and community. It grew out of a meeting organized by Karen Paul and website originally developed by Dawn Moskowitz at www.burlingtonsfuture.com. Join to help inform and engage the Burlington community on these issues.
Building Burlington's Future
Our neighborhood schools offer excellent learning opportunities, a richness of cultural diversity, small class sizes, and talented staff.
But our schools face substantial challenges and it is our responsibility to address those challenges which affect the future of our whole community.
UPDATES
In January 2008, the Burlington School Board voted to pursue "choice" as a core strategy to achieve a high-quality education for every child and demographic balance in every school. This decision is aligned with the concept put forth in the "Unity Plan" submitted by the Burlington's Future coalition and the Barnes' school community.
Thank you to each of you for coming together to work with the school board and administration for the benefit of our kids and our community!
Our coalition worked to secure:
- Parent Survey (completed Fall 2007)
- Magnet School Strategies (in process)
- Excellence in partnership with Equity
The district has currently selected the firm of DeJONG.LOCKER to complete a vision and master plan to include 2 magnet schools, and a district-wide K-12 vision and facilities plan.
Please stay involved with the work in our school district!
MAGNET SCHOOLS
The "District of Excellence" plan includes the development of two magnet schools in Burlington's Old North End. Feasibility planning for the magnet themes and partners is currently underway.
Explore the links below to conceptual magnet proposals developed in the Spring of 2007 to learn more about some possibilities:
Explore the links below to conceptual magnet proposals developed in the Spring of 2007 to learn more about some possibilities:
Learn more about what magnet schools are and how they work in this report from the Department of Education
MORE INFO
NOTE
Karen Paul will continue to lead Building Burlington's Future, with support from parent volunteers throughout the district. Dawn Moskowitz will be working for the the Burlington School District to assist with parent outreach and communications. Read more.
