Stories

Proposals submitted by Community Members

(in development)

Community members share their ideas. Email us yours!

NEW COMMUNITY PROPOSAL: Extended Day Pilot

Community member Peter Young has submitted a proposal to the board suggesting an Extended Day Pilot Program at Barnes/Wheeler.

Features could include many proposed in magnet proposals, such as an enhanced partnership with Shelburne Farms, arts-integration, and foreign language.

A major benefit is the additional instruction time.

Click here to read proposal

Unity Plan: Exceptional Choices for Burlington Families

Building Burlington's Future coalition members and Barnes community members have identified common points across both plans:

We all want:

our neighborhood schools that allow families to walk to school and maintain community;

a move toward greater equity without disrupting existing school communities and pitting one community against another;

a long-term economically sustainable and strong school district that is second to none;

To this end, we believe in and wholeheartedly support:

a school system that puts choice first and trusts that any changes to be gradual with adequate time to plan;

a plan that includes two neighborhood magnet schools, one at Lawrence Barnes and the other at HO Wheeler that attract students from all over the district with their outstanding and innovative curricula and a process for evaluating educational equity after implemention

a plan that ensures that no re-districting other than minor changes to balance classrooms and accommodate individual needs takes place for a period of two academic years and then not without complete discussion and an open process;

a plan that allows for a common registration for new families for the downtown elementary schools;

an administration and elected school board that works in concert with parents and the community in predictable and transparent process that employs national best-practices, includes a parent advisory group and parent surveys and engages magnet experts to help in creating a workable system of choice, instructional success and thriving community partnerships;

Extended Day Pilot Proposal

Community member Peter Young has submitted a proposal to the board suggesting an Extended Day Pilot Program at Barnes/Wheeler.

Features could include many proposed in magnet proposals, such as an enhanced partnership with Shelburne Farms, arts-integration, and foreign language.

A major benefit is the additional instruction time.

Click here to read proposal

The Unity Plan

Read more about the Barnes community plan to develop magnet schools, grandfather currently enrolled families, and create a central registration for downtown schools.

Click here to read summary

Exceptional Choices for Burlington Families

Read more about our coalition's proposal to develop model schools to provide excellent educational opportunities for all our children.

Click here.to read summary

Petition

We are committed to building a strong future for all of Burlington's children. As parents of current and future students at Burlington's elementary schools, we support retaining our six neighborhood schools. We favor a "choice first" plan that includes magnet schools to boost academic achievement, community connections, student engagement, and attract new families. We respectfully request the School Board develop a clear and predictible public process and timeline that employs national best-practices, including a parent advisory group and parent surveys, to further develop magnet plans.

Email us your name and address to sign on to the petition

Building Burlington's Future

Celebrate Our Schools!

Vermont schools rank 3rd in nation Read more

Edmunds Middle School spelling team wins state championship. Read more

Burlington High School Football Team 2006 Vermont state champions. Read more

Significant decrease in truancy and dropout rate. Read more

Champlain Elementary School wins Sox Tops Contest. Read more.

In the News

Click Here for recent letters to the editor featured in the Burlington Free Press

Brent Sclafani, a Burlington teacher, shares his view on the benefits of socio-economic integration.