Rather devastating piece has been posted in an unlikely spot, Forbes Magazine, about Zoie Saunders, Gov. Phil Scott’s pick for education secretary. It’s written by Peter Greene, a longtime schoolteacher turned education commentator. We’ll go through some specifics, including a lengthy quote from an unidentified writer at something called The Vermont Political Observer*, but this must be addressed right off the top.
*Hey Peter, next time check the “About” page.
Governor Scott’s office, which did not yet respond to a request for
comment for this article, has said that Saunders will not be doing any
more interviews until she’s in office.
Hoo boy. Batten down the ramparts, boys. Pull up the drawbridge. Sound red alert. Someone go below decks and look for a hull breach, because I think we’re taking on water.
The administration’s refusal to make Saunders available for interviews can only be taken one of two ways: They don’t trust her to speak contemporaneously, or they’re very, very nervous about her prospects for Senate approval. Neither is what you’d call a good look.
Greene is not a reporter; he is a Senior Contributor who writes opinion pieces about education issues for Forbes, and he is a believer in public education. So, not an impartial voice. But a keen-eyed observer who captured, in a standard-length essay, all the questions and concerns surrounding Saunders’ nomination and what it means for Scott administration policy.
In a few paragraphs, Greene lays out the shortcomings in the Saunders resumé, spotlighting her lack of experience in public schools and her consistent occupation of jobs that explore alternatives to public education. He then quotes Yours Truly as saying what’s even worse than her scant experience is what her nomination seems to say about Scott’s commitment (or lack thereof) to public schools. Greene then points out how the Scott administration’s defenses of the nomination do “not seem to address the fear that Saunders is coming to help shift resources away from public schools.”
Greene calls Vermont “an appealing target for school choice policy advocates” because Scott is seen as a supporter of school choice and also because Vermont’s Approved Independent Schools program leaves it wide open to funding other kinds of non-public education, including religious schools. This has led to speculation that the seemingly out-of-nowhere Saunders nomination was inspired by “some choice-loving matchmaker.”
The essay closes by saying that “Starting next week, Saunders gets to make the case for herself.” Until then, the administration isn’t allowing her to make that case in any public venue.
The Vermont Political Observer. 
Greene then points out how the Scott administration’s defenses of the nomination do “not seem to address the fear that Saunders is coming to help shift resources away from public schools.”
I wonder how many lobbyists for private education ventures, who would stand to gain a lot of Vt taxpayer dollars for themselves if this choice goes through, were in on the decision to choose Saunders.
An Interview with the new Minister of Education and her official Interpreter (All dialog guaranteed verbatim.)
Saunders: “I am very happy to be here.”
Interpreter: “She says she is very happy to be here.”
Saunders: “I am very fond of education philosophy. I find it metaphysical, redundant, and abortively pedantic.”
Interpreter: “She says she has a M.Ed. and it’s terminal.”
Saunders: “I think there is a great opportunity here in Vermont, the thirteenth state to join our great Union, to shutter a few dead-end districts and build out a vibrant charter school program. I believe local developers will be pleased.”
Interpreter: “She says she values the public education project highly.”
Saunders: “Given my incredibly deep involvement and investment in Floridian public education, I can assure you I have just as much to offer the great state of Vermont, in return for the very generous salary that attaches to my position.”
Interpreter: “I am grateful for the trust you have placed in me as Minister of Education and I trust no one will call me on the privatization plan I will be rolling out shortly. Otherwise, I will probably be looking for another job in two-and-half months.”
Governor: “And now, as we complete the inauguration of our new Minister of Education, each Senator will approach the dais and present the Minister with his or her weight in horse manure.”
“If it can be destroyed by the truth, it deserves to be destroyed by the truth.”
I fear she will be another Parwinder Grewal — totally unaware of the culture of the place she is supposed to lead. Why do we keep doing this to ourselves? (P.S. Mr. Grewal is now working in higher education in Hawaii, about as far away from Vermont as you can get and still be in the USA!)