Zoie Saunders, Secretary | Vermont Agency of Education
Vermont's Secretary of Education, Zoie Saunders, and Attorney General, Charity Clark, have issued a statement in response to a Title VI Certification Request from the U.S. Department of Education received last Thursday. The statement reaffirms Vermont's commitment to the Civil Rights Act and addresses the current political discourse surrounding it.
Secretary Saunders criticized the political dialogue surrounding the federal directive, stating, "The political rhetoric around this federal directive is designed to create outrage in our communities, confusion in our schools, and self-censorship in our policymaking. But we are not going to allow the chaos to control how we feel, or how we respond."
She further condemned the influence of the previous administration's rhetoric on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. "It is critical to be calm, confident, and clear-eyed about the difference between lawful education initiatives and political rhetoric.... We will not give in to misleading and damaging myths about diversity, equity and inclusion work. Nor will we allow these myths to distract us from our commitment to creating inclusive environments where students feel they belong and know they are supported by their educators," Saunders remarked.
Attorney General Clark supported Saunders' views, stating, “Vermont has been following the law, will follow the law, and we will continue to protect Vermonters against any unlawful actions by the federal government."
The statement seeks to provide clarity and assurance that Vermont will uphold its legal obligations concerning educational initiatives and maintain a focus on inclusivity and support within its schools.
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