Vermont
Vt. Education Secretary Zoie Saunders told schools to sign Trump’s anti-DEI pledge — and then reversed herself
With millions of dollars under threat, Vermont Education Secretary Zoie Saunders instructed the state’s superintendents on Friday evening to individually certify compliance with a new directive from the Trump administration purporting to ban “illegal D.E.I.” But by Monday evening, after concerted pushback, Saunders reversed course.
“Our communication on Friday was intended to make you aware of the directive from the U.S. Department of Education regarding Title VI and to reinforce that diversity, equity, and inclusion practices are lawful and supported in Vermont,” Saunders wrote. “In no way, did AOE direct schools to ban DEI.”
The U.S. Department of Education offered little clarity as to what kind of programming they considered permissible or not under Title VI of the federal Civil Rights Act when it issued its demand last Thursday. And in initially telling schools to certify their compliance, the state Agency of Education appeared to exploit this vagueness to thread a legalistic needle.
Vermont’s schools could both certify and continue to pursue whatever D.E.I. services, programming, and training they had already planned, the state’s Friday guidance said. Nothing about the Trump administration’s certification process, state officials said, actually changed the state’s legal commitments under federal law.
“Based on our initial legal review, the certification requires us to reaffirm our compliance with existing law that (the Agency of Education) has always followed in our administration of federal funds,” agency officials wrote in their guidance to schools.
At stake is one of the largest pots of federal money that the K-12 system receives: Title I funds, which target high-poverty schools. That money totalled nearly $43 million in Vermont this year, Lindsey Hedges, a spokesperson for the Agency of Education, said last week.
But the agency’s guidance alarmed local officials and advocacy groups, who felt that it passed the buck to already-stressed local districts and risked sending mixed messages about the state’s commitments to equity work.
On Monday morning, Saunders, Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark, and educational leaders met to discuss Vermont’s response. Soon after, the associations representing Vermont’s school boards, principals, and superintendents, alongside the Vermont-NEA, released an open letter to Clark and Saunders. The agency’s guidance, they said, was “unworkable.”
Asking “individual superintendents to certify compliance,” they wrote, “based on a cover letter (that they have not yet seen) that clarifies the legal boundaries of their certification will lead to a patchwork of responses that could put Vermont and local school districts at risk.”
Instead, the education groups wrote, Vermont should take its cues from such places as New York, where state officials have said bluntly they will not comply. Schools annually affirm compliance with federal civil rights laws, an attorney for the New York State Education Department said in a letter to federal officials, and since they had done so as recently as early January, no further certification would be provided.
Vermont’s schools, too, already affirmed compliance earlier this year. To sign a new certification now, then, would implicitly accept the Trump administration’s new interpretations of federal law, said Erin Maguire, the director of equity and inclusion for the Essex-Westford school district.
“We have already signed that this year, and so for me, that means that this new certification request is necessary to transition to a different interpretation of Title VI,” she said. “I couldn’t understand why else it would be needed.”
Later on Monday afternoon, Saunders and Clark released a joint statement, apparently defending the state’s initial guidance.
“The political rhetoric around this federal directive is designed to create outrage in our communities, confusion in our schools, and self-censorship in our policy making. But we are not going to allow the chaos to control how we feel, or how we respond,” Saunders wrote. “Our priority is to protect Vermont’s values, preserve essential federal funding, and support schools in creating positive school environments free from the type of bullying and manipulation we see in our national politics today.”
But while both Saunders and Clark reiterated several times in their statement that schools were not expected to change their practices, nowhere in their roughly 500-word press release did they specify whether schools were still expected to submit certifications.
The joint statement left many educators scratching their heads — or assuming that the state would still require schools to sign on the dotted line.
“The response is: We hear you, and we will parrot all the nice things to say about equity and inclusion… But no, we’re gonna still make you comply and sign this certification with language that nobody really knows what it means,” Winooski superintendent Wilmer Chavarria said after reading the latest communication.
Then, two hours later, the Agency of Education sent yet another message out to superintendents. In it, Saunders acknowledged she had “received feedback throughout the day regarding the need for clarity.”
The Agency, in consultation with the Attorney General’s office, she wrote, “has decided that Vermont will send a single, statewide letter which will certify Vermont’s compliance with applicable current law – and reject conditions or assurances that are not supported by current law.”
“Given our statewide response, superintendents will not be asked to provide individual certifications,” she added.
Vermont
Vermont Conversation: As Vermonters go hungry, the Trump administration threatens cuts to food assistance – VTDigger
The Vermont Conversation with David Goodman is a VTDigger podcast that features in-depth interviews on local and national issues. Listen below and subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get podcasts.
Hunger stalks the Green Mountains like a silent and stealthy predator. Two out of five people in Vermont experience hunger, according to Hunger Free Vermont. And the problem may soon get much worse.
The Trump administration has proposed sweeping cuts to SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, the nation’s largest food assistance program. The Senate is currently considering a budget reconciliation bill passed by the House that includes billions of dollars in cuts to SNAP and Medicaid. Up to 13,000 Vermonters may have their food assistance reduced or eliminated if the measure is approved. Many legal immigrants, including refugees and asylees, will no longer be eligible for food benefits, according to Ivy Enoch of Hunger Free Vermont.
To find out what this means to the people who will be directly affected by the potential cuts, I visited the largest food shelf in central Vermont, located at Capstone Community Action in Barre. The food shelf is open three days a week. When I visited, a steady stream of people of all ages came through the doors, quietly but gratefully filling grocery bags of food. Volunteers buzzed about helping.
Emmanuelle Soumailhan, coordinator for Capstone’s food shelf, said that the food shelf gets about 800 to 1,000 visitors per month, double the traffic it received before the Covid pandemic. The potential for federal cuts has her concerned that “we’re not going to have enough food and we’re going to see a surge of people … (and) we’re just going to run out of money.”
Stephanie Doyle came to the food shelf to get food for her family. She said that her SNAP benefits did not cover her family’s food needs for the month. “You just can’t afford getting fruits and vegetables and all that stuff that you need to do to be healthy, especially when you have a child that you’re taking care of.”
Doyle wants to ensure that her teenage daughter is “fueled really well in school so that she has a chance to thrive and get a good education just like all of the other kids who have more.”
Leslie Walz, a retired school nurse from Barre, was volunteering at the food shelf. She was outraged by the prospect that SNAP funding would be slashed.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen to these people that are dependent on the food shelf here,” she said. “Many of them don’t have a place to live. They’re living out of their cars. They were living in motels. It’s essential. It can’t be cut, not if we have a heart.”
Liz Scharf, director of community economic development and food security at Capstone, insisted that philanthropy and charity can not replace lost federal funds. She is hopeful that the most draconian cuts will be avoided.
“I just hope that in the end we’re a country that decides to make sure our people are cared for, rather than giving money to the highest wealth individuals in this country through tax breaks,” said Scharf.
Disclosure: David Goodman’s wife, Sue Minter, was the executive director of Capstone Community Action from December 2018 to January 2025.
We’re Jammin’
Sunday 15
The annual Strawberry Festival at Middletown Springs Historical Society continues a half-century of sweet summer tradition. Fruit lovers revel in a craft fair of local artisans’ wares, acoustic tunes, kids’ activities and a quilt exhibit. Berries by the quart and decadent shortcake made with fresh fruit,homemade biscuits, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream make a lip-smacking grand finale.
Get Out and Play
Saturday 14 & Sunday 15
Vermont Days welcomes residents and tourists of all ages for a weekend of free access to state parks, historical sites and museums across the Green Mountain State. Early summer vibes reach new heights with lakeside lounging in beach chairs or a pastoral mid-hike picnic at the peak. If angling is more your speed, Saturday’s glorious Free Fishing Day makes waves with lifted license requirements.
Swamp Things
Friday 13
Friday the 13th generally bodes superstition, but there’s nothing to fear when the bayou comes to Burlington for a High Country Boil at Hotel Vermont. Southern spice meets Northern attitude at this twisty take on a traditional Cajun meal, accompanied by two-step dance lessons, local brews and live music by Louisiana’s Pine Leaf Boys — bringing a unique blend of zydeco, swamp-pop and soul to Yankee ears.
If It Ain’t Brogue
Saturday 14
The Vermont Institute of Celtic Arts invites clans clad in flannel and tartans to Greensboro for the Vermont Highland Games at Highland Center for the Arts. Folks explore their heritage — or learn about others’ — with myriad music performances, cultural demos and seminars throughout the day. Gleeful guests try everything from Gaelic to step dancing and show their strength in a rousing tug-of-war.
Free to Be You and Me
Ongoing
Hexum Gallery exhibits resplendent works by 21 LGBTQ+ artists from across the country at the “Family Jewels” group show in Montpelier. Connoting a bit more than just jewelry, the cheeky title alludes to the gallery’s playful-yet-elegant curation of paintings, drawings and mixed media, where unabashed queer joy, imagination and the importance of chosen family permeate the space.
Field of Dreams
Sunday 15
Batter up! Families hit it out of the park when they cheer Dad on at Billings Farm & Museum’s Father’s Day “Base Ball” in Woodstock. A friendly, historic game — adhering to the sport’s 1860 rules — awaits players (not just dads), replete with wood-shaving baselines, straw-filled canvas bases, and metal home and pitcher plates. Ash bat reproductions and bare-handed fielders complete the theme.
Tea’s Company
Sunday 15
Patrons enjoy a proper partea at the Afternoon Tea & Tea Etiquette Talk at the Governor’s House in Hyde Park. The elegant inn affords an ideal backdrop as fancy folks lift pinkies and dig into a full English spread, while questions about quaffing quandaries — milk first or last? — are answered. Now, go forth and host that formal steep sesh you’ve always dreamed of!
Dear Reader,
Vermonters are facing a growing affordability crisis. From housing and health care to child care and groceries, many people are struggling to keep up.
These pressures affect communities in every corner of the state.
That’s why VTDigger is launching a new reporting beat focused on wealth, poverty and economic opportunity in Vermont. This beat will dig into the root causes of economic hardship, examine the systems meant to offer support and elevate the stories of Vermonters navigating these challenges every day.
Thanks to our partnership with Report for America, we have secured partial funding for the role. Now, we’re asking our readers to help us close the gap and bring this position to life.
In order to launch this beat, we need to raise $50,000. A generous Vermont donor will match all gifts made before Saturday, June 14. Will you be one of the readers who makes this new beat possible?
Why this work matters now
Vermont has long depended on imported wealth to sustain its economy, but is this model still working?
This new reporter will explore the challenges and opportunities facing different communities. From rural poverty and housing insecurity to the impacts of demographic shifts sparked by the pandemic, this beat will cover a broad range of topics including:
- Root causes of Vermont’s affordability crisis
- The experiences of Vermonters most affected by economic challenges
- Regional disparities and areas for change
- Gaps in state services and nonprofit safety nets
- How economic policy affects Vermonters differently depending on geography, age and background
This beat will help ensure that policy conversations are grounded in reality, informed by evidence and inclusive of the full range of Vermonters’ experiences.
Backed by Report for America and readers like you
VTDigger is honored to be selected as a host newsroom by Report for America, a nonprofit journalism service program that places talented reporters in local newsrooms to cover underreported topics. The program covers a portion of the reporter’s salary, but requires that the remainder come from community support.
Unlike some chain-owned commercial media, VTDigger is a nonprofit news organization that does not charge subscriptions to read our work — so readers from all economic backgrounds have access to the information they need. But, we can only hire and sustain our team with our readers’ support. We don’t receive federal funding, and every dollar we raise, we put into fulfilling our mission.
You can help us close the gap and launch this vital work. If you value fact-based reporting that explains complex issues, amplifies unheard voices and holds power to account, please consider making a donation.
Your support — whether $15 or $500 — will be doubled and help us launch this beat with care, accuracy and a community mandate.
Thank you for your readership and support.
Sincerely,
Lesli Blount
Chief Revenue Officer, VTDigger
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