The Vermont Senate has made a controversial decision to reject Governor Phil Scott’s appointment of Zoie Saunders as the state’s Education Secretary. Despite this rejection, Governor Scott has announced that Saunders will remain in the role.
The Senate session began with a report from the Chair of the Education Committee, which had previously voted 3 to 2 in favor of forwarding Saunders’ nomination for confirmation by the full Senate. However, the confirmation process quickly turned contentious, with Senators raising concerns about Saunders’ experience and vision for education in Vermont.
Opponents of Saunders’ confirmation criticized her lack of knowledge about Vermont’s unique school finance system and her narrow and uninformed vision for education in the state. After more than an hour of debate, the Senate ultimately voted 19 to 9 against confirming Saunders.
Following the vote, Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman issued an apology for a controversial email he had sent over the weekend, which had added to the heated debate surrounding Saunders’ nomination. Governor Scott, on the other hand, praised Saunders and the senators who supported her, announcing that he had named her Interim Secretary of Education and issued her 100 Day Plan for the agency.
Saunders, who previously worked for Broward County Public Schools in Florida, will now have the opportunity to prove herself in the role of Education Secretary despite the Senate’s rejection of her appointment. The decision has sparked debate and controversy within the state government, highlighting the challenges of appointing key officials in the education sector.