Letter to the Editor: Vermont wants to transform education. Why are we going backward on graduation standards?

September 26, 2026 - 04:36

Two Vermont superintendents are pushing back against a proposed change to the state's graduation requirements. Lynn Cota, who leads the Franklin Northeast Supervisory Union, and Bill Kimball, who heads the Maple Run Unified School District, argue that the state is moving backward at a time when it should be moving forward.

In a letter to the editor, the two education leaders point out that Vermont has spent years building a system designed to measure what students actually know and can do, rather than how much time they spend sitting in a classroom. That approach, often called proficiency based learning, was meant to make diplomas mean something real. Now, they say, the state appears ready to walk away from that work.

Cota and Kimball question why Vermont would abandon a framework that was created to ensure every graduate leaves high school with skills that matter in college, careers, and life. They note that the shift feels like a retreat from accountability and innovation, not a step toward improvement.

The superintendents call on state officials to reconsider the direction and to keep the focus on what students truly need to succeed after graduation. They warn that lowering expectations now could hurt the very students the system was designed to help.