Senate Committee on Education

 

AGENDA

 

Room 28 and Zoom

February 17, 2026 - February 20, 2026

Last Updated 2/20/2026 4:06 PM

 

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at

https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/senate-education.

Tuesday, February 17, 2026

9:30 AM                   Senate Floor

 

1:15 PM                   S. 232 - An act relating to public libraries and the Department of Libraries

Mark-up

Tucker Anderson, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Catherine Delneo, Commissioner and State Librarian, Vermont Department of Libraries

Cal Hale, Lobbyist, Vermont Library Association

 

1:55 PM                   S. 227 - An act relating to creating immigration protocols in Vermont schools

Witness Testimony

Chelsea Myers, Executive Director, Vermont Superintendents Association - Zoom

 

2:05 PM                   S. 313 - An act relating to transforming Vermont’s career technical education system

Witness Testimony

Zoie Saunders, Secretary, Agency of Education

 

2:45 PM                   Break

 

2:55 PM                   S. 313 - An act relating to transforming Vermont’s career technical education system

Witness Testimony (continued)

Jay Ramsey, Director of Workforce Development, Vermont Department of Labor

 

3:05 PM                   Committee Discussion

 

3:45 PM                   Adjourn

 

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

1:00 PM                   Senate Floor

 

1:45 PM                   S. 227 - An act relating to creating immigration protocols in Vermont schools

Discussion and Mark-up

Rik Sehgal, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Julio Thompson, Director, Civil Rights Unit, Office of the Attorney General

 

2:30 PM                   S. 232 - An act relating to public libraries and the Department of Libraries

Tucker Anderson, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Catherine Delneo, Commissioner and State Librarian, Vermont Department of Libraries

 

3:00 PM                   Committee Discussion

 

3:50 PM                   Adjourn

 

Thursday, February 19, 2026

10:30 AM                   Joint Assembly

Election of VSC Trustees and Adjutant and Inspector General

 

1:00 PM                   Senate Floor

 

1:35 PM                   Antisemitism in Vermont K-12

Maggie Lenz, Lobbyist, Shalom Alliance

Rabbi David Fainsilber, Jewish Community of Greater Stowe

Lex Leiken, Student

Alex Young, Student

Vera Windish - Zoom

Beth Liberman, Exective Director, Jewish Communities of Vermont

Heidi Fishman, Board Member, Holocaust Memorial

Samantha Joseph, Regional Director, ADL New England - Zoom

 

3:05 PM                   Break

 

3:10 PM                   S. 259 - An act relating to online driver education

Witness Testimony

Pat McManamon, Highway Education Program Manager, Department of Motor Vehicles, Agency of Transportation

Justin McLane, Highway Safety Program Specialist, Department of Motor Vehicles, Agency of Transportation

Andrew Prowten, State Director of Education Approvals, Agency of Education

Tammy Pregent, Education Consultant, Agency of Education

Gage Huard, Student, Williamstown Middle High School

Ellie Hayes, Student, Williamstown Middle High School

Billie Manchester, Student, Williamstown Middle High School

Dan Goodman, Manager of Public Affairs, AAA Northern New England

Joseph Barch, Executive Director, Vermont Driver Education and Safety Education Association

Kevin Masse, President-Elect, Vermont Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association

Jim Carter, Retired Teacher

 

5:00 PM                   Committee Discussion

 

5:30 PM                   Adjourn

 

Friday, February 20, 2026

11:30 AM                   Senate Floor

 

1:15 PM                   Free Degree Promise

CCV Accelerated Degree Pathways and Careers in K-12 Education

 

Rebecca Copans, Special Projects Manager, McClure Foundation

Joyce Judy, President, Community College of Vermont

Ruby Hall, Student - STEM Studies, Early College/Free Degree Promise

Aunika Higbee, Free Degree Promise

Brennan Swaim, Free Degree Promise

 

1:45 PM                   Special Education Report

Act 73 of 2025 Special Education Report:

Overview, Special Education Strategic Plan, and Next Steps

Zoie Saunders, Secretary, Agency of Education

Erin Davis, Chief Academic Officer, Agency of Education

Kelly Murphy, Director of Education Finance, Agency of Education

Ted Gates, Senior Fiscal Analyst, Agency of Education - Zoom

Katie McCarthy, Early Childhood Special Education Program Manager, Agency of Education - Zoom

 

2:45 PM                   Break

 

2:55 PM                   S. 227 - An act relating to creating immigration protocols in Vermont schools

Witness Testimony

Mark Koenig, Director of Policy Services & Legislative Affairs, Vermont School Boards Association - Zoom

Chelsea Myers, Executive Director, Vermont Superintendents Association - Zoom

 

3:15 PM                   Adjourn

 

ATTENTION WITNESSES

 

Please email handouts to the committee assistant at least 24 hours before your scheduled meeting time. With few exceptions, any documents you send to a committee assistant are open to the public and may be posted to the committee’s web page.

 

Should you require accessibility services, please click here and note that requests should be made 48 hours in advance of testimony.

 

 

 

If you have any questions or comments, please contact

 Daphne Kinney-Landis at Daphne.Kinney-Landis@vtleg.gov