Executive Order No. 16-5 (No. 06-13) [Coordinating Council for Vermont Interactive Technologies]
WHEREAS, it is the policy of the State of Vermont to extend learning opportunities
to all citizens regardless of geographic location; and
WHEREAS, the use of interactive technology for remote teaching applications has been
successfully demonstrated at multiple locations throughout Vermont since 1988; and
WHEREAS, a joint private-public sponsorship coordinates Vermont’s interactive technology
network.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT I, Peter Shumlin, by virtue of the power vested
in me as Governor, do hereby rename the “Coordinating Council for Vermont Interactive
Television” the “Coordinating Council for Vermont Interactive Technologies,” and reconstitute
the Council as follows
I. Composition and Appointments
The Council shall be composed of two representatives of the business community, appointed
by the Governor; two representatives of the education community, appointed by the
Governor; two representatives of the non-profit community, appointed by the Governor;
a member of the Vermont House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the
House; a member of the Vermont Senate, appointed by the Committee on Committees; and
a representative of the Administration, appointed by the Governor.
Additional appointments shall be made by the Governor to fill vacancies or to respond
to other critical needs.
II. Council Process and Change
The Council shall meet periodically and shall make recommendations to the Secretary
of Administration and to the Executive Director of Vermont Interactive Technologies
concerning:
A. policy for overall system usage and development;
B. priorities for operational scheduling;
C. evaluation of system performance;
D. future development and/or system expansion;
E. budgetary information and requirements; and
F. development of funding alternatives.
In addition, the Council shall maintain liaisons with appropriate legislative offices
and annually advise the Governor and the General Assembly on the process and achievements
of Vermont Interactive Technologies.
Administrative support will be provided by the Agency of Administration and the Vermont
State Colleges as required.
III. Effective Date
This Executive Order shall take effect upon signing and shall expire on September
15, 2019.
This Order supersedes Executive Order 10-94 (codified as No. 16-2).
Dated July 10, 2013.
Executive Order No. 16-6 (No. 08-21) [Vermont Interagency Afterschool Youth Task Force]
WHEREAS, data has shown afterschool programs help youth learn, grow and avoid risky
behaviors such as drug use and juvenile crime, and offering these opportunities helps
strengthen the health and wellbeing of Vermont’s children, as well as improve academic
achievement; and
WHEREAS, afterschool and summer programs support working families by reducing the
logistical and financial burden of unsupervised time away from home or school; and
WHEREAS, afterschool and summer programs are community-based, school-based and partnerships
between communities and schools, and there are partners that will be critical to expansion
of opportunities including, but not limited to, the Vermont Agencies of Education,
Human Services, Natural Resources and Transportation, the Vermont Department of Labor,
Vermont Afterschool and the Vermont Youth Project; and
WHEREAS, in my 2020 State of the State address I proposed the creation of a universal
afterschool network by 2025 that ensures every child has access to enrichment opportunities
outside of current classroom time, and to align the students’ day with the length
of the workday, with out raising property tax rates; and
WHEREAS, most recently to mitigate the negative social, emotional and academic impacts
of the pandemic on youth and families, I prioritized creation of the 2021 Summer Matters
campaign to expand opportunities for children and youth to reconnect with peers and
communities, funding 93 programs which provided 238 additional weeks of programming
serving approximately 12,810 youth; and
WHEREAS, because high school students are often the hardest to engage in afterschool
and summer activities, as part of the Summer Matters campaign, the Division of Vocational
Rehabilitation created the Summer Career Exploration Program which provided 144 youth
with a work experience and learning opportunity, engaged 110 employers, and included
all students with disabilities, resulting in 23.6 percent of participants earning
an offer of employment; and
WHEREAS, Senator Sanders successfully secured federal pandemic recovery funds for
addressing learning loss through afterschool and summer programming, and 94 percent
of Vermont school districts signaled intent to use their local share of federal American
Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds for summer
programming, after school and extended learning opportunities for students; and
WHEREAS, the Universal Afterschool Task Force produced a set of recommendations for
next steps to expand universal afterschool in Vermont including program funding priorities,
grant program implementation priorities, funding estimates and how to build on Vermont’s
strengths; and
WHEREAS, Act 164 of 2020 directs revenue from sales and use tax on the retail sale
of cannabis and cannabis products to fund a grant program to start or expand afterschool
and summer learning programs, with a focus on increasing access in underserved areas
of the state; and
WHEREAS, Vermont has a transformational opportunity to expand afterschool and summer
programs for the mental, emotional and educational wellbeing of all Vermont’s children
and youth; and
WHEREAS, State government must continue to work with the local education and private
sector partners to facilitate development of a statewide system offering universal
access to safe, enriching and comprehensive options for afterschool and summer programming
for Vermont youth from pre-kindergarten to grade 12.
NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that I, Philip B. Scott, by virtue of the authority
vested in me as Governor, do hereby establish the Vermont Interagency Afterschool
Youth Task Force as follows:
I. Composition and Appointments
The Vermont Interagency Afterschool Youth Task Force (the “Task Force”), shall consist
of not more than 11 members to be appointed by the Governor to include the following
members:
(1) The Secretary of the Agency of Education, or designee;
(2) The Student Pathways Division Director of the Agency of Education;
(3) The Chief Prevention Officer;
(4) The Commissioner of the Department of Children and Family Services, or designee;
(5) The Commissioner of the Department of Health, or designee;
(6) The Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health, or designee;
(7) The Commissioner of the Department of Fish & Wildlife, or designee;
(8) The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Transition Program Manager;
(9) The Secretary of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development, or designee;
(10) The Governor’s Director of Policy Development and Legislative Affairs; and
(11) The Executive Director of Vermont Afterschool, or designee.
The Governor shall appoint the Chair and Co-Chair. The Task Force may convene subcommittees
with additional members such as educational professionals, youth, parents and community
partners, as needed, may consult with experts and stakeholder organizations as needed.
II. Meetings
The Chair shall call the first meeting of the Task Force to occur on or before November
15, 2021 and the Task Force shall meet as needed at the call of the Chair, but not
less than monthly.
III. Powers and Duties
Building on the work of the Universal After School Task Force and the Summer Matters
campaign, the Task Force shall work toward a statewide system offering universal access
to safe, enriching and comprehensive options for afterschool and summer programming
for Vermont youth from pre-kindergarten to grade 12. The system shall encourage the
academic, social and emotional development of participants in safe, accessible environments
where they can connect with peers and adults. Programs shall represent a range of
school-based, private and community partnerships and should be available to all interested
youth and families at reasonable or no cost, with particular emphasis on ensuring
Vermont’s most vulnerable students have ready access to affordable opportunities.
The Task Force shall:
A. Create a framework to expand existing programs leveraging what is already in place,
enhancing their accessibility, capacity and quality;
B. Develop and support the creation of new program options for all age groups, understanding
that high school students are often the most difficult cohort to engage;
C. Develop a baseline for safety and quality standards for building strategies to ensure
enrichment and expanded learning opportunities;
D. Ensure equitable geographic coverage and prioritize areas that are currently underserved
and/or have experienced the most significant contraction in the regional workforce.
E. Target specific infrastructure gaps in the existing system such as transportation,
access for children and youth with disabilities, geographic equity, and nutritional
supports for youth during programming;
F. Ensure options exist for youth employment and for education and acquisition of job
skills;
G. Develop opportunities for youth to explore post-secondary education, skills training
and career planning and/or experiences such as work-based learning opportunities;
H. Leverage existing federal, state and local funding opportunities to encourage sustainable
expansion and extension of programs;
I. Focus on evidence-informed planning and programming to document and measure impacts;
and
J. Engage with youth to ensure their voice and input are heard in the development of
the system.
The Task Force shall be advisory to the Governor and report on progress towards achieving
expanded universal afterschool and summer programming every two months. The Task Force
shall also respond to the Governor upon request.
To the extent funded, the non-governmental members of subcommittees of the Task Force
shall be entitled to per diem compensation, upon request, pursuant to 32 V.S.A. § 1010.
The Task Force shall have the administrative, technical and legal assistance of the
Agencies of Education and Human Services.
IV. Effective Date
This Executive Order shall take effect upon execution and shall expire December 31,
2026 unless extended by the Governor.
Dated October 28, 2021