REGION – “What is the purpose of school in today’s world?” The public response to that fundamental question forms the centerpiece of a brief two-question survey that the Taconic & Green Regional School District Board will be conducting now through Feb. 15, 2021. In addition to the feedback on the purpose of school, the questionnaire also asks for input on what important skills, values, and behaviors should be developed during the years with T&G.
To maximize safety and outreach during the pandemic, the questionnaire will be distributed electronically by email to a wide range of local groups and organizations, including parents, former students, and local Selectboard members. An initial electronic mailing to parents of current T&G students, for example, will be sent the first week of the survey period.
The survey will be made available on social media and at the website of the Bennington-Rutland Supervisory Union, www.BRSU.org. The T&G Board will also work with a wide range of local community organizations to put the topic of “the purpose of schools” on agendas for discussion during regularly scheduled meetings.
“We know that board decisions are only as good as the information that we use to make them,” the T&G Public Engagement Committee said in a statement. “We know that we are limited by our experiences and privileges, and that in order to make the best decisions for all our kids, we need to be informed by all of our community.”
The results of the survey will be shared with the public and play a major role in establishing T&G educational goals that will be the centerpiece of an Ends Policy that serves as the standard for future school operations. Anyone without access to the internet can mail the response to the question, “What is the purpose of school in today’s world?” directly to the T&G Board at 6378 VT Route 7A, Sunderland, VT 05250.
T&G operates K-8 public education at five local schools: Currier Elementary, The Dorset School, Sunderland Elementary, Flood Brook School, and Manchester Elementary Middle School. The nine communities served by the T&G are Danby, Dorset, Landgrove, Londonderry, Manchester, Mount Tabor, Peru, Sunderland, and Weston.