Date of Award
2002
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
EdD Program for Educational Leaders
Advisor
William R. Thayer
Committee Member
Claudia Santin
Keywords
Bennington, Career Development Center, career and lifelong learning, cessation, Community College of Vermont, Construction Act, construction projects, controversial topic, coordination, curriculum development, Department of Education, educational funding, equity, funding, governance, governance models, Governor Madeline Kunin, hearings, historical study, impact, legislation, legislative revisions, local organizational structure, moratorium, Newport, North Country Career Center, partnerships, pilot proposal, regional technical centers, reconstruction, RFP, Senator Illuzzi, State Council, technical education, Vermont, Vermont General Assembly, Vermont Technical College, workforce education
Abstract
This dissertation is written as a historical study to examine the effects of equalized funding of education in Vermont and a governance proposal for legislative revisions for Vermont's 16 regional technical centers. Governance became a controversial topic in the Vermont General Assembly in August 1996 after the reconstruction of the Career Development Center in Bennington, Vermont.
An outcome of the Construction Act was the moratorium placed on all construction projects in May 1996. Requested by Senator Illuzzi of Newport, Vermont, a study was conducted to decide the impact of the recent legislation and reconstruction of Vermont's technical centers. A series of debates continued on the local organizational structure by which each center is governed. Working through the Career and Lifelong Learning division of the Department of Education and the Vermont legislature, six studies have been completed over a period of 13 years governance. Hearings were conducted under the authority of: (a) Governor Madeline Kunin; (b) the Community College of Vermont; (c) the State Council; (d) Vermont Technical College; and the (e) Vermont General Assembly.
The discussion of this controversial topic culminated in the elimination of technical education legislation. Cessation initiated a pilot proposal to study the effects of individual governance models. Working from the information from the forums, an RFP designed by the department of education invited all to respond. An award was offered for the most creative proposal. North Country Career Center was the focal point of this historical study. The pilot has demonstrated the impact on the redesign of legislation for Vermont's 16 regional technical centers, the implications of sufficient funding on access and equity, the significance of the development of curriculum, and the effect of coordination on partnerships