Opinion — Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale: Getting education off the partisan battlefield (2025)

This commentary is by Kesha Ram Hinsdale. She is a Democrat representing Chittenden Southeast in the Vermont Senate, where she is the majority leader and a member of the Senate Education Committee.

Public education is one of our most essential institutions. It shapes our communities, strengthens our democracy and prepares our children for the future. That’s why we must protect it from becoming a political football.

If we want a system that truly serves students, we need to return leadership decisions to educational experts — people who know the classroom, not just the campaign trail. Otherwise, we risk allowing short-term political considerations to shape the long-term future of our schools — a cost none of us can afford.

Until 2012, Vermont’s State Board of Education — a respected, nonpartisan body of educational professionals — appointed the commissioner of education. This is still the model used by most states. I was in the House when we changed that structure at Gov. Peter Shumlin’s request. The goal was to improve efficiency and align policy under a single executive vision. But over time, we’ve seen that shift result in greater politicization, where educational priorities are too often overtaken by political ones.

Today, the governor appoints both the Secretary of Education and members of the State Board. While the intention may be consistency and accountability, the reality is a consolidation of power that limits independent oversight. When education leadership is fully aligned with political leadership, there are fewer checks and balances to ensure that decisions are made in the best interest of students, families and educators.

We’ve all watched the national landscape become increasingly polarized, and education has not been immune. From curriculum battles to funding fights, the classroom is too often the stage for political theater. Vermont should learn from this — not follow it. We need a governance structure that can withstand political shifts and focus squarely on what matters: student outcomes, educator support and fiscal responsibility.

At a recent confirmation hearing for Education Secretary Zoie Saunders, I asked for five private references from public K-12 education leaders who could speak positively to her qualifications. She declined, calling it “too political.” Ironically, on that point, we agreed — education shouldn’t be about politics. It should be about qualifications, trust and a shared commitment to children.

When the nomination reached the Senate floor, few spoke enthusiastically. Many Republicans voted to confirm simply because she was the governor’s nominee. Many Democrats did the same out of resignation — believing a “no” vote wouldn’t change the outcome. That’s not the kind of process our students deserve.

It’s time to revisit this governance structure. Let’s consider returning to a system where the State Board of Education — an expert, nonpartisan body — selects the secretary of education. This isn’t a partisan argument; it’s a pragmatic one. Decisions about our children’s future should be guided by knowledge, experience and stability — not political calculation.

We have major challenges ahead: education finance reform, district consolidation, a growing mental health crisis among students and teacher retention struggles. Tackling these issues requires long-term thinking and broad-based trust. That starts with depoliticizing how we lead.

Let’s commit to a governance model that prioritizes students over politics. The time to act is now — before another generation feels the consequences of decisions made for short-term political gain rather than long-term public good.