VT Leaders Push Education Reform for Workforce

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OP-ED: Education Reform Will Build a Stronger Workforce and Make Our Communities More Vibrant

February 18, 2026 Vermont Department of Labor Commissioner, Kendal Smith
Secretary of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development, Lindsay Kurle

Education Reform Will Build a Stronger Workforce and Make Our Communities More Vibrant
Education reform does not mean abandoning communities; it means being honest about how to preserve them.

Vermont prides itself on self-reliance, innovation, and strong communities. But today, the challenges facing our education system threaten this foundation.  Governor Scott’s recent address underscores the urgency: education reform is essential for our future. This is a call to action for all Vermonters.

Across the state, Vermonters worry that rising education costs make Vermont unaffordable, while others fear that reform will mean losing local identity. These concerns are often framed as competing priorities, but they are tightly linked: affordability and strong communities depend on each other.

As Vermont’s Secretary of Commerce and Community Development and Labor Commissioner, we see every day how our education system, workforce readiness, and economic vitality are inseparable. Employers face worker shortages, Vermont’s population is aging, and too few graduates have clear post-high school plans, lacking awareness of promising local career pathways.

Meanwhile, our education system faces declining enrollment, rising costs, and persistent inequities. If left unaddressed, these challenges will weaken our workforce, slow economic growth, and strain the very communities we seek to protect. Thoughtful redesign is essential to preserving the fabric of our state’s small-town landscape. The greatest threat to a town’s vitality is not change—it is inaction.

We recognize that schools are more than places of learning; they are community anchors that bring people together, and we must plan with that reality in mind. This may mean reimagining school buildings for expanded community use, such as early care and learning centers, continuing education and workforce training programs, afterschool and summer enrichment hubs, teen and recreation centers, or other lifelong learning opportunities that support individuals from cradle through career. Across the state, we have also seen school buildings thoughtfully converted to housing, advancing another critical priority for sustaining strong communities. What we cannot do is preserve a familiar system that quietly undermines affordability and opportunities for our youth.

This is the moment for Vermonters to lay the groundwork and build the infrastructure that will serve future generations. Education reform is about redesigning our system to deliver stronger outcomes and clearer, actionable pathways to the next phase of life. Without a modern, flexible education system, too many young people will struggle to see a future for themselves in Vermont.

As leaders in state government, we value both education and the communities' schools anchor, even as we acknowledge the uncertainty that accompanies change. That is why we must challenge ourselves to finish what we started—to truly modernize education, strengthen our workforce, and preserve what makes Vermont a vibrant place to live and work.

Education reform does not mean abandoning communities; it means being honest and intentional about how best to sustain them for generations to come.