{"id":471,"date":"2025-06-17T22:34:41","date_gmt":"2025-06-17T22:34:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vermontdesign.org\/?p=471"},"modified":"2025-10-09T09:58:28","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T09:58:28","slug":"the-koch-brothers-phil-scott-and-vermont-education-reform","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vermontdesign.org\/?p=471","title":{"rendered":"The Koch Brothers, Phil Scott, and Vermont Education Reform"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Charles, David, and Bill Koch fought long and hard over their father\u2019s massive inheritance of hundreds of billions of dollars. Their private fortune would be enough to pay for all of public education in Vermont for 72 years. David is dead now, but his spirit lives on in its posthumous quest for rich folks to pay less in taxes, and at the same time for them to be able to use public funds to send their kids to private schools <\/a>where they need not mingle with the riff-raff. His ghost and family money are embodied now in Americans for Prosperity,<\/em> a lobbying group and PAC funded with their legacies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do they have to do with the recent flare-up of education reform in Vermont? Plenty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a timeline of recent events and facts that might paint the picture for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

April 10, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Governor Scott nominates Zoie Saunders, from the CharterSchoolsUSA company of Florida, a for-profit private school operator closely connected with the Koch Brothers, to be Vermont’s Secretary of Education. She is not confirmed by the Senate, but he keeps her on anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

May 20, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Governor Scott appoints Jason Maulucci, formerly head of the Young Republicans at UVM, to be his campaign manager. While Jason was heading up the Young Republicans, Ross Connolly served as New England Field Director of Koch brothers’ Americans for Prosperity.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

June 7, 2024 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Americans For Prosperity<\/em> (AFP) Regional Director Ross Connolly speaks at a campaign meeting in Barre hosted by the Vermont Young Republicans, and meets with Governor Scott\u2019s staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Summer 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vermont hires Picus, Odden, and Augenblick, an out-of-state consulting firm, to identify adequate spending levels for Vermont schools. It\u2019s not clear who paid for this study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

September 10, 2024 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

VTDigger<\/em> reports that \u201cAmericans for Prosperity has been ramping up its activity in Vermont over the past year, and the group\u2019s multi-thousand dollar ad campaign against the Legislature\u2019s clean heat standard is just one of its efforts in the state. The group \u2014 founded by billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch \u2014 has deep ties to the oil and gas industry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fall 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Virginia-based Americans for Prosperity<\/em> spends $68,000 on campaigns and lobbying in Vermont, according to the Secretary of State\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

September 11, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Governor Scott appoints Jason Maulucci as his Director of Policy Development and legislative affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

September 15, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Picus, Odden, and Augenblick deliver a report to the state, saying that Vermont needs only $12,000 per student per year for an adequate education. At that point our average spending was $20,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fall 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Governor Scott , Saunders, and Maulucci prepare, in secret, his education reform plan. With whose help it is not known.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fall 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Americans for Prosperity<\/em> reviews the Governor\u2019s (secret) plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

January 25, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Picus and Odden testify to the Vermont House Ways and Means committee that Vermont\u2019s public school funding should be cut by at least 25%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

January 27, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AFP<\/em> issues a press release lauding the Governor\u2019s (still secret) education plan because it lowers taxes and allows public funds for private schools. \u201cWe thank Governor Scott for his approach to education funding and his commitment to streamlining school governance\u2026a positive step toward achieving education freedom in the Green Mountain State\u2026 We know education freedom is within reach.\u201d See https:\/\/americansforprosperity.org\/press-release\/afp-applauds-governor-scotts-education-proposal-as-a-building-block-for-education-freedom\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

January 28, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Governor and Secretary of Education show slides of his (surprise!) education plan to some members of the General Assembly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

February 6, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The House Education Committee receives a written version of the Governor\u2019s plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

February 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Governor\u2019s plan falls like a lead balloon into the General Assembly and the minds of many Legislators and Vermonters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

January-April 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AFP<\/em> hires five (5) lobbyists and spends more than $25,000 lobbying the Vermont General Assembly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

March 5, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AFP\u2019s <\/em>Ross Connolly reports to the Vermont Chronicle<\/em> that \u201cIt\u2019s disappointing that the legislative majority in Montpelier is refusing to address the very real problems Vermonters face today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

April 9, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AFP\u2019s<\/em> newsletter states that \u201cVermont is unaffordable and they want real solutions, not mandates and tax hikes. Governor Phil Scott and Republicans in the Legislature put forth many thoughtful solutions to Vermont\u2019s most pressing problems. The Progressive majority failed to prioritize these real solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

April 26, 2025 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right-wing financier Myers Mermel buys WDEV in Waterbury. Ross Connolly, Regional Director of Americans for Prosperity,<\/em> a conservative libertarian advocacy group, is hired as host of WDEV\u2019s show, Vermont Viewpoint.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

June 2, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AFP\u2019s<\/em> newsletter \u201ccommends Governor Scott for his steady commitment to improving the lives of Vermonters, despite the legislature\u2019s failure to act. We remain committed to working on behalf of taxpayers to reduce government spending, [and] deliver education freedom…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

June 16, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The General Assembly passes an education reform bill that reduces education support, lowers taxes, and sends more public money to private schools. In fact, the bill as passed would allow all of the schools in the for-profit Koch brothers\u2019 Charter Schools USA network in Florida, for instance, to claim public tuition payments from Vermont. Governor Scott says he\u2019ll sign it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

David must be smiling in his grave. Charles likely jumps with joy. Bill is probably out on his sailboat.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Charles, David, and Bill Koch fought long and hard over their father\u2019s massive inheritance of hundreds of billions of dollars. Their private fortune would be enough to pay for all of public education in Vermont for 72 years. David is dead now, but his spirit lives on in its posthumous quest for rich folks to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vermontdesign.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/471","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vermontdesign.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vermontdesign.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vermontdesign.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vermontdesign.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=471"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/vermontdesign.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/471\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":519,"href":"https:\/\/vermontdesign.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/471\/revisions\/519"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vermontdesign.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vermontdesign.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=471"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vermontdesign.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}