LETTER: Harwood superintendent resigns from state education panel

Editor’s Note: Harwood Unified Union School District Superintendent Mike Leichliter has served on the state Commission on the Future of Public Education for the past year as the group’s representative of the Vermont Superintendents Association. On Monday, July 7, he submitted his resignation to the group. The letter is published below in full. 

July 8, 2025

Dear Colleagues,

After much reflection, I will be stepping down as the Vermont Superintendents Association’s representative to the Commission on the Future of Public Education, effective at the conclusion of today’s meeting.

I joined this Commission because I believe in Vermont’s public schools and our long-standing commitment to equity, innovation, and local control. From Act 77’s Flexible Pathways to Act 166’s expansion of pre-K, Vermont has built a system that supports the whole child. Many programs that our state provides are not universal across the country, and in a small, rural state like ours, they come with real costs that deserve honest, informed discussion.

Over the years, and particularly since the Brigham decision, Vermont’s schools have weathered reform after reform, some helpful, others disruptive. Educators and school leaders have risen to each challenge, but are now raising a clear warning: Is the path forward still rooted in Vermont’s values, or is it being driven more by political urgency than thoughtful public policy?

With 34 years in public education and extensive experience leading a district at the scale envisioned in H.454, I had hoped this Commission would be a space for careful, inclusive work grounded in research and best practice. Instead, it has become more symbolic than substantive. 

One thing is clear from my experience: consolidating districts into arbitrary size ranges, unsupported by research, is not a silver bullet. Structural change without a deep understanding of local context, capital needs, unresolved cost drivers, and system complexity will not solve the challenges we face. Meanwhile, schools and the state face a tough 2026 budget due in part to rising health care costs, uncertain federal funding, and growing special education demands that have not been adequately addressed.

If we are not willing to listen to those closest to the work, we risk losing the very foundation our communities and state have built together over decades. The future of public education in Vermont is still unwritten. The question is: will we ensure the voices of those working in our public schools help shape it?

With respect and appreciation,

Mike

Mike Leichliter, PhD, is superintendent of the Harwood Unified Union School District.