Take The Initiative

One of the most beautiful habitats we created on earth is under threat of destruction. The Green River Reservoir State Park is home to wildlife and helped restore the population of Common Loons.

Due to strict limitations by the State of Vermont's Agency of Natural Resources, the electric utility can no longer afford to keep the dam in operation.

Please sign the petition to show Vermont that we care about preserving the Green River Reservoir the way it is. For more detailed information, you can read the letter that will be sent below.

The Green River Reservoir state park is threatened. The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) has ordered the local utility, Morrisville Water and Light, to reduce generation by about 30%. This means that the dam that holds the reservoir now operates at a loss. As a result, the electric utility has announced that it has no choice but to remove the dam which will drain the reservoir. ANR must reverse their decision to prevent the loss of Green River Reservoir state park. This is a done deal and Morrisville Water and light has already started the process for decommissioning. However, the state can purchase the dam to prevent the loss of this valuable asset.

The 653-acre reservoir includes about 19 miles of shoreline, one of the longest stretches of undeveloped shorelines in Vermont. Green River Reservoir became a state park in March 1999 when 5,503 acres were purchased from the Morrisville Water and Light Department. This is not your typical Vermont State Park – Green River Reservoir provides camping and paddling experiences in a remote setting. The state of Vermont has made a commitment that the park “will remain in its wild and undeveloped condition.” The park averages more than 10,000 visitors per year.


The reason ANR wants to reduce the flow is to restore some of the original plant life along the reservoir, as well as to improve the quality of the fishery downstream. ANR’s report contradicts itself because it also states that the reservoir is currently healthy, including a healthy fish population.


It is difficult to understand the logic behind the ANR decision. A dam on the Green River created the reservoir in 1947. Although initially built for flood control, a generator was installed in 1984. Like most power dams, this one comes up for a new federal license every 30 or 40 years.


Here we have a wildlife habitat that has been in place for over 70 years. The fishery is excellent. The natural beauty is enjoyed by thousands. It is the largest freshwater body in Vermont that is free of motorboats. The result of the ANR decision will likely cause the dam to come down, destroying this gem. The hope is that it will improve the quality of habitat downstream. Essentially exchanging one healthy habitat for some improvements downstream. Destroying one healthy warm water fishery for hoped-for improvements in another cold water fishery.


There are serious flaws to this logic. ANR did not consider the carbon-offset value of the hydro-electric generation. The northern Vermont grid has exceeded its limits in wind and solar capacity. Adding more wind and solar does not reduce the carbon footprint because the grid cannot handle anymore. One of the solutions for this problem is to add Lithium based energy storage. Removing an existing hydro-electric facility means you now have to replace this with even more batteries to get the benefits of renewable energy on demand, which this pre-existing hydro-electric generator provides.


Removing this resource to improve downstream cold water fish habitat without considering the impact to climate change is a short-sighted decision. The Green River Reservoir hydro-electric facility has been producing about 1 million kilowatt-hours per year of carbon-free power prior to the restrictions imposed by the ANR. To produce the same amount of electricity using a natural-gas fired generator, it would create an additional 60,250 tons of carbon-dioxide per year. That is equivalent to the amount of carbon emitted by 7,000 vehicles.

If we do not address climate change, there will be no cold water species in Vermont. With the ANR decision, Vermont will eliminate an on-demand renewable energy resource and we will lose a wildlife habitat that has been in place for 70 plus years. Let’s not find ourselves in a hotter climate two decades from now regretting this short-sighted decision. We may end up with no cold water habitat, and no Green River Reservoir state park.The best way to solve this is to reverse the decision by ANR that forces Morrisville Water and Light to reduce the flow of the dam.

By signing this petition you can show the state you care about this park and want them to purchase the dam and own the Green River Reservoir entirely.

Thank you for your time and I hope to see you in a canoe or kayak on the Green River Reservoir soon!

A Petition to Ask the Governor to Leave the Republican Party


We the undersigned wish to express our profound disappointment at Governor Scott’s public comments concerning his own Party on January 15th, 2021. The Governor said, …

'“…Whether they will continue with, what I perceive as, white supremacy, dominating, racial inequity, and so forth, then we’ll all have to make some decisions,” Scott said Friday.

He says he’s hopeful the GOP will get back to its roots based on advocating for smaller government and capitalism.'

https://www.wcax.com/2021/01/15/scott-vermont-gop-due-for-post-trump-soul-searching/

We would love to have seen more leadership from our Governor to champion these themes of “smaller government and capitalism”; but, it seems like his leadership in these areas has been less than enthusiastic.

We also challenge the Governor to tell us just what he means by “continue with white supremacy” and “racial inequity”. We suspect that there is no specific answer.

The Republican Party has statements in our platform that speak out against racism and white supremacy. Specifically, the platform states…

“Vermont Republicans cherish our proud history of fighting for our environment, as well as keeping our communities free from crime. We promote and support: …

Respect for the inherent value of all human life regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, ability, religion, socioeconomic status, or national origin. We value the sanctity of life from conception to natural death.”
Furthermore, the following resolution was passed at the Republican State Committee meeting in August:

Resolution on the Republican Party’s history of confronting racism.

These hardly seem like a party bent on racism or white supremacy.

Rather, we suspect that these outrageous comments from the Governor are his first steps toward leaving the party. We’re guessing that the Governor has his sights set on bigger things, and, Vermont doesn’t seem like it is in the mood to send a Republican to Washington.

So, we’d like to make that transition easier.

We, the undersigned, declare that the Governor’s comments are completely out of step with the Republican Party. We are disappointed in his leadership in building the party, promoting our philosophies, and supporting President Trump.

So, we the undersigned, respectfully ask the Governor to leave the Republican Party.

The current administration plans to pass laws on gun control that directly infringes against your Second Amendment to keep and bear arms! They think taking away our Constitutional rights will stop evil people from owning guns. This will only stop good civilians from having protection against those who do not care for legalities. Once we allow the Government, who is supposed to work for the people, to control us by impeding on our Constitutional rights, they will never stop.

We are Vermonters! Most of us have grown up around guns and have used them as children. We were taught gun safety and how to properly handle them. We were taught that our ability to own guns was a decision our Founding Fathers made to protect us from radical Governments. We were taught in case of emergencies, we have the ability and right to protect our loved ones. Now, the Government thinks we can't handle ourselves. Maybe you don't agree with civilians having certain types of guns, but do you really think the Government will stop there? If somehow our Government turned on us and enacted martial law against its people, how would you protect yourself and your loved ones? You might think, “This is America! The Government can't do that”, but it can, and it could.

By signing this petition, we can tell Governor Phil Scott that we the people deserve our rights. We can follow in the footsteps of our neighbor New Hampshire, and let the Government know it has no right challenging our Constitutional rights as American Citizens.

Stamford Vermont and Readsboro Vermont are starting petitions to revoke covid guidelines in their towns. Masks would be revoked from all schools and stores. This could cause a larger spike in covid cases. This petition would be to prevent this from happening.

The “Act Relating to Creating the Vermont Silver Alert Program”, S.141 will aim to create an emergency alert system for missing senior residents in the State. Currently the state of Vermont is one of four that does not have the Silver Alert Program implemented. The Department of Public Safety will establish the Vermont Silver Alert Program if passed. The program will aid in the identification and location of missing elders. “Elder” is defined as a missing person 60 years of age or older. If an alert is issued it will be sent to the Federal Communications Commission’s designated state Emergency Alert System and then broadcasted in Vermont. Participating radio and television stations will broadcast the alert at intervals established by the Department. The Department determines what information will be included about the missing elder and how a person with information related to the missing elder should contact. The major intended and anticipated outcomes are to find those who go missing sooner to improve outcomes. The intent is to not have to use this alert at all, though having this will improve the rate to find an elderly person missing while utilizing the resources available.

If an individual over the age of 60 years old goes missing, this Silver Alert program will be activated. The implementation of this bill is not intended to be used all of the time, it is to be used for an emergency and when the time is appropriate. It is better to have policies in place before it is needed. Looking at both sides of the fence, there are not many reasons as to why someone may not want to implement this bill. The use of this bill is to help the whole State of Vermont and increase protection of vulnerable individuals. If Bill S.141 is implemented, it will affect the geriatric population, along with caregivers in nursing homes, families, etc. Occupational therapists (OT) will be directly affected by this bill because the geriatric community is a major population taken care of by this profession. As OT’s work with the geriatric population it is the duty of the profession to advocate on behalf of their safety and quality of life.

H 584 was just introduced in the legislature. As Vermont high school students who worked closely on creating and developing this bill, we hope it will move swiftly through the legislature and be passed into law.


As schools across the country debate over teaching about race in the classroom, there couldn’t be a more vital time to ensure all Vermont students are receiving an accurate and comprehensive education on race and racism. We are hopeful that our legislators will undertake this task with us to promote anti-racist curriculum in schools.


We are a group of students from the Vermont Student Anti-Racism Network, which is a network dedicated to promoting anti-racism in schools through curriculum change, policy, and awareness building. We endeavor to educate ourselves and others about race, power, privilege and oppression in order to foster a more inclusive and anti-racist community starting with our schools. We strive to disrupt the racial hierarchy of our society starting with our own group.


Two of us met at the Summer 2021 Governor’s Institute Global Issues and Youth Action immersion and worked alongside Representative Michelle Bos-Lun to draft an anti-racism in education bill. After the immersion, more students joined through the Vermont Student Anti-Racism Network. Over the course of the past six months, we have crafted a bill with the hopes that it will secure anti-racist education for all Vermont students. We worked closely with Rep. Bos-Lun, and had the support of Rep Kevin Christie and Rep Burrows as we moved through the process. Our bill has 21 co-sponsors in every party in the House. As the session began, us students watched excitedly for the bill to be introduced.


The bill will require standards in education designed to promote anti-racism in schools. Schools would become certified if they meet certain guidelines for anti-racism, including addressing racist incidents, diversity in literature, and anti-bias training for staff. By passing this bill, we can ensure that society becomes actively anti-racist. As VSARN strongly believes, education is the key to changing society. If we make anti-racist schools, we will foster an anti-racist society. There couldn’t be a more pressing time to change society.


VSARN took a survey of approximately 300 students last year, and found out that 78% of current Vermont high schoolers believe that they did not receive an accurate and full education on race in elementary school. Without the foundation of a racially conscious education, students will not be able to enter the increasingly diverse and multicultural society we live in. With 78% of students asking for more in their education, this bill is the perfect way to provide what students need. Middle and High School students in VSARN feel similar about their experience in higher grades, as well: we don’t receive enough education around race in any grade.


According to another survey VSARN sent out to current high school students, 94% of youth support this bill being passed. They support diverse, inclusive, anti-racist curriculum that will help us change society If this bill passes, it will impact not only hundreds of students around the state; it will be impacting our whole state and ensuring all students receive just and equitable opportunities.


As the country navigates its way through discussions and arguments surrounding racial education, we hope Vermont can be a model to the nation for bipartisan support on inclusive curriculum and promoting anti-racism in the classroom. We are not aiming to indoctrinate youth, and we are not aiming to be divisive. We want to bring people together under the common cause of building a better world through our schools. We hope you will join us in this mission.


Signed,




Minelle Sarfo-Adu, South Burlington High School

Addie Lentzner, Arlington Memorial High School

Alaena Hunt, Stowe High School

Ella Murphy, Stowe High School

Katherine Hashem, Mount Mansfield Unified High School

Jenna Hirschman, Essex High School

Dahabo Abukar, Essex High School

Daniel Cha, Putney School

Hannah Gallivan, Mt Abe High School

Brendan McLoughlin, Otter Valley Union High School

Sydney Feltz, Colchester High School

There is a problem in the State of Vermont when it comes to victims advocates. Even the advocates for the State's Attorney's Office's are bias to both genders depending on your political opinions. The advocate program the goes by the name Umbrella have some dedicated women who are integral to the cause. However, there has been some questions about their cause being too personal. Umbrella has been a place for domestic abuse victims since the 1990's. These victims are all women. I hope to raise awareness as the community continues to see father's incarcerated, leaving the gap in their children's lives as they grow up with one parent; their mother. If we had an Umbrella for men maybe this one sided fractured system could balance out and hold accountable women as they should be. I am a woman and when I see the Courts side with abusive women I can only think about how they are not given the real help they need. A win in Court is not help and extra support for they're excuses enables them not to face their own problems. Women don't always have to be victims. Women are also abusive. Women have the benefit of the doubt in most of these cases. As a woman I believe that we should be given the chance to admit to abusive habits in faith women will be heard not only as someone who needs help, but as a human being that is tired of blaming a man all the time. Both genders should be held accountable for their abuse. Both mother's and father's are responsible for raising their children in stable homes. I believe if there were balanced advocacy the youth will see more stability and learn the value of self respect verses struggle which leads to troubling self destructive behaviors. Please take a moment to sign this petition for the youth of our community, so they can have structure when they reach adulthood; and so they're seeing proof that change is possible.

Since May of 2020, renters in Vermont have been gifted a free pass by our government. They don't have to pay any rent because of COVID-19. Landlords are stuck with renters that won't pay and landlords have no control over it. Many landlords have lost thousands of dollars in rent due to this law. One major loophole is that these landlords were already in the process of evicting people when this new law went into place. So, you can't tell me it's only a COVID-19 financial issue. Another loophole that must be addressed is the fact that this law applies to every single tenant in the state of Vermont. You can get away with paying NOTHING in rent even if your family has not been impacted by the COVID-19 job crisis. The sad part is that many people who want to rent and are willing to pay their rent can't find housing because landlords are worried about the possibility of not being paid. The tenants that aren't paying are taking advantage of this law and rubbing it in their landlord's face. It's just not right.

Vermont is a glorious place to live but if you are the parent of an adult who will never be capable of living independently due to their lifelong cognitive disabilities, Vermont can be a scary place to call home. It’s scary because the way things are now, once families are no longer able to care for their adult sons and daughters, they will likely end up in Vermont’s adult foster care system, called “Shared Living.”

Shared Living can work well for people whose disabilities enable them to function somewhat independently, but for people with more significant cognitive challenges -- people who desperately need stability in order to thrive-- the Shared Living model, where they would spend their adult years as guests in the homes of a series of strangers -- is deeply disturbing to parents like us.

It doesn’t have to be like this. Vermont’s well-intentioned efforts to move beyond the institutionalization of people with significant intellectual disabilities have inadvertently stifled the development of housing options that address a range of needs.

Especially for adult Vermonters with the most significant developmental delays, the State’s bias against residential peer communities for people with cognitive disabilities has impeded the development of the kinds of stable communities that we routinely provide for our kids and aging parents – think college dorms or assisted living.

We raise this issue with some urgency because Vermont is about to become the recipient of about $162 million dollars, courtesy of the American Rescue Plan Act, which will provide Vermont with unprecedented one-time federal funding specifically designated to better serve Vermonters with disabilities.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to develop a few small, stable and stimulating residential peer communities that can provide these life-long vulnerable adults with a place to live and friends to live with, long after their parents are gone. Please sign this petition if you’d like Vermont to implement the kind of enlightened change that Vermont is famous for and which other states have already done.

WE fisherman would like Vermont fish and wildlife to put some trust in fisherman and change the black listed water bait fish rule to read:

Movement - Transport of Personally Harvest Baitfish
Anglers who possess a valid wild baitfish endorsement on their fishing/combination license may transport personally harvested baitfish away from black-list water and use it in the same water body it was harvested in as long as the use of baitfish is allowed on that water.
Only a person with a valid wild baitfish endorsement may transport unused personally harvested baitfish, collected in black-list waters, away from waters for storage or use on that same water body

It is unfair to mask little children 8 hours a day in schools when Vermont is considered to be the most “vaccinated” state in America! Children have the right to breathe free air. They almost NEVER catch Covid let alone die from it. There is a 98% survival rate! Therefore there is NO reason to suffocate our children! I will continue to homeschool and fight this tooth and nail until something changes and governor Phil Scott removes this ridiculous mandate. What good does it do to be the most vaccinated state if we can’t get back to normal without the use of mask wearing. This is unfair to kids and they don’t have a say so we need to take a stand now! Show me the “science” behind masks and how it helps protect against Covid because there is no science masks do nothing except deprive us of oxygen. There is simply no need for this for children. I ask Governor Scott to cease and desist immediately the use of masks in public schools.

Capital punishment is effective. No one has proven a "wrongful death" in any modern state executions. Stricter penalties reduce violent crime. We need to show the next generation that murder is a death sentence.

Why should our tax dollars pay to feed and house monsters?

The “Burner Ban” would give the City of Burlington permission to tax or ban all heating equipment that utilizes natural gas, propane, or heating oil. This would mean all new home heating systems, washer, dryers, and stoves would need to be electric.

90% of residents heat their home with natural gas, propane, or heating oil. The city of Burlington owns the electric company and the wood burning power plant and and may financially benefit from increase in electric sales, while a majority of Burlington would see their energy costs increase.

The only alternative is the far-less efficient electric options. Currently, the McNeil Wood Burning Plant is operating at 24% efficiency and is the largest producer of CO2 emissions in Vermont, meaning 3 of 4 trees sent to the plant are wasted.

Opportunity Vermont urges the Burlington City Council and the voters of Burlington to recognize the harm caused by bans and/or new taxes on heat, hot water and cooking. Signing this petition will urge the City Council to abandon this effort and call on the Legislature to reject the charter change if passed.

In October of 2017, I was contacted by VT State Game Warden Mark Schichtle about a squirrel that had been confiscated as an illegal pet. Peanut was a beloved family member who had been raised by a child in the family from a tiny pinky baby and had lived with them for 3 or 4 years before she was reported. The family, defensive of their pet, threatened the life of the Warden. Ultimately, an agreement was made involving the Warden and the State Veterinarian at the time. The squirrel would be brought to a licensed rehabber and would be able to live out her life there. I agreed to take Peanut and she arrived here on October 19, 2017.

Because of improper feeding, Peanut was beginning to develop cloudiness with her previous keepers and because she was being kept illegally, they could not find a veterinarian to treat her eyes.

Once Peanut arrived here, she went to visit a veterinary ophthalmologist
and was subsequently diagnosed with cataracts. In the years that Peanut has been here, she has had further mineralization in her eyes and can see very little. She is an otherwise happy, healthy squirrel given ample stimulation with toys.
Game Warden Mark Schichtle has since retired. The State Veterinarian is no long the same person who made that arrangement.

And now, the new head warden at Vermont Fish and Wildlife is saying that keeping Peanut for as long as I have is a violation, my license will be revoked and they want to come and confiscate her to kill her. In January 2020 I was on the cover of the a Vermont's biggest newpaper and the Head Warden called me a "Rehabber in good standing". Peanut was on my paperwork then. The only thing that has changed is the staff at VT Fish & Wildlife.
I have reached out to our local new channel and they are interested in covering her story.

Vermont Fish & Wildlife reneged on their arrangement and they want to euthanize a blind squirrel simply because they want to enforce rules. These are rules THEY made and rules THEY chose to bend in order to save the Game Warden AND Peanut's life.

I am being ordered to contact the Game Warden this afternoon to schedule an "inspection" but this is their opportunity to take Peanut. They want to bring a man with a gun into my house in the middle of a pandemic so they can kill a squirrel, Governor Phil Scott.

My attorney is responding to VT Fish & Wildlife's demands.
.
Please share this story/petition. Peanut doesn't deserve to die because someone changed their mind about whether she should live or die. This is VT Fish & Wildlife's chance to show they are actually about conservation by allowing Peanut to stay with the licensed rehabber who they requested take her in the first place.
Please help me #SavePeanut by signing and sharing this petition.

Our children are going through a lot with this pandemic. We hear over an over about how we are going to follow the science. How the health and well-being of our children is important. Vermont is not following the science nor are they taking care of our children! Our kids are not allowed to play games currently. There is no reason for it! Neighboring States with higher numbers have been playing since the end of last year. This petition is to Governor Scott and our Health Department. Let the kids Play!!

Many Vermonters are having to go to other states to get Chick-gil-A. Let’s change that. Make one in Vermont!

Receiving taxes at one of the highest rates in the United States, Vermont’s public schools should be some of the best. However, this past year has seen the majority of children denied access to attend public school, lack of teachers in the public school classrooms, and the job of education given to parents trying to balance earning an income while still ensuring their children learn. Meanwhile, our private schools continue to open their doors each and every day to their students, educating their pupils to the fullest potential. Wouldn’t it be nice if those education dollars came with a choice to parents? Choose the school that will meet your child’s needs, and those dollars will follow.

School choice and tuition vouchers ensure each child will receive the same amount of funding, regardless of where the child is enrolled, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, or demographic.

School choice empowers parents to pick the best school to meet their child’s learning needs. Parents know their children the best.

School choice makes schools responsive to the needs of students and parents, not bureaucrats and politicians.

Opportunity shouldn’t be dictated by zip code!

When choice is involved, our schools will start competing for our dollars, and that competition drives schools to give our students the best possible product. Right now, our public schools are all too comfortable knowing our dollars are trapped with them. The product doesn’t have to be great, because the money will still be there. Let’s change that. Let’s encourage our public school system to better itself. Let’s make school choice and tuition vouchers a ballot item!

The next ballot should have the following:

"Shall the School Board adopt a policy to provide a tuition voucher to the parents of any student in the district to allow them to attend the school of their choice, or to be educated at home?"

Sign below to make it happen!

In 2019, Vermont attempted to curb youth vaping by enacting a 92% tax on all vape products, including vaporizers, vape juice, and e-cigarettes.

What they failed to consider was that certain vaporizers are not meant for tobacco/nicotine, and now local smoke shops are having trouble providing cannabis users with vaporizers.

Vaporizing is the safest way to consume smokable cannabis flower, according to Dr. Joe McSherry of the Vermont Marijuana for Symptom Relief Oversight Committee. By including cannabis-exclusive vapes like the Pax in the 92% tax, Vermont has made it difficult for people to make better choices in their consumption.

Vermont medical dispensaries (5 businesses owned by 3 out of state corporations) are exempt from the 92% tax, as the state already understands that these products are safe and necessary for cannabis.

With local shops no longer able to provide this equipment for cannabis users, people are now forced to either go out of state or order these products offline, as only registered patients can access the medical dispensaries.

What can be done?

We want the State to carve out an exception for cannabis-intended use in the 92% tax, to increase accessibility to safe consumption methods for all Vermonters.

Sign this petition to voice your support!

Put Vermont Kids First

#VTKidsFirst

Parents & Youth Demanding Common Sense Public Safety Measures


We, the undersigned parents, youth, and concerned Vermonters are sounding the alarm. Governor Scott’s slow, wait-and-see approach is having devastating consequences on children, families, and our state.


September was the second deadliest month thus far in the pandemic, as of October 13 340 Vermonters have succumbed to COVID, and the 13th was another record high case count, and Vermont is the only state in New England with continuously climbing cases. In our schools, cases continue to rise with 827 positive COVID-19 cases reported from Vermont schools this academic year, and there are currently Vermont children hospitalized with COVID-19. Every positive case in our schools has a cascading effect on other children and families, causing anxiety waiting for tests, lost time and wages to keep a child at home, and instability in our learning environments.


We are seeking the following leadership and action from our government in this time of crisis for children and families:


ADOPT

A statewide data driving masking policy in line with CDC guidelines - to

decrease community transmission and reduce the impacts on schools, health systems,

and businesses.


ALIGN

School guidance and policy with CDC/American Academy of Pediatrics

recommendations for masking, contact tracing, testing and quarantine.


PROVIDE

Significant and adequate staffing and support to K-12 schools to conduct testing,

contact tracing and other mitigation strategies.


Governor Scott, we need you to act now to protect our children and communities. You believed the science and listened to the CDC before, and it’s time to do so again. Everyday we skirt public health recommendations, we put our children and vulnerable populations at greater risk. You have the power to restore the cooperative spirit that was the hallmark of Vermont’s early response.

Even if you don't have children, universal masking in schools affects you. Israel's current surge began in the schools with unvaccinated children.

It only takes a minute to sign and make a difference. Please sign & share.

What is the problem? Here is a high-level summary:

Kids under 12 cannot get vaccinated
People who are vaccinated can catch and transmit Delta. (Even if they are not very sick themselves.)
Masks work best when both the person who has COVID and the healthy person wear them. The CDC and AAP are recommending universal masking in schools for K-12. Vermont AAP president Rebecca Bell has been vocal about Vermont schools needing universal masking for the safety of our entire community.
Currently, the Dept of Ed. is only requiring everyone to wear masks for the first 10 days of the school year. Once 80% of the school is vaccinated, then only kids under 12 need to wear masks.
This puts children too young to receive a shot at higher risk. They won't have the shot. Just the mask they are wearing. Other people will not be wearing a mask to protect them.
This puts our entire community at risk. Current guidance also increases the likelihood of vaccinated staff/older siblings in schools catching Delta and bringing it home. In fact, the current outbreak in Israel began with 1 unvaccinated child spreading Delta to 80 other children.
Vermont's high vaccination rate is not enough. Israel - which has similar vaccination rates and was also a COVID "success story" - is currently battling a surge. The NY Times writes: "Israel's cases have more than doubled in the last two weeks." Vermont is headed in that direction with a 245% increase over the last two weeks alone.
Middle schools are a huge loophole in current guidance. Most middle schools will have 6th graders who are too young to be vaccinated surrounded by older students who are. This means unvaccinated children in middle schools will be surrounded by an unmasked population that can transmit Delta once a school reaches 80% vaccination and masks are dropped.
Longer summary:

Vermont has made incredible strides towards ending the COVID-19 pandemic, but children under 12 are still not eligible for vaccines. Even if that approval comes in Sept or Oct (which seems to be the earliest) that is after the school year has started. People are not fully protected against severe COVID illness until 2 weeks after their second shot.

Areas where schools are opening with masks mandates show that masking works, which is why the CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics say schools should require masks regardless of vaccine status.

By contrast, the current Department of Education guidance (as of 8.19.21) only requires masks for 10 school days, then no masks are required for kids over 12 if 80% of the school is vaccinated. This leaves unvaccinated children totally vulnerable and increases the likelihood of older siblings carrying the virus home.

Vermont is basing its decisions upon how COVID infected people before Delta. Previously, surrounding unvaccinated children with fully vaccinated people was a good approach. But we now know that fully vaccinated people transmit Delta.

The following facts have changed since last year and make universal masks in schools one of the best ways to create a safe learning environment for all students:

Delta has 1,200% the viral load of previous versions of the virus. This version of COVID is as contagious as chickenpox.
Vaccinated people transmit Delta with the same viral load, even if they themselves are protected from severe illness.
Vermont's high vaccination rate is not enough. This is pre-Delta thinking. As the NY Times writes about Israel's current surge: "What was true for the original virus 'did not necessarily hold true for future variants coupled with waning immunity.'"
Children can get very sick. Child hospitalizations are the highest they’ve been during the whole pandemic. And increasing fast. COVID-19 is now a top 10 cause of death for adolescents.
Long-haul symptoms are not uncommon. Even if children do not die as often as adults, they can suffer from long-haul COVID. So far it is estimated that as much as 8% of all children who catch COVID will suffer from long haul symptoms such as difficulty breathing.
The CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics and top health experts are all recommending universal masking in schools. Saying that masking is a personal choice is not a smart public health decision.
Schools do not want to make this decision. Schools are anxious about making this choice on their own. It is the responsibility of our leaders to protect those most vulnerable and create a safe learning environment for everyone.
A recent outdoor summer camp in Vermont had an outbreak of 25 people and counting. This trend will only accelerate once school begins at the end of August, especially once children move indoors. (Edit: 28 people as of 8/16/21)
Allowing Delta to burn through our schools could also spur new variants. The more opportunities COVID has to mutate, the more likely a variant will appear that vaccines do not work against. Then we'll be back to square one.
Up until this point, Vermont has followed the science. That is why we have done so well during this pandemic. Studies showing that in-person learning was not a significant source of transmission last year were based upon situations where all teachers and students were wearing masks, social distancing, and taking other precautions.

Removing universal masking from the equation AND having a more contagious COVID variant in the mix is a recipe for rapid spread through schools. This will result in quarantines and schools needing to go remote.

We need to mandate masking in schools to create a safe and stable learning environment for everyone. Children need to be in school. And requiring masks - regardless of vaccination status - is one of the best safety measures we can put in place.

As of 8.19.21 Gov Scott and Dan French have said this is a pandemic of the unvaccinated, so get your shot. Yet at the same time, they will not require masks in schools, where children too young to be vaccinated will be gathering in less than two weeks.

Please sign this petition and share it with as many people as possible.