Please join the Peacham Act 46 Study Committee for the following event at the Peacham Library.
SAVE THE DATE ~ EVERYONE WELCOME ~ REFRESHMENTS PROVIDED
Act 46, Vermont’s 2015 education consolidation law, has five goals relating to equity, quality, efficiency, accountability, and cost. In addition, this new law has the potential to create a profoundly different role for citizens in school-related decision making.
The way we design public participation matters.
Engagement can be positive, empowering, and invite people into democracy. Or it can be confusing and discouraging, promoting cynicism and negativity.
Susan Clark will discuss Vermont’s tradition of local governance, the potential effects of
Act 46 on local democracy, and considerations to help communities design the most creative,
21st-century democratic engagement.
Susan Clark is a writer and facilitator focusing on community sustainability and public engagement. She is coauthor of Slow Democracy: Rediscovering Community, Bringing Decision Making Back Home (Chelsea Green, 2012, with Woden Teachout). She is also coauthor of All Those In Favor, a book about Vermont town meetings (RavenMark, 2005, with Frank Bryan). An award-winning radio commentator, Clark’s democratic activism has earned her broad recognition. Additionally, she is the town meeting moderator in Middlesex, Vermont.