June 25, 2004
Personnel Means Policy in Vermont
People who are familiar with bureaucracies have long observed that “personnel means policy.” No matter what the official rules of a government institution may be, the people who apply those rules can make all the difference. Vermont homeschoolers are waiting to find out whether the Vermont Department of Education’s new homeschool liaison will prove to be a blessing or a curse to homeschoolers in the Green Mountain State.
For many years, Natalie Casco served Vermont homeschoolers. With homeschooling experience herself, Natalie was able to resolve most questions with a minimum of friction. When she stepped down from her post last year, her absence was sorely felt. Conflicts erupted all over Vermont as new staff tried to apply Vermont’s cumbersome “enrollment” process. The Department of Education has hired Julia Stone to fill Ms. Casco’s position. While we have every reason to hope for the best from this new civil servant, we encourage all Vermont homeschoolers to contact HSLDA to discuss any questions or problems that may arise. Homeschoolers who work together are able to eliminate problems that can appear when homeschool families are divided. We look forward to both a good relationship with the Department of Education and a unified Vermont homeschool movement to help make that happen.
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