Timothy Maciel, Ed.D. is a former WSESD board director.
BRATTLEBORO-To the Windham Southeast Community,
First, I want to express my sincere gratitude to the voters who entrusted me with the opportunity to serve on the Windham Southeast School District (WSESD) Board of Directors. Representing our district has been an honor, and I have taken that responsibility seriously from my first day in office in March 2020.
After careful reflection, I have decided to resign from the WSESD board.
This was not an easy decision. I entered this role with a clear purpose: to advocate for transparent governance, responsible oversight of taxpayer dollars, academic accountability, and a constant focus on improving student outcomes and school climate for all students.
I entered this role believing that, working collaboratively and in good faith with administrators, students, teachers, support staff, families, and members of the public, we could move our district to high levels of achievement — levels that just a decade ago placed Vermont education among the elite in the nation.
Encouraged by dedicated and principled colleagues on the board, I believed we could make meaningful progress in reducing bullying, promoting anti-racism, and closing the persistent learning gaps affecting students with special needs, those from families living in poverty, and other marginalized groups.
At a time when issues such as global warming and civic responsibility demand informed and engaged citizens, I believed our district could also serve as a model for climate education and student civic engagement.
However, shortly after I was sworn in, Covid struck. In-person learning was shut down, and the eventual reopening of schools brought its own set of challenges. But Covid was not the only challenge. The board also faced several serious legal investigations that tested our ethical resolve and consumed enormous time and energy.
These were difficult times, followed by more difficult times. Most recently, our district — which has still not fully adapted to a merger consolidating five boards into one, with little clear evidence of cost savings or improved academic outcomes — is now facing a double-pronged challenge to public education from both federal and state levels.
To meet these challenges and those ahead, we need effective governance grounded in the integrity of the board’s own processes. The chair’s role is to facilitate meetings with neutrality. Effective governance also requires that each board member have equal access to timely, complete information and the ability to communication directly with administrators and staff in order to fulfill their oversight responsibilities.
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I have grown increasingly concerned about a gradual but significant shift away from this model toward a more hierarchical approach in which a small subset of members assumes greater influence over agenda-setting, information access, and decision-making. That shift, however unintentional, undermines transparency, weakens accountability, and limits the board’s ability to fully serve its students and the public.
Equally concerning is the board’s need to further deepen its understanding of district finances and to more rigorously examine the equity of expenditures across all schools.
The responsibility of a school board is not simply to approve a proposed budget, but to provide meaningful oversight — asking hard questions, considering alternative scenarios, and ensuring that resources are aligned with student needs and district priorities.
Respecting the expertise of principals and administrators is essential, but it cannot replace the board’s independent obligation to fully understand and evaluate how public funds are being used.
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All this is to say that now, more than ever, we need a school board that has an unwavering commitment to transparent, data-driven decision-making.
We need a board that actively promotes direct dialogue with those remarkable teachers who know our students best, and that continues to elevate meaningful student voice in its work.
We need a board that invites and facilitates comments and questions from members of the public — and one that measures success not by broad claims of progress and excellence (“We’re knocking it out of the park” or “We’re the best district in southern Vermont”) or by presentations that avoid unflattering comparisons to national percentiles, but by clear evidence of student learning, safety, and well-being.
At a time when student achievement data shows a decade-long decline in reading and math performance across Vermont, this focus on outcomes is absolutely essential.
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Unfortunately, I no longer have confidence that the board, as currently structured and operating, is willing to consistently meet those standards. For that reason, I believe the most honest and responsible step I can take is to step aside.
I remain deeply committed to this community and to the success of every student in our schools.
My hope is that this moment will prompt renewed focus on what matters most: academic achievement, safe and inclusive school environments, and a governance model rooted in transparency, shared responsibility, and respect for the role of every board member.
Our students and our community deserve nothing less.
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