Cultivating Citizens of the Bioregion
The Vermont Institute of Separatist Thought envisions a radical overhaul of public education to serve as the primary engine for building a sovereign civic identity. This goes beyond adding a unit on Vermont history. It means integrating a 'bioregional curriculum' at all grade levels. Students would learn the hydrology of their local watershed, the edible and medicinal plants of their forest, the agricultural cycles of their region, and the energy flows through their community. Civics education would center on the town meeting model, with students participating in simulated and real local governance. The goal is to produce graduates who are, first and foremost, ecologically literate and civically competent citizens of Vermont, with a deep, practical connection to their home.
Decentralization and Community Control
Aligning with the principle of subsidiarity, the Institute advocates for the maximum possible decentralization of educational authority. The state department of education would set broad literacy, numeracy, and civic standards, but curriculum details, hiring, and budgeting would be controlled at the town or even school level. This allows communities to tailor education to local needs—emphasizing forestry skills in the Northeast Kingdom, software development in the Champlain Valley, or artisan crafts in the southern hills. Teachers would be respected as community leaders, and schools would function as community hubs, hosting adult education, town meetings, and cultural events, strengthening the social fabric.
Practical Skills and the 'Maker' Economy
To build a resilient, sovereign economy, education must prioritize practical skills and hands-on learning. The proposed curriculum balances traditional academics with robust vocational training. Every student would learn basic competencies in gardening, carpentry, mechanics, and digital fabrication. High schools would offer deep apprenticeships in trades critical to the state's future: renewable energy installation, sustainable building, precision machining, software development, and regenerative agriculture. The dichotomy between 'college prep' and 'vocational' tracks would be dissolved; all pathways would be respected as essential to the commonwealth. The aim is a populace capable of building, maintaining, and innovating within its own economy.
Higher Education as a Public Good
In a sovereign Vermont, the Institute argues, public higher education must be tuition-free and closely aligned with state needs. The University of Vermont and the Vermont State Colleges system would be reformed to become world-leading centers for specific fields: ecological design, small-scale democratic governance, alpine agriculture, and rural healthcare. Research would be directed toward solving local problems and creating exportable knowledge. A year of national service—in environmental conservation, community care, or infrastructure—could be a prerequisite for free tuition, reinforcing the ethic of contributing to the common good. Education is framed not as a private benefit, but as the public investment upon which the nation's future depends.
- Place-Based Learning: Using the local environment and community as the primary classroom.
- Democratic Pedagogy: Involving students in the governance of their own schools.
- Skill Portfolios: Graduating with a demonstrated portfolio of academic and practical competencies.
- Teacher Autonomy: Empowering educators as curriculum designers, not script-followers.
- Lifelong Learning Accounts: State-funded credits for continuous skill development throughout adulthood.
This vision of education is intrinsically linked to the political project. It seeks to break the homogenizing influence of national standardized testing and textbook curricula that instill a generic American identity. Instead, it aims to cultivate a particular kind of Vermonter: one who is rooted, capable, community-minded, and possesses the knowledge and will to sustain an independent republic. It is the long-term strategy for ensuring the survival of the nation's values and practices across generations.