About a month ago, I wrote a story about Slate Valley School Board member Curtis Hier’s battle with both the school officials he was elected to oversee and his fellow board members, who don’t seem to appreciate Hier’s desire to get to the bottom of some serious problems in the system that are negatively impacting students.

The main issue at the heart of Hier’s concerns (although there are several) is the physical and psychological abuse of students by faculty – primarily kids with special needs – and the alleged cover-up of these abuses.

From a news perspective, this would appear to be low-hanging fruit for the front pages of local and statewide reporting outlets. It has sympathetic victims our reporters usually like to cover (equity for special needs students), dramatic conflict between a whistleblower and an entrenched bureaucracy, and it explores a scandalous issue that is also a subject of statewide concern – the use of “restraint and seclusion” in our public schools.

This problem is so glaring and widespread that the state legislature introduced a bill in 2023 (H.409) banning the violent practices entirely and that Education Committee members promise will be a focal point of lawmaking in 2024. Since Hier brought attention to the issue, multiple local citizens with ties to the school have come forward with stories corroborating and/or expanding on Hier’s allegations.

Hier has filed a Freedom of Information (FOIA) request for redacted records regarding restraint and seclusion incidents. This was met with a threat to release Hier’s personal file from his days as a teacher. Hier started Slate Valley Transparency Legal Fund. There have been calls from the board for Hier to step down, and calls from the community for the superintendent, Brooke Olsen-Farrell, to step down….

So where is the Vermont press corps?

Looking back through the archives of our major statewide news outlets, there is no coverage of this story. Even coverage by the Rutland Herald, the paper of record for the Slate Valley District, has been anemic. (Just two rather vague articles, and largely disinterested in getting to the bottom of Hier’s accusations.) It’s not because Hier hasn’t reached out to them; he has. Is it because they just don’t cover specific local school board issues? This excuse would seem to apply to Seven Days and VPR (although VPR did have one recent story on the Green Mountain School Board’s allegedly racist “Chieftains” mascot controversy). WCAX covers Burlington and adjacent school board stories, but that’s about it, so they can plausibly say it’s just not in their wheelhouse.

However, VT Digger and WPTZ do love themselves a good local school board controversy from anywhere in the state! So long as, one must now assume, it fits a certain narrative. School boards battling over racist mascots is a favorite topic for these outlets, for sure. School board conflicts over transgender policies: check! But public school employees systemically abusing vulnerable students and administrators covering it up… apparently not so much.

VT Digger routinely covers stories about local school board controversies involving members, school staff, and/or concerned parents. Just within the timeframe that the Hier events have been active, Digger dug into such headlines as, Community members urge Middlebury school district to improve its response to racism (September 27, 2023), “Alburgh School Board moves to distance itself from Grand Isle Supervisory Union (August 30, 2023), Facing no-confidence vote, South Burlington school board chair steps down (August 17, 2023), Parents say a Strafford art teacher lost her job under cloudy circumstances. They want her back. (August 16, 2023), South Burlington school board will hold vote on chair’s ouster (August 11, 2023), How did an anti-trans activist book an event at a Vergennes public school? (June 16, 2023), Brattleboro Union High School retires ‘Colonel’ moniker, replaces with ‘Bear’ mascot (June 14, 2023), At Peoples Academy, allegations of ‘systemic’ racist bullying (June 12, 2023), Orange Southwest reaches settlement in locker room lawsuit (June 2, 2023).

On September 8th Digger ran, “Independent investigation finds multiple abuse allegations at Kurn Hattin ‘supported by evidence,’” so they apparently don’t have an aversion to discussing the abuse of special needs students. But Kurn Hattin is a therapeutic independent school, not a public school, and herein, I suspect, lies the rub!

Vermont’s Left-wing media routinely puts its thumb on the scale to advance the woke agenda of the public school monopoly and its political interests. Right now, those interests include absorbing birth to five-year-old childcare into the public school system (at massive taxpayer expense) and shutting down Vermont’s independent schools and the tuitioning system that supports them so as to corral those kids and that money for themselves as well. And they feel the need to do this now while the Democrats’ supermajority, which is totally in bed with the teachers’ union, is in place and can override Governor Scott’s vetoes.

Obviously, a broad, public conversation focused on violence and psychological trauma being inflicted upon young children by public school officials and gotten away with due to lack of transparency, and competent oversight isn’t one that recommends placing toddlers into that environment to be either witnesses to or victims of these practices.

As for the independent school/tuitioning issue, the main argument that public school lobbyists have put forward to justify shutting down tuitioning is that independent schools don’t serve students with special needs, whereas public schools must and do. And public schools are transparent and accountable, whereas independent schools aren’t. Neither accusation is true about independent schools. But what Hier is trying to expose provides evidence for the exact opposite case: that public schools aren’t transparent and accountable, they aren’t actually serving special needs kids, and, in fact, beyond mere neglect, may be actively causing them serious harm.

So, says our press, nothing to see here. Move along.

The Curtis Hier story exposes two stories behind the story. 1) The public school system is not performing as it should, especially for our most vulnerable students. And 2) Our reporters and editors at our most widely read/viewed news outlets are more concerned with protecting a politically powerful special interest than they are about informing the public about serious issues taking place in the most expensive sector of state spending – Pre-K-12 education. Our ignorance is their bliss.

 

Rob Roper is a freelance writer with 20 years of experience in Vermont politics, including three years of service as chair of the Vermont Republican Party and nine years as President of the Ethan Allen Institute, Vermont’s free-market think tank. He is also a regular contributor to VermontGrok.

 

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Thomas Sowell is Brilliant, but that quality is not new to the man. In today’s clip, we jump into the way back machine to watch a younger Dr. Sowell lay out the inconvenient truths about how blacks are being kept down in America.

This clip is only a minute long but worth the wait, as Sowell delivers the kill shot at the end of the clip. A truth from decades ago that he has revisited many times that is as or more true today.

Modern welfare programs keep blacks in America down.

 

Dependence was seen as the key to holding the slaves down. It’s ironic that same principle comes up in the welfare state a hundred years later.
pic.twitter.com/FsTsnaigaG

— Thomas Sowell Quotes (@ThomasSowell) October 3, 2023

 

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Thank you, Matt Gaetz, for exposing Kevin McCathy’s House-GOP as controlled opposition. Not a single impeachment … the military-industrial complex’s War in Ukraine continues to get funded … the DOJ’s war against Donald Trump continues to get funded … and we end up with a “continuing resolution” because, as Gaetz exposed, that’s where McCarthy wanted to end up. Gaetz was one of eight Republicans who said that enough was enough and refused to go along to get along. Nancy Mace was another:

Today I voted for the Motion to Vacate and remove the Speaker.

This isn’t about left vs right.

This isn’t about ideology.

This is about trust and keeping your word.

This is about making Congress do it’s job.
(1/7)

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) October 3, 2023

No budget, no separate spending bills until it was too late, a CR which takes spending power out of the hands of the people and puts all the power into the hands of a select few. There has also been no action on many issues we care about and were promised.
(3/7)

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) October 3, 2023

I came here to take difficult votes and do the right thing, regardless of the pressure and regardless of the threats (bc there’s been plenty of both). Today I’m voting against 95 percent of my party in the hopes of fixing how Congress operates.
(5/7)

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) October 3, 2023

I’ll work with anyone willing to do that and look forward to voting for a Speaker who shares this vision for changing Congress and getting us back on a path to delivering results for the people.#IndpendentVoice

(7/7)

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) October 3, 2023

Doesn’t sound all that “petulant” to me. Actually, sounds rather principled.

 

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Greenland, NH – Conservative CEO and U.S. Army Reserves veteran Hollie Noveletsky announced that she is running for Congress in New Hampshire’s First Congressional District against Congressman Chris Pappas.

Army Reserves Veteran, Nurse Practitioner, and CEO Willing To Work On Solutions To Help New Hampshire

“When I look at Washington, I see a city run by Joe Biden and Chris Pappas, who bask in inaction and empty promises, while middle-class families in New Hampshire are stuck with inflation, higher energy costs, the rising cost of healthcare, and chaos at our southern border,” said Hollie Noveletsky, the CEO of Novel Iron Works.

“For me, the choice was clear: I could either complain and do nothing or use my experiences as a veteran, a nurse, and CEO to offer conservative, America First solutions that will help New Hampshire. Washington has enough career politicians; we need a veteran and CEO willing to work on economic solutions that will help our families and fix the illegal immigration crisis, and that’s why I’m running for Congress.”

Please Submit Group communications or Press Releases to editor@granitegrok.com.
Submission is not a guarantee of publication – Publication is not an endorsement.

Noveletsky is the CEO of Novel Iron Works, which has created nearly 100 jobs across New Hampshire. She served in the U.S. Army Reserves for ten years as a nurse practitioner. Additionally, she volunteered in Sierra Leone, working with victims of the Blood Diamond Wars, in amputee camps, and victims of the sex trade, and assisted victims of Hurricane Sandy, Hurricane Katrina, the Oklahoma tornadoes, and the Maine ice storms.

 

 

Reminder: Content about candidates or by candidates is not an endorsement by GraniteGrok.com or its authors.

 

 

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Great job, Matt Gaetz. You threw a temper tantrum and have no plan for your next move. When everything favors the GOP, you pulled the fire alarm and made it personal.

We have a President wearing Depends in the White House, a totally inept Vice President that nobody wants, a GOP front-runner who will spend more time in court than the campaign trail for the next year, and Matt Gaetz decided it was a good idea to throw a grenade into the GOP led House.

Kevin McCarthy had a no-win situation when he became Speaker of the House in a tumultuous battle in January. He performed above expectations for most with a slim five-vote majority but not well enough for Matt Gaetz. Gaetz has had McCarthy in his sights since McCarthy first held the Gavel, and today, he got his wish and got McCarthy expelled from the Speaker’s office. The third person in line for the Oval Office is out because a young punk from Florida flexed his muscles and got his wish.

Excellent work, Matt, but being young and stupid, you forgot to think the process through. Who is your successor? Who now holds the Gavel in Matt Gaetz’s House of Representatives? Don’t ask Matt. He does not have a clue, but the crap show we will witness over the next few weeks to find a new Speaker is all on Matt. Did I say, great job, Matt? I think so.

Matt Gaetz has a very short memory. He forgets he was almost outed from the House on charges of sexual improprieties. The GOP stuck with Matt when tossing him aside would have been easy. His way of thanking his fellow Republican Congressmen is to throw their party into major disarray. When the Republicans should be uniting and concentrating on defeating the Democrats in 2024, we are beating each other, and the Democrats are laughing at us.

Kevin McCarthy has been kicked to the curb. He worked tirelessly to keep a GOP House divided into five fractions. His job was compared to a Mafia Don, keeping the five families aligned. It was not the Republicans against the Democrats. It was the five caucuses fighting for relevance and McCarthy pulling the strings to try and keep it all together. Nobody could have succeeded under those conditions. McCarthy did his best, but in the end, one of the families prevailed, and Kevin was dead on the side of the road.

The Speaker selects his successor as one of his first acts in office. The list is kept secret and only revealed in the case of a situation like today. When McCarthy made his selections, he chose GOP Rep. Patrick McHenry, a top McCarthy ally, to serve as interim Speaker. The House will now need to elect a new speaker. According to sources, the House GOP will have a conference meeting Tuesday night, although the election is not expected to happen on Tuesday.

It isn’t easy to be objective today. I am angry, frustrated, and disillusioned as I have never been. My hope, as this country is spiraling down the drain, was that the GOP could get their act together, win this election in 2024, and turn the lousy decisions of Joe Biden around. I do not feel too good about any of that tonight.

 

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A State Rep. who is supposed to represent Milford recently made some political noise by switching political affiliation from Democrat to Undeclared. But this State Rep … according to her X (Twitter) does NOT consider America “her country,” DESPITE being a citizen.

Rather, she considers El Salvador “her country:”

 

 

Do her constituents know that Rep. Perez does NOT consider them her countrymen? More importantly, do her constituents know how hard-left Perez is, that she’s a Communist? Maybe all we hear about New Hampshire having the most informed, engaged voters is just another BIG LIE. OR maybe a majority of voters in New Hampshire … at least in Milford, want Communism?

 

 

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And throw in ANYONE that believes in “open borders” as well?

What is being done is what we already saw in Britain: “We don’t like the current electorate (because we keep losing), so let’s import a new one.” The Labour Party did exactly that and soon started winning more.

Now that the Democrat/Marxist/One Worlders minions running the Biden Administration (what, you REALLY believe that Biden is in charge?  Hahahahahaha!) have flung open the doors and decimated our borders, this is exactly what is happening – Seen at Powerline.

Without the mass deportation of tens of millions, including their children, covering over a decade of illegal entry since DACA, the US population and electorate is going to be defined by recent arrival illegal aliens in your lifetime. pic.twitter.com/Lord75zeCY

— ib (@Indian_Bronson) September 27, 2023

Our nation is being changed right in front of us.

Now, I have no problem with immigration. When we have the CORRECT philosophy behind it (people who WANT to embrace our founding ideas, who want to work hard, who desire to assimilate while still bringing the best parts of their culture to share with us), it works. But that’s not what is happening. With the Marxism of “multiculturalism” that denies OUR uniquely American culture and wishes to stamp it out, what will happen with these millions of illegal alien invaders (mostly young men of military age and bringing crime as well as diseases we had previously stamped out like TB, leprosy just to name two) and nothing comparable to Traditional American mores into our heartland?

More importantly, of all those babies, WHOSE culture will they embrace? Historically, newcomers wanted to be Americans. With multiculturalism, they keep their native culture, and with the Left denigrating our own, WHY would they even begin to become Americans?

Remember that I used to write about the Cloward-Priven Socialist political stunt that almost bankrupted New York City? That was the scheme created by husband and wife sociologists who hated our way of life and especially hated capitalism, whose premise was to use the current laws against “The Establishment” by overwhelming the welfare system by insisting that NYC strictly follow those laws and spend what they demand. It was Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals (RULE 4: “Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules) writ large.

They almost succeeded.

Now, seeing those results, the minions that control Biden AND hate America have rolled this out nationally.  It’s goal is simple and we already see its results: the southern border states ARE overwhelmed and running out of resources – they are having to be dependent of the Federal Government.

My, my – the Feds created the problem with the aim of getting rid of the vestiges of the important principle of Federalism. How convenient!

However, the Red States did the right thing by sending the invading horde to the “sanctuary” cities and States. Martha’s Vineyard was the first virtue-signaling bastion to fail badly. I now find it highly amusing that NYC is now having to spend billions to take care of Biden’s illegals – once again, getting Cloward-Piven’d.

Will this be one ignition source for the turnaround for America?

After all, just with this decision by Biden’s minions, with no lawful deliberation or action by Congress, this is a dictator’s decision.  How long will we let this go on?

 

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