In my more than 30 years teaching mathematics and working with young adults, I’ve come to see education as a profoundly hopeful and inspiring human pursuit.
At the core of helping others learn and discover their potential is a belief in the transformative power that new learning brings: to an individual, to their family, and to their community.
Hope for a better future is what moves me and centers my work in classrooms and communities.
The same driving force is at the core of my many experiences serving in and with my community: working together, we can face difficult challenges to create a world that works better for everyone.
Issue Priorities and Vision
Defending and strengthening our democratic system of self-governance requires sustained vigilance and vision. Attacks on democracy, the rule of law, and constitutional rights began in the first Trump administration and have escalated dramatically in his second term. Vermont must continue to stand in opposition to these attacks, by enacting legislation that protects the rights of all– especially our most vulnerable neighbors. We must pass the Equal Rights Amendment to the Vermont Constitution, to ensure that these essential protections are robust and enduring.
Defending & Strengthening Democracy
The foundation of democratic society is a high-quality public education system available to all. Within this system, community elementary schools provide the best learning environment for young children; sustain vibrant and financially secure communities; and attract young families to our state. Working together, we can design new public education governance structures that prioritize thriving community schools, within a sustainable financial funding model that is affordable for taxpayers and preserves local decision making.
Public Education
The accelerating effects of global climate change are clear: from devastating winds and flooding, to exceptionally warm winters and severe drought in summer, these “extreme” events devastate families, farms, livelihoods, and ecosystems. We must commit to: making real progress toward achieving the carbon reductions required in the Global Warming Solutions Act; enhancing climate resiliency; and making a transition to renewable energy that is affordable and equitable for all.
Climate Crisis
All Vermonters should have a safe and affordable place to live. A dire shortage of affordable housing causes instability and hardship for families and communities and exacerbates labor challenges for Vermont businesses. Lack of housing also limits the ability for young families to move to or stay in Vermont. Support for building more housing can take different forms, but must be grounded in the needs of local communities, not merely a scheme for outside investment such as short-term rentals.
Housing for All
Healthcare is a fundamental human right, central to dignity, autonomy, and well-being, and essential to independence and participation in society. The Federal government must enact a national Medicare-for-all healthcare system, but Vermont can and should take steps to ensure universal access to quality primary care and care for all children and young adults. We also must address health workforce shortages, especially in rural communities, and continue progress made toward reducing the cost and availability of prescription drugs.
Healthcare
Vermont has been a leader in protecting the health, beauty, and productivity of its natural landscapes and ecosystems. It is critical that we continue to find the right balance: between responsible resource and infrastructure development that supports a vibrant economy in Vermont where people can live and work, and essential environmental stewardship that ensures and preserves the health of Vermont’s lakes and rivers, wetlands and groundwater, woods and forests, hills and mountains, and native animals and plants.
A Healthy Environment
Highlights from Jeanne’s background and experience
Experience
• Over 30 years teaching mathematics, at Dartmouth, Castleton, and Middlebury
• Director, STEM & Quantitative Support, Middlebury’s Center for Teaching, Learning, and Research
• Hired, trained, and supervised Middlebury peer tutors in math, statistics, sciences, economics, and computer science
• Co-designed Castleton’s multidisciplinary studies major for future teachers
Community
• Lincoln School District Board Chair
• Vermont Legislative Apportionment Board
• Rural School Community Alliance Steering Committee
Prior community engagement examples:
• Appalachian Mountain Club, Three Mile Island Family Camp Management Committee
• New England Faculty Development Consortium, Board of Directors
• VT State Colleges Faculty Union (AFT affiliate), Delegate & Negotiations Team
Education
• Ph.D., Mathematics, Dartmouth College
• M.A., Mathematics, Dartmouth College
• B.A, Mathematics, University of California, Berkeley
• Post-Graduate Courses in the Science of Learning, University of New Hampshire