Senate Education Committee endorses AOE Secretary Zoie Saunders; full Senate to vote on Thursday

Vermont Senate votes to confirm Zoie Saunders as education secretary less than a year after rejecting her

The vote ends a long saga over Saunders’ appointment that included a now-dismissed lawsuit.

Senate Education Committee endorses AOE Secretary Zoie Saunders; full Senate to vote on Thursday

MONTPELIER — The appointment of Agency of Education Secretary Zoie Saunders will once again appear before the Vermont Senate following a favorable 5-1 committee vote on Tuesday.

An Unbiased Look at VT Education Secretary Zoie Saunders

Zoie Saunders assumed the role of Vermont’s Secretary of Education in April 2024, first as an interim appointee and later as the permanent secretary, appointed by Governor Phil Scott in November 2024. Her tenure has been marked by ambition, controversy, and a complex educational landscape in Vermont—a state grappling with declining enrollment, rising costs, and debates over equity and quality in public education. With nearly two decades of expe…