On Oct. 25, I stood with nurses, doctors, fellow legislators, and advocates for those who lack housing at a press conference at the Vermont State House calling on Gov. Phil Scott to do more to protect Vermonters against the rapidly rising rate of COVID-19.
The state of emergency has been lifted, but we are still facing a public health crisis.
Last week, we had the highest single-day case rate of COVID-19 in Vermont: 591 cases. In a single day!
Our Covid rates rose 55 percent over two weeks recently. As of Nov. 15, data from The New York Times showed that the state's 14-day case rate jumped 82 percent, with the state ranking sixth in the nation by case rate at 57 people per 1,000.
On Aug. 7, Vermont recorded 112 cases of Covid - at the time the highest single-day count since April 29. I was one of those cases. I was also the third person in my household to test positive for Covid with a breakthrough case this past week. All of...
There has never been a more important election in my lifetime than what we are in the midst of this fall. The future of our nation, our state, and our Supreme Court are all at stake. I decided to run for a seat in the Vermont House of Representatives...
The motto for my campaign is “For People and Planet.” Policies that promote justice and an opportunity for people to thrive, that prioritize sustainability and address climate change, are the heart of my campaign. I am eager to work with other state representatives to increase renewable energy, improve public transit, and keep small Vermont towns viable. So much of our economy is dependent on visitors who come to our state to enjoy its natural beauty. For Vermont's people to thrive,
In 2017, I fell in love for the first time - with a group of Iraqi and American youth. I was working with the Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program (IYLEP), a program run by World Learning in Brattleboro and funded by the U.S. State Department. It offered a month-long experience to 29 Iraqi and 10 American students and three staff the chance to live and learn for a month together in the United States. I served as a teacher, travel...
Three years ago, I was looking for a new job when a former student told me she knew of positions for teachers in Iraq. I thought, “Iraq - why would anyone want to go there?” Iraq was a place I had no interest in going. It felt dangerous. As an educator who has spent most of my life providing and delivering cross-cultural learning opportunities, helping young Americans broaden their understanding and build connections with the other residents on our planet,
In late May, I was hired to coordinate student activities at Tsinghua International School in Beijing, China. I gave notice then for my job at Youth Services, where I had worked for nearly five years, and prepared to move abroad for at least a year at the beginning of August. I had a signed contract to work in Beijing. A work permit was issued in the city, as well as a formal letter of invitation from Tsinghua, my school. But...
I am not sure where Daniel Cohen got the idea that (to quote his letter) the piece I wrote [“Buzz kill,” Viewpoint, April 16] “wants to maintain the thoroughly useless, life-destroying, tax-funded War on Drugs.” My intention (as stated in the piece) was to “educate, not legislate.” From my Viewpoint: “Should legalization occur, the state Legislature would certainly need to include funding for major educational programs to inform youth and parents about the connections between marijuana and mental health.” My...