Chris Kramer for ACSD School Board

03/08/2023

03/07/2023

No matter what happens with the results, democracy is just so important. I am honored to have participated in the democratic process with Ellen Whelan-Wuest.

03/05/2023

If you’re curious about where I stand or how I approach the issues, please take a few minutes to watch this interview with Middlebury Community Television. Thank you!

03/05/2023

Very thankful to the 9 community leaders here in the Addison Central School District who jointly submitted this letter of support this past week to the Addison Independent.

02/24/2023

In early March of 2020, MUMS teachers presented a letter to the ACSD Board, signed by 33 colleagues, respectfully outlining their significant concerns regarding plans for incorporating 6th Grade, and just as importantly, restructuring the whole school to accommodate this change. These concerns, unfortunately, went largely unheeded, and the launch went forward largely as originally planned. The results are now familiar to all.

The culture of consensus is the primary reason we plowed headlong into this catastrophe, in plain view of all the warning signs. Building consensus among board members is a laudable goal when achievable, but it pales in comparison to a board member’s responsibility to speak up for kids. When 33 teachers put their livelihoods at risk by speaking up, the least a volunteer board member can do is to support them and make sure their concerns are taken seriously. If I am on the board, I will never, ever let anything like this happen again. That is a solemn promise.

Chris Kramer is running for Addison Central School District (ACSD) Board. Click to learn more about the campaign.

02/24/2023

For the remainder of this campaign (thankfully just 12 days), I am leaning into speaking up.

Win or lose, speaking up is what I believe in. When it comes to kids and families, I believe it double. And not just speaking up for the sake of being loud. Speaking up in a way that is effective.

I’m fortunate to have grown up in DC, and learned almost from birth how to pay close attention to doing things effectively, by the book. I read the rules closer than most people. I go to the statutes. I contact the state offices, sometimes even the federal offices, not just to voice my opinion, but to work with them on getting things done.

Consensus, when seen as an ultimate goal, can be constricting. In this district, we have real issues that need to be talked about, and need to be addressed. IB is one. MUMS is one. Special ed is about to blow up in a way most people aren’t aware of (look up Act 173). I know our district is hurting. I get it. But partly it’s hurting because we’ve gone along one time after another without many of us having a real voice.

If you have real concerns, and you want a real voice, I will be there for you. Will people react? Yes. That’s what happens when you speak up. But that’s also how you make real, systemic change.

Chris Kramer is running for Addison Central School District (ACSD) Board. Click to learn more about the campaign.

02/11/2023

Many thanks to the folks at Salisbury recycling for their kindness as I set up here to share information (along with some free donuts and hot chocolate).

Chris Kramer is running for Addison Central School District (ACSD) Board. Click to learn more about the campaign.

02/11/2023

Many thanks to the 29 current Cornwall School parents who jointly submitted this letter to the editor.

So many parents and families have contributed this year to rejuvenating our community spirit. When we all come together to support each other, our families create the the solid foundation that our young kids need to grow and thrive.

The current Cornwall School families writing this letter would like to recommend Chris Kramer for the Cornwall seat on the ACSD Board.

02/09/2023

Running for local office means sitting on a stool at your kitchen island, sorting mailers into stacks by hand.

Chris Kramer is running for Addison Central School District (ACSD) Board. Click to learn more about the campaign.

02/09/2023

Many thanks to Will Amidon for this letter of support. Will is a professor at Middlebury and a longtime active dad at Cornwall School. In the first year of the pandemic, Will launched a “second school” on remote days to give kids an opportunity for social interaction, while keeping them safe. He has volunteered for many years as a parent teacher in our nature-based Four Winds science program at Cornwall School. He co-lead our successful family movie night at the school in the fall, an event we had not held in several years. And he has generously shared his expertise in geology by presenting to our Cornwall School kids. Many thanks to Will for all you do, and for the support offered in this kind letter. The full version is available here:
https://www.addisonindependent.com/2023/02/02/letter-to-the-editor-kramer-earns-election-support/

02/01/2023

Cornwall after-schoolers trek through the snow, from school over to town hall for drumming and dancing. Their path makes a literal connection between our school and our town.

Chris Kramer is running for Addison Central School District (ACSD) Board. Click to learn more about the campaign.

01/30/2023

Sometimes doing the right thing locally means advocating at the state level. State law guarantees that every town that needs it will be granted administrative support, regardless of whether it is part of a merged district. In October of 2020, I spoke before the State Board of Education to remind them of that guarantee. When they chose not to follow through and grant Ripton that support, I filed a public records request to shed light on how that decision was made. That filing has made its way to the courts, where it presses on. Advocacy can take time, energy, funding, and sometimes thick skin—but at times it’s necessary to make sure our kids get the services they need.

Speaking to the Vermont State Board of Education on October 21, 2020