Controlling the Cost of Education ~ Panelists:
William J. Mathis was a National Superintendent of the Year finalist in 2003and was the Vermont Superintendent of the Year for 2002. He serves asSuperintendent of Schools for the Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union. Heis on the Board of Directors of the American Education Finance Associationand is a Senior Fellow of the Vermont Society for the Study of Education.He was President of the Vermont Superintendents' Association and Chair ofthe Vermont Education Coalition. He is also a consultant for the RuralSchool and Community Trust.
Bill has published or presented over 150 national research papers, policybriefs, newspaper columns and monographs on finance, assessment, schoolvouchers, cost-effectiveness, education reform, history, special educationand Constitutional issues. He is frequently invited to speak around the nation on the purpose of publiceducation, equality, and federal and state roles.
Richard Cate became education commissioner in 2003. A native Vermonter,he graduated from Montpelier High School before attending University ofVermont, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering.He later earned a master of public administration degree from RockefellerCollege at the University at Albany.
Prior to becoming commissioner, Richard served as executive deputycommissioner and chief operating officer of the New York StateDepartment of Education.
Richard has extensive Vermont work experience in education, localgovernment and the private sector. He was executive director of theVermont Superintendents Association for seven years and city manager of Barre City for five.Richard’s private sector experience was in real estate development and management and in thegranite industry. He served in the United States Army after graduating from college.
John McClaughry has been President of Ethan Allen Institute since itsfounding in 1993. He was Legislative Aide to Vermont Senator WinstonProuty, 1965-67; a Fellow of the Institute of Politics, JFK School, HarvardUniversity, 1967-68; a member of the Vermont House, 1969-72; SeniorPolicy Advisor in President Reagan's White House Office of PolicyDevelopment, 1981-82; member of the Vermont Senate 1989-92; andRepublican candidate for Governor of Vermont, 1992. He has served on fourPresidential Commissions by appointment of Presidents Nixon, Carter, andReagan, and has been Kirby Town Moderator for the past 40 years.
The Ethan Allen Institute is Vermont's free-market public policy researchand education organization - a "think tank" for issues affecting Vermonters.
