Hello and welcome to another episode of The Weeds on the Vox Media Podcast Network.

I'm Matthew Glacias and well it's not quite another episode of The Weeds.

Instead we're taking the holiday off and we've got for you a special episode of the Impact

Starring Weeds' Own Sarah Cliff. She's taking a look at some really innovative things that they've

done in Vermont where they face some real challenges with financing the school system in this small town

known as Whiting. We don't get to delve into this level detail often on the weeds and then we will

be back and see you with a regular episode on Tuesday. Whiting Vermont has a post office, a community

church, a few white slat houses surrounded by wide wide fields and dramatic black mountains rising

up in the distance. Carol Brigham has lived here her whole life. She's on the short side with gray

hair cut into an efficient bob. There's something about an old Vermonner is that if you force me to do

something I always not like it. She does not have much time for stupid questions or much love for

journalists. In a media it's not always the greatest thing because they just stir the pot almost

on purpose. Her attitude grows out of her own experience. She has had a lot of media attention

over the years because of her school, Whiting School. It's small like the town, two classrooms

in a basement room plus an office and Carol's tone completely shifts when she talks about it.

All the windows face the east and you see the green out ends and so it's beautiful there in the

morning. The sun comes in, we'd have to pull the shades because the sun would be right in your eyes.

Carol's dad was on the school board when she went there as a kid. Her daughter Amanda went to the

school too. This place is full of memories. One would be Amanda's sixth grade graduation

because she looks so mature. Six grade graduations. They're kind of a big deal at Whiting Elementary.

Students stand up and recite poems or give a little speech about their favorite moments at the

school and for someone who couldn't speak out loud she would take an F over speaking in the classroom.

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