Robert Millar
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robtheprog.bsky.social
Robert Millar
@robtheprog.bsky.social
230 followers 280 following 42 posts
Activist, organizer, and occasional politician. Current Winooski School Board President. Current Winooski Progressive Party Chair. Former Winooski City Councilor, WSD Treasurer, Housing Commission Chair, Justice of the Peace & More.
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robtheprog.bsky.social
Last night the Winooski School Board issued a statement condemning the inhumane detention of members of our community, including a 2nd grade student. I'm proud to live in a place where the response to this abhorrent act is empathy, anger, & most importantly, action. 💚
Statement from the Winooski Board of School Trustees: The Winooski Board of School Trustees was devastated and horrified to learn this week that one of our 2nd grade students and his mother were abducted by federal agents over the Thanksgiving break and are being held in a facility in Texas. There is no justification for detaining a student – it is amoral, unjust, and inhumane. This is not only a direct trauma to this student and his family, but has rippled throughout the entire School and Winooski community. We are grateful for the decisive and compassionate leadership Superintendent Chavarria has shown in supporting this student, his family, and our District during this time. We call on our local, state, and federal elected representatives to advocate on behalf of this student and his mother and secure their immediate release. We call upon all Vermonters to stand in solidarity with our community and demand their immediate release. Families belong together, and students belong in the classroom, not in detention facilities.
December 4, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Reposted by Robert Millar
sevendaysvt.bsky.social
The school district activated its “rapid response” protocol to try to locate the child and help his family with legal support.
Winooski Second Grader in ICE Detention in Texas | Seven Days
The boy, who attends JFK Elementary, is the first Winooski School District student to be detained by immigration officials this year.
www.sevendaysvt.com
December 1, 2025 at 9:15 PM
robtheprog.bsky.social
A GoFundMe has been created to support our Winooski student & their family who were cruelly detained by ICE over break: www.gofundme.com/f/legal-fees...
Donate to Emergency Legal Fees for Winooski Family Impacted by ICE, organized by sarah lowry
While traveling out of state over the Thanksgiving holiday, a sec… sarah lowry needs your support for Emergency Legal Fees for Winooski Family Impacted by ICE
www.gofundme.com
December 3, 2025 at 3:39 PM
robtheprog.bsky.social
“As a superintendent, I can’t stop standing for the things I stand for. I can’t stop speaking out for the rights of our families. I’m not going to be one more manager or bureaucrat,” Chavarria said. “This is where we’re tested.” 💚 www.sevendaysvt.com/news/educati...
Wilmer Chavarria Is Leading — and Advocating for — Winooski Students
The superintendent of schools shares similarities with his diverse student body. He’s using his platform to stand up for them.
www.sevendaysvt.com
September 26, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Reposted by Robert Millar
sevendaysvt.bsky.social
Seven Days is back to school! ✏️ On the cover this week: Wilmer Chavarria Is Leading — and Advocating for — Winooski Students

Grab it where you get Seven Days or read it online:
Sept 24-30 2025 | Seven Days
Wilmer Chavarria Is Leading — and Advocating for — Winooski Students; Burlington Seeks a Spot for an Overdose-Prevention Center; Vermont Textile Producers Eye a “Farm-to-Closet” Movement; Eating and…
www.sevendaysvt.com
September 24, 2025 at 4:57 PM
robtheprog.bsky.social
Come join me on the WSD Board! We've had an unexpected vacancy we need to fill ASAP, before budget season starts. Contact me know if you're interested or have questions or send a resume or Letter of Interest to [email protected] by 9/26 to apply. 💚

h/t WSD Comms Director for the great image!
September 16, 2025 at 7:13 PM
robtheprog.bsky.social
Convocation 2025. Credit: Miriam Greenfield
September 5, 2025 at 8:42 PM
robtheprog.bsky.social
Yep, it's that time again! For the one hundred & eleventy time I am leading reorg in Winooski for the VT Progressive Party.

See you there? 💚

RSVP: vtprogressiveparty.nationbuilder.com/winooski_tow...
NOTICE Winooski Progressive Party City Caucus All Progressive voters of the City of Winooski, in the County of Chittenden, are hereby notified, in accordance with 17 V.S.A. § 2303, to meet in caucus on Saturday, September 20th, 2025, at 1:00 pm, at the O’Brien Community Center, 32 Malletts Bay Ave. The Agenda for this Caucus is as follows: I. Election of City Committee II. Election of Officers by the City Committee III. Election of County Committee Members IV. Discussion: 2026 Elections V. Discussion: Organizing in Winooski VI. New Business Robert Millar, City Chair For more information, email info@progressiveparty.org LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROGRESSIVE PARTY AT WWW.PROGRESSIVEPARTY.ORG!
September 4, 2025 at 6:31 PM
robtheprog.bsky.social
Just finished giving my welcome speech at the Winooski School District 25/26 Convocation. Full text here, sans inevitable on the fly edits.

Thank you, teachers, staff, admin, & everyone, for inviting me to be a part of your celebration! 💚
Hello Everyone! It’s an honor to once again have the opportunity to stand up here as Winooski’s School Board President and welcome you all to another new school year. I’m so consistently proud of the work all our teachers, staff, and administrators do here every day to make sure our City’s kids get the best education possible. You all are truly amazing. But I’m going to be honest with you. I can’t just stand up here like last time and try to claim this is going to be a great, wonderful year. I won’t sugarcoat what’s obvious to all of us. We all know these are difficult times, especially for anyone working in education. Especially for anyone working with students like ours. None of us can really say for sure what education is going to look like here in Winooski – or in Vermont – in the coming years. None of us knows for sure what the Legislature or the Federal government might throw at us next. On top of that, it feels like almost every day now brings some fresh attack from Washington on the basic humanity of our friends, our neighbors, our families, and ourselves. It’s exhausting. It’s overwhelming. And I don’t know about you, but it leaves me feeling unsure what to do next, what I can possibly do to make a real difference in the face of just so much… noise. So what I do want to talk about today are two things that have helped me keep my bearings and keep moving forward, even in the face of all of that. They aren’t solutions. But they help me and they might help you. The first is rest. That might sound strange, given the constancy of everything that’s going on. But the reality is, rest is revolutionary. You can’t take care of anyone else if you don’t take care of yourself first. If you burn out, if you push yourself too hard or too long, you won’t be of help to anyone. But why is rest especially important right now? Because one of the main points of all the noise, all the chaos, all the consistent cruelty, is to keep us all off kilter and confused about where to focus next. Rest grounds us and brings us back to ourselves. Rest is necessary and human. So rest first and then deal with what you can – and never, ever feel like you have to do it all. Focus on the levers you can reach and let others take care of theirs. The second thing that has helped me is community. I was reminded of this a few months back at the District’s community Ishtar event. Hundreds of people from Winooski and well beyond came out to celebrate and support our Muslim community members, even in the face of so much hate in the larger world. It felt incredibly important and powerful to me. And the food was amazing. You might recall that community actually shows up in our District ENDS statement. There’s a reason for that. “WSD students will lead healthy, productive and successful lives and engage with their local and global community.” Think about that for a minute. Why is the ability to successfully engage with their communities a fundamental part of what we consider a successful graduate? So they can make a difference in those communities? Of course! But I’d also argue, community is one of our fundamental needs as human beings. We need our fellows. We need support. Being in community grounds us. It certainly grounds me. It reminds me I’m not alone, that it’s not just me versus the world, that we are all in this together. So those are my suggestions to you today. Find rest, when you can. Find community, wherever you can. And you know what, forget what I said earlier. This IS going to be a great year. Thank you.
August 21, 2025 at 5:30 PM
robtheprog.bsky.social
What happened to Superintendent Chavarria was by no means an isolated incident. Enough is enough! We must not let this become the new normal. 💚
sevendaysvt.bsky.social Seven Days @sevendaysvt.bsky.social · Aug 1
Several recent incidents have raised the alarm across Vermont, including the nearly five-hour interrogation by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials that rattled Winooski schools superintendent Wilmer Chavarria, a U.S. citizen who was returning from visiting his family in Nicaragua.
Vermont Immigrants Are Now Reluctant to Cross the Border
Fear and anxiety are spreading among legal residents who previously felt safe leaving the country to visit family, take a vacation or spend the day in Canada.
www.sevendaysvt.com
August 1, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Reposted by Robert Millar
chalkbeat.org
Wilmer Chavarria fears that student data may have been compromised during his detention.
‘Psychological terror’: What happened when border agents detained this Vermont superintendent
Wilmer Chavarria fears that student data may have been compromised during his detention.
bit.ly
July 29, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Reposted by Robert Millar
allinwithchris.bsky.social
“I told them I was an American citizen. I questioned why they were using those tactics on me. I asked about my constitutional rights. An officer outright said out loud that I have no constitutional rights at a point of entry,” says Wilmer Chavarria, a school superintendent in Vermont.
‘Praying for it to end’: Vermont superintendent speaks out after ICE interrogation
YouTube video by MSNBC
www.youtube.com
July 26, 2025 at 1:39 AM
Reposted by Robert Millar
senpeterwelch.govpeeps.us
On Monday, Winooski School District Superintendent Wilmer Chavarria was detained and interrogated for more than five hours by U.S. Customs and Border Protection after returning from Nicaragua.

Superintendent Chavarria is a U.S. citizen.

The actions of this Administration make (cont in image...)
July 24, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Reposted by Robert Millar
lgbtqnation.com
Gay educator & U.S. citizen detained for hours at border: “The definition of psychological terror” - buff.ly/1WuHaXp
July 24, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Reposted by Robert Millar
vtdigger.bsky.social
OPINION — "Condemnation of this act must be swift and unwavering in its support of one of our esteemed, caring and truly exceptional educational leaders," Sen. Gulick writes.
Opinion — Sen. Martine Larocque Gulick: I support Superintendent Wilmer Chavarria
Condemnation of this act must be swift and unwavering in its support of one of our esteemed, caring and truly exceptional educational leaders.
vtdigger.org
July 25, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Reposted by Robert Millar
balint.house.gov
Yesterday, Wilmer Chavarria, a Vermonter & US Citizen, was held and interrogated for hours in the Houston airport by CBP agents.

He's a school superintendent. So don’t try to tell us this is about removing violent criminals. This is how they use psychological terror to intimidate us into silence.
July 23, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Reposted by Robert Millar
welch.senate.gov
On Monday, Winooski School District Superintendent Wilmer Chavarria was detained and interrogated for more than five hours by U.S. Customs and Border Protection after returning from Nicaragua.

Superintendent Chavarria is a U.S. citizen.
July 23, 2025 at 6:41 PM
robtheprog.bsky.social
Pay attention. This is not normal. This is not just. This is not acceptable.

Winooski stands with Wilmer. 💚
July 23, 2025 at 2:53 PM
robtheprog.bsky.social
The Winooski School Board calls upon all Vermonters—and all Americans—to stand in solidarity with Superintendent Chavarria and his family. We urge our elected leaders and federal agencies to investigate this incident and take meaningful steps to prevent such abuses from continuing.
July 22, 2025 at 8:48 PM
robtheprog.bsky.social
For whomever of my friends need to hear this today - Trans Lives Matter. Immigrant Lives Matter. Gender affirming care is healthcare. No one is illegal. You are loved. I am with you no matter what.

“The fight isn't over until you win.” 💚
June 18, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Reposted by Robert Millar
sevendaysvt.bsky.social
Some of the criticism asserted that the senators on the conference committee spent too much time fighting to protect the interests of independent schools, which only serve about 5 percent of publicly funded Vermont students.

📸: Jeb Wallace-Brodeur
School Leaders Urge Lawmakers to Reject Ed Reform Bill | Seven Days
Some superintendents and school board members say that the bill is being rushed and fails to address the real cost drivers in education.
www.sevendaysvt.com
June 16, 2025 at 1:32 AM
Reposted by Robert Millar
sevendaysvt.bsky.social
On June 4, the Vermont state treasurer, the financial regulation commissioner and the deputy education secretary gathered in the same room — but not to talk policy. They'd come to Winooski High School to listen to students give their final presentations in a personal finance course.
Winooski Students Talk Money With State Officials
Courtney Poquette has been teaching Winooski teens about saving and investing for 19 years. She wants to make personal finance a statewide graduation requirement.
buff.ly
June 14, 2025 at 9:13 PM
robtheprog.bsky.social
Dear #Winooski Residents (A thread),

The Winooski School Board, in consultation with the Superintendent, has decided that it is time to inform you of concerning legislative developments and what it could mean for you and the young people of our community.
May 19, 2025 at 7:40 PM
robtheprog.bsky.social
Sometimes fighting fascism means a crowd like this, sometimes it's a quiet meeting in a coffee shop. Sometimes, it's as simple as refusing to sign on a document normalizing it all. Sometimes it's all 3 in one day...

However you're fighting, keep going. I've got your back - and so does my mom! 💚✊
April 5, 2025 at 9:09 PM
robtheprog.bsky.social
It was such a joy to attend tonight's Community Iftar at the Winooski Schools! The perfect contrast to the struggles of the larger world: a community coming together to share a meal, while lifting up & celebrating our diversity. 💚

Special thanks to Senator Peter Welch for stopping by to say hello!
March 21, 2025 at 1:14 AM