The Senate Committee on Education is expected to make its recommendation this week on Gov. Phil Scott’s nominee to become Vermont’s next education secretary.

Zoie Saunders met with the five-member committee Tuesday amid criticism from public education advocates that her past involvement with charter schools should disqualify her.

Committee members peppered Saunders with questions about her background with Charter Schools USA, a for-profit education management company. But she said that experience would pose no conflict should she be confirmed.

“I am not interested in bringing charter school legislation to the State of Vermont, and I know that the governor has also come on the record and indicated that as well,” she said. “ In every state that I’ve worked in charter schools are public schools, and they are defined as public schools in state statute.”

Before Tuesday’s hearing, the Friends Of Vermont Public Schools — a grassroots organization of Vermont school board members — held a news conference urging the committee to reject Saunders nomination.

Former Shrewsbury School Board member Adrienne Raymond said Saunders’ background suggests she supports a trend toward privatization of public schools.

“This appointment places Vermont further along a path that we do not want to go on, and is a clear manifestation of the Governor’s trend toward the privatization of schools in Vermont,” Raymond said.

The committee is expected to vote on whether to recommend Saunders’ appointment this week. The full Senate would then vote on the nomination sometime next week.