The 802 Ed
What's going on in Vermont's education policy and practice
Welcome back! And a special hello to colleagues and friends from the VSBA/VSA annual conference at Lake Morey a couple of weeks ago. I found it an exciting and inspiring event! One of the keynote speakers showed a video that you may be interested in: The People vs. The School System.
This issue covers many topics that are immediately useful like suggestions on how to request a sabbatical, a nation-wide webinar on promoting safe digital habits, and a new way for boards’ student representatives to connect. Be sure to check out the tips on reducing the stress level of your staff!
New to the lingo? At the suggestion of a reader we now include a guide to common abbreviations, just scroll down past the news.
- Steven Berbeco, Editor
School Leadership
Taming The Elephant in The Room. HigherEdJobs suggests several approaches to responding when a difficult topic comes up in an job interview, advice that could be useful for challenging community conversations as well.
Vermont’s Most Expensive Mascot? The Green Mountain Unified School District Board recently voted to stop paying the attorney who was representing them in an on-going dispute about the high school mascot, the Chieftains, after learning the cost so far is upwards of $10,000 in legal fees. Update: A recent meeting ended almost as soon as it started, marked with confusion and objection: “It’s going to start this way, huh?” Update: The Chester Telegraph is continuing to follow the story of the high attorney costs: “Who exactly authorized their hire remains a mystery.”
Recruitment and Retention Cheat Sheet. The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development recently published the Alaska’s Teacher Retention and Recruitment Playbook, a guide for everything from administrator mentoring to recruitment solutions and funding. This was a popular item in last issue, so here it is again for readers who may have missed it.
Vermont Looking to Update School Based Services. A recent RFP from AHS points to the state’s interest in updating its Medicaid payment rates in response to new federal guidance permitting greater flexibility in schools’ billing options.
Sabbaticals for Superintendents. School Administrator highlights superintendents’ stories of how to pitch a sabbatical to the board, including mention of a Vermont superintendent who negotiated a four-month break.
Students’ Vote of No Confidence. The VTSU student government associations passed their first resolution of the year, voting no confidence in the Vermont State Colleges Board of Trustees (except the Student Representative), the VTSU Office of the President, and the Vice President of Business Affairs.
Cellphone Bans in School. The New York Times reviews national and international results of schools that restrict students’ access to electronic devices, with one survey pointing to an increase in cyberbullying in schools that prohibit cellphones. Gift link
Thus It Was Resolved. VSBA membership approved resolutions that drive its legislative advocacy efforts, including a youth mental health resolution proposed by Winooski’s school board.
Discipline That Works. A Vanderbilt University public policy professor reviewed more than 80 studies on school discipline and distilled them to four policy points: “Now is the time to listen to the research evidence on school discipline.”
Principal Pulls Fire Alarm, Put on Leave. Burlington High School’s new principal, the fourth in three years, was recently placed on administrative leave after pulling a fire alarm during a student fight.
Health Rate Increases Anticipated. The VEHI Board of Directors authorized the management team to file FY25 rates for its health benefits program, anticipating an average premium increase of 16.4 percent for schools.
Getting Back to Teaching. HigherEdJobs takes a look at the myths and realities of the choice to leave administration and return to teaching, an article that may ring true for K-12 and early childhood education leaders as well.
Nearly Three Dozen Staff Cuts at VTSU. VT Digger gives us the plan to axe two assistant vice presidents, four associate deans, and many others, with an anticipated cost savings in excess of $3 million a year. Faculty numbers have also gone down with seventeen faculty buyouts, six retirements, three contracts that weren’t renewed, and a professor of landscape contracting who will be laid off.
Prepping for Turkey Day. The National Museum of the American Indian has published several culturally sensitive activities and resources for teaching about Thanksgiving.
Reducing Teachers’ Stress. Edweek reviews the steps some schools are taking to rachet down the stress level of teachers, which in turn is expected to improve the mental health of their students and their ability to learn in class.
Heads Up, Vermont. Several states are taking innovative steps to support their students. Vermont school leaders and lawmakers should take note:
High school graduates in Maryland can now choose a year of service in the first state-led program of its kind. Gift link
Community colleges in Maine are seeing a significant increase in enrollment by prioritizing student-centered investments like extended hours for the student center and more options for meals.
California is readying to be the first state to coordinate competency-based classes across several community colleges, so students can go at their own pace and test when they’re ready.
Minnesota’s governor recently signed an executive order that lifts the college degree requirement for most state jobs.
School Shootings in 2023. Education Week’s tracker reports 34 school shootings in 2023. “On Oct. 25, a woman and a man were shot in a vehicle as they were exiting the campus of Riverside Academy during student drop-off in Cincinnati, Ohio. The woman was killed and the man was injured.” Total school shootings in 2022: 51. As a reminder, DPS and AOE operate an anonymous school safety tip line for students, school staff, and their community: calling 1-844-SAFE4VT; texting SAFE4VT to 274637; or online at safe4vt.org. For questions about school safety training in Vermont, contact Rob Evans.
Reader Survey
In each issue we ask a survey question to get a sense of what is on our readers’ minds. Then, the following issue, we report back on what we learned. Last issue we asked: How has the shift to Special Education block grants gone so far? The responses were most strongly in favor of Not good at all, with equal number of readers responding with So-so, with some big headaches and Great, only minor problems if any.
This issue’s survey question: When do you anticipate the first snow day for your school, college, or program? Please indicate your response by clicking a check mark.
Thank you to an education leader from Washington State for that survey question. What’s on your mind? Suggest a survey question to find out how your colleagues respond in an upcoming issue of the 802 Ed!
Job Listings
Superintendent Search. If your district will be experiencing a leadership transition this year, we invite you to connect with us. Human Capital Enterprises (HCE) is a Superintendent Search firm with a commitment to outstanding leadership quality and a track record of assisting School Boards to find the right superintendent who is committed to long-term success. Learn about our success in Winooski earlier this year and reach out to us if you would like to engage in a confidential no-obligation conversation. Sponsored by Human Capital Enterprises
Supercharge the Applicant Pool. The market for school staff in Vermont is fierce and it’s important to stand out when attracting quality candidates. Why get wedged in among thousands of open positions on SchoolSpring? Your opportunity can stand out in an upcoming issue of the 802 Ed, dropping into the Inbox of 2,100+ readers. Sponsored by 802 Ed
The Big List. Josh Czupryk compiles and publishes a monthly spreadsheet with about 300 job opportunities for remote work in K-12 education.
Looking for a Change? With so many open education positions, there are sometimes unusual opportunities for remote work. For example, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is seeking an Early Childhood Development Program Specialist, with a salary range of about $84k to $109k for Burlington-area locality pay.
Thank the Team
Like what you are reading? Want a creative way to show your support? Cover our coffee budget! Writing, editing, researching… all of that is caffeine driven. Choose this option and the extra energy will go to finding a few more updates to share.
From the Editor
Halloween is past us, but some neighbors are taking their time bringing the cobwebs and spooky characters back inside. Walking by those houses at night, it’s like there is still a bit of the Halloween fun in the air, even as many stores have started piping in Christmas music for the next season.
The education job market has also quieted down after what may have felt like a holiday season of hiring. The total number of vacancies statewide has been mostly stable over the past sixty days. Plus, the openings for counselors and similar positions have dropped by about a third in the past two months, suggesting that schools are finding the staff they need for these important positions.
Yet, the spirit of Halloween isn’t entirely gone and there may still be a bogeyman in the shadows. The number of vacancies for substitutes has been quietly climbing in the past sixty days, nearly doubling in its percentage of total job market openings, like a scary movie’s fog that rolls in as a harbinger of things to come. Cue the eerie music!
The chart below tracks the percent of openings for substitutes over total openings in the 60 days prior to publication, presented as data points and a linear trend line. Data from SchoolSpring.
Pass It On
Like what you are reading? Hit the button below to send a copy to a colleague, friend, neighbor, your boss… whoever!
Colleagues on the Move
Congratulations to these colleagues who have received administrator licensure from AOE since the last issue of the 802 Ed! Data from AOE’s Aithent Licensing System.
Jason Di Giulio • Superintendent
Wendy Pratt • Superintendent
Scott Boskind • Principal
Michael Sherwin • Principal
Audra Titsworth • Principal
Do you know a colleague who has made a recent move? Let us know!
Grants & Opportunities
Psycho/educational Professional Development. AOE has contracted with a former Vermont educator to provide six hours of hands-on training for educators to learn strategies for responding to dysregulation in themselves and students, at no cost for the first 12 schools that sign up.
Project AWARE. DMH published an RFP for technical assistance for a project that advances wellness and resiliency in education, a maximum two-year, $160k contract. Deadline is November 6.
Promoting Safe Digital Habits. The U.S. Department of Education is hosting a panel discussion to talk about what cyberbullying and harassment can look like, the prevalence of the problem, the impacts on young people’s physical and mental health, and recommendations for schools. 3 - 4:30pm, November 8.
Student Board Member Networking. VSBA is launching a virtual forum for student board members, meeting every six weeks to talk about challenges and best practices. 6:30 - 7:30pm, November 14.
Trauma Responsive Schools Cohort. For schools in Massachusetts, Thriving Minds and the Center on Child Wellbeing & Trauma are offering a year-long coaching program to support the use of trauma-responsive practices for school mental health. Deadline is November 15.
Social Media and Mental Health. ParentIn Burlington is presenting a webinar on the complicated intersection of screen time, teens, and mental health, including the latest evidence to support healthy choices. 7pm - 8:30pm, November 16.
Moonshot Flight Crew. Million Girls Moonshot has opened applications for 13-18 year old girls or people outside of the identity of cis-gender male, to become a national ambassador for STEM learning in third space programs. Deadline is December 1.
A Decade of Student-Centered Learning. UP for Learning, AOE, and VPA are hosting a celebration of ten years of Act 77, the Flexible Pathways Initiative, for students, caregivers, community members, educators, and legislators, at the State House. 9:30am - 2:30pm, December 7.
Rural Education Summit. The National School Boards Association is hosting a virtual panel discussion on the unique challenges and opportunities in rural education. 1 - 4:30pm, December 13.
If You Missed It
When The Supreme Court Meets at Your School. The Vermont Supreme Court has resumed its “road show” of holding hearings in schools, according to Valley News, with the most recent one at Hartford High School.
Fulbright for Global Education. Winooski principal Kate Grodin was awarded a prestigious Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools award. Congratulations!
Supporting A Child’s Emotional Well-Being. The Vermont Language Justice Project recently published videos on how to identify and respond to signs of sadness and changes in behavior in children, a great resource for a school community and available in English, Arabic, Burmese, Dari, French, Kirundi, Maay Maay, Mandarin, Nepali, Pashto, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Tigrinya, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.
The 802 Ed brings together the latest from Vermont's associations for principals, superintendents, and school board members, as well as state and national education agencies. We hope that you'll find something useful in each issue and welcome comments or suggestions for upcoming issues: editor@802ed.com.
Abbreviation list: AASA School Superintendents Association, ADM Average Daily Membership, AHS Agency of Human Services, AOE Agency of Education, CDD Child Development Division, DAIL Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living, DCF Department for Children and Families, DMH Department of Mental Health, DPS Department of Public Safety, ED U.S. Department of Education, RFP Request for Proposals, NAEYC National Association for the Education of Young Children, NEASC New England Association of Schools and Colleges, PBIS Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, SBE State Board of Education, VEHI Vermont Education Health Initiative, VPA Vermont Principals Association, VSA Vermont Superintendents Association, VSBA Vermont School Board Association, VTSU Vermont State University.
Special bonus for making it to the bottom: There is a Youtube channel devoted to researching sandwiches from very old recipe books, and then making them. Yes, folks, it’s the Sandwiches of History.