The 802 Ed
What's going on in Vermont education policy and practice
Welcome back!
This issue of the 802 Ed covers many topics that are immediately useful like the latest on pressure that rural districts are feeling to close schools, the first of the possible statewide redistricting maps to be published, and a new federal funding priority for education. Be sure to check out the innovative math techniques being used in Vermont’s schools!
New to the lingo? At the suggestion of a reader we include a guide to common abbreviations, just scroll down past the news.
- Steven Berbeco, Editor
School Leadership
Worst. Interview. Ever. Higher Ed Jobs offers the silver linings that can be learned from those times when an interview goes sideways.
Weighing Closures Amid Reforms. Seven Days VT explores the pressure that rural school boards are feeling to shutter schools as changes to the state’s education system appear more and more likely.
(Social Emotional Learning.) Education Week reports back on the federal policy push to remove SEL programming from public schools, and how similar content is still being delivered but under a different name.
Memory Lane. The Herald goes on a road trip to more than a dozen one room schoolhouses in Vermont, including an octagonal building that is still standing.
“Rough-Edged Proposal.” VT Digger checks in on the state’s School Redistricting Task Force and the first, and so far only, map to be considered by the group.
Coachless Coaching. School Administrator offers suggestions on how to support teachers’ professional growth when a school doesn’t have access to an instructional coach.
Mindfulness Matters. The Hechinger Report gives the spotlight to a preschool program that has seen success in teaching young children about how their brains work.
Myths of Learning. Education Week reviews recent research on several beliefs that teachers hold about how students learn best, but actually aren’t grounded in science. This was a popular item in last issue, so here it is again for readers who may have missed it
Big Print from Small Papers. The VPO reviews several recent articles on the state’s education reform efforts with its usual barbed critiques: “Education Reform With Bulldozers and Blasting Caps.”
Hotspots Cool Off. K-12 Dive helps us understand the impact of a recent federal decision that removes wi-fi and hotspots eligibility from the E-rate reimbursement program.
“The Kids Are Mathing.” WCAX follows up on innovative teaching methods in the Green Mountain State, in the context of declining assessment scores.
Leading The Change. Seven Days VT gives us a look at the complex work of the superintendent of a diverse school community in Vermont, and the background that inspired him.
Real Complaint, Fake Tie. Education Week describes the latest surprise that districts are responding to: parents’ complaints that look like they are coming from a lawyer but are actually generated by artificial intelligence.
Heads Up, Vermont. States are taking innovative steps to support their students and Vermont school leaders and lawmakers should take note:
Connecticut recently announced a multi-pronged approach to resolving the state’s special education teacher shortage.
Arizona hopes to increase the state’s pool of teachers through AZTRAP, a new teaching apprenticeship program.
School Shootings in 2025. Education Week’s tracker has logged 11 school shootings in 2025: “On Sept. 12, a parent was shot and injured while sitting in the bleachers during a high school football game at North Little Rock High School in North Little Rock, Ark. In another incident on Sept. 12, a 17-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl were injured in a shooting at a high school football game at SouthWest Edgecombe High School in Pinetops, N.C. Authorities said at least one of the teens was shot.” Total school shootings in 2024: 39. 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 Sunni Erikson.
Buzz On The Street
This sections highlights recent op-eds and letters to the editor about education. But it’s been largely quiet the past couple of weeks. We will be back with more in the next issue!
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: What do you think about statewide redistricting now that we know about Vermont’s poor results on the NAEP national learning assessment? Responses were strongest for Redistricting may actually lower student achievement further and Redistricting won’t affect student achievement, with almost no readers selecting Redistricting will help increase student achievement.
This issue’s survey question: Do you think the state should offer an additional stipend to National Board Certified Teachers? Please indicate your response by clicking a check mark.
✅ Yes, it would be a great incentive for teachers
✅ No, it should be up to schools to offer incentives
✅ What’s a National Board Certified Teacher?
Thank you to the reader from Lamoille County who suggested 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!
How Ya Doin’?
The start of the school year can be challenging for many reasons. It may be helpful to look for support around personal and professional issues. If you would like to schedule a time to talk with a rostered psychotherapist and VPA mentor, we can work on making small but significant steps that promote self-care, communication, and control. Sponsored by 802 Ed
Listen Up
Check out the 802 Ed’s conversation-style podcast! Generated by Notebook LM
Job Listings
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 thousands of readers. Sponsored by 802 Ed
The Big List. Josh Czupryk compiles and publishes a monthly spreadsheet with about 600 job opportunities for remote work in K-12 education.
Looking for a Change? With so many open positions in education, there are sometimes unusual opportunities. For example, there’s Hot Dog University outside of Chicago, “for anyone who’s ever dreamed of slinging sausages for a living.” Thanks for the tip, Daybreak!
Thank The Team
You read it, you love it, and now is a good time to say thanks. 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.
Note From The Editor
Dear readers, it’s time to lift the veil of objective journalism and get real with you. I have been looking for a job in education and it ain’t easy out there.
The job search runs through a predictable formula of finding an opportunity, sending a resume and well-crafted cover letter, completing an online application that often asks for the same information as the resume and cover letter, and crossing one’s fingers for an interview.
Here in Vermont most job opportunities are advertised on a single online platform that has cornered the market, SchoolSpring. Well, it was originally coded by Vermonters so its dominance in the Green Mountain State shouldn’t be all that surprising. The matchmaking service for schools and employees has gone through a few owners until it landed in PowerSchool’s portfolio.
Okay, we all know that applying for jobs can be challenging. For me the toughest part is getting through the initial screening where I am trying to stand out. The cover letter is the best way to wave a flag saying: “Hey there person reviewing my application, I am uniquely qualified for this job and Ima gonna rock it if you hire me.”
And here comes the big ol’ problem. SchoolSpring doesn’t allow applicants to attach a new cover letter for each application. Instead, applicants are encouraged to submit a “generic document.”
Vermont is a community of exceptional communities, where each school (justifiably) believes it is serving a different school community from all the others. Sending a cover letter that says I am great in education, broadly speaking, isn’t a good way to stand out. Especially when applicants like me apply for jobs in school leadership, instructional coaching, and as a part-time French teacher.
Usually market forces will push a service like SchoolSpring to change. However, in a monopoly there really isn’t much incentive to innovate or, in this case, offer a product that lets schools see why an applicant is uniquely qualified.
Maybe my next job should be creating a better job board?
Eye on Data
The chart below tracks open positions for facilities workers in the past 60 days, 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!
Grants & Opportunities
Fewer Suspensions, More Engagement. DCF released an RFP for contractors who can reduce racial disparities in school discipline. Deadline is October 15.
Keeping The Kids Safe. AOE, DPS, and the Vermont School Safety Center announced the annual School Safety Conference on October 28, at the Killington Grand Resort Hotel, with 6 hours of credit for professional development available.
Room for Me. Vermont Afterschool recently announced a grant program to start, maintain, or expand afterschool and summer programs of any size. Deadline is October 31.
School-Based Mental Health Services. The U.S. Department of Education recently opened a grant competition to increase the availability of mental health providers for students. Deadline is October 29.
Trauma Informed Care. AOE is offering an online training for early childhood educators on trauma-informed universal supports and practices, with a focus on regulation skills, de-escalation, and relational repair. November 13, 9 am to 4 pm.
Harvard Service Fellowship. Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government recently announced a fully-funded fellowship for public servants, including public school teachers. Deadline is December 1.
If You Missed It
Patriotic Priority. The U.S. Department of Education recently announced patriotic education as a new funding priority, which includes “essential principles of republican government” among other criteria.
Your Voice Matters. The VPA asks Vermonters to share their thoughts and help shape the future of our schools through a quick survey, with the results relayed to the Commission on the Future of Public Education, the Redistricting Task Force, and the General Assembly.
Pumpkin Pinch Pots. The Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum offers a short tutorial on how to put together a fun student activity inspired by the famous artist Yayoi Kusama.
“Those Were Not My Words.” Furloughed federal employees were surprised to learn their out-of-office messages were automatically updated to a message blaming the government shutdown on Senate Democrats.
Superintendent Detained, Resigns. In a fast-moving news story, the superintendent of Iowa’s largest district was detained by federal immigration services and subsequently submitted his resignation to the board.
Kids’ Art Is Priceless. A kindergarten created an international stir when it offered to sell students’ artwork to their families, as a way to pay its overdue bills.
Since 2021 the biweekly 802 Ed has brought together the latest from Vermont’s associations for principals, superintendents, and school board members, as well as state and national education agencies and many other news sources. 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, AOE Agency of Education, DCF Department for Children and Families, DMH Department of Mental Health, DPS Department of Public Safety, FERPA Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act, NAEP National Assessment of Education Progress, NEASC New England Association of Schools and Colleges, RFP Request for Proposals, SBE State Board of Education, SEL Social Emotional Learning, UVEI Upper Valley Educators Institute, VEHI Vermont Education Health Initiative, VPA Vermont Principals Association, VPO Vermont Political Observer, VREC Vermont Rural Education Collaborative, VSA Vermont Superintendents Association, VSBA Vermont School Board Association, VSBIT Vermont School Boards Insurance Trust, VSBPE Vermont Standards Board for Professional Educators, VTCLA Vermont Curriculum Leaders Association, VTSU Vermont State University.
Special bonus for making it to the bottom: A recent podcast tells the story of when Lake Champlain used to be great, as in one of the Great Lakes... for less than a month.