The 802 Ed
What's going on in Vermont's education policy and practice
The new school year is upon us! Schools and colleges in California and Alaska have already welcomed students in, others in Vermont have set a start date this week or maybe just after Labor Day, while our colleagues in early childhood education didn’t get a summer off at all. It’s an exciting time of renewed energy and, let’s hope, a sense of optimism.
This issue covers many topics that are immediately useful like the results of an electric school bus pilot program, links to ready-to-go learning materials, and several exciting job opportunities. Be sure to check out this issue’s survey!
New to the lingo? At the suggestion of a reader we now include a guide to common abbreviations after all the news.
- Steven Berbeco, Editor
School Leadership
The Upside of Disclosing a Chronic Illness. The Harvard Business Review summarizes recent research into organizational leaders who talk openly about diabetes, cancer, depression, and other illnesses, including how this difficult decision to disclose can be an opportunity to demonstrate effective leadership skills.
“I Don’t Think This Is Anything Personal.” South Burlington school board is scheduled to vote on removing the chair over allegations of poor communication and inefficiencies, which would mean the third board chair in less than a year. Update: The chair resigned after a “very inefficient and incredibly frustrating” year and a half.
Allegations of “Harassment and Targeting” on Barre Board. Direct hostility, disrespectful comments, ignoring emails… a board member lays out many concerns about the board chair in an agenda addendum document.
Kicking Kids Out… and Onto the Internet. Stateline reviews a growing practice of using online learning as an alternative to exclusionary discipline, but “getting back into the classroom after being placed on virtual learning can be more difficult than returning after a suspension.”
Writing the Equity Rule Book for Private Schools. According to VT Digger, the SBE is weathering a storm of controversy among legislators over equity rules for private schools: one side says private schools receiving public dollars should “play by the same rules. Full stop,” and the other side finds these concerns “inflammatory” and “unacceptable,” and advises that the board “keep calm and carry on.”
Keeping School Leaders from Quitting. Education Week digs into national survey data to come up with several policy changes that are likely to keep principals and other administrators from switching jobs. This was a popular item in last issue, so here it is again for readers who may have missed it.
More Chinese for BFA Fairfax. WCAX’s Melissa Cooney reviews a school’s positive experience with a Taiwanese teacher, including the nonprofit organizations that made it all happen for them.
Possible Merger in Washington County. Washington Central School Board is considering a reconfiguration of its district to include the Montpelier Roxbury Public School District, as reported by David Delcore in the Times Argus.
Four Day School Week Doesn’t Cut It. A recent CNN interview with a RAND Corporation researcher points to recent research that shows students tend to lose significant learning with four, longer school days as opposed to the more traditional five day school week.
When Very Small Becomes Too Small. VT Digger highlights the push by some families to pull their students from Windham Elementary School in favor of out-of-town options that have more than a principal, a teacher, and an administrative assistant.
Investors Throw Billions at Kahoot! Education Week mentions in passing that the game-based learning platform Kahoot! is about to change hands for nearly $2 billion.
“You're Kind of Tapping Into a Dry Well at a Certain Point.” The New York Times highlights frustrations felt across the country with staffing bus drivers. Gift link
Provisional Licenses on the Rise. Tucked into a recent Valley News article is an update from AOE that the number of provisional licenses has nearly doubled in the past three years, which “allow people with a bachelor’s degree in the content area but without a teacher’s license to teach as they work toward licensure.”
Downside of Electric Busses in Chilly Vermont. As the state wraps up a large pilot project to test electric school bus performance, one significant finding highlighted in this 380+ page report is that “as temperatures dropped, vehicle range reduced in a relatively linear manner,” by as much as 80% at zero degrees Fahrenheit.
Coach, Curb, or Car. Stateline points to recent research that suggests schools may be undercounting homeless youth because of varying definitions of being unhoused, with potential implications for McKinney-Vento Act compliance.
Next Steps on Interim VTSU President. According to the university’s most recent newsletter, there are five finalists under consideration for the role of interim president of Vermont State University; three from a search firm and two by word of mouth.
Heads Up, Vermont. Several states are taking innovative steps to support their students. Vermont school leaders and lawmakers should take note:
The U.S. Department of Education granted Montana a limited waiver of state-wide testing to allow time to transition to a new testing system.
Colorado community colleges are covering tuition, fees, and materials with “no hidden costs or ‘tricks’” for students enrolled in several healthcare certification programs.
School Shootings in 2023. Education Week’s tracker reports 27 school shootings in 2023. “On August 25, a 16-year-old student was killed and two people injured from gunfire at the stadium during a high school football game in Choctaw, Okla.” 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 do you anticipate July’s floods will affect the beginning of your school year? The responses were more than twice as strongly in favor of Increased need for mental health services, compared to Significant disruption to transportation, food services, and/or other services. In the good news department, there was also a strong response in favor of I don’t anticipate any major effects.
This issue’s survey question: Where are your greatest staffing shortages at the start of the school year? Please indicate your response by clicking a check mark.
✅ Teachers, counselors, and other certified positions
✅ Paraprofessionals, bus drivers, and other classified positions
✅ I don’t anticipate a staffing shortage
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 For School Leaders
Director of School Counseling (Guidance). Come join the school leadership team at Spaulding High School, where our students always come first. Successful applicants will have School Counseling licensure, with preference for those with a Master's degree. Sponsored by Barre Unified Union School District
Hazing, Harassment, and Bullying Coordinator. Milton Middle School is seeking a collaborative member of a team committed to creating a safe and engaging learning environment. This one-year position will provide training to staff and students on hazing, harassment, and bullying, as well as following up on reports of inappropriate student conduct. Sponsored by Milton Town School District
Guidance Counselor. Join the staff at Milton Elementary School that is focused on supporting the whole child, providing integrated services that support our students' academic and social emotional development and success. Successful applicants will have School Counselor licensure or equivalent professional credentials, with a preference for three years or more of relevant experience. Sponsored by Milton Town School District
Health Education Teacher. Milton High School is looking for a dynamic educator with a solid understanding of the relationship between social emotional health and wellness. This one-year position will help students with emotional and social well-being, and collaborate with administration and teaching staff to support student health and engagement. Sponsored by Milton Town School District
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 1,800+ readers. Sponsored by 802 Ed
The Big List. Josh Czupryk compiles and publishes a monthly spreadsheet with nearly a thousand job opportunities in K-12 education, about a third of them for remote work.
Looking for a Change? With so many open education positions, there are sometimes unusual opportunities. For example, Mississippi is looking for its next state superintendent. Pay range is expected to be around $300,000, which is more than almost every public office in Vermont.
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.
Special thank-you to those who contributed since last issue, including a principal from Champlain Valley School District, a member of the leadership team at the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, and a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion consultant!
From the Editor’s Pen
Schools have been a steady ship in the rocky waters of the past few years, a place for youth to retain a sense of stability and, if we can be honest about it, a lifeline for many parents and community members who need a few hours a day away from their young charges. For many who work in education, there is a certain peace in coming to a classroom, an office, a kitchen, wherever that workplace is in the school ecosystem. Horace Mann said it well: “Education is our only political safety. Outside of this ark, all is deluge.”
Yet the past few years have also seen so much upheaval and lack of safety. School board members have been set upon by community members, school leaders have been balancing a cascading number of unprecedented challenges, and teachers have been burning out faster and faster. It seems that we have left the storm but now have to pick up many of the pieces that were left strewn about. It’s no wonder that anxiety and depression are more common among students and staff.
Looking back, mental health has been ancillary and not primary to the work of our schools. Even the term social emotional learning is relatively new, having started showing up in print only in the past twenty years. Guidance counselors were recast as school counselors about twenty years ago, too, marking a shift that began to more widely acknowledge the importance of psychosocial education.
It shouldn’t be a surprise, then, that post-pandemic we are seeing a significant increase in the demand for counselors and other school climate staff. Today there are about 2,000 open positions in Vermont, of which about ten percent are related to mental health, a number that is trending upwards. That’s about pace with special education and substitute teachers, two position types that have historically been in high demand.
The chart below tracks the total number of counselor and school climate openings in the 180 days prior to publication, presented as data points and a linear trend line. Data from SchoolSpring, except for 14-60 days ago when the editor was visiting family in Alaska.
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
Principal and Assistant Principal positions have been opening up and getting filled around the state. There have been 102 positions that have opened since the start of the calendar year, of which 101 have been filled. Data from VPA.
Every issue we highlight school leaders who are making a change – congratulations!
Alyssa Hamilton, previously principal of Brownington Central School, is now assistant principal at Bellows Falls High School.
Sarah Hisman, previously teacher and interventionist/coach at Hartford Middle School, is now interim assistant principal.
These colleagues received administrator licensure from AOE since the last issue of the 802 Ed. Data from AOE’s Aithent Licensing System.
Rebecca Busker • Principal
Amanda Riggleman • Principal
Daniel Rivers • Principal
Watfa Shama • Principal
Melissa Wellikoff • Principal
Do you know a colleague who has made a recent move? Let us know!
802 Ed in the News
The 802 Ed was highlighted recently in the Vermont Daily Chronicle: “Middlebury College pays students $10K to take the year off.”
Grants & Opportunities
Traveling Trunks. Smithsonian Libraries and Archives offers a resource-lending program for middle school students, with multimedia library kits full of immersive learning resources. Free shipping within the United States. This was a popular item in last issue, so here it is again for readers who may have missed it.
Buy American, Except When You Can’t. ED is looking for public comment on a proposed Build America, Buy America Act waiver intended to prevent project delays. Deadline is August 31.
Youth Development Program. DCF has issued an RFP for a two-year contract to coordinate a youth development program for district offices. Deadline is September 7.
Linking Engineering to Life. Vermont Afterschool is offering limited spaces for a free, ready-to-go STEM curriculum that is geared to middle school girls and nonbinary youth, including materials, mentors, guest speakers, and staff training. Deadline is September 8.
Trauma Informed Suicide Prevention for Administrators. Rising suicidal ideation among school staff and students can be overwhelming. Learn about resources available to schools, how to conduct a trauma informed risk assessment, and effective collaboration with community partners. September 13 at 6 pm.
All the Surgeons General on Youth Mental Health. Dartmouth College is hosting a panel discussion of the current and all six of the former (and living) U.S. Surgeons General on the topic of youth mental health. “The seriousness of student mental health cannot be overstated.” September 28 at 1 pm.
In Case You Missed It
Dial a Librarian. As promised, VTSU offers 24/7 access to a reference librarian for students, staff, faculty, and the public. Just click the green Ask Now button on the header link to connect to a world-wide co-op of 600 libraries.
Community Schools. Vermont was highlighted by the Education Commission of the States for a competitive grant program that provides funding to sixteen schools for wellness centers, telehealth, mentoring, and more.
“The Kids Are Not All Right.” 802 Ed editor Steven Berbeco penned a guest column about the worrying state of youth mental health in the Green Mountain State and current efforts to improve the system of care for our youngest Vermonters. This was a popular item in last issue, so here it is again for readers who may have missed it.
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: ADM Average Daily Membership, AOE Agency of Education, CDD Child Development Division, DAIL Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living, DCF Department for Children and Families, 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, 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: Smell your way to a healthier future: overnight aromas can alleviate cognitive decline in mice, rats, and yes, also humans.