The 802 Ed
What's going on in Vermont's education policy and practice
Welcome back! And a special hello to colleagues I met at the Department of Mental Health’s conference last week: state leaders, policy makers, and the many participants who work in schools every day. Thanks for helping to keep our kids healthy.
This issue covers many topics that are immediately useful like updates on the search for the next Secretary of Education, a scholarship program to send high school students to Germany for a year, and news on Vermont’s next Teacher of the Year. Be sure to check out the staff recruitment tips from our colleagues in Alaska!
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
Interview Like a Pro. HigherEdJobs offers nearly a dozen tips for acing a job interview, including links to additional resources like “earned secrets” that help you stand out.
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?”
Vermont’s Least Expensive Hire? Seven Days’ Alison Novak shines a light on differences between recent superintendent recruitment efforts and the state’s Secretary of Education search: where supervisory unions may spend more than $20,000 and hold more than a dozen community meetings, the state has spent less than $500 and opted for a one-hour community forum with about dozen participants.
Higher Ed Staff On The Move. A recent survey reviewed by HigherEdJobs points to the growing number of college and university staff who are likely to search for a new job in the coming year, with better pay as the primary motivator.
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.
Reconsidering Learning “Loss.” Vermont educator Peter Langella lays out an argument reframing post-pandemic public education from a strengths-based approach instead. This was a popular item in last issue, so here it is again for readers who may have missed it.
Who Runs The Best Schools? Students in Defense Department schools tend to outperform most everyone else in America, according to a recent New York Times article, with well-paid teachers, ample supply closets, and successful coordination of curriculum and teacher development projects in schools across the world. Gift link
Let It Be Resolved. VSBA has posted its list of proposed resolutions, which drive legislative advocacy efforts, for review and voting at the annual meeting this week, including a Youth Mental Health resolution proposed by Winooski’s school board and recommended for passing by both the Resolutions Committee and VSBA Board.
Guns on Campus. The Times Argus checks in with several superintendents about school safety and students who show up with weapons, with one district reporting three instances of a student with a gun so far this calendar year.
Talking About War and Conflict. A superintendent’s recent community update suggests a resource from UNICEF with tips on supporting and comforting children who may be feeling anxiety or sadness.
Vroom! Clemmons Family Farm recently published an educational music video that celebrates the pioneering histories of Bessie Coleman and Bessie Stringfield, a project developed in collaboration with Founders Memorial School in Essex Junction, Beta Technologies, Wilkins Harley-Davidson, and local singer KeruBo.
Chancellor by Thanksgiving. The outgoing VTSU chancellor updated the community on the “tight timeframe” search for her replacement, including clarification that her office has become smaller with both people and square feet. Published elsewhere is the salary range for the position if you’re looking to make a change.
Moonlighting. Insider covered the story of a teacher who quit after her adult content was exposed, pointing out that the teacher made twice as much in this line of work than in the classroom.
Where Did All The Money Go? Union members pointed out in a VT Digger op-ed that Vermont State University administration has a $13 million plus annual payroll yet plans to cut and consolidate programs.
Souping Up The School Bus. The chair of the Federal Communications Commission recently visited central Vermont to tour a school bus equipped with wi-fi in a program similar to a pandemic-era effort in South Bend, Indiana.
“Demoralized, Frustrated, and Angry.” VTSU offered a buy-out to nearly three dozen faculty members, with a deadline on Friday, as a cost-cutting measure that is “an inevitable part of its transformation.”
Schools’ Role in Youth Mental Health. Edweek lays out the latest stats and solutions for anxiety and depression among school-aged kids, including the connections between cyberbullying and suicidality, low-cost prevention strategies like universal screening, and a new survey that points to more than a third of high school students nationwide feeling anxiety about climate change.
A Secretary Who Listens. In a recent VT Digger letter a former English teacher makes a plea for a Secretary of Education who is strong on community engagement, and the writer also offers an interesting way to improve literacy scores for students.
Internationally, Schools Ban Cellphones. The United Kingdom and the Netherlands are getting ready to join France and China in banning students from using cellphones in school.
Inequities in Equity. VT Digger explains the continuing conversation around whether the State Board of Education can prohibit private schools that take public funding from prohibiting discrimination on the basis of “ethnicity, caste, language and linguistic diversity, socio-economic status, religion, housing status, and non-citizenship or immigration status,” while AOE announced that the public comment period on this proposed rules change is extended to October 25 and VSBA reminded its members that public hearings are coming up on the topic in November.
Local Grown Teen Mental Health. The Saint Albans Messenger recently highlighted a teenager who developed a mental health curriculum now in use in the middle schools, earning her Girl Scouting’s highest honor.
Heads Up, Vermont. Several states are taking innovative steps to support their students. Vermont school leaders and lawmakers should take note:
North Carolina recently unveiled its strategic plan to address post-pandemic learning loss, with a name straight out of a Bond movie: Operation Polaris.
Georgia joins Idaho, New York, and Minnesota in launching a direct admissions program that guarantees high school seniors admission to a college based only on their grades.
School Shootings in 2023. Education Week’s tracker reports 33 school shootings in 2023. “On Oct. 10, a 16-year-old student was killed in a shooting in the parking lot on the Darlington-Lee Adult Education campus in Darlington, S.C.” 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 should schools address students’ heightened levels of anxiety and depression? The responses were most strongly in favor of Schools should hire more mental health clinicians, with about half as many readers selecting Schools should refer students out for mental health services or Schools should offer relevant training to staff to support students.
This issue’s survey question: How has the shift to Special Education block grants gone so far? Please indicate your response by clicking a check mark.
✅ Great, only minor problems if any.
✅ So-so, with some big headaches.
✅ Not good at all.
Thank you to an education leader from Chittenden County 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
Grade 5 Teacher. Come join an innovative and forward-thinking team at Sheldon Elementary School! We are looking for a collaborative, flexible, fun-loving, and equity-driven teacher with demonstrated success in teaching math and science. New teachers receive a competitive starting salary, mentoring, and more. Sponsored by Franklin Northeast Supervisory Union
Grade 2 Teacher. Berkshire Elementary School is seeking a committed and dynamic teacher to join our dedicated and talented team of educators. Successful candidates will demonstrate a track record of equitable, inclusive, and personalized teaching. New teachers receive a competitive starting salary, mentoring, and more. Sponsored by Franklin Northeast Supervisory Union
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 positions across the country, there are sometimes unusual remote work opportunities. For example, the Excessive Wealth Disorder Institute is hiring a Director of Strategic Partnerships, with a six-figure salary range.
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’s Pen
Schools are ecosystems, whether small, multi-grade classrooms or an expansive campus with over a thousand students. The teachers, staff, and leadership work together, lean into each other’s skills, and generate a common sense of energetic purpose with a vision set by a publicly elected board.
Each of these positions have a side of their work that may not be part of the job description but is essential for keeping students ready to learn, whether it’s a bus driver who notices something is off with a child, a teacher who stays after school to follow up on what happened in class, or a principal that calls home just to check in.
School nurses are an invaluable part of this network of support, too. Schools have come to understand that the school nurse’s office is more than a place for cuts and sniffles, and during the pandemic they were a critical part of many schools’ decision making processes under extraordinary pressure.
As schools address anxiety and depression among their students, no doubt they will depend on these health experts when it comes time to develop a plan forward. Perhaps this is a reason why the number of state-wide vacancies has been increasing at a rate of about one more opening every two days since the start of the school year.
The chart below tracks the total openings for health staff 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.
Ashley Creighton • Principal
Jennifer Fribush • Principal
Taylor Robertson • Principal
Clayton Squires • Principal
Sonja Thorley • Principal
Amanda Tyrrell • Principal
Laura Urquhart • 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 by WCAX: Essex Westford School District Helps New Americans Get Work, Overcome Language Barrier.
Grants & Opportunities
Anxious Nation, For Free. NAMI Vermont announced that the documentary that explores teen anxiety is available to watch online, for those who missed the recent free screenings in Burlington, Brattleboro, and other locations. October 24 - 26.
School Behavioral Threat Assessment. AOE, DPS, and the Vermont School Safety Center are offering a virtual training on threat assessment and resources for forming a response team. Recently passed legislation will require all threat assessment team members to attend this training. 8:30am - 4:30pm, October 26 and November 1.
Cyber Intrusions Workshop. The Vermont Army National Guard IT Department is presenting on Security Onion, a free intrusion detection software. Montpelier. October 27.
Set the Report Card. The National Assessment Governing Board is seeking a local school board member among others to serve a four-year term and help innovate ways to make national testing results relevant to all stakeholders, including their use to inform education policymaking. Deadline is October 31.
Deutsch for Free. The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange program offers fully-funded scholarships for high school students to spend an academic year in Germany. No previous knowledge of German is required. Deadline is November 1.
ESSER Reporting. AOE published an RFP for performance reporting services, including data cleanup and technical assistance. Deadline is November 3.
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.
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.
In Case You Missed It
Vermont Teacher of the Year. Congratulations to Aziza Malik, a Burlington School District elementary teacher recently announced as the state’s Teacher of the Year. Kudos also to finalists Cortney Poquette and Lindsey Cox of Winooski High School.
Saving Lives, For Free. Narcan, a medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, is available to Vermont schools and the public at no cost through the state.
“Kids, Cover Your Underwear.” WCAX uncovers the story behind a recent school board meeting where a parent stripped down to his skivvies to make a statement about a proposed dress code.
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, 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, 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: The United States Postal Service now has its own podcast, Mailin’ It!