The 802 Ed
What's going on in Vermont's education policy and practice
Welcome back! The 802 Ed is here again this school year to bring you the latest on education in Vermont. As summer winds down and the school year picks up, let’s go in with enthusiasm and excitement, while keeping in mind the universal truth that no lesson plan survives first contact with students.
This issue covers many topics that are immediately useful like phone-free schools, a helpful guide to IEPs and other student support plans, and the 100-day report from the interim Secretary of Education. Be sure to check our colleagues’ new positions around the state!
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
“Education Is What Unites Us.” Vermont’s interim Secretary of Education reports out on her first 100 days in a VT Digger opinion piece, describing conversations with educators and community members across the state.
Allegations of Commission’s “Hidden Agenda.” The Chester Telegraph reports on the start of newly formed Commission on the Future of Public Education in Vermont and community concern about what it may mean for closing schools.
Acing The New Job. Higher Ed Jobs offers practical advice on how to start strong in an unfamiliar place, with suggestions that may be helpful for K-12 teachers as much as for higher ed.
Child Care Uncapped. DCF recently announced an update passed by the legislature in late May that temporarily removes the cap on child care programs increasing their cost of tuition.
“Whoops, You Can’t Actually Be in The Building.” Seven Days VT gives the latest on the results of elevated levels of PCBs in schools across the state, especially with the start of the new school year just around the corner.
Pending Case on Interim Secretary. VT Digger lays out the back and forth between two state senators who argue that the Governor should not have appointed the interim Secretary of Education after the Senate voted against her confirmation, and on the other side the Attorney General’s Office who says that the appointment process went as designed.
Supporting Students’ Eco-Anxiety. The Stanford Social Innovation Review gives context to university students’ concerns about climate change and offers several options that higher education and, in many cases K-12 schools as well, could consider to help meet a largely unmet need among students.
Phone Free Schools. Harwood Union Middle/High School recently announced policy and procedures to keep cell phones out of the classroom in order to “improve overall student mental health and well-being.” Thetford Academy has made a similar move.
Cuts And Changes in The Experiment. VT Digger brings us up to date on the growing pains in the on-going consolidation of the Vermont State Colleges.
“Money Pit.” The Chester Telegraph is following recent community concerns about the future of Cavendish Town Elementary, with school board members, parents, an incoming superintendent, and a state legislator weighing in.
Outsourcing The Busywork. Ed Week runs through several situations where a little artificial intelligence can help take things off the busy school leader’s plate.
Getting Over Being Overwhelmed. Higher Ed Jobs suggests ways to talk with a supervisor about feeling burned out, ideas that are applicable beyond the world of higher education.
Delaying The Start of School. School Administrator profiles a superintendent’s playbook on successfully getting schools to start later in the morning using asynchronous and blended learning.
Suing for The Green and Gold. WCAX reports on a Vermont student who filed a federal lawsuit against her school for allegedly recommending a different student for a coveted full scholarship to the University of Vermont. This was a popular item in last issue, so here it is again for readers who may have missed it.
“Questions Abound.” An editorial in the Valley News details reporting on the quiet departure of a local superintendent, the payout authorized by the board, selection of the interim superintendent, and other pieces of the puzzle.
Heads Up, Vermont. States are taking innovative steps to support their students and Vermont school leaders and lawmakers should take note:
Delaware legislators carved out a quarter of a million dollars to support phone-free schools.
Schools in Virginia have reduced the number of bus driver vacancies by offering bonuses and increasing salaries.
New York has amended its rules to require schools to give advance notice to caregivers about a school lockdown drill.
In Alaska, a partnership among the state, university, and local tribes is expected to help reduce the teacher shortage through an innovative teacher apprenticeship program.
Several states are considering following Oregon’s model of allowing law school graduates to earn a license through work instead of passing a bar exam.
School Shootings in 2024. Education Week’s tracker has logged 21 school shootings in 2024. “On July 30, a parent attending a youth soccer camp run by the school district was shot and injured on school property at Klamath Union High School in Klamath Falls, Ore.” Total school shootings in 2023: 38. 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.
This issue’s survey question: How do you feel about the start of the new school year? Please indicate your response by clicking a check mark.
✅ Excited and full of energy
✅ Anxious and concerned
✅ Mostly ignoring it for now
Thank you to the reader from Europe 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!
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 nearly 500 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, a staffing company is advertising jobs in Anchorage, Alaska with high wages like a special education teacher at $55/hour and a school psychologist at more than $80/hour. That could buy a lot of Seasonal Affective Disorder lamps.
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
The start of the school year is a time to sharpen the pencils, set up the desks, and maybe think about getting a new book bag instead of carrying around that conference tote from four years ago.
For some of us in the education journalism world, it’s also a time to retool the data analysis algorithms. That’s just a fancy was of saying that every year we fix small problems in the spreadsheets we use to track job listings in Vermont.
Interesting tidbits pop up in that process. Education licenses typically expire at the end of June, so the number of administrator licenses shifts over the summer. For instance, the number of superintendent and principal licenses has shrunk by about six percent, suggesting that the potential applicant pool for school leadership positions is now less favorable to hiring committees.
(As a side note, there are more than a dozen, ehem, expired administrator licenses that are still active in AOE’s system.)
We will keep an eye on the trends going forward and report back on what they may mean for the job market. As the chart below demonstrates, things are likely to heat up in a few months!
Eye on Data
The chart below tracks the total number of open education positions in Vermont in the past year, presented as data points and no trend line this time. 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 leaders who are making a change! There has been a lot of movement among school leadership positions. Here are a few highlights from the VSA.
Wendy Baker, previously superintendent at Orange East Supervisory Union, is now superintendent at Addison Central School District. She is taking over from Timothy Williams.
Adam Bunting, previously principal at Champlain Valley Union High School, is now interim superintendent at Champlain Valley School District. He is taking over from Rene Sanchez.
Rene Sanchez, previously superintendent at Champlain Valley School District, is now interim superintendent at Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union. He is taking over from Kristin Hubert.
JoAn Canning, previously superintendent in New Hampshire, is now superintendent at Barre Unified Union School District. She is taking over from Chris Hennessey.
Chris Hennessey, previously superintendent at Barre Unified Union School District, will be principal at Lamoille Union Middle School this summer. He is taking over from Denise Maurice.
Amy Cole, previously assistant head of school for Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy, is now superintendent at Lincoln School District.
Steven Dellinger-Pate, previously principal at U-32, is now superintendent at Washington Central Unified Union School District. He is taking over from Meagan Roy.
Meagan Roy, previously superintendent at Washington Central Unified Union School District, is now coordinator of school leadership programs at St. Michael’s College.
Matt Foster, previously superintendent in Illinois, is now superintendent at Caledonia Central Supervisory Union. He is taking over from Mark Tucker.
Lisa Ruud, previously administrator of academics in New York, is now superintendent at Grand Isle Supervisory Union. She is taking over from Michael Clark.
Caty Sutton, previously co-principal at Randolph Union Middle/High School, is now interim superintendent at Hartford School District. She is taking over from Tom DeBalsi.
Michael Clark, previously superintendent at Grand Isle Supervisory Union, is now superintendent at Orange Southwest School District. He is taking over from Layne Millington.
Layne Millington, previously superintendent at Orange Southwest School District, is now superintendent at Two Rivers Supervisory Union. He is taking over from Lauren Fierman.
Congratulations also to these colleagues who received administrator licensure from AOE since the last issue of the 802 Ed! Data from AOE.
Debra Higuera • Superintendent, Principal
Catherine Van Eyck • Superintendent, Principal
Do you know a colleague who has made a recent move? Let us know!
Grants & Opportunities
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. The state’s Department of Environmental Conservation published an RFP to train a small number of schools in developing a food scraps action plan. Deadline is August 12.
Fixing A Flat, And More. The state’s Department of Tourism and Marketing published an RFP for skill-building workshops for bike mechanics, trail blazers, and snow sports technicians. Deadline is August 19.
Fall Pre-College Courses Still Available for High School Students! As the new academic year is about to kick into high gear, there is still time for your students to join UVM's Pre-College Program this fall! This awesome opportunity allows motivated 10th, 11th, and 12th graders to earn credits for both high school and college. With a variety of courses taught by esteemed UVM professors, students gain valuable experience alongside college peers and enjoy a 50% tuition reduction in-state, or if eligible two free courses through the Vermont Dual Enrollment voucher program. The deadline for Fall registration is August 19! Call 802-656-2085, email learn@uvm.edu or book a 15-minute call with a UVM Pre-College Advisor. Sponsored by the University of Vermont, Professional and Continuing Education
Behavioral Threat Assessment. AOE published an RFP for a consultant to support schools with implementation of school behavioral threat assessment teams. Deadline is August 21.
Clipping, Snipping, And Coloring. The state’s Department of Corrections published an RFP for a cosmetology and barbering instruction. Deadline is August 30.
Better Reading. AOE recently published an RFP to build statewide capacity for literacy. Deadline is September 3.
Federal Grants Forecast. The U.S. Department of Education recently published its list of nearly all of its upcoming grant programs and will update the deadlines throughout this month.
Governor’s School Safety Conference. AOE, DPS, and the Vermont School Safety Center are holding an in-person conference in the Burlington area, with keynotes and breakout sessions presented by several of the country’s foremost school safety experts and advocates. September 30, details forthcoming.
If You Missed It
PLP, EST, IEP, And More. AOE has published a helpful guide to deciphering the alphabet soup of student support plans, including an agency contact for more information about each of them.
Funding The Hot Spots. Good news for schools that can access E-Rate dollars, the FCC recently voted to permit using these funds for Wi-Fi hotspots for students and school staff without internet at home.
From Catamounts to Wildcats. The president of University of Vermont announced recently that he is taking the top job at University of Arizona.
Art as Text. A panel of State Teachers of the Year at the Smithsonian National Education Summit discussed how they have integrated the arts into history lessons, available with ASL interpretation.
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, CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDD Child Development Division, CVTSE Coalition for Vermont Student Equity, 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, FERPA Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act, NAEYC National Association for the Education of Young Children, NEASC New England Association of Schools and Colleges, PBIS Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, RFP Request for Proposals, SBE State Board of Education, SEL Social Emotional Learning, VEHI Vermont Education Health Initiative, VPA Vermont Principals Association, VREC Vermont Rural Education Collaborative, VSA Vermont Superintendents Association, VSBA Vermont School Board Association, VTCLA Vermont Curriculum Leaders Association, VTSU Vermont State University.
Special bonus for making it to the bottom: A Canadian secret society kidnaps garden gnomes, cleans them up, and delivers them back. Who are these anonymous do-gooders? Their identity remains, for the time being, un-gnome. Thanks, Daybreak!