The 802 Ed
What's going on in Vermont education policy and practice
Welcome back!
The end of the year is a time of reflection, intention-setting, and a chance to show appreciation for the people and places that fill our lives with joy. The 802 Ed drops into your Inbox reliably every two weeks to bring you the latest in education news. If you’re able to, please consider pitching in for a cup of coffee or more. And thank you!
This issue of the 802 Ed covers many topics that are immediately useful like community pushback against school consolidation, fiscal warnings coming from school boards, and several changes to graduation requirements that are under consideration. Be sure to check out an innovative degree-apprenticeship model from overseas that could help states address staffing shortages while expanding access to higher education!
New to the lingo? At the suggestion of a reader we include a guide to common abbreviations, just scroll down past the news.
With warm wishes for a happy and healthy new year,
Steven Berbeco, Editor
School Leadership
Slighted, So Slower. Knowledge at Wharton finds that when managers fail to show even small acts of respect, like delivering birthday greetings on time, employees respond with increased absenteeism and reduced working hours.
“Whaaaaaaaaaaat???!?” The VPO, ever punchy, skewers a recent opinion piece for imagining monsters under a private school’s bed, while alleging that in reality the school sits cozy on a mattress of subsidies and political clout.
Better Behavior through Yoga. Education Week tunes into mindfulness exercises that lead to improved emotional regulation among students.
“Stay The Course.” VT Digger interviews the secretary of education with questions about Act 73 and how Vermont funds and governs education.
Degree Apprentices. The Hechinger Report suggests that states look to the successes of British programs that combine undergraduate degrees with apprenticeships.
“Compromise to Avoid Litigation.” Vermont Biz sums up a gender discrimination lawsuit against a Vermont school district and the “largest equal pay settlement case in the public sector for a single plaintiff in the nation.”
Community Pans Consolidation. Valley News reports on a listening session with Senate Education Committee members where participants pushed back on proposed school mergers: “The governor and legislative leadership say that it will work, but they are wrong.”
“We’re Out of Cuts.” The Saint Albans Messenger covers an unusual meeting of all the Franklin county school boards to give frank feedback to their state legislators about education finance: “The whole thing’s broke, and unfortunately, it’s really up to Montpelier to fix this mess we’re in right now.”
Act 73 Top 10. VT Digger reviews common questions about the state’s most recent education law, for those who could use a quick recap. This was a popular item in last issue, so here it is again for readers who may have missed it.
“Dismantle.” Education Week explains its word of the year and reviews honorable mentions including six-seven, AI-enabled, and “beyond third grade.”
Heads Up, Vermont. States are taking innovative steps to support their students. Vermont school leaders and lawmakers should take note:
South Dakota reports success with a paraprofessional-to-teacher apprenticeship program.
High-need schools in Denver will soon use an outside company to fill substitute teacher vacancies.
School Shootings in 2025. Education Week’s tracker has logged 17 school shootings in 2025: “On Dec. 12, a student was shot and injured in the Stewartville High School parking lot in Stewartville, Minn., as students and coaches were boarding a bus to travel to a school wrestling tournament.” 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.
Don Tinney warns that the rapid implementation of Act 73’s sweeping education reforms risks undermining student-centered schools and the quality of Vermont’s public education system: “If we fail to deliver a public school system that works for our students, we will have failed Vermont’s children.”
Clare Wool and Tom Flanagan argue that Vermont’s education cost pressures do not justify a state takeover through forced school district consolidation: “Public education does not need to be taken over. It needs to be strengthened.”
Mike Leichliter contends that Vermont school budgets are being squeezed by rapidly rising health insurance costs set at the state level that local boards cannot control: “This is not a local failure. It is a statewide challenge that requires honest and difficult conversations.”
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 many days until winter break? Responses were definitely strongest for I’m counting them down, one by one with few readers selecting I could actually use a little more work time before break and Wait a sec, is there a vacation coming up?
This issue’s survey question: With the legislature set to convene next week, what are your hopes for how they will approach education? Please indicate your response by clicking a check mark.
✅ Go slowly, with more testimony from education experts
✅ There’s been enough talk, just vote and get it over with
✅ Quietly ignore education, we’ve had enough changes
Thank you to the reader from Chittenden 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
Principal. Come join an extraordinary team of innovative and forward-thinking educators at Montgomery Elementary-Middle School! Strong applicants will be a dynamic and caring PK-8 educational leader with proven ability to lead school improvement efforts focused on high academic and social and behavioral expectations for all learners. Sponsored by Franklin Northeast Supervisory Union
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 more than 700 job opportunities for remote work in K-12 education.
Looking for a Change? With so many open jobs in education, there are sometimes unusual opportunities. For example, a Vermont university is hiring for a subject matter expert in Information Warfare with experience in GEOINT and/or OSINT. What are those? IDK.
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
As another calendar year closes, it’s tempting to treat Vermont education like a long-running TV series in a rough season. You know, skipping to the recap of what went wrong and arguing online about where the writers lost the thread. Budgets, governance, enrollment, pick your subplot. But that misses the more important story. Away from the loudest scenes, some things are actually working well this year. Not because they are dramatic, but because they are human.
In classrooms across the state, educators find ways to stabilize what had been wobbling. Attendance nudges upward where schools focus on relationships before rules. Behavior improve where adults have time to know students by name rather than by incident report. Programs that stick closest to the daily lives of kids, tutoring, flexible scheduling, hands-on learning, they deliver the most consistent gains. None of this makes headlines, yet all of it matters.
All that succeeds is local, patient, and built for the long haul. The schools that make progress do not chase the reform of the month. They adjust bus routes so students arrive less frazzled. They keep trusted staff even when spreadsheets suggest otherwise. They solve small problems early instead of waiting for them to become expensive ones.
Just as importantly, schools continue to do something no other institution can quite replace: holding communities together.
In 2025 the school calendar has doubled as a civic calendar. Think of the gymnasiums that became concert halls and cafeterias that became meeting places. Athletic fields and auditoriums offered moments where neighbors sat side by side, not as factions but as fans and families. In towns where so much can feel up for debate, schools remain one of the last shared spaces where belonging comes first.
And students who feel known show up more often, and they learn.
There is a lesson here as Vermont looks ahead. The path forward is not paved with grand theories or sweeping redesigns. It is marked by steady work, done close to the ground, by people who know their towns and their students. The past year offers proof that progress follows when schools are allowed to be both educational institutions and community anchors.
For me, I enter 2026 with resolve rather than resignation, and a great deal of excitement for the strengths of our school communities.
Happy new year, all. And to all, brighter days and smarter ways forward.
Eye on Data
The chart below tracks number of open positions for school leaders in the past 90 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
Infant And Toddler Credential. DCF has posted an RFP for a contractor to develop courses and a practicum for an 18-credit early childhood professional qualification. Deadline is January 5.
Upgrade Your Teaching Skills with UVM! Explore UVM’s education-focused programs designed to enhance your teaching, leadership, and tech skills. The School Library Media Specialist Program is an 18-credit, hybrid program that prepares educators for Vermont licensure or a graduate certificate. Gain expertise in leadership, literacy, and technology integration for modern school libraries. Flexible, online learning that fits your busy schedule. Discover more about this and other professional development opportunities! Sponsored by the University of Vermont, Professional and Continuing Education.
PreK Pyramid. AOE released an RFP to support state-wide implementation of the Pyramid Model of Practices in Prequalified Universal Prekindergarten and other Early Childhood Education programs. Deadline is January 6.
Counselor of The Year. The Vermont School Counselor Association is accepting nominations for School Counselor of the Year, Rising Star, Intern of the Year, and Excellence in School Counseling Program. Deadline is January 9.
Slingshot Challenge. National Geographic announced a contest for 13‑ to 18‑year‑olds who submit a one‑minute video outlining an innovative solution to a local environmental issue, with $10,000 in funding on the line to help bring their idea to life. Deadline is February 6.
Presidential 1776 Award. The U.S. Department of Education announced a national competition for high school students testing knowledge of the country’s founders, its Constitution, and the Revolutionary War. Online test available February 22-28.
If You Missed It
Updating Graduation Requirements. AOE recently presented recommendations to the State Board of Education on changes to how learning is measured, how much learning in different areas should be required, and other topics.
Screen Sense. A recently published downloadable guide highlights research linking heavy social media use to poorer mental health and academic outcomes in adolescents, and offers schools practical steps to help students.
Student Voice Roundup. The State Youth Council newsletter is a great source of information on its work, relevant legislation, and opportunities for youth.
Digital Onset. A large research study found that early smartphone ownership in children is associated with higher risks of depression, obesity, and insufficient sleep.
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: More than five dozen libraries in Vermont participate in the Firewood Moisture Meter lending program.