The 802 Ed
What's going on in Vermont's education policy and practice
Welcome back, and wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season and new year!
This issue of the 802 Ed covers many topics that are immediately useful like the latest on school budgets, an effective plan to reduce chronic absenteeism, and helpful hints for making the most of AI. Be sure to check out the conversation-style podcast of the 802 Ed!
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
Supporting New Leaders. Edutopia suggests several strategies to help new school leaders hit the ground running, though the article misses an opportunity by not mentioning the positive power of the care package.
Cut, Cut, Cut. Stories are starting to circulate about the challenges school boards face during budget season and the unusual pressures that this year brings:
The Waterbury Roundabout reports a predicted reduction of 15-20 full-time positions and the possibility of future consolidation of schools.
Valley News followed a nail-biter school board vote that saved several programs from the chopping block, including Latin, Spanish, French, art, and music.
“A Lot of Inaccuracies.” Chester Telegraph follows the quickly moving conversation as the Commission on the Future of Public Education wraps up its work with 11th-hour edits and a decision to tuck away the group’s brainstorming document instead of incorporating it verbatim into the final report.
Top Ten Teachers’ Terrors. Education Week Research Center polled a nationally representative group of teachers to learn about their greatest concerns, with some surprising results.
Shutting Down The Nonprofits. The Guardian covers the latest on HR 9495, a bill that would allow the federal government to more easily revoke non-profit status including from organizations that support education, and “give the president Orwellian powers and the not-for-profit sector Kafkaesque nightmares,” according to a Democrat.
Math “Just Fell Off A Cliff.” The Hechinger Report brings us up to speed on results from the most recent international math and science test and advice on whether it’s time to panic.
AI for School Operations. Education Week takes a look at small ways that artificial intelligence can make a big impact in scheduling bus routes, grant applications, and more.
“Vermont Must Do Better.” Chester Telegraph published a letter to the editor that advocates for more equitable school funding: “Being disabled and low income is not a crime.”
Heads Up, Vermont. States are taking innovative steps to support their students and Vermont school leaders and lawmakers should take note:
Schools in Minnesota must now report cybersecurity incidents, similar to California and Maine.
A high school in New Jersey reduced chronic absenteeism through an innovative system of tiered supports.
School Shootings in 2024. Education Week’s tracker has logged 39 school shootings in 2024. “On December 16, in the final week before the Christmas break, a 15-year-old female high school student opened fire at Abundant Life Christian School, a private Christian school in Madison, Wis., killing a teacher and a classmate, and injuring six others.” 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.
Last issue we asked: What will happen to school construction funding in the legislative session? There was strong support for Decisions will be postponed until the following year and fewer readers selecting Funding will be tied into other changes to education funding, with almost no readers selecting the more optimistic Millions will be appropriated to support school construction.
This issue’s survey question: What role does AI have in your day-to-day work? Please indicate your response by clicking a check mark.
✅ It’s an important tool that I use often
✅ I don’t think it’s relevant or helpful for my work
✅ What’s AI?
Thank you to the reader from Addison 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!
Listen Up
Check out the 802 Ed’s new 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 more than 300 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, the state’s cannabis control board is looking for a contractor to develop curriculum materials to train retail employees in medical cannabis. References are optional.
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
One of many wonderful benefits of living in a state as small as Vermont is that minor celebrities are all among us, whether a movie star at the coffee shop or a famous musician in the check-out line at the grocery store.
For me as an avowed policy wonk it’s always a thrill to recognize a legislator in the hum and drum of everyday life. Just last week for instance, I sat next to a policymaker in the dentist’s waiting room.
Okay, so maybe I felt a little nervous. Would I strike up a conversation about my favorite topic, youth mental health? Or go for something less emotionally charged like school construction aid?
I noticed a marked-up packet on the seat next to them as I was contemplating the choice and, well to be honest, I gave it a peek: Vermont’s Education Finance System All Legislator Briefing. Cool! Turns out that it’s public. I think so at least.
So, what are our elected representatives getting in their crash course?
This slide deck doesn’t mention the anticipated hullabaloo over a report published a few weeks later, the Preliminary Findings of the Commission on the Future of Future Education in Vermont, a worthwhile read even if its title feels like it would be an impenetrable four words in German.
Instead, the briefing hits the usual high points. It goes light however on per pupil spending, which is still kind of a big deal after the different hullabaloo over Act 127.
This may become an issue on the slim chance that Vermont goes the way of New Hampshire, where the state’s judicial system told the legislature to nearly double the base per pupil spending rate. It’s hard to argue that $4,100 a year is a reasonable rate, but it’s also surprising that the branches of government over in the Granite State are sparring like this.
I’ll leave the rest to those curious to check it out. And I would like to remind readers (especially the legislative ones) that Vermont Public’s video explainer may be more helpful than a link to AOE’s data and reporting site. Even for policy wonks like me.
Eye on Data
The chart below tracks the number of open positions for teachers in Vermont 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!
Colleagues on the Move
Congratulations to this colleague who received administrator licensure from AOE since the last issue of the 802 Ed! Data from AOE.
April Still • Principal
For those readers new to this section, we usually have several updates. Slow time of the year for licensing, it seems.
Do you know a colleague who has made a recent move? Let us know!
Grants & Opportunities
East Asia Impacting the World. The Five College Center for East Asian Studies is offering an in-person, 30-credit plus stipend seminar for K-12 educators, specialists, and administrators. Rutland High School, 9am - 3pm, March 8, 15, 22, 29, and April 5 in St. Johnsbury.
School Ambassador Fellowship. The U.S. Department of Education is accepting applications for a one-year fellowship that engages school-based educators in development of policies that impact learning environments nationwide. Deadline is January 13. Editor’s note - I participated in the first cohort of this program and recommend it highly!
Mental Health First Aid. Several virtual classes are available at no cost to support students and staff experiencing mental health or substance use challenges. February and March.
If You Missed It
“Low Intensity” Interventions. The U.S. Department of Education recently published a practical behavioral intervention guide for K-5 teachers with recommendations that teachers can apply with minimal resources.
Most Promising Jobs. The McClure Foundation has published its annual list of high-demand jobs in Vermont that pay well, especially relevant to high school counselors and teachers, and transition planning staff.
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, NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 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, 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: The gift that you didn’t know you wanted until you found it here: satellite images of about 60,000 outdoor basketball courts in the United States, searchable by city, state, and.. color? Thanks for the tip, Daybreak!