The 802 Ed
What's going on in Vermont education policy and practice
Welcome back! The trees are just now starting to turn color, and with that we again offer an interactive fall foliage map for your leaf peeping pleasure.
This issue of the 802 Ed covers many topics that are immediately useful like an update on Vermont’s poor performance on a national assessment of student learning, the latest fallout from the financial crisis in Claremont, and hints of coming changes to school prayer in public schools. Be sure to check out the new grant opportunity at Harvard for teachers!
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
Shortcut to Close Bonds. BBC reports on psychologists whose research have found about a dozen questions that grown-ups can ask children to build a strong connection.
“A Misguided Reform.” The Bridge follows up on the reaction to changes anticipated with the recent passing of Act 73, and issues that a superintendent and legislators have with it. This was a popular item in last issue, so here it is again for readers who may have missed it
How to Have The Talk. NPR offers suggestions on how to talk with teenagers about artificial intelligence: “They're not going to remember an ad from an AI chatbot. They're going to remember a conversation you had with them.”
Crisis in Claremont. Valley News updates us on the latest just across the Connecticut River: a superintendent resigns amidst a surprise financial deficit resulting in elimination of 20 positions, not hiring nearly that many teachers, and cancelling all extracurriculars.
Myths of Learning. Education Week reviews recent research on several beliefs that teachers hold about how students learn best, but actually aren’t grounded in science.
Recruiting with Lower Education Standards. Stateline ties together several states and federal agencies that have lowered, or are actively considering lowering, education requirements for new law enforcement recruits, to address staffing shortages.
“Vile, Sanctionable Behavior.” NBC News counts at least a dozen cases nationwide where a social media post by a school staff or board member about Charlie Kirk’s death was met with potential disciplinary action or termination (the latest numbers appear to be much higher in Texas), while several state leaders have indicated they will revoke teachers’ licenses over controversial social media posts.
Learning About Ten And Two. Seven Days VT brings us up to date about driver’s education in Vermont: mandated for high school students but with few schools that offer programs.
But Does It Help Students? Education Week questions whether the First Lady’s support for a national K-12 artificial intelligence challenge will actually build literacy in artificial intelligence.
Deja Vu All Over Again. News & Citizen gets the scoop on two school boards that recently voted to merge, four years after separating, and seven years after they merged in the first place.
“We Used to Score at The Top.” WCAX reports on Vermont’s poor results on the National Assessment of Education Progress: students scoring the lowest in reading since the test began in 1992, for example. A Stanford researcher says we’ve all been in free fall for decades.
Heads Up, Vermont. States are taking innovative steps to support their students and Vermont school leaders and lawmakers should take note:
New Mexico is removing its last income threshold for child care financial assistance to create a state-wide child care system.
New Hampshire is expanding a tuition reimbursement program for first responders to attend community college classes.
Maryland is taking steps to prepare “pandemic babies” for Kindergarten.
Kentucky’s state-wide ban on cell phones in school corresponds to a significant increase in library books checked out in one of the schools: “In just the first 17 days of the 2025-26 school year, PRP students have checked out more than 1,200 books, nearly half the total number borrowed during the entire 2024-25 school year.”
School Shootings in 2025. Education Week’s tracker has logged 11 school shootings in 2025: “On Sept. 12, a parent was shot and injured while sitting in the bleachers during a high school football game at North Little Rock High School in North Little Rock, Ark. In another incident on Sept. 12, a 17-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl were injured in a shooting at a high school football game at SouthWest Edgecombe High School in Pinetops, N.C. Authorities said at least one of the teens was shot.” 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.
Ben Kinsley points to a quantitative analysis of previous district mergers in Vermont to caution that the current redistricting effort isn’t a cure-all: “There are some administrative savings of course, but they are swallowed up by other diseconomies of scale that drive costs higher.”
The Valley News Editorial Board gives a thumbs-up to the state’s new ban on cell phones in schools: “Maybe school cellphone bans are the first step in putting cellphones in their place as useful tools instead of masters of the social, cultural and political universe.”
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: Where should the U.S. Secretary of Education visit when coming to Vermont? Responses were strongest for My school, with fewer readers selecting Anyone else’s school but mine. A handful of readers selected I’m not sure.
This issue’s survey question: What do you think about statewide redistricting now that we know about Vermont’s poor results on the NAEP national learning assessment? Please indicate your response by clicking a check mark.
✅ Redistricting will help increase student achievement
✅ Redistricting may actually lower student achievement further
✅ Redistricting won’t affect student achievement
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
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 about 600 job opportunities for remote work in K-12 education.
Looking for a Change? With so many open positions for career changers, there are sometimes unusual opportunities. For example, the U.S. Department of State has announced the annual Foreign Service Officer Test in October, updated with the removal of the situational judgement section and, um, passing scores. Check out the practice test.
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
Get ready… set… and the school year is off to a great start! Across the Green Mountain State our students are refocusing after a summer of sunshine and, let’s hope, a creemee or two.
But the situation isn’t as rosy for many school teachers. I was talking with a superintendent last week who said that the summer hadn’t been a cure-all for their teachers. Many of them, I learned, still felt burned out from the pandemic.
And digging a little deeper into the classrooms, I heard from a well-established teacher in central Vermont that “pandemic babies” and other children are arriving to class with significant lapses in social and emotional learning: No, it’s not okay to pee on your teacher.
I have said it before and I’ll say it again: youth mental health is a critical issue. And it is still not receiving the immediate, state-wide attention that it requires.
Illinois has seen this issue and responded to it. Big news in the Prairie State, the governor recently signed a bill requiring annual mental health screenings for school-aged children in grades 3 to 12.
Vermont has almost responded to the issue, too. A bill introduced last year would have mandated annual screenings for anxiety, depression, and suicide risk for school-aged youth. The bill showed up in one committee, was handed over to another committee, and then just sat there without further consideration.
Our legislature doesn’t meet during the summer or autumn months, but there is plenty of planning that goes on. Hopefully youth mental health enters into those conversations, too, and we get a step closer to keeping our kids safe across the state.
Eye on Data
The chart below tracks open positions for nurses and health staff in the past 60 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
Teachers Night Out. Burlington City Arts invites Vermont educators, including teachers in training and family members, to unwind at a social hour and pre-opening for its new exhibit. Burlington City Arts Center Gallery, 4 - 5pm, September 26.
Arts Mini-Grant. VSA has announced a competition for three $5,000 grants to support arts education, for arts educators and school leaders in Vermont. Deadline is September 30.
Virtual Exchange for Teachers. The Smithsonian is offering “Democracy in Dialogue,” a student-centered, inquiry-based professional development opportunity in civics for January to May, 2026. Deadline to apply is October 5.
Fewer Suspensions, More Engagement. DCF released an RFP for contractors who can reduce racial disparities in school discipline. Deadline is October 15.
Keeping The Kids Safe. AOE, DPS, and the Vermont School Safety Center announced the annual School Safety Conference on October 28, at the Killington Grand Resort Hotel, with 6 hours of credit for professional development available.
Harvard Service Fellowship. Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government recently announced a fully-funded fellowship for public servants, including public school teachers. Deadline is December 1.
If You Missed It
Walking Back Annual State Testing. The U.S. Department of Education announced it is accepting waiver applications from states interested in moving from yearly testing “to respond to parents’ concerns about the quality of education delivered in our public schools.”
Rural Schools As “Education Preserves.” A forthcoming law review article offers an innovative way that state legislatures can support rural schools within a voucher system.
School Prayer 2.0. The President recently announced that the U.S. Department of Education will update guidance on prayer in public schools.
Legislating for Youth Mental Health. Vermont’s representative in Congress recently introduced a bipartisan bill to protect children’s mental health online.
New Leadership for The Wolves. South Burlington School District announced the appointment of Joe Clark as interim superintendent… and the other finalist is a familiar name.
Strengthening School Counselors. Vermont schools and partners are working to strengthen the role of school counselors, expanding their responsibilities in mental health, social-emotional learning, academic and career guidance, and reduce non-counseling duties so they can spend more time directly helping students.
“Dumb Bills.” A Texas superintendent lets loose on recent legislation in a viral social media post: “We can’t win in public ed anymore. This is absolutely ridiculous. If I make it to December, it's gonna be a miracle.”
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: Finally, a website that calculates where you would be if you tunneled straight through to the other side of the Earth.