The 802 Ed
What's going on in Vermont's education policy and practice
Welcome back!
This issue of the 802 Ed covers many topics that are immediately useful like the latest on phone-free schools, teaching resources for 9/11, and great options for increasing FAFSA completion rates. Be sure to check out the latest on the Commission on the Future of Public Education!
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
It’s How You Say It. Higher Ed Jobs offers advice on improving job interview skills by working on one’s tone instead of giving well-rehearsed responses.
“A Struggle, For Sure.” VT Digger profiles the challenges that several schools are facing in finding bus drivers, as well as their innovative solutions.
Not Enough to Be Neutral. School Administrator gives the pen to a Colorado superintendent who shares a half-dozen principles for negotiating a politically diverse school community.
“A Profound Risk of Harm.” Seven Days VT reviews the research on cellphone use by students and gives us a update on where things stand in Vermont’s school.
Why Is College Expensive? The Hechinger Report highlights the plight of a UVM graduate student to point to the fastest-growing cost of education: housing.
Put That Phone Away. Vermont Public points out that students are already finding ways around the new magnetic pouches showing up in schools this school year.
The Room Where It Happens. The Chester Telegraph reports on the second meeting of the legislative-mandated Commission on the Future of Public Education, including the chair’s opening caveat: “I want to acknowledge that the members appointed by the General Assembly to this commission may not fully represent Vermont.” A public comment letter signed by more than three dozen educators goes a few steps further.
Cellphones, Or Not. Education Week offers an interactive guide to the trade-offs of a partial or full school ban on cellphones.
“A Lie You’re Telling Yourselves.” VT Digger reports on harsh words shared at a recent school board meeting over further proposed cuts to the budget, which still has not been approved by the community vote. This was a popular item in last issue, so here it is again for readers who may have missed it.
Prepping for A Promotion. Edutopia suggests advice that aspiring school leaders can take to position themselves better for the next step up, based on more than 80 interviews from multiple countries.
Heads Up, Vermont. States are taking innovative steps to support their students and Vermont school leaders and lawmakers should take note:
States are finding innovative ways to increase FAFSA completion rates, from billboards to standing up a statewide FAFSA help desk.
California universities may soon be banned from legacy and donor based admissions under a law pass recently by the legislature and sent to the governor.
New Jersey schools have new statewide policy guidance on cellphones in schools, citing concerns about the effects on student mental health.
School Shootings in 2024. Education Week’s tracker has logged 26 school shootings in 2024. “On Sept. 6, a 15-year-old student was shot in a school bathroom by another student at Joppatowne High School in Joppatowne, Md. He died of his injuries at the hospital.” 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: Should schools in Vermont be phone-free for students? More readers selected Yes, phones don’t belong in schools, with the second-most selected response Sometimes yes, sometimes no, it depends. Almost no readers selected No, students should have phones with them.
This issue’s survey question: How are you feeling about the school year so far? Please indicate your response by clicking a check mark.
✅ Optimistic, it’s going to be awesome
✅ Pessimistic, already looking pretty bad
✅ Meh, ask me again around Thanksgiving
Thank you to the reader from Grand Isle 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!
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 Vermont, there are sometimes unusual opportunities. For example, Champlain Community Services has raised the bar for recruitment by offering a free ice cream from the famed Mr. Ding-a-Ling ice cream truck and on-the-spot interviews. Save a Big Bopper for me!
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 exciting, and perhaps a little terrifying as well for teachers, staff, and school leaders who are new to their position or school. If that’s you, hang in there, you’ve probably got fewer than 80 school days until winter break.
While many of us may be setting up bulletin boards and adding names to new email lists, in my shop I’m looking at the vacancy numbers and feeling a bit nervous. In a perfect world, the number of education openings should be flat at the start of the school year as schools have had the entire summer to fill positions. But this world isn’t perfect, and the total number of open positions has jumped up more than 30% in the past 30 days
The largest leaps are among the categories of substitutes and third space staff like afterschool programs, with one district in particular (hint, it rhymes with Sir Lingdon) recruiting for more than 200 positions.
But my greatest concern is the areas where hiring is slowing down, and one area in particular: counseling staff. Over the past forty-five days, there have been on average three fewer open positions every two days.
The optimist may view this as demand for counselors meeting the available supply, where the positions are closing because schools have what they need. However, the pessimist looks at this and thinks about the sunsetting of federal ESSER funds, plus recent changes to the education funding formula, equals schools maybe aren’t hiring for counseling staff because they can’t afford them any longer.
The problems of youth mental health haven’t gone away. Going into the new school year with fewer behavioral health supports is worrisome at best, and setting us up for the next wave of crisis at worst.
Eye on Data
The chart below tracks the number of open positions for counselors in Vermont in the past 45 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 these colleagues who received administrator licensure from AOE since the last issue of the 802 Ed! Data from AOE.
Carol Fenimore • Superintendent, Principal
Pamela Reed • Superintendent
Scott Rice • Superintendent
Teresa Conowal • Principal
Jill Everett • Principal
Jessica Kenyon • Principal
Tammy Selke • Principal
Robin Sirois • Principal
Do you know a colleague who has made a recent move? Let us know!
Grants & Opportunities
Going Deep into Equity. The Upper Valley Educators Institute is offering stipended opportunities to participate in a year-long study and design new approaches and tools related to equity-centered deeper learning. Deadline is September 9.
Coffee and Conversation. AOE is hosting a biweekly meeting to “connect with Agency of Education staff on timely, high priority topics.” 9 - 11 am, September 11.
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.
Teaching The Election. Noting that almost half the world’s population lives in countries with a national election in 2024, NEASC is offering a webinar on how to balance teaching this topic with local classroom politics. 9 - 10 am, September 17.
Anxious Nation Has The Mic. The author of Anxious Nation is presenting a webinar on recent research on the youth mental health crisis and suggest action steps for school leaders to take in the new school year. CE certificate available. 3 - 4 pm, September 24.
Governor’s School Safety Conference. AOE, DPS, and the Vermont School Safety Center are holding an in-person conference at the DoubleTree in Burlington, with keynotes and breakout sessions presented by several of the country’s foremost school safety experts and advocates. September 30.
Educate, Gather, Partner, and Influence. The Commission on the Future of Vermont Public Education has published an RFP for communication and engagement consultation related to its work. Deadline is October 15.
SEL Microcredential. Vermont Afterschool is offering a no-cost five part hybrid course on “Foundations and Applications of SEL.”
School Safety Training. The Vermont School Safety Center is offering a virtual training on School Behavior Threat Assessment and Management, designed to prevent active shooter incidents and other targeted school violence. October 9 and November 12.
Color The Corn. The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets announced a coloring contest for students in grades K to 4, with details mailed out to principals later in September. Deadline is November 1.
Powering The Future. The U.S. Department of Education opened submissions for a CTE program competition, where student teams compete for $50,000 in prize money by submitting action plans that will advance the use of clean energy in their schools and communities. Deadline is November 19.
If You Missed It
Screening For Success. The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has published a 10-minute screening tool for signs of elevated risk and helps connect to local and national services and supports, intended for youth aged 12 and older - and staff members, too.
Remembering 9/11. A nonprofit is offering resources for teaching about and commemorating September 11th, broken out by grades from Pre-K to 12th.
Trash Management. The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation is offering free assistance to help schools with recycling, food scraps, fluorescent lightbulbs, batteries, paint, electronics and more, including coaching, problem-solving, presentations to students or staff, and helping with Green Team projects.
Two More Years. Vermont State University’s interim president has been given a contract extension until 2026, amidst continuing financial challenges.
How to Go Phone-Free. A nonprofit offers an administrator toolkit designed to help with a smooth transition to a phone-free school environment.
Paint with No Rules. The Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum has published a teacher resource guide to helping students experiment with art, inspired by the works of Helen Frankenthaler.
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, VSBIT Vermont School Boards Insurance Trust, VSBPE Vermont Standards Board for Professional Educators, VTCLA Vermont Curriculum Leaders Association, VTSU Vermont State University.
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