The 802 Ed
What's going on in Vermont education policy and practice
Welcome back! Hope you’ve had a great summer.
This issue of the 802 Ed covers many topics that are immediately useful like a mapping tool to try out different school redistricting options, the rapid drop in statewide vacancies for counseling staff, and a DIY exoplanet search tool for students. Be sure to check out op-eds written from either side of the public schools versus independent schools divide!
On a personal note, I’d like to take a moment to express my deep sadness at the passing of journalist and politico Steve Terry, and offer sympathy to readers who also feel this loss. Steve was a thoughtful and empathetic mentor who helped me navigate professional challenges with grace. I’ll miss our conversations and friendship.
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
Goldilocks Communication. School Administrator offers suggestions to superintendents on how often, and how much, to communicate with the board.
“Psychological Terror.” Chalkbeat interviews a Vermont superintendent who was detained by federal agents when returning from abroad: “They threatened me with sending me to the FBI, with making me lose my job, with tainting my record, so I would never get another job. They threatened me with extended detention.”
Study Mode. Education Week brings us up to date on ChatGPT’s new feature that scaffolds AI-generated answers in order to support student learning.
Mapping Out Allegations. The Hechinger Report sums up the federal government’s list of 150+ active investigations into K-12 schools and universities, broken out by topic area.
“Biggest Governance Reform in 100-And-Something Years.”Vermont Public covers the launch of the 11-member Vermont School District Redistricting Task Force, tasked with developing redistricting options for the legislature to consider: “This is a two-year work job being consolidated into four months.”
Students Supporting Students. The Winooski News offer an update on how schools with diverse representation build a positive community: “Giving students that platform to express their struggles and lens is a very powerful tool.”
“Carve-Outs for Powerful Interests.” VT Digger highlights an update from the Commission on the Future of Public Education in Vermont, where two members including the chair resigned, one of whom “cannot continue to participate in a process that sacrifices equity and accountability in favor of power, privilege, and political games.”
Skipping More School. The Hechinger Report looks at the data and asks: Is chronic absenteeism the new normal?
Quick Shift. Seven Days VT reports concerns from advocates for public schools that state-level negotiations on education and governance moved surprisingly in favor of independent schools with “an unvetted, unmapped-out proposal at the eleventh hour.”
“Art of AI Detection.” The New York Times publishes an opinion piece about how students’ creative writing is changing in the era of ChatGPT-like AI tools, and educators should responsibly integrate the tools rather than ban them. Gift link
Good Fences, Good Neighbors. VT Digger zooms into a brewing conflict between adjacent school districts and early arguments about representation that may be a harbinger of trouble ahead for state-wide redistricting.
Throw in The Towel? Education Week offers a few perspectives on why and when it may be time for a superintendent to develop an exit plan: “Taking care of yourself and checking in to make sure that you’re still aligned with the community’s priorities is just mission-critical.”
Education Dollars Clawback. Politico breaks the story that the White House is considering a demand that education funding be returned to the federal government, responding to concerns that, for example, preschool programs engage in “indoctrination of four-year-olds of [critical race theory].”
AOE Freeze. VT Digger announced that the Agency of Education has paused hiring for new staff because of the U.S. Department of Education’s decision not to release funding to states.
Making or Breaking A Merger. Education Week reports on lessons learned from past school mergers including critical ingredients like teacher buy-in, political courage, and shared values.
“Well, That’s Unfortunate.” The VPO’s pundit pokes at the final education reform bill, suggesting that its “escape hatches” mean that there will be opportunities to take a few steps back and try again in the coming years. This was a popular item in last issue, so here it is again for readers who may have missed it
Opting into Vouchers. Stateline explores the choices available to states under recent federal legislation, where they can decide how, or whether, to sign onto a new federal school voucher program.
Big Money in School Lunches. VT Digger gets the scoop on a private equity-backed firm’s recent purchase of a local food service company that serves about 70 Vermont schools.
The Big Defrost. The New York Times covers the federal administration’s quick turn-around on funding frozen for afterschool programs and the decision to release more than a billion dollars back to the states. Gift link
Heads Up, Vermont. States are taking innovative steps to support their students and Vermont school leaders and lawmakers should take note:
A new program in Ohio ensures more K-3 students will receive eye exams and glasses.
More than 60 colleges across the country have recently started to offer three-year undergraduate degrees, possibly signaling a larger shift in higher education.
Louisiana now requires middle school math teachers to take an additional fifty hours of math training.
School Shootings in 2025. Education Week’s tracker has logged seven school shootings in 2025: “On May 7, a 15-year-old student accidentally shot another 15-year-old student on a school bus outside Thurston High School in Redford, Mich.” 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.
Sen. Martine Larocque Gulick shares her support for a Vermont superintendent who was detained for several hours by U.S. Customs and Border Protection despite being a U.S. citizen: “Condemnation of this act must be swift and unwavering in its support of one of our esteemed, caring and truly exceptional educational leaders.”
Margaret MacLean highlights the importance of rural communities as the state takes its next steps in redistricting: “Research shows that even high-quality educational offerings are of little benefit if children must spend hours on a bus to reach them.”
Neil Odell reframes the conversation around public funding of independent schools: “Public funding should demand public standards.”
Sean Montague argues for the community benefits of independent schools like St. Johnsbury Academy: “The Academy isn’t a private interest — it’s the cornerstone of our economic and social fabric.”
Seth and Kate Leach, Hanna Fay, Shawn and Sara Gingue, Jeremy Russo, Christopher Smid, and Hilary Solomon offer support for independent schools “that have stepped in to fill an educational void for our students in rural Vermont, and have done so cost-effectively and incredibly well.”
Dorrine Dorfman and Charlene Webster share a “small, but mighty provision” in recently passed legislation that “marks the moment Vermont abandoned unfounded instructional approaches that taught children to guess and invent instead of directly decoding and spelling the English language.”
Angelo Lynn describes the chaos in schools that comes from “last minute shenanigans” of the federal government: “Is there any justification for the last-minute hold on [education] funding? None that the administration has identified.”
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. Nothing to report this issue, though, since we took a break for the summer.
This issue’s survey question: What do you think will come of the School District Redistricting Task Force’s efforts? Please indicate your response by clicking a check mark.
✅ A solid set of reasonable options for redistricting
✅ Several options that no one seems to like
✅ The whole thing just goes away
Thank you to the reader from the Northeast Kingdom 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
School Leader Vacancies. The 802 Ed tracks open school leader positions, like principal and assistant principal, that are turning over. Last year there were 65 positions, and we’ll keep you up to date on what’s happening this school year, too.
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 positions in education, there are sometimes unusual opportunities. For example, if you’re looking to move the needle for more students, consider the state superintendent openings in Michigan or New Jersey.
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
Summer break can be a wonderful mix of sprinkle dipped creemees, toes in a cool stream, and long evenings contemplating fireflies. After all the thunder and lightning of the legislative session, it’s good to sink into these lazy days knowing that the state’s education finance and governance system has been artfully recast and we are on a path forward to academic equity and improved scores. Right?
Actually, that’s not what happened.
Here’s the redux: The House passed an education bill, H.454. The Senate passed a different education bill. The conference committee tasked with sorting it out took a last-minute swerve. When it was handed back to the House, the bill went to a voice vote so no one’s super clear on who voted for it or against it when the thing passed.
Wait, what?
(A separate roll call vote to send the bill to the governor hints at how legislators may have voted, or whether they may have been absent that day. Plus a few pointed comments from legislators add clarification: “Both this process and the product are a disservice to my community and to our democracy.”)
So, what’s next?
H.454, now Act 73, calls for more than 20 reports or studies in the coming months and years. It also sets up an 11-member Vermont School District Redistricting Task Force to recommend options for.. wait for it.. redistricting the state’s school districts.
Frankly, listening to the Task Force’s members, the thing is not off to a strong start:
“It’s pretty clear we are not capable of doing what we already have on our plate.”
“This is a two-year work job being consolidated into four months.”
“It’s going to take grit and resolve with all of our legislator colleagues, and that is going to be hard in an election year with so much at stake.”
A school board member watching the Task Force’s first meeting predicted: “There’s a strong possibility that the whole thing just goes away.”
Now, that’s a lot of shade being thrown on work that just started. But in fairness, the 13-member Commission on the Future of Public Education in Vermont (who thinks up these names?) didn’t have much luck, either. In fact, two members including the chair recently resigned: “There’s not a track record to demonstrate the commission will be listened to.”
Kinda makes you want to just kick back with another creemee until the start of the school year, doesn’t it?
Eye on Data
The chart below tracks open positions for school counselors and other counseling staff in the past 30 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
National Park Passes. The National Park Services and other agencies offer a free year-long pass for fourth graders to all federal parks, lands, and waters.
Current Issues in Vermont Educational Leadership. Explore education's most pressing challenges in an online graduate-level course offered in Fall 2025 for enrolled and continuing education students. Designed for current and aspiring education leaders, this engaging and practical course focuses on real-world issues shaping schools and policy across the state - such as equity, workforce development, school funding, and student well-being. Join a dynamic learning community of peers and practitioners to deepen your leadership skills and contribute meaningfully to Vermont’s educational future. Sponsored by Department of Education, University of Vermont
Task Force Facilitation. The Agency of Administration recently published an RFP for “planning, outreach, reporting writing or any other services needed to support the School District Redistricting Task Force.” Deadline is August 14, with an anticipated start date of August 18.
DIY Planet Search. The Center for Astrophysics is offering an online laboratory for students to engage with real data and search for an undiscovered exoplanet.
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.
If You Missed It
Build-A-District. The State of Vermont has published a mapping tool that lets users create their own merged districts based on current student counts and Grand List values per student.
Guidance from Up Top. The U.S. Department of Justice recently published guidance on unlawful discrimination for federally-funded programs, for example “a program targeting ‘low-income’ students must be applied uniformly without targeting areas or populations to achieve racial or sex-based outcomes.”
One Fewer Resource. The Department of Mental Health announced the discontinuation of the state’s 9-8-8 option to “Press 3” for LGBTQIA+ youth support, based on a federal decision affecting all states.. The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, reached by calling or texting 9-8-8, remains available to everyone.
Kid Governor. Vermont’s Secretary of State announced a program for fifth-grade students that teaches about state government, voting, and the importance of civic engagement, with its first “election” in November.
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: Pay phones are back in Vermont, and you don’t even need to carry around a pocket full of coins to use them.