The 802 Ed
What's going on in Vermont's education policy and practice
Welcome back! It’s been a great year editing the 802 Ed and I am grateful to the many readers who have written in with questions and suggestions. If you haven’t had a chance to pitch in for a cup of coffee, it’s an easy way to say thanks for putting together the latest on Vermont’s education policy and practice.
Also, heads up: the 802 Ed will take a break for the holidays. See you again in the new year!
This issue covers many topics that are immediately useful like how school leaders can up their game with more sleep, a student mental health guide that is aligned with MTSS, and the latest on a school board that is debating whether to lower the Black Lives Matter flag. Be sure to check out the ten best education research studies of 2023.
New to the lingo? At the suggestion of a reader we now include a guide to common abbreviations, just scroll down past the news.
- Steven Berbeco, Editor
School Leadership
What Questions Do You Have For Us? Harvard Business Review’s Amy Gallo lists out more than three dozen great questions to have in your pocket for that time at the end of a job interview when the committee hands you the microphone.
“Doom-And-Gloom Rhetoric.” The president of the state-wide educators’ union takes issue with the governor’s response to the annual projection of education property tax rates in this VT Digger opinion piece.
Playing The Long Game. Higher Ed Jobs offers practical advice for education leaders looking to change to a faculty job in the future.
Principals Need Sleep, Too. Education Week reports on recent sleep research and how school leaders can get more zzz’s to keep themselves and their teams going strong
“It Used To Feel Safe.” Several high school students from Winooski, speaking anonymously to VT Digger, share their feelings after the recent, high-profile shooting of three Palestinian Americans in Burlington.
Finding Space for The Littles. The Saint Albans Messenger brings us up to date on the anticipated challenges of finding space for the “little tornadoes” after H.217 passed and the state moves to full-day pre-K, with perspectives from a superintendent, a legislator, and others. This was a popular item in last issue, so here it is again for readers who may have missed it.
Top 10 of 2023. Edutopia rounds out the best of the best research studies in the past year, from better quizzing to youth mental health.
Principal Departs Abruptly. Valley News brings together reports of high staff turnover, allegations of bullying and behavior problems, the sudden resignation of a middle school principal, and the nearly 200 signatures on a petition to the school board to bring him back.
Housing Crisis Comes Home. The Winooski School District’s board recently passed a resolution calling on city, state, and federal officials to take “urgent action” to support stable, affordable housing for students’ families.
Lowering The Flag. Shelburne News highlights the conversation opened recently in Champlain Valley School District about when, if ever, it will be time to no longer fly the Black Lives Matter flag across its schools.
Principal Fired, School Shuttered. VTDigger reviews the situation in a small school with big issues, and the board’s decision to close it as a “short-term emergency measure” because of staffing challenges.
The Coming Storm in Education Spending. A state representative lays out many of the challenges ahead in the next legislative session in this opinion piece, and urges thoughtful planning: “Shorthand talking points to our constituents just won’t do.”
Heads Up, Vermont. States are taking innovative steps to support their students and Vermont school leaders and lawmakers should take note:
New Hampshire legislators are weighing the pros and cons of a student loan forgiveness program for teachers as a way to recruit and retain in rural schools.
Michigan’s governor established a new education office intended to complement the state’s education department and moved more than 300 state workers into it, with a goal of “mov[ing] some things faster and with more concerted focus.”
Students in Salt Lake City schools and their family members can now get free eyeglasses under a new program housed in an elementary school.
School Shootings in 2023. Education Week’s tracker reports 37 school shootings in 2023. “On Dec. 5, a school district police officer was shot and injured outside on the campus of Northeast Early College High School in Austin, Texas.” Total school shootings in 2022: 51. 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: Do you think students should be required to complete a FAFSA as a graduation requirement? The responses were about equally divided between Yes, with a parent’s option to opt-out and No, it should be up to the school whether to encourage this.
This issue’s survey question: Should college instructors who teach dual-enrollment classes also be certified teachers? Please indicate your response by clicking a check mark.
✅ Yes, it would help students adjust to college classes.
✅ No, it would create an unnecessary barrier for classes.
✅ Maybe it could be optional and with an incentive for certification.
Thank you to the retired education leader 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 2,100+ readers. Sponsored by 802 Ed
The Big List. Josh Czupryk compiles and publishes a monthly spreadsheet with more than 200 job opportunities for remote work in K-12 education.
Looking for a Change? With so many open education positions in Vermont, there are sometimes unusual opportunities. For example, Middlebury College is hiring a Temporary Bread Loaf Watchperson who “must be able to lift 10-25 lbs. numerous times each day and up to 50 lbs. on occasion.” That’s some heavy loaves of bread to keep an eye on!
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.
From the Editor
A few years back I worked as a superintendent on a Native American reservation in the Southwest. You’d get there by driving to Winslow, Arizona (like the Eagles song), turn left, and head into the high desert for an hour.
Schools that are geographically isolated like this have unique challenges, but many of the problems will be familiar to Vermont’s school leaders: staffing, curriculum, and a nutty community member who kept inserting himself into governance conversations.
I remember meeting with my leadership team and looking at the constellation of barriers that our students faced and, in talking it through, we found a few policy levers to pull that we felt would yield the most powerful results.
One of the big ones? Food.
The easy interventions included meeting kids in the morning as they got off the bus with a grab and go breakfast. Making sure that every lunch was made from scratch. Getting the dining staff to look each kid in the eye as they went through the line.
Food became a new tool for change, too. The lunch room was still a rowdy place. So we funded lunches for staff members who agreed to eat in the cafeteria, increasing the number of adults there and quietening things down almost immediately.
School leaders know that every staff member is a super hero, a secret weapon. Nutritional services, dining, food service, however you call them, these are important partners in what schools do every day.
It’s concerning then that the number of vacancies for food service staff has shot up by hundreds of positions in the past 90 days. Hopefully schools will find the staff they need, and keep them supporting one of the most basic needs of students.
The chart below tracks the number of openings for food services staff in the 90 days prior to publication, presented as data points and no trend line this time. 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
We are still waiting to hear about the results of the Secretary of Education search as well as other leadership roles across the state. In the meantime, here are highlights of education leaders who are making a change – congratulations!
Sabrina Westdijk, previously interim principal at Burlington High School, is now interim principal. She is taking over from Deb Beaupre.
Congratulations also to these colleagues who have received administrator licensure from AOE since the last issue of the 802 Ed! Data from AOE’s Aithent Licensing System.
Robert Griffin • Principal, Superintendent
Keith Lyman • Superintendent
Bianca McKeen • Superintendent
Rebecca Tatistcheff • Superintendent
Do you know a colleague who has made a recent move? Let us know!
Grants & Opportunities
Advocating in the Northeast Kingdom. VREC is hosting a legislative breakfast for representatives and senators at the St. Johnsbury School District Office, to discuss the impact of ESSER funds ending, school facilities needs, student mental health, and more. December 18.
The Latest on Act 76. CDD is hosting an informational webinar on the major changes to the state’s child care infrastructure after the passing of recent legislation. 12:30 - 1:30pm, December 18.
Equity Trainers. AOE is updating the 2023 Education Equity Professional Learning Providers List for schools to use as a resource when planning professional learning, and current providers need to reapply, too. Deadline is December 22.
Curriculum Review. The Vermont Criminal Justice Council issued an RFP for a consultant for a long-term, up to to four years, curriculum review with a goal of accreditation. Deadline is January 2.
Summer Studies in Finland, Thailand, or Colombia. The U.S. Department of Education has opened applications for Fulbright Seminars Abroad for elementary and secondary teachers and administrators, as well as postsecondary faculty and administrators. Deadline is January 4.
If You Missed It
Tests for The Taking. The U.S. Department of Education recently announced the availability of no-cost Covid tests for schools.
MTSS-Aligned Student Mental Health. The CDC has published a guide of strategies and approaches to promoting mental heath and well-being in schools.
Holiday Music Map. Smithsonian Education comes through again with an interactive “singing” map of 56 traditional holiday songs from 24 countries.
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, 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, RFP Request for Proposals, NAEYC National Association for the Education of Young Children, NEASC New England Association of Schools and Colleges, PBIS Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, SBE State Board of Education, VEHI Vermont Education Health Initiative, VPA Vermont Principals Association, VREC Vermont Rural Education Collaborative, VSA Vermont Superintendents Association, VSBA Vermont School Board Association, VTSU Vermont State University.
Special bonus for making it to the bottom: The State of Vermont tracks earthquakes, including a cryoseism a few years back in Shelburne. And now you can use the word cryoseism to wipe out an opponent in the next game of Scrabble.