The 802 Ed
What's going on in Vermont's education policy and practice
Welcome back!
This issue covers many topics that are immediately useful like suggestions for staff retention, free hot chocolate set-ups for eligible schools, and nearly a million dollars a year for school-based mental health. Be sure to check out the list of school leaders of the year!
New to the lingo? At the suggestion of a reader we now include a guide to common abbreviations after all the news.
- Steven Berbeco, Editor
School Leadership
Deliberately Distributed Leadership. Jill Harrison Berg suggests in a recent Educational Leadership article that successful innovations from the pandemic can be incorporated into schools’ plans for positive transformation.
Superintendents Younger with Higher Salaries. K-12 Dive runs through the results of the most recent national survey by the School Superintendents Association, including cases where a superintendent typically makes about as much as a middle school school principal.
Secret Shoppers in Higher Ed. The U.S. Department of Education recently announced a plan to monitor colleges that receive federal financial aid, using undercover agents to check for potentially deceptive practices.
Desperately Seeking Black Educators! Education Week highlighted Bettina Love’s opinion piece about schools’ recruitment efforts that don’t also include effective retention strategies, with several suggestions for next steps.
“We’re Not Gonna Teach 1619 or CRT Crap.” Slate interviews a school board chair from Florida who gave his principal a choice between resigning or being fired, after she didn’t alert parents that students would be viewing an image of Michelangelo's David. “The rights of parents, that trumps the rights of kids. Teachers are the experts? Teachers have all the knowledge? Are you kidding me? I know lots of teachers that are very good, but to suggest they are the authorities, you’re on better drugs than me.”
Millions for Youth Mental Health, Except Vermont. Stateline reviews the ways that several states are responding to depression and anxiety among children, even in some cases raising Medicaid reimbursement rates for school-based providers. But Vermont’s legislature has not introduced any bills in this session to support youth mental health, instead focusing on other topics like a prohibition on selling kangaroo meat.
Fiscal Cliff is Coming. Phil Gore, departing VSBA Director of Board Services, started off the Washington Central School Board’s strategic planning process with a startling wake-up call: “We think things are ‘tight’ or ‘tough,’ but they are going to be much more difficult.”
Stopping the Special Ed Exodus. Principal offers nearly a dozen short-, medium-, and long-term strategies to help keep special education staff from leaving. This was a popular item in last issue, so we are including it again for readers who may have missed it.
“Not One Step Was Done Correctly.” Mike Donoghue reports in the Vermont Standard that troubles are mounting in the recent Mount Ascutney School Board race, after an appeal, a recount, and several alleged improprieties.
Keep Those Libraries Open! A bill introduced recently in Vermont’s House of Representatives requires legislative approval for Vermont State University to reduce its libraries or number of employees. Meanwhile, the latest update from the university states that the library re-design is “challenging everyone to define priorities for access to quality academic resources.”
Heads Up, Vermont. Several states are taking innovative steps to support their students. Vermont school leaders and lawmakers should take note:
A school district in Arizona is changing its approach to school safety by shelving a plan to spend more than $4 million to build fences around its schools and instead adding almost 100 learning and intervention specialists, among other changes.
Florida’s legislature is considering “à la carte” public education, where students can choose classes from several schools instead of committing to just one.
Schools in Iowa now have the go-ahead from the legislature to include naloxone (Narcan) in their emergency medical kits, to case of an opioid overdose.
School Shootings in 2023. Education Week’s tracker reports 12 school shootings in 2023. “On March 22, two school administrators were shot and injured at East High School in Denver, Colo. The suspect, a student who remains at large, was undergoing a daily search as part of a ‘safety plan’ at the time of the shooting.” 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: Which positions will be hardest to fill this spring? The responses were strongly in favor of Special education staff and Counselors and mental health clinicians, with almost no one selecting Teachers.
This issue’s survey question: How will schools fill counselor and mental health clinician positions? Please indicate your response by clicking a check mark.
✅ Posting to SchoolSpring
✅ Depending on community mental health agencies
✅ Leaning into telehealth and other technology
Job Listings for School Leaders
Director of School Counseling. Come join a dynamic and caring team at Enosburg Falls High School, and be part of a team that is innovative and forward thinking! Many of your colleagues have been recognized at the local, state, and national level for their work in education. Sponsored by Franklin Northeast Supervisory Union
Principal. Burlington High School is looking for an experienced leader to guide the school’s diverse and culturally proficient faculty and staff, build on the school’s strong learning and working environment, prepare the school's 900+ students for success, and shape the design of our new high school building, which is scheduled to open in fall 2025. Supported by Tassant Partners
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 1,800+ readers. Sponsored by 802 Ed
Looking for a Change? With so many open positions in Vermont, there are sometimes unusual opportunities. For example, for those who want to get out into nature but still have the convenience of coffee shops, there is the recently posted job of a park ranger in Burlington. What’s next for the Queen City, professional bear huggers?
Update on the Education Market
Schools are staffed by many different positions, from administrator to administrative, from support to facilities, and of course the teachers - the job that people in the community associate most closely with schools.
But even within the broad title of teacher there are dozens of specializations that represent the diversity of what Vermont’s schools offer: Fire Services Instructor, Nature Based Educator, Education Instructor, and many more.
The market for teachers can be volatile as positions open and close quickly, as well as a few cases where a district or supervisory union will post multiple openings to generate a pool of potential candidates, shifting demand unnaturally.
Tracking the job openings for Music Teachers, then, can be helpful to represent what’s going on for teachers more generally. The Music Teacher market is active and stable, with about 200 licensed individuals and about two dozen openings, and things have heated up in the past two weeks with the number of openings doubling quickly.
The chart below tracks the number of music teacher openings in the 60 days prior to publication, presented as data points and no trend line this time. Data from AOE’s Aithent Licensing System.
Principal’s Office
Principal and Assistant Principal positions are opening up and getting filled around the state. Here is a graphic representation of the total number of positions that have opened (35) since the start of the calendar year, and the number of positions that have been filled (11) since then. Data from VPA.
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
Every issue we highlight school leaders who are making a change – congratulations!
Dan French, currently Secretary of Education, will be chief operating officer at the Council of Chief State School Officers as of April 10.
Justine Ruhlin, currently assistant principal at Rutland Intermediate School, will be principal at Rutland Northeast Primary School this summer. She will take over from Susanne Engels.
Nicole Mace, currently director of finance and operations at Winooski School District, will be dean of administration at the Community College of Vermont in May.
Michael Dudek, currently co-principal at Middlebury Union Middle School, will be the inaugural student response coordinator for Addison Central School District this summer.
Donna Bazyk, principal at Molly Stark Elementary School, is on medical leave until an upcoming resignation, “which leaves the school without a principal.”
John Bratko, principal at Bristol Elementary School, will “take a leave of absence for the rest of the school year.”
Middlebury Union High School recently announced finalists for its next principal:
Caitlin Steele • Assistant Superintendent of Addison Central School District and Interim Principal of Middlebury Union High School
Thomas Drake • Principal at Crossett Brook Middle School
Colden Golann • Principal at Oceanside Middle School in Maine
These colleagues received administrator licensure from AOE since the last issue of the 802 Ed. Data from AOE’s Aithent Licensing System.
Kristin Benway-Fisher • Superintendent
Do you know a colleague who has made a recent move? Let us know!
Grants & Opportunities
Green Mountain Job & Retention Program. Graduating Vermont-based college students may be eligible for up to $5,000 in loan repayment for working for an organization in the Green Mountain State. Applications opened March 1.
U.S. Attorney Offers School Presentations. Schools can request a 60-90 minute interactive presentation from the U.S. Attorney’s Office titled United Against Hate, where students what hate crimes laws exist and why, and how to report potential hate crimes or discrimination to law enforcement.
Hot Chocolate, Anyone? New England Dairy is offering turn-key hot chocolate kits for eligible schools with everything from cup holders to an insulated container and cover. Deadline is March 31.
Preparing Students for Transitions. The New England Association of Schools and Colleges is presenting a panel discussion on supporting students through pivotal transitions in their education - from elementary to middle school and from middle school to high school. 9am - 10am, April 4.
Carrots for Kids. Child care programs and afterschool programs may be eligible for a state grant to reimburse most of the cost of a farm share. Deadline is April 7.
How’s Child Care These Days? DCF is requesting that caregivers respond to a survey about child care, especially around financial assistance. Weekly raffle for gift cards! Deadline is April 11.
Supporting Statewide PBIS. AOE published an RFP to coordinate “evidence-based practices that prevent and address challenging behaviors, and include implementing statewide PBIS.” Deadline is April 12.
Two-Day Math Instruction Workshop. All Learners Network is offering a specialized math workshop for teachers of K-5 students, focused on supporting learners who unproductively struggle in the classroom. 8:30am - 3:30pm, April 17.
Got a Great ELA Curriculum? AOE is looking for a contractor to develop an exemplar English Language Arts curriculum. Deadline is April 18.
Linking Schools with Mental Health Care. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced a competitive grant program to increase student access to mental health care by connecting schools with local mental health systems. Grants up to $970,000 per year. Deadline is May 8.
In Case You Missed It
Governor’s Institutes of Vermont Turns 40. Hip hip hurray for the decades of summer programing that have served 12,000 young Vermonters, now celebrated by the House of Representatives by proclamation.
Goddard College Staff on Strike. And voted no confidence in the President, who called the action “irresponsible.”
“Ombudsman,” and Then Off to DC. The Vermont spelling bee winner from Camels Hump Middle School cleaned up for the second year in a row, having survived “pyrite,” “beaucoup,” and “sousaphone.” Next stop: the big league competition in the nation’s capital.
Pax Vobiscum, Latinae. Bellows Free Academy plans to cut its Latin program after nearly a century of amo amas amat, instead devoting resources to social-emotional support for students.
Former Governor Douglas Sues Middlebury College. According to WCAX’s Christina Guessferd, the college renamed Mead Chapel but, Douglas stated, “it essentially called Governor Mead a racist, and that’s simply false … to have his reputation sullied because of a couple of remarks that he made in 1912 is totally unfair.”
School Leaders of the Year. VPA recently announced this year’s top administrators, including Debbie Alexander, principal at Lothrop Elementary School, Chris Young, principal at North Country Union High School, Susan McKelvie, principal at Folsom Education and Community Center, and Christy Coloutti, principal at Northwest Elementary School.
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: AOE Agency of Education, CDD Child Development Division, DAIL Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living, DCF Department for Children and Families, DPS Department of Public Safety, ED U.S. Department of Education, RFP Request for Proposals, NEASC New England Association of Schools and Colleges, PBIS Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, VPA Vermont Principals Association, VSA Vermont Superintendents Association, VSBA Vermont School Board Association.
Special bonus for making it to the bottom: Mark your calendar, Ben and Jerry’s free cone day is April 3. You’re welcome.