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Too many schools are struggling to fill special educator positions and there are few licensed special educators to be had. That leaves districts trying to fill those positions by putting their candidates on provisional licenses. The provisional license requires the individual to be in a special education licensing program but there may be no program available. As of now, our special education licensing programs are full and everyone who applies for the coming year will have to be put on a waiting list with little chance of gaining admission. 

Shortages in special educators are nothing new, it was one of the reasons VT-HEC was formed in 2000. Since then VT-HEC has provided training and support in the field of special education graduating literally hundreds of special educators. These are Vermonters, who stay in Vermont when they finish our program and are working in our schools.

Over the past two years the pandemic has dramatically impacted the need for special educators and it has become a serious issue for too many districts.  To help address this:

• The VT-HEC applied for and received ROPA approval for our Special Education Endorsement Program and has recommended two cohorts of candidates for licensure. For the last two years VT-HEC endorsement program has accepted 40 students – twice the number of students we normally have.
• VT-HEC developed and received approval for the VT-HEC Special Education Initial Licensing Program. We will be starting the first cohort of 15 students this summer.
• VT-HEC is working to improve retention of new special educators. The role of special educator has never been more complex and challenging. New special education teachers describe their first years as overwhelming, stressful, and isolating. Starting in the fall of 2022, we will be initiating the Special Educator Academy in a joint effort with the VCSEA. The Academy will provide opportunities for beginning special education teachers to join a cohort of new special educators as they share ongoing professional development and receive support. It will help create a professional community that will hopefully continue long after the Academy has concluded.

Despite all the efforts noted above, this year there is no space in our licensing programs for new students. It will be a crisis for those people who believe they have a job and a pathway to maintain it and for their school districts who are struggling to fill those positions. In order to expand our capacity further, we will need to identify potential new instructors, and that is where you can help. We need instructors for the courses listed below as well as internship supervisors. Potential instructors must have completed a master’s degree as these are all graduate courses.

• Special Education History and Law
• Assessment (Standardized, Interpretation, Comp. Eval.)
• Emotional Disabilities
• Moderate to Severe Disabilities
• LD I (literacy)
• LD II (math)

For more information: https://www.vthec.org/programs/special-education-program-overview/  Note that some courses may be offered on an alternate schedule to accommodate these large cohorts.

For questions or to forward names of potential instructors or internship supervisors contact Joy Wilcox: [email protected]

New Scholarship Honors VT-HEC’s Longtime Director of Licensing Programs

In recognition and appreciation of all that Patty Morgan has contributed to the VT-HEC and education in Vermont, the VT-HEC Board of Directors voted on December 1 to establish the Patty Morgan Scholarship which will be awarded to an exceptional educator seeking to become licensed as an early childhood educator (ECE) or early childhood special educator (ECSE) or add the ECE or ECSE endorsement through the VT-HEC programs. The Patty Morgan Scholarship will cover the selected candidate’s VT-HEC tuition costs throughout the candidate’s program.

 Eligibility Requirements: 

The Patty Morgan Scholarship will be awarded to an applicant who, in the opinion of the selection committee, convincingly demonstrates and documents:

• A dedication to the success and well-being of young children of Vermont.
• The potential to successfully complete the program and become a superior professional in the early childhood field.
• A commitment to teaching in Vermont for a minimum of two years upon completion of the ECE or ECSE program.
• A financial need in spite of documented efforts to seek funding from other sources (i.e., employer, VSAC, TEACH).

For the better part of VT-HEC’s existence Patty Morgan has been a constant through our growth, accomplishments and challenges. As the VT-HEC Program Director she spear-headed VT-HEC’s expansion into multiple licensing endorsement areas. Twenty years of graduates from these programs has had a dramatic impact on education in Vermont – hundreds of special educators, early childhood educators, health educators, etc., are working in our schools and communities as a result of the work of Patty and her team of talented coordinators and instructors.

Through the last few years Patty shepherded us through the process for state approval for both endorsement and initial licensing in special education, early childhood and early childhood special education – a significant effort and accomplishment. We are very proud to offer this scholarship in her name.

Applications for the Patty Morgan Scholarship are welcome from educators seeking an initial ECE or ECSE license, and from those seeking to add an ECE or ECSE endorsement to their current Vermont license. For more information: https://www.vthec.org/wp-content/uploads/Patty-Morgan-Scholarship-Description-Application_2022.pdf

The Crisis in Ukraine: Introducing a Historical Moment to the Classroom

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 marked the beginning of a new stage of conflict between Russia and the West, one with far-reaching implications. The effects of this war will reverberate for decades to come, shaping the world that today’s youth will inherit.

This workshop will explore the causes and consequences of Russia’s invasion, and consider Vladimir Putin’s motivation for the invasion, the world’s reaction to it, the prospects for peace, and the chances of a wider war. Educators will learn of resources that explore these broader questions and help them stay informed. The webinar will also identify themes educators can use to bring discussions of the war into an already packed curriculum. Finally, participants will discuss ways to pique student interest without provoking anxiety, thereby helping students process a historical event whose effects could shape the world’s future.

Melissa Willard-Foster, Ph.D., is an associate professor of political science at the University of Vermont and author of Toppling Foreign Governments: The Logic of Regime Change (Penn Press, 2019). She holds degrees from Georgetown University, the University of Chicago, and UCLA, and is a former post-doctoral fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. She is a recipient of UVM’s Kroepsch-Maurice Excellence in Teaching Award and teaches classes on international relations, international security, and foreign military intervention.

April 5, 2022 – 3:30 – 5:30

CLICK HERE For Details and to REGISTER

A Message from our Executive Director on Racism & Equity

The leadership and staff of the VT-HEC add our voices to the resounding chorus that has risen to express outrage, sadness, anger and dismay at the latest examples of the long-standing and systematic violence inflicted upon people of color. Black Lives Do Matter. Those of us who have benefited from white privilege may struggle to understand what living with this fear and injustice every day entails and we are humbled by our inability to fully relate to the impact of the systematic deprivation of human rights. What we do clearly recognize is our collective responsibility to confront racism wherever it exists and to join together to attack it at its foundation. We recognize that:

• We Are All Responsible as educators to eliminate racism in our schools and to demand and actively strive toward an equitable and inclusive system of education for all.
• We Are All Responsible as parents to raise our children with the knowledge of the injustices that exist in the world and the need for all of us to take action against them.
• We Are All Responsible as friends and family members to demonstrate empathy in accepting human differences and show kindness and understanding to those different than ourselves.
• We Are All Responsible as citizens to choose representatives at every level of government that share these values and demonstrate the courage to act accordingly. 
• We Are All Responsible as individuals to stand against racism in all its forms and to take action to advance social and economic justice.

Over the past few years, the VT-HEC has acted on its responsibility to address inequity in education by dedicating its Mission Investment Fund to offer education opportunities to all those who work to benefit children and youth including:

• designing workshops focused on reducing inequity related to race, immigration, poverty, gender, disability, sexual identification, and sexual preference.
• providing a growing library of free webinars on the Equity Literacy Framework.
• offering workshop series and courses at nominal cost focused on attacking inequity in race, poverty, immigration, and gender. 

In the coming years VT-HEC commits continued focus on its responsibility by offering additional learning opportunities and providing resources targeted to:

• creating gender-affirming environments,
• building restorative justice, 
• addressing implicit bias and 
• reducing the inequities related to poverty, disability, and race.

We embrace our responsibility and work to ensure that all students receive an equitable education that includes learning about and reducing social injustice, and systemic racism and bias. It is our hope that we can all be responsible for future generations that are more accepting of differences and demonstrate kindness to all.

Goals, Plans and Appreciation

The VT-HEC Staff and Board met this week to discuss our response to the challenges created by COVID-19.  Guidance from the CDC, VT Department of Health, and the VT Agency of Education continues to be updated daily, and future communications will – from time-to-time – contradict and supersede previous recommendations and directions. We will do our best to respond to this changing landscape.

Moving forward, the VT-HEC will be guided by these goals:

• Keep staff and participants safe.
• Help reduce the spread of the virus.
• Explore alternative delivery models, and modify existing ones, to deliver as much promised high-quality content as possible.
• Keep you well informed of our changes and future plans.
• Stay current on new development and follow state and national guidelines.
• Continue to appreciate and work with our colleagues and greater community.

We will:

• Follow guidelines from the CDC, AOE, etc., which includes advising staff and participants to stay home if symptomatic and to follow recommended hygienic practices.
• Plan on-line delivery options for every offering where that is appropriate.
• Explore alternatives to make revised delivery options as effective and accessible as we can.
• Postpone certain offerings, either hoping to be able to meet live at a later date or to give us time to arrange on-line delivery of content.
• Cancel the live-delivery option for our workshop offerings through June 15.
• Continue to celebrate and appreciate the accomplishments and milestones of our friends, colleagues and extended family (Happy Birthday Patty and Julie)

Right now, I want to extend our deepest appreciation to:

• The VT-HEC staff who are working nearly around the clock to make all this happen (Patty, Wendy, Jessa, Julie, Joy & Emma).
• Our instructors and presenters who have been amazingly flexible and supportive. All of them willing to put in extra work to ensure the best learning experience we can manage; even those from out-of-state like Paul Gorski and Sarah Ward.
• Many of the venues we work with that have been so very responsive and accommodating especially, The Lake Morey Resort and The Capitol Plaza.
• Our valued students, workshop participants and colleagues who have been patient, understanding and flexible as we work to figure this out together.

This is an unprecedented situation for all of us and no one knows what the future will bring. As I read the statements and plans from school administrators, organization leaders, and many government officials.  I cannot help but be impressed by the dedication, thoughtfulness and general good will that is being expressed.  It gives me confidence that, if we can all be that understanding, patient and well-meaning, we can emerge from this experience in a better place than we started.

We thank you all for your continued support. I knew our 20^th anniversary year would be memorable!

Dennis Kane

Executive Director

VT-HEC.org

Equity Literacy begins with the willingness to see what we might be conditioned not to see and with the humility to consider our collective culpability

The Vermont Higher Education Collaborative (VT-HEC) is continuing its work with renowned educator, author, and speaker Paul Gorski to present a second series on reducing inequity in our schools. After providing access to three free webinars on Paul’s dynamic introduction to the Equity Literacy Framework and two themed workshops this fall, we have scheduled two additional days this spring focused on the themes of race/racism and poverty. In addition, there is a new free webinar available capturing an interview of Taharee Jackson by Paul on the Roles and Responsibilities of White Educators. All the webinars and workshops have been supported by VT-HEC’s Mission Investment Fund.

Equity means more than hosting multicultural arts-and-crafts fairs or diversity assemblies. It begins with a willingness to see what we might be conditioned not to see and the humility to consider our and our colleagues’ culpability. It involves real conversations about racism, economic inequality, sexism, homophobia and ableism.

While each of the two days this spring will focus on a particular theme they both will utilize the concepts of the Equity Literacy Framework to help participants become more aware and effective in dealing with inequity regardless of it form or source and to apply the principles found in the framework to their own setting.

Ridding Schools of Racism: From Equity Optics to Equity Action
Presented by Taharee Jackson and Paul Gorski
March 24, 2020: DoubleTree Hilton, South Burlington, VT

Taharee Jackson holds expertise in the areas of teacher education, inclusive schooling practices and policies, and urban education reform. She is particularly interested in how members of “privileged” groups become advocates and allies for others. Watch for her forthcoming book, A Different Way to be White: Becoming Antiracist Teachers and Teacher Educators.

An Economic Justice Approach to Eliminating Socioeconomic Inequities in Schools
Presented by Paul Gorski
April 15, 2020: DoubleTree Hilton, South Burlington, VT

Paul Gorski is the founder of the Equity Literacy Institute and EdChange. For nearly 25 years he has worked with schools and districts across the United States on equity and justice issues ranging from race and racism to poverty and economic injustice. He is the co-author of Reaching and Teaching Students in Poverty: Strategies for Erasing the Opportunity Gap and Case Studies on Diversity and Social Justice Education

The VT-HEC is one of Vermont’s largest statewide providers of professional development focused on the education, health and well-being of children and youth. The VT-HEC equity series is underwritten by the VT-HEC Mission Investment Fund.  For more information: vthec.org.

How does a small non-profit that offers professional learning opportunities throughout Vermont take steps to become carbon neutral in its operations? This is what we have been doing:

Commitment

At its meeting on December 12, 2018 the VT-HEC Board of Directors adopted a commitment to minimizing our carbon footprint with the goal of overall carbon neutrality. This statement commits the VT-HEC to assessing the effects program activities have on the environment and to explore, develop and adopt policies and practices to reduce and/or offset that impact. The statement commits the VT-HEC to seeking strategies to lessen its impact on the environment by reducing related travel, conserving energy, reducing waste generation, etc.

Collecting Data

First, we needed an idea of what our impact on the environment actually was. We have only a small office and we don’t consume or produce quantities of concrete products. So, what data did we need to estimate the environmental impact of our operations? Beginning in January 2019 we began collecting data to help us calculate the carbon footprint of the 80+ workshop offerings we were putting on in FY19. We collected data and researched:

• how workshop participants traveled to those offerings
• how many total miles they traveled
• the carbon footprint our events produced at the facilities where they were held

What We Found

Taking the data we collected on events from January 1 to July 1 we attempted to estimate what the full year would look like for those factors.  We figured:

• participants traveled about 130,000 miles to those offerings last year; averaging 51 miles per person per event.
• the great majority of participants traveled to offerings driving alone in their own vehicles – the average riders per car was 1.23.
• that data varied only slightly among the different locations of those offerings (we had only a few examples for some locations and will need more data to draw any conclusions about whether holding events in different locations is beneficial)

Estimating Our Carbon Footprint

Using a variety of calculators found on the internet we came up with these estimates of the carbon footprint for our workshop days.

• 130,000 miles of travel equates to a carbon footprint of about 43 metric carbon tons.
• the facilities we used for our workshops generated about 115 metric carbon tons in energy use, food preparation, etc. for those offerings.
• a total impact for the year of 158 metric carbon tons for our workshop days.

Possible Strategies

We also asked participants if they would be willing to  use a car-pool app and if they would attend an offering that was streamed to a closer location to cut down on their miles traveled:

• 27% of respondents said they would try a car-pool app with another 42% saying they might be willing to try it.
• 42% said they would attend a live-streamed event and another 34% said they might. There were quite a few comments stating that they preferred coming to a live event and interacting with other participants.

What’s Next

• Explore strategies, practices, etc. that have the potential to reduce and/or offset our carbon footprint:
  • Refine and expand our data collection for an entire year and looking at other areas such as printing, copying, etc.
  • Explore ride-sharing options and incentives
  • Explore carbon-offset options to achieve carbon neutrality in a manner that was consistent with VT-HEC’s mission and values
  • Explore increasing the number of live-streaming events and webinars
• Develop, adopt and implement a plan to reduce our total carbon footprint aiming to:
  • Reduce total and average number of miles traveled.
  • Reduce the facility-related carbon footprint for our offerings.
  • Find/develop a carbon offset project that will benefit Vermont and be consistent with VT-HEC values.

We will share the results of our explorations and effort with the hope that it might be useful to others who are trying to do the same. Thanks for working with us and helping us to reach our goal.

Equity Literacy begins with the willingness to see what we might be conditioned not to see and with the humility to consider our collective culpability

The Vermont Higher Education Collaborative (VT-HEC) is continuing its work with renowned educator, author, and speaker Paul Gorski to present a series on reducing inequity in our schools. After Paul’s dynamic introduction to the Equity Literacy Framework this past November we have scheduled three days this spring each focused on a specific theme: gender, race, racism and refugees and, poverty. Supported by VT-HEC’s Mission Investment Fund, these offerings will be available to all at significantly reduced pricing.

Equity means more than hosting multicultural arts-and-crafts fairs or diversity assemblies. It begins with a willingness to see what we might be conditioned not to see and the humility to consider our and our colleagues’ culpability. It involves real conversations about racism, economic inequality, sexism, homophobia and ableism.

While each of the three days this spring will focus on a particular theme they all will utilize the concepts of the Equity Literacy Framework to help participants become more aware and effective in dealing with inequity regardless of it form or source.

Confronting Gender-Based Inequity in Classrooms and Schools – March 19 Ellen Tuzzolo & Leigh Thompson – How can we expand our understanding of gender to create equitable environments for students, families and colleagues? In this fast-paced workshop, participants will examine how gender-based inequities interfere with creating authentic relationships between educators and students, and how that interference affects us, our students and our work. Using the Equity Literacy Framework, participants will consider their role in counteracting gender-based inequities, and practice recognizing and responding in a classroom context.

Whose Country Is This? Race, Racism, and Refugee Status in America – April 12 –Taharee Jackson, Ph.D.- This interactive workshop will focus on how educators and practitioners can move from actors to allies to accomplices for those who are different. Participants will leave with a full understanding of how to become powerful advocates for their students and how to practically address threats to equity in schools and society.

Reaching & Teaching Students in Poverty – Strategies for Erasing the Opportunity Gap – May 15 – Paul Gorski, Ph.D.- How would our equity efforts change if we worked toward a deeper understanding of the barriers and inequities with which our students and their families experiencing poverty contend? In this workshop we will examine these barriers and inequities, how they operate in and out of schools, and how we might perpetuate them unintentionally in our spheres of influence. We then will be prepared to discuss strategies for rooting out class bias and inequity from school policy and practice.

• Paul Gorski is the founder of EdChange and the Equity Literacy Institute; he has 20 years of experience helping educators strengthen their equity efforts in classrooms, schools, and districts.
• Leigh Thompson of GoBeyondDiversity.com is a consultant and facilitator supporting creative and critical exploration and dialogue about equity, diversity and inclusion.
• Ellen Tuzzolo has been fighting for racial and social justice as a K-12 educator, youth organizer, youth program director, and trainer.
• Taharee Jackson is an Assistant Professor of Minority and Urban Education in the Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership at the University of Maryland, College Park.

The VT-HEC is one of Vermont’s largest statewide providers of professional development focused on the education, health and well-being of children and youth. The VT-HEC is working with a number of Vermont organizations, especially the VT Principals’ Association, to coordinate an array of presentations and work days focused on equity. The VT-HEC equity series is underwritten by the VT-HEC Mission Investment Fund.  For more information: vthec.org

“Incredibly Valuable”  – Considering Issues of Inequity – In Participants Own Words 

Over 80 participants spent two days focusing on issues of equity in Vermont schools sponsored by the VT Higher Education Collaborative’s Mission Investment Fund. During these engaging and thought-provoking sessions, Paul Gorski explored why inequities and educational outcome disparities persist across race, class, gender, disability and other factors and what can be done to improve opportunities for all Vermont students.

Paul led often-tough discussions that required participants to consider what we might be conditioned not to see and the humility to see our own culpability. Equity means more than hosting multicultural arts-and-crafts fairs or diversity assemblies. It involves real conversations about racism, economic inequality, sexism, homophobia and ableism. The problem is not a lack of educators who appreciate and even champion diversity. The trouble lies in how so many diversity initiatives avoid or whitewash serious equity issues.

Participants appreciated Paul’s presentation, style and humor and recognized the benefit and necessity of tackling these difficult issues in order to make positive change. In their own words:

It’s always good to push us outside our comfort zone and think about other perspectives. There is soooo much to do in respect to creating a more opportunistic environment and experience for our youth. This has been a motivating experience…, I’m hoping to learn more about how to create and implement changes in our district.

I think the only way we can move forward to start with making people feel uncomfortable, identify their biases, and start responding to this… Thank you!

Can’t solve a problem we can’t name. Is Inequity so normal that I can’t identify it?

 The information was on point and allowed everyone to safely consider, in a vulnerable way, where we are in our equitable practices including the systems in place in our state, our community, our districts and our schools.

Gave me a good framework for looking for inequity in my school and the language and example to address equity. Inequity takes many forms and has many layers. The marginalized people are the experts. Privilege drives school spending and opportunities.

Paul is the founder of EdChange and the Equity Literacy Institute; he has 20 years of experience helping educators strengthen their equity efforts in classrooms, schools, and districts. Paul has worked with educators in 48 states and a dozen countries. His professional and spiritual passions lie in building movements and engaging in processes for creating equitable and just organizations, schools, and communities.

VT-HEC is working to coordinate its effort with other VT organizations, especially the Vermont Principals Association. Because of the importance of this topic, the VT-HEC is using its Mission Investment Fund to offer its series at significant cost reduction. VT-HEC will offer three additional days in spring 2019, at a cost of $35 each, focused on gender (3/19); race (4/12) and poverty with Paul (5/15). See details here.

Watch for Paul’s other presentations in VT.