The always timely and informative 802 Ed newsletter to Vermont educators highlights (again) Vermont public schools’ mental health and school budget challenges are both more challenging than usual this year, according to news articles collected by the always timely and informative 802 Ed newsletter, published by Steven Berbeco for Vermont educators. Berbeco will be testifying about schools and mental health for Vermont’s House Committee on Education, 10 – 10:30 am, Wednesday, January 31. – Editor
From the February, 2024 802 Ed Newsletter:
Free College. WCAX reports on the recent announcement of free tuition at Vermont State University for Vermonters with an adjusted gross income less than $50,000.
Universal Mental Health Screening for Students. The House Committee on Human Services has a bill with more than a dozen co-sponsors that would require universal screening of students for anxiety, depression, and suicidality: H.816, An act relating to mental health screenings in school-age youth.
Breaking FERPA. Seven Days’ Alison Novak digs into a recent court ruling that releases student records, and possibly opens the door to requests for hazing, harassment and bullying investigations, disciplinary records, and more. This was a popular item in last issue, so here it is again for readers who may have missed it.
School Safety, State-wide. Education Commission of the States published a review of programs across the country that are innovating to keep their kids safe.
Battling Isolation in College. Seven Days checks out student programs at several Vermont colleges that focus on mental health: “The college campus, once seen as a place where friendships formed easily, has become more isolating and divided.”
“Detrimental And Dangerous” Education Spending. VTDigger picks up the story of the dozens of education officials who are calling foul on Act 127, intended to promote funding equity across the state but in actuality incentivizing spending: “It is a miracle if we’re going to pass school budgets this year.”
“Not Intended As Free Money.” Chairs of Vermont’s Ways and Means and Finance committees published a hold up there, friend! letter to school boards: “If districts act solely in their own rational self-interest, those costs will be picked up by property taxes in neighboring towns. Most of us, regardless of the town we live in, can’t afford what it seems is happening in the education fund this year, and something will have to give.”
School Budgets Outlook. CVTSE ran the numbers on how Act 127 is anticipated to affect local education budgets in the next fiscal year with the recent change in the weighted count from Equalized Pupils to Long Term Weighted Average Daily Membership – now with updates based on FY24 data since FY25 budgets aren’t available yet.
Keeping Books on The Shelves. Seven Days reviews current legislation that would made it more challenging to ban books in Vermont’s school libraries.
Principal’s Guide to Reading Comprehension. Education Week reports on a recent national survey and what it can tell school leaders about helping kids learn to read.
Fix The Tests. The New York Times recently published an opinion piece about the problems of standardized testing – as well as policy recommendations for making the tests better. Gift link
“I Don’t Think It’s A Death Knell.” Seven Days covers Goddard College’s president defending the decision to drop residential classes and provide only on-line instruction.
School Protocol for Suicide Prevention. AOE, VDH, and DMH recently published a model protocol for suicide prevention and postvention – what to do after an event.
“Learn from Cabot.” In a VTDigger opinion piece, the principal of one of Vermont’s few preK-12 schools, lays out the benefits and many successes of a community-based school, and encourages readers to advocate to legislators for more innovation and fewer closures and consolidation.
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Categories: Education
Boy, from those headlines it seems more like 802 Education Dysfunction!
Ha! How willingly Vermont’s citizens will usurp their freedoms and rights for safety and security. H.816 Mandatory Mental Health Screening will provide employment opportunities for so many- Mental health counselors, screeners, bureaucrats and health care professionals, while subjectively imposing opinions of a child’s mental health- possibly forever condemning that child to treatments for that opinion. This is totalitarianism and fascism tied together for the sake of “safety”.
The gaggle of D/P sponsors supporting this rubbish apparently hope to subject your child to a diagnosis that may forever follow that child. Couple this bill with passage of H.634 and government control of your child is almost complete.
The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” — Ronald Reagan
My own very physiological problems were exacerbated by the drugs. My dysfunctional parents were encouraged to intensify abusing me. Not a single one of the “professionals” seemed even remotely competent.
if they can prove you have a mental problem at a young age, it will be used against you later in life when you want to buy a firearm///
Bingo in the front row !
Re: “Universal Mental Health Screening for Students. The House Committee on Human Services has a bill with more than a dozen co-sponsors that would require universal screening of students for anxiety, depression, and suicidality: H.816, An act relating to mental health screenings in school-age youth.”
This is yet another ploy to increase government services at taxpayer expense. Our state legislators, it appears, will stop at nothing in their attempt to convince us that we can’t help ourselves. They are the proverbial wolves in sheep’s clothing.
“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive… This very kindness stings with intolerable insult. To be “cured” against one’s will and cured of states which we may not regard as disease is to be put on a level of those who have not yet reached the age of reason or those who never will; to be classed with infants, imbeciles, and domestic animals.” –C.S. Lewis
H.816, An act relating to mental health screenings in school-age youth. How about screening teachers and staff ? These “mental health” issues begin somewhere. What contributions are the teachers unloading on impressionable students ?
Because the teachers and staff are ALREADY on SSRI’s.
How about screening our legislators????
Question 11F on ATF Form 4473 asks, “Have you ever been adjudicated mentally defective (which includes a determination by a court, board, commission, or other lawful authority that you are a danger to yourself or to others or are incompetent to manage your own affairs) OR have you ever been committed to a mental institution?”.
The answer to this question could follow a child for the rest of their lives. Why shouldn’t teachers, and staff be subject to the same conditions ? Are their rights more important ?
send the drug dog into the state house//// if i have to take a drug test to drive truck/// they have to take a drug test to make laws///
Re: “School Budgets Outlook.”
The Coalition for Vermont Student Equity is the consummate wolf in sheep’s clothing. It’s one of those 501(C)3 nonprofits specifically designed to support the public- school monopoly and its hangers-on. And its publications, especially this one, are as misleading as anyone can imagine. If there is any truth in the report, it is:
“Please note the FY24 LTW ADM data is provided by the AOE but is fictional, since the formula wasn’t in place.”
Fictional, is an understatement.
In my Westminster school district, the report indicates the following.
Budget – $4,849,731
LTW ADM – 348 students (this is how Act 127 calculations present enrollments)
Equalized Enrollment – 221 PK-6 students (note that this is still and ‘equalized’ calculation)
Cost per student $13,930 for 348 students (do the math – this number should be 13,936 – but I digress)
The point I want to make is that these numbers, and the presentation thereof, are designed to make your hair hurt. Who has the time to check them out? Well, I do.
According to the most recent Agency of Education enrollment numbers, sent to me by our district superintendent, Westminster has 35 PreK students. These are 3, 4 and 5-year-old kids who are part time students. And they are also ‘tuitioned’ to programs other than the Westminster school district. And the cost per student for these kids is approximately $2330 per student.
According to those same Agency of Education enrollment numbers, Westminster has 169 PK thru grade 6 students. So, when we remove the 35 PK students from the equation and remove the $81,550 tuition costs from the PK – 6 budget of $4,849,731, we’re left with a $4,768,181 budget.
So, divide $4,768,181 by 134. That’s a $35,583 annual per student expenditure. How does that compare to the Coalition for Vermont Student Equity calculations. Again, “Please note the FY24 LTW ADM data is provided by the AOE but is fictional…”.
To be fair, the CVSE numbers make an error that makes this differential bigger than it really is. Westminster has 66 7th & 8th graders who are ‘tuitioned’ to alternative public and to alternative public and independent schools. But even when the 7th and 8th grade costs are removed from the budget, the K-6 cost per student is still well over $30 thousand per student.
Even the CVSE can’t keep up with the Agency of Educations nuanced numbers – which should tell you something about how the AOE/CVSE ‘smoke and mirror’ charade works. None of these reports can be trusted.
And never mind the dystopian results from this exorbitant spending. Caveat emptor. Your children’s well-being is at stake, not to mention your pocketbook.
Under a Vermont mental health surveillance system, we should be scared of what will be defined as constituting a mental illness…such as “thinking for one’s self”, an “overly simplistic” understanding of the gender binary and any ideas expressed outside the “progressive worldview”.
And what IS mental health care? Write up a bill that the working class pay for, and DRUG EM!
Oh the drugs aren’t working? MORE DRUGS!
Hi, I have reviewed all the VDC comments for a mental health screening, and an officer will be at your home shortly to confiscate anything dangerous (just kidding, only your guns), and force you to take our drug pills. You have all been diagnosed with ODD.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/oppositional-defiant-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20375831
I’m a lifelong victim of psychiatric overreach. My “condition” has been clinically and legally established as physiological, not “mental illness”. This doesn’t stop petty, corrupt bureaucracy.
Well if you can type a few sentences into a box and click send, you can perform a benefit to society as a good or service that someone else values. At least you have that going for you. I’d suggest reaching out to the office of https://realholisticdoc.com/dr-c-norman-shealy/ for help with your condition if you can save money for a remote consultation. Good luck with your condition. Work hard and don’t give up hope. Try some of the free autogenic training exercises on his website. Your brain has the power to cause an issue, it also has the power to fix the same issue.
There is no shame in having mental health issues and getting treatment for it. If you seek alternative treatment you might want to get in touch with Pathways in Burlington. They provide many support groups and help for people experiencing psychiatric issues.
https://www.pathwaysvermont.org/
I propose mandatory, universal mental health screening for the Vermont Legislature, Administration, Congressional delegation, Judiciary, local elected officials, and candidates for elected positions. Anyone willing to co-sponsor?
🎯🎯🎯
Re:Universal Mental Health Screening for Students.
This should terrify everyone. The quackery of mental health counseling that is proffered as “science” will now be used to forcibly medicate your kids. And no, they will *not* stop at simply giving you the results of the screening or making recommendations. You WILL comply or you WILL lose your kids.
Private-schooled and home-schooled kids are not excluded, either.