The latest edition of the 802 Ed newsletter features news of interest to Vermont educators and parents, including an eye-opening WCAX report that a large Vermont school district has abandoned its electric school buses after the battery of an Ontario school bus produced by the same builder caught on fire.
According to Cleantrucking.com, on January 13, 2025 the Huntsville, Ontario school bus built by Lion Electric of Quebec was packed with students when the driver began to notice problems. He ordered the kids off the bus. No-one was hurt. The bus became fully engulfed afterwards.
Lion Electric of Quebec had filed for bankruptcy in December, 2024.
The 802 Ed newsletter is published monthly by Steven Berbeco. The May issue features these headlines and snippets:
Vouchers, Federal Style. NPR reports on a recent proposal by the federal administration to initiate a nation-wide school voucher system.
Bye, Electric Buses. WCAX investigates why a school district bought electric buses and then decided against using them after all.
“Rushed, Opaque, and Unprofessional.” Seven Days VT sends up a signal flare about how school closings may happen in the future, by focusing on the experience of a community experiencing a cost-cutting measure.
More Inclusivity, Please. The Brattleboro Informer informs us about a school board that has requested AOE include at least one BIPOC member on its Harassment, Hazing and Bullying Prevention Advisory Council.
“Kick in The Gut.” Valley News highlights a Vermont district that is trying to tackle PCB remediation through local funding, in an environment where the state says: “If (schools) want to move forward with the sampling, they can conduct it on their own.”
Science of Reading. Stateline reports on several states that are changing how literacy is taught, in an environment of dropping test scores – including Vermont.