Agency of Education completes educator equity plan

The Vermont Agency of Education has completed a draft plan that responds to inequities in access to quality educators in high-poverty areas, the agency announced this week.

The report is part of a federal effort to ensure access to high-quality educators for all students. The U.S. Department of Education requires that all states examine the extent to which schools that serve students from historically underserved communities (poor and minority communities) have the same access to quality educators as schools with greater privilege (wealthy and low-minority populations).

The proposal outlines a few key areas Vermont will work on to address the higher rates of first-year teachers in rural, high-poverty schools.

Four strategies have been identified to address the root causes of turnover in the high-poverty, rural schools, including research into the experiences of first-year teachers; promoting effective hiring practices; improving professional opportunities; and improving work conditions in high-poverty schools.

Meetings were held in seven locations across Vermont to gather input. Deputy secretary Amy Fowler said the meetings attracted scant participation, but those who turned out brought valuable insight.

“We didn’t hear from a lot of people that were out in the field, but the people who did come were amazing in giving us their opinions and insight, it will definitely shape the policy,” Fowler said.

The agency shared data with participants that shows the percent of first-year teachers, turnover, numbers of sick days and average teacher salary across the state.

Students “have twice as much exposure” to first year teachers in high poverty schools.

The overall rate of new teachers is 4.5 percent, said Fowler. Six percent of teachers at high poverty schools are first-year educators. For wealthier school districts the percentage is 3 percent.

Most other states have an average of 5 percent to 8 percent first-year teachers, Fowler said.

Although Vermont is doing well in terms of where its numbers fall in the report, Fowler said, “we are still required to have this plan. We’ve asked the communities, first, does it constitute a problem for you, and second, what should we do about it?” she said of the percentage of first-year teachers.

Rural lifestyles are not a good fit for all teachers, and that contributes to some of the percentages of turnover and where first-year teacher ratios are higher. Teachers are attracted to the I-89 corridor, which is considered more geographically attractive for its access to Burlington, as well as higher salaries, Fowler said.

Finding the best matches in hiring practices is one of the strategies proposed in the plan.

New teachers are not always seen as a negative, Fowler said, as input gathered during the community meetings found.

“In the southern part of the state, they told us they were grateful for their new teachers, and they love their first-year teachers,” she said.

The agency was told that the new teachers were infusing schools with vitality, and the agency was urged “don’t do anything,” she said. “They said, ‘this is great, they are bringing great new thinking to our communities.’ It was a really interesting experience to travel the state and gather viewpoints.”

The meetings the agency conducted were held in Rutland, Burlington, Orleans, Bellows Falls, Barre, Bennington and Swanton.

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