The IAA Principal Hiring Committee has announced three finalists for the IAA principalship. The candidates are Andy Johnson, currently serving as a music teacher at Milton Elementary School; Jessica Ochs, currently serving as a music teacher at Grand Isle School; and Mattie Scheidt, currently serving as Interim Principal at IAA.

All candidates participated in an in-person Staff Forum as well as a Community Forum on March 3rd, which you can see below. In the few weeks, the Hiring Committee will review feedback from the forums and recommend one or two candidates to be interviewed by Superintendent Flanagan who will make a final recommendation to the board.

For questions about the process, please email: iaaprincipalsearch (at) bsdvt (dot) org

Community Forum

Feedback Form

Thank you for participating in our Staff and Community Forums. Please fill out this form to provide feedback.

Meet the Candidates

Andy Johnson
Presently in my 18th year as an arts educator, I am teaching music at Milton Elementary School and have previously taught elementary, middle and high school music in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Vermont, including in Burlington’s Hunt and Edmonds Middle School.  Prior to joining the team at Milton, I taught orchestra in the Madison Metropolitan School District (WI), a city with 42 public schools focused on bringing a rich and diverse arts curriculum to all students.

Deeply invested in equity and culturally responsive teaching, I have worked with educators in and outside the arts to critically develop curriculum and pedagogy that matches students’ needs.  In Madison, I led professional development on Anti-Racist Teaching Practices and Systems of Inequity and Oppression. As a music educator, I bring an active understanding of the National Core Arts Standards, which are integral in IAA’s mission of arts integration.

I actively initiate partnerships to bring the artistic community into the learning experience.  In Madison, I maintained strong relationships with professional arts organizations and university faculty that frequently brought artists, professors, and guest soloists into the classroom.  At IAA, I will continue to build meaningful partnerships that provide students with personal access to great artists.

I search for solutions that are equitable and data- driven. In my current position, I am working with district leadership to improve our MTTS supports, specifically the Educational Support Team (EST), in order to focus on short-term interventions and ensure care-taker involvement.  Poised to lead continuous improvement at IAA, I will seek creative solutions that utilize the arts integration framework to drive social-emotional, artistic, and academic growth.

At home, I relish the joys and challenges of raising two amazing children in partnership with my wife, Mary.  We cook, eat, tell jokes (mine are all puntastic), hike, and mountain bike as a family.  I grew up playing cello, baseball, and exploring the shores of Lake Michigan in my hometown of Milwaukee. 

Jessica Ochs
My name is Jessica Ochs, I have built my career in education over the past 20 years. For these years I have been teaching music, K-6, at Grand Isle School. I believe an educator can most help children by being a consistent person in their lives. This is why I have stayed in one position for an extended period of time. I have loved teaching music yet have discovered that my real passion is helping children be happy, healthy, and successful in school and later on as adults.  This is why I seek to be an administrator.  I believe I can help the most children in this position.  

During my undergraduate years at Keene State College, I obtained my Degree in Technical Theater and Design as well as Music Education.  Through my theater experience I was a technical intern at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in Massachusetts (a world-renowned summer festival for modern dance), I was the lighting designer for Chandler Music Hall, and a summer intern at St. Michael’s College.  I specialize in instrumental and general music. I have a passion for all things creative and I greatly enjoy using my creativity as a pathway to educate children.  The arts connect us all as humans and are instinctive to children.  

In 2010, I obtained my Master’s of Education from Plymouth University.  I finished My Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in School Leadership from Saint Michael’s College in 2018. 

At Grand Isle School, I worked to add leadership responsibilities to my day by becoming the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) coordinator for the building.  I worked with a team of educators to build interventions and goals for students who need extra support beyond initial classroom instruction.  These supports were behavioral and social emotional, in addition to academic.  

I love planning all school activities and events that connect students with their community and school. These foster strong relationships among students, families, and community partners.  

When I’m not at work, I love spending time with my husband and two boys (ages 10 and 8).  We enjoy cooking, gardening, and playing board games together.  Both boys enjoying archery and compete at statewide tournaments.  I have been known to join them on the range from time to time. 

I look forward to meeting all of you!

Mattie Scheidt
My name is Mattie-Jean Scheidt and I am currently the Interim Principal at The Integrated Arts Academy. I have been an educator for the past 24 years and 13 of those years have been with the Burlington School District. I grew up in Franconia NH, which is famous for Franconia Notch and Polly’s Pancake Parlor. I graduated from Appalachian State University for my Bachelors Degree and University of Vermont for Masters of Educational Leadership.

I taught special education for K-2 graders in New York City where I developed my own lessons involving movement and interactive games to enhance the learning of my students.  When I moved to Burlington, I became the Special Education Coordinator for Centerpoint School and then worked as a Behavior Specialist in the Burlington School District.  These positions allowed me to hone my skills working with students affected by trauma and who struggle with emotional regulation. 

After earning my Masters degree, I worked as an Assistant Principal in Essex and Dean of Students at Milton Elementary School in order to gain experience as an administrator. I had the opportunity six years ago to join the Burlington School District Leadership Team and was placed as the Assistant Principal at Lyman C. Hunt Middle School and then as Principal for the past 5 years. While at Hunt Middle School, I co-created with my staff the HMS Philosophy of Teaching and Learning and common understanding of engagement. We worked together to create a block of time that focused on intervention/extension of learning to reduce the amount of times students were being pulled out of primary instruction.

Although I have enjoyed my time at the middle school, I love working with elementary aged students which is why I would like to stay with the IAA community. 

I support the Burlington School District goals, which focus on reducing the disparities and closing the achievement gap with BIPOC students. I have been actively involved in workshops/classes regarding race, LBGTQIA and equity. These workshops have made me examine my own bias and how they could impact my role as a leader of school.

I have lived in Burlington for the past 22 years with my husband, son and daughter. Both of my kids went through the Burlington School District K-12. My daughter was the last class to graduate from the original BHS building in 2020. I have enjoyed being able to commute to my jobs on foot or by bike these past few years and hope to continue to do so in the future. In my free time, I can be found on a mountain either hiking or skiing, spending time with family and friends or playing ice hockey.

Thank you to our Hiring Committee

Please join us in thanking our Hiring Committee for their commitment to this important work! Thank you Stephanie Reid and Christopher Celotto for supporting this team in our HR Office!

Zaharo Adan, IAA parent and BSD multilingual liaison

Kristen Bingel, IAA English Learner Teacher

Bonnie Johnson-Aten, Principal EES (will also serve as our moderator for Staff and Community Forums)

Erin Kranichfeld, IAA Parent (representing the IAA PTO)

Melissa Rose, IAA Elementary Teacher

Emily Titterton, IAA Art Coach

Jody Woos, Community Partner: Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival

On November 2nd, the State of Vermont approved a COVID19 Vaccine for children ages 5-11. In preparation for this announcement, Burlington School District worked with representatives from the Vermont Department of Health to allow our six elementary schools to host school-based vaccination clinics. 

On November 3rd, the healthvermont.gov website opened to parents and began accepting appointments for children to get their first dose of the vaccine. 

Our clinics will be hosted at: 

• Flynn Elementary, November 9th from 11 am to 5 pm
• Sustainability Academy, November 10th from 2-4 pm
• Integrated Arts Academy, November 10th from 9-12 am
• CP Smith, November 12th from 11 am to 5 pm
• Edmunds Elementary, November 17th from 11 am to 5 pm
• Champlain Elementary, November 19th from 11 am to 5 pm

To attend one of these clinics, families should schedule an appointment online. If you have trouble signing up online, you can also try to make an appointment by calling 855-722-7878. 

Finally, we want to let you know that within 24 hours of our school clinics being available, we learned that many spots were already full. If this is the case, you still have options! Please remember, 

• Your child can get a vaccine at ANY available school site that has open spots (you do not have to go to the clinic at your school, or even in your District or county) 
• You may also arrange for your children to be vaccinated at a local pharmacy 
• You can check with your child’s pediatrician’s office. 

Questions about Vaccines for children? The Vermont Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics is hosting a number of webinars between now and December 15:

All events will be from 7pm to 8pm via Zoom on the following dates:

• Monday, November 8th with Leah Costello, M.D. (So. Burlington)
  Click here to join Zoom meeting
• Wednesday, November 10th with Elizabeth Richards, M.D. (Brattleboro)
  Click here to join Zoom meeting
• Tuesday, November 16th with Josh Kantrowitz, M.D. ( St. Johnsbury)
  Click here to join Zoom meeting 
• Thursday, November 18th with Ashley Miller, M.D. ( So. Royalton)
  Click here to join Zoom meeting
• Monday, November 22nd with Colleen Moran, M.D. (Lamoille)
  Click here to join Zoom meeting
• Tuesday, November 30th with Alexandra Bannach, M.D. (Newport)
  Click here to join Zoom meeting
• Thursday, December 2nd with Tracy Tyson, M.D. (St. Albans)
  Click here to join Zoom meeting
• Monday, December 6th with Monica Benjamin, M.D. (Middlebury)
  Click here to join Zoom meeting
• Wednesday, December 8th with Judy Orton, M.D. (Bennington)
  Click here to join Zoom meeting
• Monday, December 13th with Stanley Weinberger, M.D. (Burlington)
  Click here to join Zoom meeting
• Wednesday, December 15th with Sarah Weidhaas, M.D. (Springfield)
  Click here to join Zoom meeting

School districts across Vermont are entering into “Budget Season” and Burlington School District (BSD) is pleased to announce a new budgeting model that will place more control of school budgets in the hands of principals and school communities. The District’s new “Equitable Budgeting and Staffing Model” strives to allocate resources based on student enrollment and need, seeks to build school-based engagement, and creates a new equity allocation for schools to use in efforts to close the opportunity gap. Leaders will share how budgeting will look different this year at a virtual “Equitable Budgeting Kickoff” event on October 4th at 6 PM over Zoom. Changes have also been laid out in a new BSD Budget Development Guide.

“I’m really pleased to be embarking on this new way of thinking about funding schools,” said BSD Superintendent Tom Flanagan. “We’ve spent the last year working with district leaders, teachers, students, and stakeholders on a model that is fair, predictable, equity-focused, and empowering for principals who know their buildings and student needs better than anyone.”

New to the budget process will be the Recognizing Injustice and Seeking Equity (or RISE) Allocation that each school will receive. After determining baseline staff models and resource needs, each school will receive an additional sum of money designed to help schools implement ideas and strategies designed to close the opportunity gap that exists in BSD. RISE Allocations will be based on a weighted pupil formula based, in part, on the Pupil Weighting Factors Report prepared by the Vermont Agency of Education in partnership with the University of Vermont, Rutgers University, and American Institutes for Research. Once funds for schools are determined, school leaders will work with School Advisory Groups to identify focus areas of needs and create proposals to address those needs. 

“This is a great step towards our school district and our community living our values around equity,” said Kevin Robinson, Principal of Integrated Art Academy and a member of the Equitable Budget and Staffing Work Group. “I am excited about the possibilities this will offer principals and community members to have more say in how schools are funded, and how those funds may create more equitable outcomes for students.” 

The public is invited to learn more about this new Equitable Budgeting and Staffing Model at a kickoff event on October 4th at 6 PM virtually over Zoom; the meeting will also be streamed and recorded on the District YouTube channel. 

Visit our Facebook page to RSVP and invite your friends and colleagues. See you there!

If you have a child turning five on or before September 1, 2021, it is time to register them now for Kindergarten!

Registration can only be done online through the district website.  When registering, be careful to choose the correct school year you are registering for.  For example, if you’re registering your kindergartener for 2021, you’ll want to choose 2021/2022. If you have any trouble, please call Kelly McDonald, our central office Administrative Assistant, at (802) 865-5332 between the hours of 8 am and 2 pm M-TH, and until 12pm on Fridays.

To complete registration, you will need:
1) a copy of the child’s birth certificate or other proof of age
2) a copy of their immunization records
3) proof of residency.

QUESTIONS ABOUT KINDERGARTEN AND THE REGISTRATION PROCESS?

Learn about the day in the life of a kindergartener.

In a normal year, we would extend the offer to join us at Kindergarten Information Sessions in your community and at each school, where you could hear from kindergarten teachers, talk to our Afterschool team, connect with our Preschool director, and ask questions of the registration team. Due to Covid-19 Restrictions, we are offering alternatives to learn more about our schools. Starting on February 9, we will be offering pre-recorded and live introductions to the kindergarten experience and to each individual school. The dates for these are shown below. Links will be available on all school websites by Monday. 

Here’s a video with more information about going to Kindergarten.

Virtual Town Halls

• Smith: Tuesday, February 9, 5:00pm
• Edmunds: Wednesday, March 3, 5:30pm
• Sustainability Academy: Tuesday, February 16, 6:00pm
• Integrated Arts Academy: Wednesday, February 17, 5:00pm
• Flynn: Monday, March 8, 5:00pm
• Champlain: Thursday, February 18, 6:30pm

Where possible, we’ve added recordings of past town halls below. Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties, we were not able to capture town halls from all schools. They can also be seen on the BSD Youtube channel.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Champlain Elementary: Champlain’s mission is to provide opportunities for students to achieve their personal best, become responsible and productive citizens, and embrace lifelong learning. Striving for academic excellence in our caring, diverse learning community represents our highest ideal. Champlain’s faculty, families, and community partners plant and harvest together in our school gardens and cook healthy treats in our classrooms with a mobile kitchen. Our students learn in our forest and outdoor classroom, and especially enjoy our annual fall Harvest Fest and community focused events. Located in the South End of Burlington at 800 Pine Street, Champlain serves approximately 260 students K-5. To learn more about upcoming activities and events, visit champlain.bsdvt.org, where you can read the principal’s blog and Champlain’s Family Handbook. Feel free to contact Principal Joe Resteghini at 864-8477 or jrestegh@bsdvt.org, see also the Champlain Community Facebook page to get a sense of community and read the Blue Notes.

C.P. Smith Elementary: C.P. Smith Elementary School is a Grades K-5 school of approximately 260 students located on Ethan Allen Parkway in Burlington’s New North End. Since 1959, we have worked hard to build a learning community that is respectful, responsible, and safe for all who come through our doors. We offer equal amounts of academic rigor and joy in a wide variety of hands-on learning activities. A focus on science, the environment and place-based education engages students in learning using the Ethan Allen Woods, the Community Sailing Center, Star Base, Shelburne Museum, and Shelburne Farms and other exciting venues in our area as extended classrooms. C.P. Smith serves a diverse population of students and strives to make sure each one of our students becomes an inquisitive learner and contributing citizen. We engage parents and guardians as vital partners in the education of their children. To learn more about upcoming activities and events, visit smith.bsdvt.org or contact Principal Len Phelan at 864-8479 or lphelan@bsdvt.org.

Edmunds Elementary: Recognized as an Exemplar School by the State of Vermont for the fifth consecutive year for our achievements in our climate and academics, we work continuously to provide an exciting and engaging school experience that balances developmental needs with academics. When touring EES, you will encounter happy learners as we work to meet students where they are. We are excited about our research based literacy program that is used around the world, that successfully addresses and meets the needs of all young children through sound, sight, motion and stories.  Walking field trips provide our students with ready access to the Flynn, the Fletcher Free Library, the Echo Science Center, UVM, as well as North Beach, Centennial Park, geological formations along the lake and the city center. To learn more about upcoming activities and events, visit the ees.bsdvt.org or contact Principal Bonnie Johnson-Aten at 864-­8473 or bjaten@bsdvt.org

John J. Flynn Elementary: Flynn School is a strong, community-based school where adults, parents and staff consistently focus on meeting the various needs of all students, helping them learn, play and laugh. It is a professional community that partners with a wide range of community organizations to support and enrich student learning. Some examples of our community partnerships include: ECHO Center, VT National Guard Starbase Program, Very Merry Theater, Burlington Community Sailing Center and the Flynn Theater. Located at 1645 North Avenue in the New North End of Burlington, Flynn serves approximately 340 Pre-K through 5th grade students. To learn more about upcomingactivities andevents, visit flynn.bsdvt.org or contact Principal Lashawn Whitmore-Sells at 864-8478 or lsells@bsdvt.org

Integrated Arts Academy (IAA): The mission of the IAA is to explore academic knowledge through intentional art experiences. Our diverse community collaborates and celebrates the world through meaningful learning and creative self-expression as we prepare students for success in the 21st Century. At this magnet school, students are learning through the lens of the four art forms: movement, drama, music and visual arts. IAA core partners include the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, Burlington City Arts and St. Michael’s College. Located at 6 Archibald Street in the Old North End of Burlington, IAA serves approximately 260 students in grades Pre-K-5. To learn more about upcoming activities and events, visit iaa.bsdvt.org or contact Principal Kevin Robinson at 864-8475 or krobinso@bsdvt.org.

Sustainability Academy (SA): The mission of SA is to educate and empower all students to improve the quality of life for all – economically, socially, and environmentally – now and for future generations. At SA, one of BSD’s two magnet schools, students are learning through the lens of sustainability by exploring our diverse society, our local economy, and the environment. We do this through hands-on, place-based and project-based learning. Education for Sustainability comes to life through SA’s learning environment. We use geothermal energy to heat and cool our building and solar panels to power our school! Additionally, at SA we have a thriving school garden that each of our classes use to cultivate fruits, flowers, and vegetables as a part of our curriculum. SA’s core partner is Shelburne Farms, which hosts all SA students for learning trips each school year. Located at 123 North Street in the Old North End of Burlington, SA serves approximately 180 students in grades Pre-K-5. To learn more about upcoming activities and events, visit sa.bsdvt.org or contact Principal Nina Oropeza at 864-8480 or noropeza@bsdvt.org

FREE FAMILY MEAL KITS

Burlington School Food Project is providing free boxes of food for families available at 10 sites throughout the city. Each meal kit is intended to cover breakfast, lunch, supper, and snacks for one child for one week (7 days)! You can pick up food boxes Friday, December 18, Wednesday, December 23rd, and Wednesday, December 30th. You can get one box per child in your household under 19 years of age, and you do not have to have your child with you to pick up food. Please see more information below or contact Doug Davis with any questions. 

Friday, December 18

3:00-4:30 PM BHS Parking, Sustainability Academy, Champlain Elementary 

5:00-6 PM Boys & Girls Club of Burlington

Riverside Apartments 12:30-1 PM (Time is approximate. Contact Boys & Girls Club if you need assistance.)

Salmon Run 12:45- 1:15 PM (Time is approximate. Contact Boys & Girls Club if you need assistance.)

Wednesdays, December 23rd and 30th 

3:00-4:30 PM BHS, Sustainability Academy, Champlain Elementary, Boys & Girls Club (this is a new time for the Club, for break weeks only) 

Bobbin Mill 11:00-11:30 AM

Franklin Square 11:00-11:30  AM

South Meadow 11:45 AM -12:15 PM

Northgate 11:45 AM -12:15 PM

Riverside Apartments 5:30 PM

Salmon Run 6:00 PM

Students to Lead Ceremonies Throughout November and December –
By Autumn Bangor and Russ Elek

 In July, the Burlington School District (BSD) joined the City of Burlington and other community partners in declaring Racism a Public Health Emergency. As part of the announcement, BSD committed to flying the Black Lives Matter flag at all school properties. On Tuesday, September 15, 2020, the Burlington Board of School Commissioners passed a resolution to support this effort and this November and December, all students at all BSD schools, as well as several community partners, will begin the process of raising the flags in small, private ceremonies. The work began on Friday, November 13 when students raised the flag at BHS, CP Smith, and Ira Allen PreSchool.

“The raising of the Black Lives Matter flag symbolically represents the commitments of allyship, anti-racist practices, diversity and inclusion, justice, and equity set forth by Burlington School District,” said Superintendent Tom Flanagan. “This is a great symbol of equity, but it is only a starting point. I’m proud of our principals and teachers who have taken the opportunity to connect these flag-raisings directly to classroom curriculum and learning. By having students involved in the ceremonies and age-appropriate conversations around race and equity, we can ensure that the flags are truly an outward representation of what is happening inside our schools.”

BSD’s Office of Equity has spent the last several months working directly with students, teachers, and administrators to embed anti-racist curriculum and assist schools in raising the flag. They also developed Black Lives Matter FAQ to share with staff and community.

Because each school’s ceremony will be student-led, no two will look alike. Some will feature speeches, readings, or artwork, others will feature students singing or participating in drum circles, and one school will even feature a live performance from A2VT. Though every ceremony will look different, all will be rooted in themes of social justice, anti-racism, and equality. Schools are supplementing the events through classroom activities such as creating Black Lives Matter-themed artwork, crafting anti-racist statements, holding class-wide discussions, and utilizing Restorative Practices techniques such as community circles and one-on-one check-ins.

“We are living in a historic moment of racial reckoning as we watch our country come to terms with its history and present while living within the dual pandemics of racism and Covid-19 and the disproportionate impact on BIPOC communities,” said BSD Director of Equity, Sparks. “Systemic racism and racial injustice have a presence in our everyday lives, continuing to foster fear, trauma, and inequity, while undoubtedly denying our neighbors and fellow community members who are people of color their most fundamental rights. We at BSD strongly denounce racism in all its forms and we are dedicated to examining our practices, policies, and procedures in order to eradicate systemic racism in our school community. We believe Black Lives Matter and stand in solidarity with Black students, faculty, and staff, and we are grateful for the efforts of Burlington High School and Edmunds Middle School students who helped open our eyes and pave the way by working to raise the BLM flag at their schools.”

Sparks noted that student activists have long been asking for racial injustice to be recognized at the BSD. In February 2018, BHS Social Justice Union activists petitioned the BSD School Board to raise the Black Lives Matter flag at BHS, becoming the second school in Vermont and the second school in the nation to do so. The following year, EMS students, with the help of the University of Vermont-supported Youth-led Participatory Action Research group successfully petitioned to raise a BLM flag on the Edmunds campus.

“As our nation grapples with anti-Black violence, we recognize that systemic racism has persisted in our nation for centuries and we acknowledge the part that schools play in ending this plague,” Superintendent Flanagan added. “There is much work to be done and while the flag’s symbolism is important, our solidarity must be backed by actions such as the ones happening in our classrooms today.”

Due to COVID protocols, this year’s ceremonies will be smaller and will not be open to the public. However, many of the ceremonies will be captured through videos and photos and shared through school and District social media and newsletters in the coming weeks. RETN at the Media Factory will also work with the District to create a video showcasing efforts across the District. The public is encouraged to tune into the District’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube accounts to see footage from the events.

Schedule and Locations (Every Wednesday and Friday)