Vermont Edition

Today is the fourth and final installment of our weekly September series, School Stories. Every Tuesday, we've been exploring a different issues impacting education across Vermont. This hour, we're joined by Vermont’s interim Secretary of Education, Zoie Saunders. She was appointed to the position by Governor Phil Scott in April. Before moving to Vermont, she was an administrator for a school district in Florida, and a strategist for a charter school management company.We fielded questions from listeners about their biggest concerns about educating Vermont's kids. Broadcast live on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

Bureaucracy at the federal level is negatively impacting Vermont municipalities damaged by the 2023 floods.

The Middlebury writer is the subject of a new PBS documentary.

Last fall, three young men of Palestinian descent were shot while out for a walk. All three survived, but one, Hisham Awartani, suffered a spinal cord injury and is now paralyzed from the waist down. His mother, Elizabeth Price, shares an update on his health and explains the accessibility modifications their family has made to their Burlington home.Modifying homes to accommodate aids like wheelchairs can be a challenging process in Vermont, where much of the housing stock is older and not ADA-complaint. Edie Perkins, executive director of the Kelly Brush Foundation, became paralyzed from the chest down seven years ago following an accident. She worked with an architect to build an accessible home.Vermont does have a number of legal protections for people with disabilities. Big Hartman, executive director of the Vermont Human Rights Commission, explains how their office handles discrimination complaints, which are often related to housing. Rachel Batterson, director of Vermont Legal Aid’s Housing Discrimination Law Project, outlines the housing rights of people with disabilities.

Suffering a major injury is traumatic, and adjusting to life afterward is a long process. Modifying homes to accommodate aids like wheelchairs can be challenging. Last fall, three young men of Palestinian descent were shot while out for a walk. All three survived, but Hisham Awartani suffered a spinal cord injury and is now paralyzed from the waist down. His mother, Elizabeth Price, shares the modifications made to their Burlington home so he can stay there during holiday breaks. We also hear from Edie Perkins, who was paralyzed from the chest down in a car accident seven years ago. She reflects on how her life has changed and how she’s adapted.Vermont has legal protections for people with disabilities. Big Hartman, executive director of the Vermont Human Rights Commission, explains how their office handles discrimination complaints, often related to housing. Rachel Batterson, director of Vermont Legal Aid’s Housing Discrimination Law Project, also outlines the rights of people with disabilities.Broadcast live on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.Have questions, comments, or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

Should phones be allowed in schools? Some local schools are banning them. We'll hear from a group of 7th and 8th graders from Williston Central School — Ella, Sunny, Ryan, Katherine, Evan, and Olivia — who share their relationships with their smartphones.Seven Days education reporter Alison Novak discusses how Vermont schools are trying to reduce student distractions. Dr. Heidi Schumacher, a pediatrician at the University of Vermont and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Council on School Health, explains the signs of phone addiction that parents should watch for.Eight states have restricted phones in schools. Last session, lawmakers introduced a bill to ban phones in Vermont schools, but opponents argued it would be difficult to enforce. Rep. Angela Arsenault, a Democrat, says she plans to reintroduce a similar bill in the next session.One school in our region has long banned phones: North Country School in Lake Placid, New York, a boarding and day school for grades 4 through 9. Todd Ormiston, the school’s executive director, shares the benefits and challenges of keeping phones out of schools. Broadcast live on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

Vermont’s state government is falling short in its regulation of water quality on farms according the the federal government. The EPA found that state regulators aren’t enforcing the Clean Water Act because they’re not communicating clearly with farmers. Vermont Public's climate and environment reporter Abagael Giles has been following the situation and fills us in on the details. We're joined by David Cash, a regional administrator for the EPA, who oversees the northeast region, Julie Moore, secretary of Vermont’s Agency of Natural Resources, and Jon Groveman with the Vermont Natural Resources Council where he serves as the policy and water program director.Broadcast live on Monday, September 16, 2024, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.Have questions, comments, or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.

Racing pigs, cattle pulls and the storied Larkin dancers — the Tunbridge World's Fair is one of Vermont's most beloved and longest-standing annual traditions.The fair dates back to 1867. Each year tens of thousands of people come to central Vermont for its four-day run. Vermont Edition visited for a live broadcast.

Ethan Allen is a household name in Vermont. His youngest brother Ira has been overlooked by history — until now.Ira Allen played an important role in the founding of Vermont as the 14th state. Born in 1751, he was a land speculator, pamphleteer, politician and revolutionary. He is the subject of a new book by J. Kevin Graffagnino of Essex. "Ira Allen: A Biography," out on Sept. 13 from the Vermont Historical Society, shines new light on Allen and his prominent role in Vermont’s formative decades. Historian and VTDigger journalist Mark Bushnell also joined the show to discuss the oldest known burial ground in the state. The Bennington Centre Cemetery is the final resting place of many notable Vermonters, including Robert Frost, five Vermont governors, and Revolutionary War soldiers.

Today is the second installment in our series School Stories. Every Tuesday in September, we are focusing on issues related to education in Vermont. This week– behavioral issues in the classroom. Our guests today discussed how schools can better strengthen neuro-inclusion, and help staff build closer relationships with students through restorative practices.Annie O’Shaughnessy is the co-founder and co-executive director of the Starling Collaborative, based in Underhill Center. They partner with schools to build stronger communities. She’s also the coordinator of the Holistic Restorative Education Certificate Program at Saint Michael's College in Colchester. Dr. Mel Houser is a Montpelier-based physician and the executive director of All Brains Belong. It’s a nonprofit focused on supporting neuro-inclusion among children and adults. We were also joined this hour by Patrick Lincoln, the dean of students at Hartford Memorial Middle School in White River Junction. Broadcast live on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.Have questions, comments, or tips? Send us a message or check us out on Instagram.