Maine DOE Update – March 20, 2026
From the Maine Department of Education News & Updates Celebrating ‘Arts in Our Schools’ Month in March Each March, Maine schools fill with music, color, and stories. Families gather for concerts. Hallways become galleries. Stages come alive with student performances. Arts in Our Schools Month, alongside other statewide and national observances—including Maine Youth Art Month,…
Maine DOE Invites Educators to Participate in ‘Roots and Stories: Storytelling through Maine Artifacts,’ Professional Learning Opportunity
As spring arrives across Maine, bringing longer days and renewed energy to classrooms, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Office of Teaching and Learning is inviting educators to participate in a new professional learning opportunity focused on multi-genre storytelling, literacy, and the rich histories of local communities. Roots and Stories: Storytelling through Maine Artifacts is…
Maine DOE Seeking Outdoor Learning Stories for National Environmental Education Week, April 20-24, 2026
The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is seeking outdoor learning stories from educators, administrators, and school staff to share during National Environmental Education Week from April 20-24, 2026. Have you used the great outdoors as a classroom for your students recently? Have your students engaged with nature as part of their learning? Whether you and…
STEAM PowerED Maine Ignites Creative Collaboration at Augusta Kickoff
What happens when creativity becomes the driving force of professional learning? That question sparked the inspiration behind STEAM PowerED Maine, a dynamic partnership between the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Office of Teaching and Learning and Creative Generation. STEAM PowerED Maine reimagines interdisciplinary teaching and learning by inviting educators to see themselves first as creative…
High School Junior Brings Real-World Leadership to Agriculture Program at Sanford Regional Technical Center
When Sanford Regional Technical Center (SRTC) agriculture instructor Jennifer Coverdale wants to contact AHN Landscaping, the response usually comes from her own student, Noelle Dennis. Dennis is a junior in SRTC’s agriculture program and, by most measures, a full business partner in her family’s landscaping company. “She’s basically her dad’s business partner,” Coverdale said. “I…
Maine DOE Launches ‘Building Strong Foundations: Early Numeracy’ Professional Learning Series with Focus on Play and Outdoor Learning
On February 27, 2026, approximately 20 educators gathered at the University of Maine at Machias for part of a new professional learning series, “Building Strong Foundations: Early Numeracy.” This initiative, presented by the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Office of Teaching and Learning, in partnership with the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance (MMSA), is designed…
Redesigning the Path, Not the Standards: Innovation in Kennebunk High School’s Alternative Education Program
KHS Alternative Education Program students gather with their teachers, Jacqui Holmes (far left) and Edward Sharood (far right), for a group picture. At first glance, the Alternative Education Program at Kennebunk High School (KHS) might look different from the traditional high school classroom. Students may be weatherizing a historic barn, building the foundation for their…
School Safety and Transportation Professionals Convene in Rockport for 2026 Maine School Safety and Transportation Conference
From March 9-11, 2026, school safety and transportation professionals from across Maine gathered at the Samoset Resort in Rockport for the annual Maine School Safety and Transportation Conference, hosted by the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Maine School Safety Center (MSSC). The three-day event brought together school administrators, transportation directors, school resource officers, and law…
Celebrating ‘Arts in Our Schools’ Month in March
This article was written by Maine Department of Education (DOE) Arts Integration Teacher Leader Fellow Joshua Chard, who currently teaches second grade in Portland and is the 2024 Maine Teacher of the Year. Each March, Maine schools fill with music, color, and stories. Families gather for concerts. Hallways become galleries. Stages come alive with student…
Reminder: Register Now for the Maine DOE 2026 ‘For ME’ Instructional Programs Summer Training Opportunities
During the summer of 2026, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) will once again offer comprehensive training on the use of its For ME instructional programs. The Maine DOE has adapted and piloted these programs for early elementary grades (pre-K through grade 2), based on the Boston Public Schools’ evidence-based Focus Curriculum. These open-source, developmentally appropriate programs…
Maine DOE Newsroom 