The Maine Department of Education provides leadership and support to educators and families in preparing all Maine students for success in college, careers and civic life.
The Maine DOE Newsroom highlights the work of Maine schools and the Department of Education.
June is LGBTQ Pride Month and the Maine Department of Education (DOE) has a robust collection of resources devoted to supporting LGBTQ+ students in Maine and fostering a positive school climate.
The resources were put together through a collaborative partnership between Maine DOE, OUT Maine, and GLAD (GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders) in an effort to provide meaningful resources and information to schools to give them the tools to support not only their LGBTQ+ students but families and school staff as well. The Maine DOE is committed to ensuring Maine schools are safe and welcoming environments for all students.
The website includes data about Maine’s LGBTQ+ youth, the Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (MIYHS) data, teaching resources, and other vital tools for Maine schools to ensure equity for LGBTQ+ identifying students and meaningfully celebrate Pride Month. There are also additional resources specifically for students and parents.
The website of resources can be accessed here: LGBTQ+ Resources.
End of school year reports are open for review and certification. All reports must be reviewed by district personnel and superintendents are required to certify all reports. The following reports are open for review and certification. Maine School Approval – Due: Mid Summer ESEA Demographics – Due: June 15th Bullying – Due: June 30th Behavior … | More
Join the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Data Team and the Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education (OSSIE) for an interactive webinar about the special education exit report. | More
| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |
June is LGBTQ Pride Month and the Maine Department of Education (DOE) has a robust collection of resources devoted to supporting LGBTQ+ students in Maine and fostering a positive school climate. | More
What do you get when you combine a nutrition program, a historical society, and a middle school ELA/Social Studies class? A four-course Civil War meal of course! In March, a group of middle school students from the South Bristol School came to … | More
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The Maine Department of Education is proud to partner with Jobs for Maine Grads (JMG) on the Second Annual Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) Conference. This is a 2-night, 3-day intensive designed to equip educators with the skills and facilitated planning time to build or expand quality ELO programming for Maine students. Come and go as needed. | More
Save the Date for Maine’s 2023 Statewide Early Childhood Education Conference! The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is proud to collaborate with the Maine Association for the Education of Young Children to provide this professional learning opportunity geared to educators working across the birth to grade 3 spans. This year’s conference has an incredible lineup …| More
The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Safe and Supportive Schools and its Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center will host a Webinar on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET. This Webinar will highlight the role of special educators …
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View current Maine Department of Education employment opportunities here
June is Youth Employment Month! The Maine DOE is excited to share the Maine Department of Labor’s resources to ensure that school staff, counselors, and teachers have what they need to empower their students as they enter the world of work and ensure that students and their families know their rights and available resources.
Employers in Maine and throughout the country are increasingly challenged to find employees and are relying more heavily on younger workers to meet that need. Applications for minor work permits increased by nearly 75% between 2017 and 2022. With this increase in youth hiring, violations of child labor law and workplace injuries have also been on the rise in Maine.
The Maine Department of Labor wants to work with employers and young job seekers to ensure students know their rights and are safe and healthy both in the workplace and in school. School staff can help with this, as well by sharing resources that can help prepare students to navigate the world of work.
A new resource webpage has been created with relevant information for schools, students, and their families: https://www.maine.gov/labor/schoolresources/
The Department of Labor is also happy to come present to school staff or students, on any of these topics. If interested, please contact the Maine Department of Labor at 207-623-7900 or www.maine.gov/labor/contact.
The Maine Department of Education is proud to partner with Jobs for Maine Grads (JMG) on the Second Annual Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) Conference. This is a 2-night, 3-day intensive designed to equip educators with the skills and facilitated planning time to build or expand quality ELO programming for Maine students. Come and go as needed.
August 14-16
University of Maine at Orono
Session Leaders from all over Maine and New Hampshire will focus on topics such as:
For more information and contacts visit: https://jmg.org/extended-learning-opportunities
(Pictured: South Bristol students with the Farms at the Y director, Leslie Wicks)
What do you get when you combine a nutrition program, a historical society, and a middle school ELA/Social Studies class? A four-course Civil War meal of course! In March, a group of middle school students from the South Bristol School came to the Central Lincoln County YMCA to cook a Civil War meal. Volunteers from the Lincoln County Historical Association came to help students chop and cook, as well as share interesting historical facts. This was part of a Civil War unit that teacher Kayla Wright and her students were learning about.
On this particular afternoon, the students huddled around the kitchen island as Leslie Wicks, the FARMS at the Y director, explained the four recipes the students would be working on. The students would be cooking navy bean soup, vegetable hash, fried apples, and gingerbread. Before sending them off, Leslie talked about cooking safety and techniques and the differences between cooking at home and cooking in a commercial kitchen. For example, there would be a lot more hand washing involved. Louise from the historical society explained why these recipes were appropriate for that time. In fact, the gingerbread didn’t have any ginger in it!
In short order, the students were chopping, stirring, and whisking their way to a meal that people during the Civil War might have eaten. Historical society volunteers were there to guide students and to talk to them about what life might have looked like in the mid-1800s. To wrap the class up, the teams set tables and everyone sat down to enjoy their well-cooked meal. Gauging from the empty plates, their fellow students did a great job cooking the meal. The class was an example of the power of interdisciplinary experiences since the students learned about history, literacy, math, career readiness, and health.
The FARMS at the Y program provides nutrition education with a focus on nutrient-dense, Maine-grown vegetables with the aim to broaden program access and reach through expanded collaboration with local public schools and local farmers. They offer hands-on experiences for people of all ages in cooking, gardening, and a passion for healthier living. The hands-on food programs developed by FARMS at the Y have reached students in every grade from childcare to K-8 public & private schools in Lincoln County. Currently, this program serves all 3rd (and some 4th) graders in the AOS93 district and is free to schools through grant funding. In addition to working with school groups, the FARMS staff also provides professional development workshops for teachers. For more about the FARMS at the Y program, contact Leslie Wicks at lwicks@clcymca.org
The Maine DOE encourages all schools and districts across the State of Maine to learn more about interdisciplinary instruction on our website or by contacting our Interdisciplinary Instruction Team Coordinator at Kathy.bertini@maine.gov
