Janette Kirk, David Fisk and Chelsey Fortin have joined Maine DOE as members of the No Child Left Behind Federal Programs Team.
Kirk will serve as the Director for Title IA, which provides funding and support for schools with economically disadvantaged students. In her role, she will oversee the implementation of Title IA and regulation by the No Child Left Behind act of 2011 (NCLB). This includes oversight of programming and funding to schools and providing technical assistance and support for educational practices designed to support schools with high rates of economic disadvantages. This includes practices for effective parental involvement, a key expectation for Title IA programs. She will also work closely with school improvement staff to ensure the effective use of Title IA funding in schools.
Kirk brings a wealth of experience to the position, previously working as an elementary school teacher in England and most recently developing literacy programming for 21st Century Community Learning Centers and other afterschool programs in Ohio. Kirk has a master’s degree with a literacy focus.
For more information about Title IA or technical assistance, contact Maine DOE Title IA Director Janette Kirk at janette.kirk@maine.gov or 624-6707.
Fisk assumes the role of Migrant Education Director and will provide coordination for the Maine Migrant Education program. This federally funded program provides educational support across the state for eligible students and families. In addition to the annual Blueberry Harvest School which provides summer programming for over 100 migrant students, Fisk oversees supports for migrant students attending Maine schools and out of school youth who may have dropped out of school. Fisk’s experiences with migrant educational programming began with his work as a migrant field recruiter for the Maine DOE.
Most recently Fisk has served as the migrant field services director for ESCORT, a highly regarded provider of support services for migrant programs across the country. Fisk holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Maine at Farmington and is progressing towards his master’s at the Muskie School at the University of Southern Maine.
For more information about migrant education or technical assistance, contact Maine DOE Migrant Education Director David Fisk at david.fisk@maine.gov or 624-6722.
Fortin returns to her Maine roots to serve as the Coordinator of Title VI Rural Small School grants. She will also be providing data support for the Title I and Migrant Education programs. Fortin worked for Teach for America as a curriculum specialist training new elementary school educators in Philadelphia. Prior to joining the Maine DOE, she was the Senior Program Manager for Reading Partners, managing literacy intervention programs in underserved elementary schools throughout Washington, D.C.
During her career, Fortin has focused on education as a teacher, nonprofit manager and curriculum specialist. It was her passion for eliminating educational inequity that led her to becoming a Teach for America corps member in Washington, D.C. During her time in the classroom, she had the privilege of working in both elementary and early childhood programs at public charter schools throughout Washington, D.C. She also served on a district-wide task force to develop math and literacy curriculum. Fortin graduated summa cum laude from Liberty University, and earned her Master in Education with a concentration in Curriculum and Instruction from George Mason University. She was a Public Policy and International Affairs Fellow at Princeton University, and a 2013 Princeton AlumniCorps Emerging Leaders Fellow in Washington, D.C.
For more information about Title VI Rural Small School grants or technical assistance, contact Title VI Coordinator Chelsey Fortin at chelsey.a.fortin@maine.gov or 624-6815.