The following Priority Notice requesting participation in a survey on the use of instructional coaches was distributed to all Maine superintendents on Wednesday, Oct. 8.
Dear Superintendents,
As you know, the Maine DOE is committed to ensuring that every learner has the opportunity to be successful. Part of that is ensuring our schools have the resources they need to best support all of their students, including those who are economically disadvantaged.
Recently, Public Law 2013, Chapter 114 established the Commission to Strengthen the Adequacy and Equity of Certain Cost Components of the School Funding Formula. As part of that commission’s work, the Maine Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs has requested a review and revision for including Title I resources in Maine’s Essential Programs and Services formula and adding an instructional coaches component to the formula. Accordingly, the Education Committee has asked the Maine DOE and the Maine Education Policy Research Institute (MEPRI) to compile information about the current use of instructional coaches in our school districts.
Because this information on instructional coaches is not currently available, we are asking superintendents to provide it to us through a short survey, available at http://tinyurl.com/ME-InstCoach. The survey is limited to compiling this information and should take you no more than 15 minutes to complete on behalf of your district. I encourage you to complete it by Friday, Oct. 17 and thank you in advance for your thoughtful participation.
The Department looks forward to compiling this information through the survey, the results of which will inform our work on the school funding formula with the Commission and the Education Committee and help us ensure our schools and students are adequately supported.
For more information about the survey and how it will be used to benefit your district and students, please contact David Silvernail at davids@usm.maine.edu or 780-5297. For technical assistance, please contact James Sloan at MEPRI at jsloan@usm.maine.edu.
Sincerely,
Jim Rier, Commissioner
Maine Department of Education