A NEO facilities training has been rescheduled to Feb. 12 due a snowstorm this week.
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Month: January 2015
Requirements change for bus driver physicals
The Maine DOE has updated its physical form for bus drivers, which can be found here on the Department’s website along with instructions.
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Maine students invited to share vision in digital storytelling challenge
Maine schools are invited to enter a free digital storytelling competition that asks students to share their visions for the future.
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Maine DOE Monthly – January 28, 2015
Welcome to the January issue of the Maine DOE Monthly, which provides a recap of some of the month’s most important updates from the Department.
It’s been a busy start to 2015 here at the Maine DOE. With the administration window for the new Maine Educational Assessment for Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy developed by Smarter Balanced opening soon, we continue to release resources to ensure students and schools are prepared for success including practice and training tests and this video of our recent regional assessment administration workshops. We also announced our proposal to improve how Maine’s public charter schools are funded, shared the final report of the so-called EPS Commission and passed along new resources to support the local development of educator evaluation systems.
As we work toward ensuring there is a great teacher in every Maine classroom, it’s important to recognize the effective educators in our schools who are working tirelessly every day to help students reach their full potential. Last week the Department announced that through Feb. 20, Mainers can submit online nominations for the 2016 Maine Teacher of the Year. Last year we received a record number of nominations (nearly 400) and we hope to surpass that this year.
Finally this month, we welcomed educator, author and former Governor LePage Senior Policy Advisor Tom Desjardin as our new Acting Commissioner and veteran educator and Auburn School Department Multiple Pathways Director Mike Muir as our new Learning Through Technology Team Director.
Read on for a roundup of other recent updates from the Department and as always, stay tuned to our Newsroom and weekly Commissioner’s Updates for the latest news you can use from the Maine DOE.
Dispatches & Press Releases
Nominations sought for 2016 Maine Teacher of the Year
Members of the public can enter educators who demonstrate a commitment to excellence and nurturing the achievement of all students at www.mainetoy.org through Feb. 20. | More
LePage Administration proposes public charter school funding fix
The LePage Administration is proposing legislation that would have the Maine DOE make monthly payments directly to approved public charter schools starting in FY16, the same way the Department has long distributed funds to traditional public school districts. | More
EPS Commission releases final report
The Commission to Strengthen the Adequacy and Equity of Certain Cost Components of the School Funding Formula has released its final report. | More
Tom Desjardin named Acting Education Commissioner
Tom Desjardin has been appointed by Governor Paul R. LePage as Acting Education Commissioner. An 11th generation Mainer and a graduate of Edward Little High School, he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Florida State University and has a Ph.D. in U.S. History from the University of Maine at Orono. | More
Mike Muir joins Maine DOE as Learning Through Technology Team Director
The Maine DOE has selected one of the state’s leading learning technology integrators and a 30-year veteran educator to head its Learning Through Technology Team, which administers the groundbreaking 1:1 Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI). | More
Department releases new online resources to support spring MEA administration
The Maine DOE continues to support schools as they prepare for a successful spring administration of the new online Maine Educational Assessment for Mathematics and English Language Arts/Literacy and has recently added new resources to its website. | More
Smarter Balanced practice, training tests now available
Smarter Balanced practice and training tests are now available to help schools better prepare students for the statewide spring assessment. | More
Maine DOE releases new educator effectiveness resources
The Maine DOE is releasing additional new resources to support the development and implementation of Performance Evaluation and Professional Growth (PEPG) systems. The new resources build upon those released last month and include Leader Evaluation and Professional Growth (LEPG) modules and a presentation specifically for special educators. | More
Maine DOE adopts rules to strengthen public preschool programs
Rule Chapter 124: Basic Approval Standards: Public Preschool Programs has been formally adopted by the Department of Education and took effect Dec. 28. | More
Maine to develop plan to ensure equitable access to effective educators
The Maine DOE is continuing its work to ensure an effective teacher in every classroom and an effective leader in every school. In the coming months, the Department will engage stakeholders in conversations to inform the development of a four to seven year state plan to provide all students with effective educators. | More
More
Commissioner’s Update – January 22, 2015
From the Maine Department of Education
The Maine DOE has selected one of the state’s leading learning technology integrators and a 30-year veteran educator to head its Learning Through Technology Team, which administers the groundbreaking 1:1 Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI).
Dr. Mike Muir, who now serves as the Multiple Pathways Director for the Auburn School Department, will join the Maine DOE starting Jan. 26. In his current role in Auburn, Muir supported the district’s large scale school change initiatives, including customized, performance-based learning; shared leadership teams; proficiency-based professional development; and one of the first 1:1 primary grades iPad initiatives.
Prior to his tenure in Auburn, he worked as a mathematics teacher in Winslow and Skowhegan, and later as a practicum supervisor and professor of middle grades education and educational technology at the University of Maine at Farmington.
While this is the first time Muir has worked for the Maine DOE, he has long been an advocate of MLTI and a leader in integrating technology provided by the State into the classroom to improving teaching and learning.
Notices and Reporting
- Annual Certification of Superintendent, due Jan. 31 (Reminder)
More Notices | Administrative Letters | Reporting Calendar
News & Views
Nominations sought for 2016 Maine Teacher of the Year
Members of the public can enter educators who demonstrate a commitment to excellence and nurturing the achievement of all students at www.mainetoy.org through Feb. 20. | More
LePage Administration proposes public charter school funding fix
The LePage Administration is proposing legislation that would have the Maine DOE make monthly payments directly to approved public charter schools starting in FY16, the same way the Department has long distributed funds to traditional public school districts. | More
Schoolwide Plan due, Department schedules guidance webinar
The Maine DOE is hosting a webinar next month to provide guidance to Title I schools as they complete their Schoolwide Plan, which now must be submitted to the Department. | More
Maine FFA students discover Agricultural Trades Show
Student leaders from the Maine FFA Association (formerly known as “Future Farmers of America”) traveled to the 74th annual Maine Agricultural Trades Show at the Augusta Civic Center last week. | More
Maine teachers invited to apply for STEM scholarship
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Alumni Club of Maine is inviting Maine middle school and high school science and engineering teachers to apply for Club scholarships to the MIT Science and Engineering Program for Teachers (SEPT). | More
More Dispatches | Press Releases | From the Commissioner
LATEST DOE Career/Project Opportunities
Mike Muir joins Maine DOE as Learning Through Technology Director
The Maine DOE has selected one of the state’s leading learning technology integrators and a 30-year veteran educator to head its Learning Through Technology Team, which administers the groundbreaking 1:1 Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI). Continue reading “Mike Muir joins Maine DOE as Learning Through Technology Director”
LePage Administration proposes public charter school funding fix
The LePage Administration is proposing legislation that would have the Maine DOE make monthly payments directly to approved public charter schools starting in FY16, the same way the Department has long distributed funds to traditional public school districts. Currently, districts that lose students to public charter schools are billed directly by the receiving charter school.
Continue reading “LePage Administration proposes public charter school funding fix”
Schoolwide Plan due, Department schedules webinar
The Maine DOE is hosting a webinar next month to provide guidance to Title I schools as they complete their Schoolwide Plan, which now must be submitted to the Department.
Continue reading “Schoolwide Plan due, Department schedules webinar”
Maine FFA students discover Agricultural Trades Show
Left to right: Representative Anthony J. Edgecomb, Maine House District 148 (Fort Fairfield), Carly Grass, Maine FFA Vice President, Tyler Raymond, Maine FFA Reporter-Sentinel, Jordan Canney, Maine FFA Secretary-Treasurer, Whitnie Bradbury, Maine FFA President, Senator Peter Edgecomb, Maine Senate District 1 (Caribou)
Student leaders from the Maine FFA Association (formerly known as “Future Farmers of America”) traveled to the 74th annual Maine Agricultural Trades Show at the Augusta Civic Center last week to visit with representatives of organizations and companies involved in agriculture and natural resources and to update them on the status of Maine FFA, which currently has more than 500 members in 16 chapters across the state.
Continue reading “Maine FFA students discover Agricultural Trades Show”
Maine teachers invited to apply for STEM scholarship
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Alumni Club of Maine is inviting Maine middle school and high school science and engineering teachers to apply for Club scholarships to the MIT Science and Engineering Program for Teachers (SEPT) which will be held June 21-27.
Continue reading “Maine teachers invited to apply for STEM scholarship”
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