As part of a federal requirement, the Maine Department of Education will submit to the U.S. Department of Education (U.S. DOE) the Maine teacher shortage areas for designation for the 2018-19 school year.
The U.S. DOE annually designates teacher shortage areas for purposes of deferment of loan repayments or reductions of teaching obligation under the following student loan programs:
- Targeted teacher deferment for borrowers under the Family Federal Education Loan (FFEL) Program and the Federal Supplemental Loans for Students (SLS) programs [34 CFR 682.210(q)];
- Cancellation of up to 100 percent of their debt under the Federal Perkins Loan Program [34 CFR 674.53(c)] for full-time teachers in field of expertise; and
- Fulfillment of the teaching obligation for recipients under the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program (34 CFR 686).
The Department intends to propose to the U.S. DOE the following as K-12 teacher shortage areas during the 2018-19 school year for the entire State of Maine:
- CTE (Food Production Manager, Electrician, Law Enforcement, Computer Info Services, Small Engine Repair, Child Care-Guidance)
- Gifted/Talented
- Early Childhood (0-5)
- Health
- Early Elementary (K-3)
- Spanish
- Special Education (Disabled Students 0-12 and Severely Impaired K-12)
- Literary Specialist
- Social Studies
- Physical Education
- Computer Technology
For more information on this matter or to share or suggest any additional shortage areas contact the Maine DOE before April 20, 2018 by email at commish.doe@maine.gov.