The Maine Department of Education is thrilled to announce that the facilitator candidates for Maine’s Leadership Development Program (Maine LDP) have been selected. The selected facilitator candidates represent the following regions of the state: Washington, Kennebec, Penobscot, Cumberland, Androscoggin, and York counties. The Department is looking forward to highlighting the selected facilitator candidates in August. Maine’s LDP is an initiative designed to build and strengthen instructional leadership skills among Maine’s educational leaders at the school, district, and state levels. In our ongoing efforts to support and foster the educational expertise in Maine, educators who aspire to do the same are invited to take advantage of this high impact opportunity!
In recent weeks, the Department has been contacted by educational leaders interested in participating in the Maine LDP, but not able to commit to serving as future facilitators. In response to this feedback, the Department has made available a limited number of seats for Maine leaders join the cohort. If you are interested in participating in Maine’s LDP and are able to make the one-year commitment, this is your chance to join this exciting professional learning opportunity. Maine’s LDP brings together the Maine DOE’s successful Transformational Leaders’ Network with NISL’s nationally recognized Executive Development Program (EDP).
Maine’s LDP is delivered through a blended learning model and includes study, inquiry, and hands-on activities with practical applications that meet the rigorous expectations for today’s educational leaders. Completion of the program can contribute to credit hours for participants pursuing an advanced degree, or contact hours for re-certification purposes.
Benefits for Maine Schools
- Prepares educational leaders to lead for excellence and equity
- Increases student achievement, fosters a culture of high expectations
- Enhances teacher recruitment, retention, and quality
Program Curriculum
- Nationally researched, evidenced-based, and locally delivered in a cohort model
- Improves the practice of leadership, transforms instruction and student achievement in schools
- Consists of 12 two-day units, delivered in 12 to 15 months
- Bridged with online coursework, readings and job-embedded application of key concepts
Characteristics of Ideal Candidates
- A belief in and commitment to improving instruction and increasing student achievement
- Experience (five years) in a leadership role at the school, district, and/or state level and background as a classroom teacher. Ideal candidates include, but are not limited to, principals, assistant principals, instructional coaches, deans, Title I directors, department leaders, ESEA coordinators, special education directors, English Learner directors, assistant superintendents, instruction and curriculum directors, and superintendents.
- Excellent communications skills; able to effectively facilitate professional development for peers
- Demonstrated skills in mentoring and coaching
- Experience as a successful practitioner—able to translate concepts to actions, theory to practice, and programs to craft
- Able to participate in the entire NISL program and attend all required sessions
- Likely to live and work in Maine for the next five years
The Department encourages experienced educational leaders to consider applying to join the initial cohort of participants for Maine’s LDP. The deadline for participant candidates is August 5, 2019. Please visit http://www.maine.gov/doe/educators/maineldp for more information and email nisledp.doe@maine.gov with any questions. Interviews will be scheduled upon review of submitted applications.