Maine DOE Update – August 21, 2020

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

News & Updates

Mills Administration Announces $25 million in Coronavirus Relief Funds To Support Maine’s Working Parents and School-Aged Children

Governor Mills announced today that her Administration will provide $25 million in federal CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) to support Maine schools in developing and offering day programming for students to supplement in-person instruction. The funding comes as many school districts across Maine are implementing hybrid learning models that incorporate both in-person and remote learning days this fall to protect the health of students and school staff. The funds will support Maine’s working parents find alternative child care on days students learn remotely while ensuring that all Maine children receive nutrition, supervision, and learning support both in and outside of the classroom. | More

Maine Teachers of the Year Association and Maine DOE Create Special “Teacher to Teacher” Back to School Message

The Maine Teachers of the Year Association, in partnership with the Maine Department of Education, has created a special “teacher to teacher” back to school message to help kick off the 2020/2021 school year. | More

Announcing Launch of MOOSE Learning Module Library!

The Maine Department of Education is excited to announce that the MOOSE (Maine Opportunity for Online Sustained Education) Learning Module Library will launch on Tuesday, September 8th, 2020. | More

Special Education Forms Update 08.01.2020

Based on the periodic review and feedback from a stakeholder group of practitioners in the field, the Maine Department of Education’s Office of Special Services has revised two of the required forms for Special Education. Specifically, the IEP form and the Optional Referral form have been revised; all vendors have been notified of these changes. | More

Announcing Maine’s 2019 Presidential Awardees for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching: John Congelosi and Robyn Graziano

The Maine Department of Education is excited to share the announcement from the White House of the 2019 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching (PAEMST). | More

Mother and Son Team Up for Virtual Farm to School Cook-off

When the pandemic closed school buildings abruptly in March, the annual Maine Farm to School Cook-off was put on hold. The cook-off is an annual competition among students and school nutrition staff, featuring Maine grown ingredients, organized by the Maine Child Nutrition office. As an alternative, a virtual Farm to School Cook-off was offered to participating teams to showcase their prepared meals in a virtual format. | More

State Finalists Announced for 2021 Maine Teacher of the Year

Three Maine teachers have been announced as State finalists for the 2021 Maine Teacher of the Year program. The finalists were chosen from the 2020 Maine County Teachers of the Year honored earlier this year during a special virtual ceremony | More

Music Education Provides a Note of Hope for Many Amid COVID 19

As schools head back into session in the midst of a global pandemic, we face a never-ending torrent of restrictions and requirements to keep all people safe while still providing and getting quality education. A well-rounded and comprehensive education consists of many necessary components to keep students engaged and learning. This includes a robust music education programming, a fact that educators alike are well aware. | More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

| Submit your Maine School Success Story |

Professional Development & Training Opportunities

Maine DOE Specialists Offering Virtual Content Specific Office Hours

As educators and schools are preparing for the 2020/2021 school year, Maine Department of Education specialists have begun once again offering regular and on-going virtual office hours in a number of content areas. During these meetings, Department specialists will be available to provide support and guidance regarding distance, hybrid and in-person learning and school supports, as well as to facilitate networking and resource sharing between educators and school staff. | More

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities

View current Maine Department of Education employment opportunities here

Maine DOE Specialists Offering Virtual Content Specific Office Hours

Be sure to check out the Department’s Professional Development Calendar on a regular basis to see what is being offered and when. As the school year goes into full swing there will be many more learning and networking opportunities posted there on a regular basis.

As a reminder, the Department also offers an ever-growing library of recorded webinars and sessions to support educators, school staff, and administrators. The library is organized by topic area and it can be found here.

MEDIA RELEASE: Maine Teachers of the Year Association and Maine DOE Create Special “Teacher to Teacher” Back to School Message

The video message features Maine’s current and legacy Teachers of the Year and County Teachers of the Year. Their message is one of compassion, inspiration, hope, self-care, and unity for teachers across Maine as schools, and educators prepare to welcome back their students in a year like no other.

MEDIA RELEASE: Mills Administration Announces $25 million in Coronavirus Relief Funds To Support Maine’s Working Parents and School-Aged Children

AUGUSTA — Governor Mills announced today that her Administration will provide $25 million in federal CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) to support Maine schools in developing and offering day programming for students to supplement in-person instruction. The funding comes as many school districts across Maine are implementing hybrid learning models that incorporate both in-person and remote learning days this fall to protect the health of students and school staff. The funds will support Maine’s working parents find alternative child care on days students learn remotely while ensuring that all Maine children receive nutrition, supervision, and learning support both in and outside of the classroom.

“As the parent of five now grown daughters I can only imagine how difficult the pandemic has been for working parents trying to balance the demands of their job with their children learning from home or finding child care for when they otherwise would have been at school,” said Governor Mills. “The success of our families and the strength of our economy depends on parents being able to safely return to work. Funding these programs is critical to ensure working parents, especially those on the frontlines of our state’s pandemic response, stay in the workforce while being confident their children are cared for.”

The Department of Education will distribute these funds through December 2020. The program is modeled on the 21st Century Community Learning Centers, which provide support to students across the state. Through a simplified application process, school units may apply for funds towards the initial costs of materials and supplies, facilities expansions, and staffing as they work with community partners to establish day programming. The Department will accept applications through September 4, 2020 and may prioritize available funds based on the district’s number of economically disadvantaged students. The funding comports with a recommendation of the Governor’s Economic Recovery Committee, which highlighted child care as a key stabilization measure for Maine’s economy.

“Now more than ever, Maine schools are critical to the infrastructure of our communities,” said Commissioner of Education Pender Makin. “These funds will assist with the additional structures and supports that students and their families need.”

The funds are the latest effort by the Mills Administration to support Maine families and child care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier today, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announced that it will invest $1 million in existing funding to support well child visits, vaccinations, and dental care for children covered by MaineCare. In July, DHHS announced it would provide $8.4 million from the CRF to more than 1,700 Maine child care providers for the extra costs and challenges of operating during the pandemic. Additionally, DHHS is preparing to issue this month the remaining awards to child care providers as part of $11 million in separate CARES Act funds Maine received through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families’ Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program.

The DHHS Office of Child and Family Services, which licenses child care providers, will provide technical assistance for school units interested in establishing partnerships with afterschool and child care programs in their communities, with applications for emergency licenses when necessary, and assistance with implementing COVID-19 health and safety protocols and best practices.

DOE and DHHS coordinated on this initiative as part of the Administration’s broader collaboration across Departments through Governor Mills’ Children’s Cabinet. The Cabinet continues its work to ensure that Maine children enter Kindergarten prepared to succeed and that Maine youth enter adulthood healthy, connected to the workforce and/or education.

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MEDIA RELEASE: Music Education Provides a Note of Hope for Many Amid COVID 19

“The skills we learn in music lead to experiences that are creative, aesthetic, and uplifting,” said Sandy Barry, Maine Music Educators Association (MMEA) President and Middle School Band Director at Mahoney Middle School in South Portland. “A music classroom embodies the best of 21st century skills, including problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration and interdependent learning.”

Yet on the minds of musicians (and music educators) around the world is the heartbreaking truth that singing and playing wind instruments while near other people is now considered a risk in transmitting COVID-19. While we mourn the absence of live concerts and impromptu choir practice in the halls, or even just singing at the top of our lungs in the car with our friends, music educators are busy trying to orchestrate a very different but essential music education program this school year.

“Preserving access to music education for all of our students during this difficult time is crucial.  As we reimagine music education along with our students, it is important to focus on all that we can do in the music classroom, even though group singing and wind playing looks different right now,” said Ben Potvin, MMEA Past President and Grades 3-5 Classroom Music, Band, and Chorus at Mast Landing School in Freeport (RSU5). “Maine’s music educators are up to the challenge of fostering connections with our students and maintaining safe, high-quality music instruction.”

With hard work and a deep commitment to ensuring quality music instruction continued, Maine’s music teachers took on the challenges posed by COVID-19. “I am in awe of the creative and innovative ways in which our music, and all our visual and performing arts, educators have re-imagined their craft,” said Commissioner of Education, Pender Makin. “Music is one of the core expectations for our schools exactly because it nurtures this kind of flexible problem solving and creativity, skills that are vital for our classrooms and for the 21st century.”

Even when schools had no choice but to deliver remote education in the spring, music educators still found a way to encourage and engage students from home and students blossomed with the opportunity to get more of want they wanted.

“Because I had more time and flexibility in my schedule when we were distance learning, I was able to focus on my own musical goals and develop a more consistent practice routine,” said Delia Harms, a Junior from Massabesic HS in Waterboro who plays the bassoon in the school band, the Portland Youth Wind Ensemble, and the Symphony Orchestra. “I had time to really dig into more challenging music, but also to focus on returning to the basics and developing fundamental skills. Though it was different, every moment that I was able to connect with others about music, through recordings or on zoom, it brought back some of that excitement and connection that music has always created. It has been inspiring to see the resilience and commitment of my musical community that has allowed them to persevere through these difficult circumstances to continue making music.”

For many, the chance to continue having a creative space to practice and learn music through education programming provides solace during an uncertain time.

“Access to music education is incredibly important for a number of reasons, especially now, but the first one that comes to mind is to create a support system for kids” said Colette (Coco) Carrillo, a Junior from Waterville High School who is an active member of the school choral program.” So many people I know see their school’s music programs as a creative outlet and a safe place that they don’t have anywhere else in the school. It offers them an activity that can not only relieve their stress but can also build so many skills for their futures. Whether it’s in person or online, kids in music programs do those activities for a reason. They want to share their passion with friends, learn new material, and improve their skills. Getting rid of those programs or lowering the standard will harm their academic minds as well as their artistic minds.”

Finding a new way to learn during the pandemic has been a challenge for everyone, and the reinvention of how we educate students and how we prioritize what we need to do has provided a valuable lesson in and of itself.

“When schools began to shut down, the music department was arguably hit the hardest, as playing/ singing together does not lend itself to virtual mediums very well due to the fact that digital latency prevents synchronization,” said Tyler Lucca, a Junior from Yarmouth High School who plays the trombone in the school’s honors level Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band, and sings in the honors level Chamber Choir. “This made making music with my peers nearly impossible, at least in the traditional way, and it showed me how important these classes that we took for granted truly are.”

Music education is essential to a robust educational experience and while it may look very different this year, and possibly for years to come, it is more than just another education standard to meet or a lesson plan to fit into the schedule. It’s an emotional state, it’s a way to cope, and for many it’s a vital part of what makes them who they are.

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MEDIA RELEASE: State Finalists Announced for 2021 Maine Teacher of the Year

The Maine Teacher of the Year program honors outstanding teachers who represent the thousands of excellent educators in Maine. Maine’s Teacher of the Year serves as an advocate for the teaching profession, education and students, and represents Maine in the National Teacher of the Year program.

Each educator was nominated by a member of their community for their exemplary service in education and dedication to their students. They were selected by a distinguished panel of teachers, principals, and business community members from a pool of hundreds of other nominated teachers in their communities.

The Maine Department of Education, Educate Maine, Maine State Board of Education and the Maine State Teacher of the Year Association are pleased to announce that Cindy Soule (Cumberland), Alison Babb-Brott (Knox) and Heather Webster (Lincoln) are moving on as 2021 State Finalists.

Please join us in congratulating the 2021 Maine Teacher of the Year finalists.

Cindy Soule

Gerald A. Talbot Community School, Portland
2020 Cumberland County Teacher of the Year

Cindy Soule creates a learning community that disrupts the opportunity gap. For twenty of her twenty-one years of teaching, she has been committed to one of Maine’s most diverse schools, the Gerald E. Talbot Community School, in Portland, Maine. Soule fosters a dynamic learning environment that inspires curiosity and citizenship in her fourth-grade students.

A lifelong resident of Maine, Soule developed an appreciation for the natural world. This passion is evident in her teaching. She grounds learning in real world contexts and encourages students to construct scientific understanding through observation, questioning, and collaborative thinking.  Through inquiry and discourse, Soule empowers students to see themselves as meaningful contributors to their community. This work is recognized by her Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching candidacy.

Soule contributes to a positive culture of collective efficacy where students thrive. To enrich student learning, she partners with community organizations to include Side X Side, the Maine Audubon, and the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance. She serves as a representative on the Portland Schools Literacy Committee, Talbot Leadership Team, Building Steering Committee, RTI Team, and Science Teams. On behalf of students, Soule is a recipient of Portland Education Foundation, TD Banknorth and DonorsChoose grants.

Soule holds a Master of Science in Special Education from the University of Southern Maine and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from the University of Maine at Orono. A 2020 Funds for Teachers Fellow, she looks forward to continued professional discovery and learning.

Alison Babb-Brott

St. George School, St. George
2020 Knox County Teacher of the Year

Alison Babb-Brott is the second grade teacher at St. George School in St. George, Maine, where she has taught since 2016. Babb-Brott is inspired by the power and potential of young students and sets the bar for high expectations, as evidenced by her students’ engagement and achievement. She believes that by teaching students to be the leaders of their classroom and academic careers, they will in turn become leaders of their communities and their world.

Babb-Brott teaches learning expeditions that connect students with authentic, local experiences – like her “Plants and Pollinators” expedition, in which students study local flora and fauna and plant pollinator gardens – and also expose students to global perspectives – like her “Schools and Community” expedition, in which students explore schools around the world to find similarities that connect them and differences that challenge them.

Underlying Babb-Brott’s content delivery is a fierce commitment to the development of her students’ character. Every interaction is designed to teach and support integrous care for student dialogue, classroom culture, and academic achievement.

Babb-Brott graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management. She later received her Master of Education at the University of Massachusetts Boston in 2015.

She returned to teach in Maine as the ocean and her family called her home. On a boat in Penobscot Bay or in the stands at her younger sister’s soccer games, she is happiest surrounded by friends and family.

Heather Webster

Medomak Valley High School, Waldoboro
2020 Lincoln County Teacher of the Year

Heather Webster is an English teacher at Medomak Valley High School in Waldoboro, Maine, where she has just completed her 19th year. Webster is an active teacher-leader who is always focused on improving the school experience for all students; she has served on many and varied committees and particularly enjoys developing student-centered curriculum. She is the co-founder of the school’s student-staffed writing center. She also started Storybook Theater, a community service drama program where high school students bring a book to life for elementary students.

Webster recognizes the importance of relationships and works to establish positive ones both in and out of the classroom. Her classroom motto, from the Apollo 13 mission, is “Failure is not an option,” and she works to provide students with choices and multiple opportunities to demonstrate knowledge, often seeking out or creating, project-based activities to employ in her classroom.

Webster graduated from the University of Maine in 1991, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in English. She later completed the coursework for teaching certification and is currently pursuing a Master of Education in Literacy with a concentration in Writing and the Teaching of Writing at the University of Maine. Family, both nuclear and extended, are of utmost importance to Webster. Her husband, Phil, supports her endeavors, and parenting her 16-year-old son Russell has definitely contributed to making her a better teacher. She loves reading, writing, and scrapbooking, and can often be found on horseback navigating woods trails or circling a show ring.

One of these three teachers will be named the 2021 Maine Teacher of the Year, an honor awarded each year to one teacher in Maine. The announcement will be in October after the final stages of the selection process are complete.

Maine Teacher of the Year is a program of the Maine Department of Education, administered by Educate Maine. For more information, visit http://www.mainetoy.org.

Mother and Son Team Up for Virtual Farm to School Cook-off

Capitalizing on the unique opportunity of being in the same household during the pandemic, Gina and Caleb of Team “Sonday” from RSU 54, playfully named to showcase the mother and son duo, embraced the challenge and created breakfast and lunch videos to showcase the meals they had planned for the cook-off.

Two challenge ingredients were part of the competition, donated by Maine farms and producers, including rolled oats from Maine Grains in Skowhegan and ground beef from Common Hill Farm in Jackson.

The team did a great job showcasing the recipes they used which consisted of a strawberry shortcake smoothie for breakfast (what creative use of rolled oats!), and a Mexican inspired lunch, consisting of a taco mashup bowl and Mexican fruit salad. Check out the videos created by this stellar team.

Thank you, Gina and Caleb, for your dedication to this event and for being an annual participant in our Farm to School Cook-off since School Year 2017. Team Sonday will be awarded a breakfast and lunch plaque, as well as a certificate of appreciation for the longest running team to participate.

Announcing Maine’s 2019 Presidential Awardees for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching: John Congelosi and Robyn Graziano

The Maine Department of Education is excited to share the announcement from the White House of the 2019 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching (PAEMST).

On August 3, 2020, President Donald J. Trump announced the recipients of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST).

Awardees are selected from schools in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the United States territories which includes American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. Nominations and awards are facilitated by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the National Science Foundation.

Presidential award for K-12 teachers

Established in 1983, PAEMST is the highest award given by the U.S. Government to kindergarten through 12th grade teachers of mathematics and science, including computer science.

A panel of distinguished mathematicians, scientists, and educators at the State and National levels assess the applications before recommending nominees to OSTP. Teachers are selected based on their distinction in the classroom and dedication to improving science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.

The announcement was held virtually this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Maine Awardees and state finalists will be recognized by the Maine Department of Education at a later date in the presence of PAEMST alumni and distinguished guests in a semi-formal event.

We are pleased to announce Maine’s 2019 PAEMST awardees:

Science (grades 7-12): John Congelosi

Mathematics (grades 7-12): Robyn Graziano

Please join us in congratulating John and Robyn!

For more information about the PAEMST program, please contact Shari Templeton, shari.templeton@maine.gov, PAEMST Science Coordinator, or Michele Mailhot, michele.mailhot@maine.gov, PAEMST Mathematics Coordinator.

Special Education Forms Update 08.01.2020

A complete list of all forms is available on our website. All changes in the revised forms go into effect on August 1, 2020. Below are the detailed changes to the IEP form and the Optional Referral Form:

Section 3. Considerations C. and Ci. on page 1 were updated to include current language related to English Learners.
Section 7. Related Services on page 4, Behavioral Health Day Treatment was removed from the related services grid. Please see guidance about documenting behavioral services in section 6. Supplementary Aids, services, Modifications and/or Supports of the IEP. The guidance was jointly issued, in March of 2020, by the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) Office of MaineCare Services (OMS).
Section 5. The Academic Performance description was updated to include all children in Part B, ages 3-20.
Section 5. The Functional/Development performance descriptions were updated to include all children in Part B, ages 3-20.
The Optional Referral Form, section J, Recent Academic Achievements was revised to include the grade level benchmarks for the assessments that are considered during a referral.

The updated Procedural Manual is posted on the Office of Special Services website. For more information or assistance, please call Roberta Lucas, Federal Programs Coordinator at 624-6621 or roberta.lucas@maine.gov

DOE Commissioner to Provide Briefing to Legislature

Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin will host a briefing with the legislature, on Friday, August 21, 2020 from 11 am – 12pm.

Recognizing that Maine schools are preparing for, and that some have already begun, their 2020-2021 school year, Commissioner Makin will provide an update on the innovative initiatives that the department has undertaken as part of their continued provision of resources and support for Maine schools, and answer questions.

The update will occur for one hour via Zoom. The link will be provided by respective leadership.

Others who wish to attend may reach out to Karen Kusiak, DOE Director of Legislative Affairs, at karen.kusiak@maine.gov.