Maine DOE Update – October 14, 2022

From the Maine Department of Education


Reporting Items

DUE DATE CHANGE: Attendance and Truancy

The Attendance and Truancy reports are now due on October 30, 2022. For reporting guides for these reports please see the Fall Reporting instructions and for more information please see the Webinars and Presentations on the Helpdesk website. |  More

Annual Audit Requirements Reminder

Annual Audit Reports Due December 30th. Annual audit reports are due within six months after the end of the audit period (e.g., reports for the fiscal year ending June 30th are due on or before December 30th). In accordance with Title 20-A, §6051.. |  More

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |


News & Updates

Casco Bay High School Teacher Matthew Bernstein Named 2023 Maine Teacher of the Year

In a surprise ceremony held at Casco Bay High School in Portland, the Maine Department of Education and Educate Maine named ninth grade Humanities and Social Studies teacher Matthew Bernstein as Maine’s 2023 Teacher of the Year while students and colleagues at the school congratulated and honored his tremendous impact on his students and dedication to teaching. |  More

Things Are Falling Into Place In Public Pre-K Expansion Classrooms

Autumn has arrived bringing crisp air and beautiful foliage. As the colorful leaves drift down, things are falling into place in Pre-K expansion classrooms across ten Maine school districts. This fall 17 new classrooms opened and five others moved from part day to full day programming through a grant offered by the Maine Department of Education. Funded through the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan, the grant expands access to high-quality Pre-K programming and provides relief to families struggling to find childcare. |  More

Maine PBIS Brief Published in the National Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

Maine PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) state leaders recently published this brief in the national Center on PBIS with a focus on developing systems of support in rural school settings. |  More

Student Mental Health Support Modules

The Maine Department of Education’s SEL4ME platform is now hosting over 100 free, PK-12th grade modules focused specifically on supporting student mental health and wellness. While schools and districts are faced with significant educational and developmental priorities for many children and students associated with the pandemic, there is a need for balanced programming that supports learning, while also supporting their social, emotional, and behavioral adjustment. |  More

Maine DOE and Lives in the Balance: Collaboration to Reduce Restraint and Seclusion

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is partnering with Lives in the Balance, a Maine founded and nationally renowned organization that uses evidence based practice approaches to support schools seeking to reduce their use of Restraint and Seclusion. |  More

Toileting Support Resources for Schools

Frequent inquiries from the field about how to support children who need toileting support has prompted the creation of this resource document for schools. Ultimately, a public school district cannot refuse to enroll or serve a child who has toileting needs, nor should there be any punishment associated with soiling, wetting, or not using the toilet. Each School Administrative Unit (SAU) is encouraged to adopt sanitation and hygiene procedures for assisting with toileting and/or diapering that adequately protect the health and safety of all children and staff. The determination of which school personnel within a school setting can be asked to assist with toilet training/toileting support is a local employment and collective bargaining matter. |  More

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) describes dyslexia as a brain-based learning disability that specifically impairs a person’s ability to read. Other definitions (e.g., First Step Act – § 3635; International Dyslexia Association; Mayo Clinic) describe dyslexia in a similar way. The reading impairments associated with dyslexia are also unexpected in that individuals with dyslexia typically demonstrate otherwise typical intellectual functioning and developmental growth. |  More  


Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

| Submit your Maine School Success Story |


Professional Development & Training Opportunities

Free Virtual On-Demand Financial Education Training for Maine Educators

The Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) and the Center for Financial Literacy at Champlain College, in partnership with the Maine Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy and its sponsors, the Office of the Maine State Treasurer, and Next Gen Personal Finance (NGPF), is offering free online and on-demand training for Maine teachers. |  More

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |


Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities:

View current Maine Department of Education employment opportunities here