Maine DOE Update – December 22, 2023

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

News & Updates

Governor Mills Announces $985,000 in Grants to Recruit, Train and Retain Maine Educators

Governor Janet Mills announced this week that her Administration has awarded six schools a total of $985,000 to recruit, train, and retain educators through pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship pilot programs. Associate Commissioner of Labor Samantha Dina and Associate Commissioner of Education Megan Welter announced the awards during a Zoom press conference. | More

Maine DOE Podcast Highlights Strategies to Support Staff and Student Wellbeing

On the latest episode of her What Holds Us Together podcast, Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin talked with three educators about the strategies they learned through the Maine DOE’s partnership with The Regulated Classroom to improve staff and student wellbeing, increase student engagement, and help with regulation. | More

First 10 Community Schools Request for Applications (RFA # 202312243)

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is accepting applications from school administrative units (SAUs) and Education in the Unorganized Territory (EUT) to be part of a 3-year First 10 Community School pilot project funded through Maine’s Preschool Development Grant. | More

Help Spread the News to Families – MaineCare Eligibility Expanded for Children and Young Adults

Effective October 1, 2023, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has expanded MaineCare eligibility for children and young adults under 21 in Maine to include family incomes up to 300% of the federal poverty level. That translates to an annual salary of about $59,000 for a family of two and $90,000 for a family of four. Additionally, the Maine DHHS eliminated most premiums for children’s coverage, effective March 1, 2023. | More

Apply Today for the 2024 Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative. Applications Due By January 12

Apply Now! Schools and community-based organizations can now apply for the 2024 Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative grants through the Maine Department of Education (DOE). These grants support hands-on, engaging, interdisciplinary outdoor learning and career exploration opportunities that connect students with Maine’s amazing natural environments and landscapes.  | More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

‘Box of Maine’ Connects Old Town Elementary Student with Maine Studies Curriculum Through Their Taste Buds

The fishery on Mill Street in Raymond was swimming with hands-on science in late November as ecology and recently arrived immigrant students from Windham High School (WHS) helped Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) scientists weigh, measure, and spawn Sebago Lake land-locked salmon from Panther Run. | More

Students Practice Real-world Science Through Salmon Spawning with State Biologists

In an effort to introduce students to a more hands-on outdoor learning experience at Upper Kennebec Valley High School, Mr. Davis’s Maine Woodsmen course and Mr. Atwood’s Wildlife Studies course collaborated in spending an entire day in the woods dedicated to exploring skills not otherwise practiced in a classroom. | More

| Submit your Maine School Success Story |

Professional Development, Training, and Events

Two-Day Workshop: Inclusive Teaching Practices and Learning

This event is open to all school personnel. The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is hosting its third training opportunity focused on learning around diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ), and the impact that increasing understanding of DEIJ can have on teaching practices, instructional strategies, and classroom management in every discipline area. | More

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities:

View current Maine Department of Education employment opportunities here

Two-Day Workshop: Inclusive Teaching Practices and Learning

This event is open to all school personnel.

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is hosting its third training opportunity focused on learning around diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ), and the impact that increasing understanding of DEIJ can have on teaching practices, instructional strategies, and classroom management in every discipline area.

Think about the following:

Have you looked at your curriculum and teaching practices with a lens of inclusion?
Are your materials representative of all students and their families?
Are your practices and use of language inclusive of all students and families?
Is there any evidence of diversity, inclusion, equity and justice?

If you answered not sure or no to any of the questions, this training is a great place to start. The 2-day interactive training will focus on understanding foundational concepts in DEIJ, along with reviewing a process to conduct a deep dive into curriculum, instructional strategies, and classroom management processes. Following the 2-day training, we will hold Community of Practice virtual sessions during the school year to reflect on DEIJ implementation in your classroom. Access to technical assistance from our trainers and Maine DOE specialists will also be available during this time.

Dr. Sarah Benes (she, her, hers) will return to lead the training and is our consultant for this initiative. Sarah is an assistant professor at Southern Connecticut State University in health education and physical education. In addition, she is the co-owner of Lighthouse Wellness & Health Education Consulting and the current president of SHAPE America. We are also pleased to have a cadre of Maine physical education and health education teacher leaders co-training for the workshop.

Event Details:

Capital Area Technical Center, Augusta
Wednesday, February 7, and Thursday, February 8
8:00 am-3:00 pm each day
The fee for this training is ONLY $50 (the fee assists with the cost of food). All other expenses are covered by the Maine DOE.

Financial Assistance: There are five-$150 scholarships available to help with substitute pay, mileage and lodging to support attendance. The form to apply for a scholarship is here.

Email susan.berry@maine.gov or carolyn.gross@maine.gov with questions or before registering if using a PO for payment.

Governor Mills Announces $985,000 in Grants to Recruit, Train and Retain Maine Educators

Grant awards to six Maine schools will significantly expand educator apprenticeship opportunities

The initiative, funded in part by Governor Mills’ Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan and unveiled earlier this year, is part of a larger effort by the Mills Administration to connect employers with a skilled workforce and workers with career opportunities.

The awards will be used to train nearly 200 new and existing educators in 12 counties across the state – with a focus on building pathways for multilingual individuals, people with disabilities, and people of color and rural communities to increase representation among Maine’s educator workforce. The six institutions of education receiving awards are:

Brunswick School Department – $105,000
MSAD 1 / RSU #79 – $75,000
RSU #34 – $249,000
Portland Public Schools – $250,000
University of Maine Farmington – $144,000
University of Southern Maine – $162,000

The six schools awarded funds will partner with the Maine Department of Education and the Maine Department of Labor’s Registered Apprenticeship Program to pilot new educator apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs.

“As the daughter of a longtime public school teacher, I understand the deep and lasting impact that teachers have on their students, schools, and communities,” said Governor Janet Mills. “Helping Maine educators advance and grow in their careers is not only good for them, but it is also good for our students and can lead to better outcomes for everyone in the long-term. I am pleased we are putting funds from my Jobs Plan to use to help Maine schools find the teachers they need and support educators on the path to fulfilling careers as they make a difference in the lives of our children.”

Registered apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships are highly effective tools for workers to build their skill set and connect to high-wage careers and for employers to recruit and retain workers.

The Maine Apprenticeship Program currently has 1,382 apprentices and 411 participating businesses, with the program continuing to grow, including more than 30 educator apprentices through two distinct programs funded by the Governor’s Jobs Plan – Gorham School District in partnership with Southern Maine Community College and University of Southern Maine, and Washington County Community College in partnership with MSAD 37.

The initiative expands a program launched last year at Washington County Community College and the Gorham School District. The program was created after the Maine Department of Education last year released its Teach Maine plan, in partnership with educators and stakeholders, to bolster the teacher workforce through innovative recruitment and retention strategies, including programs like apprenticeships. With encouragement from the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor, Maine joined several other states in launching apprenticeships in educator occupations with new programs at Washington County Community College and the Gorham School District.

This expansion of teacher apprenticeship programs is supported by Federal funding, including $375,000 through the Governor’s Jobs Plan.

“The Maine Department of Labor works with employers to fulfill their workforce needs and works to connect Maine’s people to high quality jobs. One way that we do this is through mutually beneficial registered apprenticeships,” said Laura Fortman, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Labor. “Registered Apprenticeship is an excellent training model for schools to use, as it supports those already working in Maine’s schools to advance down the path of becoming a certified teacher, while continuing to earn an income.”

“The Maine Department of Education is committed to ensuring that everyone who wants to become a teacher in Maine has a pathway into the profession and is supported in the classroom. Teacher apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships offer a meaningful pathway to recruit, prepare, and support aspiring educators and we are excited to see these programs expanded across our state,” said Pender Makin, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Education.

The Maine Departments of Labor and Education accepted applications from organizations through September 25, 2023. Fifteen applications were received, and funding was awarded with a focus on increasing representation in the education sector among rural communities, people of color, and multilingual learners.

This investment is the latest by the Mills Administration to strengthen Maine’s workforce and create good-paying jobs in rewarding careers. It builds on the Mills Administration’s commitment to addressing systemic challenges that have constrained Maine’s ability to grow and thrive, with priority focus on investments to grow and develop Maine’s workforce.

This grant funding also builds on the investment of $12.3 million awarded to expand apprenticeship through the Governor’s Jobs Plan and other Federal funds.

Apprentices in Maine who completed their program in the last two years increased their wages, on average, by nearly 40 percent. Nationally, 91 percent of apprentices continue their employment with their apprenticeship sponsoring business once their training is complete.

Maine people or businesses interested in registered apprenticeships can check out videos of apprentices and employers in action, easily find information about how the program works, and use the map to find an apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship near you on the overhauled website: www.maine.gov/apprenticeship.

The Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan is the Governor’s plan, approved by the Legislature, to invest nearly $1 billion in Federal American Rescue Plan funds to improve the lives of Maine people and families, help businesses, create good-paying jobs, and build an economy poised for future prosperity.

Since the Jobs Plan took effect in October 2021, the Mills Administration has delivered direct economic relief to nearly 1,000 Maine small businesses, supported more than 100 infrastructure projects around the state to create jobs and revitalize communities, and invested in workforce programs estimated to offer apprenticeship, career and education advancement, and job training opportunities to 22,000 Maine people.

For more about Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan, visit maine.gov/jobsplan. For more about Maine’s apprenticeship program, please visit here.

‘Box of Maine’ Connects Old Town Elementary Student with Maine Studies Curriculum Through Their Taste Buds

A few years ago 4th grade teacher Todd Rand had an idea to support the Maine Studies Curriculum at Old Town Elementary by bringing a taste of Maine into the classroom. He connected with small business owner, Daniel Finnemore and the Box of Maine Company to supply his students with monthly “Tastes O’Maine” to expand the students’ understanding of the products, businesses, and culture Maine has to offer.

Todd Rand approached the school’s Parent Teacher Club (PTC) to support purchasing a monthly subscription to the Box of Maine for every fourth grader at Old Town Elementary School. The PTC jumped at the opportunity to help bring the Maine Studies Curriculum alive.

Each month Box of Maine ships the boxes filled with a specific item for the students to sample. Todd has worked with the company to feature connected curriculum items to align with the lessons being taught for the month. For example, when the 4th graders celebrated Maine’s birthday in March of 2023, the students were supplied with whoopie pies, Maine’s finest dessert to celebrate the occasion.

The partnership with the Box of Maine has added a new dimension to the celebration of Maine and students are exposed to many new experiences through the monthly boxes.

This story was contributed by Old Town Elementary School. To submit a good news story or idea to the Maine DOE please email Rachel Paling at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

Students Practice Real-world Science Through Salmon Spawning with State Biologists

The students assisted IFW field biologists express eggs from female salmon that were immediately fertilized by the male salmon. They helped to weigh, measure, and return the fish into the Sebago Lake watershed.

The aim of salmon spawning along the shores of Sebago Lake is to support Maine ecology and replenish healthy salmon numbers for fishing purposes. The late chilly November morning provided the students with an essential hands-on adventure, giving them a chance to see ecological purposes and science at work.

“When students graduate from WHS, we hope they are leaving with skills and practices of science that they can carry into any field they enter,” WHS science and ecology teacher, Lindsay Hanson said. “The experience highlighted the importance of asking good scientific questions, analyzing and interpreting data, and constructing explanations in science.”

Hanson continued, stating that students observed these skills being used in a real way. “We were able to listen to the IFW biologists discussing new trends they were seeing in this salmon population and posing new questions they would later investigate using the data they were gathering. Scientific curiosity at work.”

It was also a special treat for the new Maine students from Angola, The Democratic Republic of Congo, and France who all had a chance to connect their learning [of Maine] outside of the classroom setting.

“It provided the opportunity to see how academic language and the content and skills they learn in school are used professionally,” Elizabeth Moran, RSU14’s Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) said.

Moran also said that her students were excited to hold the fish, strip the salmon for fertilization, and help collect data.

“They enjoyed being a part of the actual process of helping to produce the next generation of salmon in Maine,” she said. “This kind of work is authentic and contagious, and it inspires students to learn in a creative and fun way.”

The spawning of salmon from Sebago Lake has been happening for many years and occurs every fall in conjunction with the fish’s natural cycle to swim upstream. In this case Panther Pond from Sebago Lake.

“During the second week of November, we open up the dam on Panther Pond to draw the fish up the river from Sebago Lake,” Stephen Twemblay, IFW Fish Culturalist supervisor said. “Since they can’t get through the dam, the salmon swim up a fish ladder into the fish hatchery. We then separate the male and female fish. Both are differentiated by fin clip class [fins clipped in different areas depending upon the year, denoting the age of salmon]. We do this so we always know how old that fish is to provide the best genetic variable.”

After the eggs are spawned and counted, they are transported to the fish hatchery in Casco where they are incubated through the winter. In the spring, most of the salmon are returned to Sebago Lake to keep up with the demand for fishing. The rest of the eggs are sent to other hatcheries around the State and to other State agencies in the U.S.and Canada as needed.

This real-world experience showed students the various ways science plays a role in our lives.

“I always tell my students that loving science doesn’t mean you need to be a scientist,” Hanson said. “There are environmental lawyers, policymakers, and computer engineers working in science-based companies, etc. Pairing an interest in science with a focus on another sector can be an avenue to explore. It is difficult for students to see how science incorporates into real-life situations or see what careers related to science might look like. Most scientists don’t wear lab coats and it was great to see that scientists also wear Muck boots and go fish.”

This story was provided by Lorraine Glowczak, Director of Community Connections & Storytelling Ambassador for RSU 14. To submit a story or an idea, email Rachel Paling at rachel.paling@maine.gov.