From the Maine Department of Education
Reporting Items
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News & Updates
Media Release: Maine DOE Launches New Podcast Highlighting Voices From Maine Schools
The Maine Department of Education (DOE) launched a new podcast today hosted by Commissioner Pender Makin featuring conversations with educators, school staff, and students. The monthly podcast, What Holds Us Together, highlights the great things happening in public schools across Maine and how public education connects us. | More
Resources for Educators for Talking with Students About the Conflict Between Israel and Hamas
School leaders, teachers, and staff are often tasked with helping our students and their families grapple with what’s happening in the news. The Maine Department of Education (DOE) has compiled the following list of resources to assist educators in helping students process the violence, terror, and news coming from the Middle East. | More
Funding Survey: Estimated Pre-K Enrollment Counts for New or Expanding Programs in 2024-2025
If your School Administrative Unit (SAU) is opening or expanding a Pre-K program in the 2024-2025 school year, you are eligible to receive funding on your FY25 ED279 for children you enroll in these new or expanded Pre-K programs in 2024. This means you will receive the funding for enrollment in the same year that you enroll the Pre-K children, without a year delay. | More
PUBLIC COMMENT: Filing of Targeted Revisions to Rule Chapter 101: Maine Unified Special Education Rule (MUSER)
Public Law 2023, Chapter 450 amends 20-A MRSA §7001, 7002, 7258, and 8305 to amend the upper age limit to under 22 years of age, changes hearing impairment to deafness, including hearing loss, changes serious emotional disturbance to emotional disability, and changes deafness and blindness to deaf-blindness. Public Law 2023, Chapter 450 also amends outdated language by changing the term pupil evaluation to individualized education program. These changes are now reflected in the revised MUSER. | More
PUBLIC COMMENT: Filing of Targeted Revisions to Rule Chapter 64: Maine School Facilities Program and School Revolving Renovation Fund
As a result of the First Special Session of the 131st Maine Legislature, Resolves 2023, Chapter 44, “Resolve, Directing the Department of Education and the Maine Municipal Bond Bank to Amend Their Rules Regarding the Maine School Facilities Finance Program and the School Revolving Renovation Fund” effective October 25, 2023 directs the Maine Department of Education (DOE) and the Maine Municipal Bond Bank to amend their rules to require: (1) that the maximum total loans from the fund for repair, renovation, and improvement projects for Priority One, Priority Two, Priority Three, Priority Four and Priority Five be increased from $4,000,000 to $8,000,000, and (2) that the maximum loan amount from the fund to address each priority level in a school building be increased from $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 within any 5-year period. | More
PUBLIC COMMENT: Filing of Targeted Revisions to Rule Chapter 41: Offering Instruction Related to Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and the Use of an Automated External Defibrillator in Maine Public Schools
As a result of the First Special Session of the 131st Maine Legislature, Public Law 2023, Chapter 460 was signed by Governor Mills on July 27, 2023. This law, An Act to Require Public Schools to Offer Training for Secondary Students on the Administration of Naloxone Hydrochloride requires all Maine public schools to offer training to secondary students in the administration of naloxone hydrochloride in nasal spray form. | More
Reminder: RISE Award Nominations Open Through Oct 20. Nominate an Extraordinary School Employee Today!
The Maine Department of Education (DOE) invites students, friends, families, community members, educational organizations or associations, co-workers, and supervisors to nominate school employees for the Recognizing Inspirational School Employees (RISE) Award. | More
Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories
Growing Within: A Rural District’s Response to the Need for a Multilingual Learner Educator
At the beginning of the 23/24 school year, Limestone Community School was facing a need for an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) educator to meet the federal requirements of newly enrolled students. As the language use survey indicated a need for assessments, Principal Ben Lothrop recognized that while a 660-certified teacher wasn’t necessary on-site in the past, now it was. He first posted a position for a 660-certified educator with no success. In rural communities in Maine, finding a certified multilingual learner educator is often difficult, as it does fall in the US Department of Education’s teacher shortage. | More
How Project G.R.O.W. (Garden Roots & Outdoor Wellness) is Impacting Students at Mt. Ararat High School
Project G.R.O.W. (Garden Roots & Outdoor Wellness) at Mt. Ararat High School has taken off! The program is led by Darcy Baggett and Becca Norklun. Throughout the 2022/2023 school year, they had garden involvement in a variety of ways, all of which contributed to meeting their impact goal of 1870 student hours. | More
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Professional Development, Training, and Events
Book Study: Increasing Student Engagement
Starting in December, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) is hosting an asynchronous book study on student engagement based on two books: Reimagining Student Engagement and Teaching Students to Drive Their Learning. Educators will receive a free copy of each book. | More
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Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities:
View current Maine Department of Education employment opportunities here