Year: 2023

WEBINAR: Annual Foster Care Training for Point of Contacts – Jan 31st

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed into law on December 10, 2015,  amending the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). ESSA contains provisions related to protections for children in foster care and requires the Maine Department of Education ( DOE) and Maine school administrative units (SAUs) to collaborate with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) to ensure educational stability for children in foster care. 

Join the Maine DOE’s Office of School and Student Supports Director Julie Smyth and Associate Director of Child Welfare Services Bobbi Johnson on Tuesday, January 31st via Zoom for a 4:00 pm Annual Foster Care Training for Point Of Contacts (POCs). Participants receive a certificate upon successful completion of a post-session quiz.

The goal of ESSA is for children in foster care to experience minimal disruption in their education because of being placed in foster care and that they are given the same opportunities to develop the necessary skills to be successful as children who are not in foster care. 

Under ESSA the Maine DOE and OCFS must work together to ensure: 

  • A child in foster care will enroll or remain enrolled in the child’s school of origin unless a determination is made that it is not in the child’s best interest to attend that school. 
  • If a determination is made that is not in the child’s best interest to remain in the school of origin, the child will immediately be enrolled in a new school, even if the child and/or his or her guardians are unable to produce records normally required for enrollment; and 
  • The child’s new school must immediately contact the school of origin to obtain relevant records. 

Register here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing further information about joining the meeting. 

For questions, please contact Julie Smyth, Director of the Office of School, and Student Supports – at 207.592.0949 or julie.a.smyth@maine.gov . 

Maine CDC Seeking Participants for Maine Young Adult Survey

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is partnering with Public Consulting Group LLC (PCG) to administer a web-based anonymous health survey to enhance the data available on the young adult (18–30-year-old) population living in Maine. The Maine Young Adult Survey is a product of the Maine State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup (SEOW). The survey will be a representative sample from across the state, reaching at least 2,500 young adults with increased recruitment of key subpopulations. Participants will receive a $10 Amazon gift card via email.

Why? There is little community-level data on the health habits of young adults in Maine. This survey attempts to fill the data gaps and will be used to guide and target strategic planning of prevention interventions and programs around substance abuse.

What can you do? Maine CDC is seeking your support in recruiting 18–30-year-old Mainers to complete the survey.

There are multiple ways you can support this effort:

  • Share the survey link via email lists with young adults in Maine and encourage participation! Maine Young Adult Survey
  • “Like”, “follow”, and “repost” the Maine YAS social media pages and posts!
  • Promote the survey with these flyers – print them out in your spaces or post it on your social media or website!

When? Now! The Maine Young Adult Survey is live and will be open for respondents for approximately 8-10 weeks.

If you have any questions or would like additional information, please email MEYoungAdultSurvey@pcgus.com or visit www.maineseow.com/yas.

 

Maine DOE Staff & Maine Educators Honored in 2022 Fenway Bowl Honor Roll

(Pictured: Maine DOE Staff Amelia Lyons Rukema at Fenway with friends and family at the 2022 Fenway Bowl Honor Roll.)

The Wasabi Fenway Bowl, in partnership with Moderna, Amica Insurance, CVS Health, Samuel Adams, Extra Yard for Teachers, and Boston Globe Media, recently honored 30 people working in the education workforce in New England, 6 of the people recognized are from Maine’s education field.

The Wasabi Fenway Bowl Honor Roll is a charitable program focused on recognizing and thanking educators who have gone above and beyond to support their students and respective communities.

2022 Honor Roll Honorees from Maine:

Amelia Lyons Rukema – Finalist
McKinney-Vento Specialist
Maine Department of Education

Amelia has worked tirelessly to promote resources for students experiencing homelessness. During the pandemic, she worked with schools and teachers across the state of Maine to link them to support for students and their families.

Susan Capwell
Technology Integrator
Searsport District Middle & High School

“Susan is a passionate educator who goes the extra mile. She has supported students by creating a safe, accessible class culture and engaging students through creative STEM activities. ‘As the head of the tech lab and robotics team, she serves as an inspiration for girls to get involved with tech’ her nominator writes.”

Allison Leavitt
Nutrition Director
Lisbon School Department

“Allison ensures her students have access to fresh and nutritious by partnering with local farms and businesses in the Lisbon community. As the Present Elect and Education Committee Chair of the Maine School Nutrition Association, she also creates training opportunities for school nutrition staff across Maine.”

Emily Poland
School Nurse Consultant
Maine Department of Education

“She has been a pillar of strength throughout the pandemic, tirelessly advocating for school nurse,” her nominator writes. “Using her vision, creativity, and persistence, Emily Poland, MPH, RN, NCSN built a team to honor the needs and time of school nurses, assisting in deciphering the changing guidelines and mitigation strategies.”

Bonnie Robbins
Athletic Director/Community Outreach Coordinator
Brunswick Junior High School

“Bonnie provides amazing support for students’ mental health and well-being, not only at her school, but also by volunteering her time to collaborate with the Department of Education to provide weekly meetings with other school-based mental health professionals across the state.”

Juana Rodriguez
Executive Director
Mano en Mano

“Juana plays an integral role in the work of the Blueberry Harvest School, where the goal is to meet the needs of each student through culturally responsive learning. Juana is a member of the Board of Directors of Healthy Acadia, The Women’s Health Resource Library, and Friends of the Milbridge Public Library. She is also a Commissioner on the Status of Racial, Indigenous, and Tribal Populations of Maine.”

Over 200 teachers, administrators, and staff were nominated for the Fenway Bowl Honor Roll this year. See the full list of 30 honorees from across New England.

Honorees and their friends, families, and supporters were invited to Fenway in December to be recognized at a nationally televised college football game being hosted there. Maine DOE’s Amelia Lyons Rukema, a finalist in the Fenway Bowl Honor Roll, was present along with Maine educator Bonnie Robbins and many other honorees, and their fans from across New England.

To learn more about the Wasabi Fenway Bowl and its commitment to equitable and quality education across New England, visit FenwayBowl.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Afghan Refugee School Success Events in Portland and Lewiston

The Office of Maine Refugee Services is hosting events in both Portland and Lewiston for teachers, school administrators, and school districts that are serving Maine’s newly arrived Afghan students and their families. The workshop will be focused on cultural advisement, student success, and whole-family engagement. There will also be culturally and linguistically appropriate training for Afghan parents and guardians on parenting, school, and school engagement in the US.

The workshops with be held in Portland (March 6th) and Lewiston (March 7th). The morning workshop (10 am-12:30 pm) will be geared towards teachers and schools and will cover cultural advisement and particular challenges schools have identified in serving new populations, offering practical strategies to support refugee and immigrant students in school. The afternoon session (1-4 pm) will be the culturally and linguistically-appropriate workshop for Afghan parents and guardians on parenting, school, and school engagement in the US. Any teachers and school staff are welcome to attend the parent workshop as well. A free lunch will be provided. While these workshops are geared toward Afghan student success, the workshops will be applicable for teachers and schools working with students and families from any refugee background.

Where: Portland Jewish Community Alliance
When: March 6, 10 am-4 pm
Register here

Where: Lewiston Public Library
When: March 7, 10:30 am-4:30 pm
Register here

About the facilitator: Freshta Taeb is an Afghan-American cultural advisor, facilitator and behavioral health specialist who has worked with large and small schools and school districts across the country, non profits, and government entities including as a lead cultural advisor for DHS. She has worked as an interpreter, domestic violence interventionist and is a former teacher.

Flyer (English)
Flyer (Dari)
Flyer (Pashto)

Special Topic Series on Inclusivity and Multi-tiered Systems of Support

The Maine Department of Education’s Office of Special Services & Inclusive Education is hosting a Special Topic Series around inclusivity and multi-tiered systems of support through the winter and spring months.

Sessions will be held virtually once a month. Participants will receive 1 contact hour for each session. For more information about the series, contact Anne-Marie Adamson at anne-marie.adamson@maine.gov

Featured Presentation: Leveraging Student Strengths: Neurodiversity and Mathematics – Dr. Rachel Lambert
Tuesday, January 31, 2023, 3:30-4:30 PM

In this session, we will explore neurodiversity in relationship to mathematics teaching and learning. Dr. Lambert will discuss her research on dyslexia and mathematics, conducted with dyslexic mathematicians, as a springboard to discuss strategies to leverage the strengths of neurodiverse students in math class.

Download a flyer
Register here

Upcoming Presentation: Word-Level Reading Problems: Implications for Instruction and Intervention – Dr. David Kilpatrick
Wednesday, March 1, 2023, 3:30-4:30 PM

This presentation from David A. Kilpatrick, PhD will focus on how children learn to read words and why some children struggle. Including:

  • The nature of word-level reading development and how word-level reading problems can guide instruction and intervention.
  • Understanding how reading works and why some students struggle, illustrating other approaches to intervention that can yield very large reading gains for such students.
  • Examples of studies that consistently show that the most used intervention approaches provide limited benefits for at-risk and struggling readers.
  • Establishing a knowledge base for educators to choose the most effective instructional and intervention practices.

Download a Flyer
Register here

Yarmouth Students Find Their Courage with SpiritCorps

Eighth graders at Frank H. Harrison Middle School in Yarmouth faced their fears this fall as they wrote, recorded, and shared short video stories of Courage from their own lives for SpiritCorps.

Barbara’s Story of Courage (3 mins)

In 3 weeks of project-based learning, students engaged in self-reflection and a rigorous 5-step narrative writing process, culminating in their Courage videos. Along the way, students were supported by their teachers, peer Story Partners, program videos, as well as adult volunteer Story Coaches–a distinguishing feature of SpiritCorps–providing approximately one hour of individualized feedback per student. Teachers and students were thrilled with the positive impact on both academic and social-emotional skills:

“The support for students’ revision and encouragement they received from their Story Coaches was highly effective and helped to keep students motivated.” – Mike Rice, Yarmouth Partner Teacher

“I learned that I’m braver than I think I am and that I show courage in many different ways throughout my life.” – 8th Grade student, Yarmouth

In partnership with the Maine DOE, we hope to bring the benefits of SpiritCorps to students throughout the state over the next two years. All participating schools receive a 100% scholarship in their first year, thanks to a federally funded DOE grant. We still have some openings in our spring schedule and would love the opportunity to work with you and your students! Keep your eye out for more wonderful SpiritCorps stories coming your way in the weeks ahead.

To find out more or schedule an information session, please email Dr. Christina O’Neal, our Director of Program Partnerships, at coneal@spiritseries.org.

Get to Know the Maine DOE Team: Meet Laura Cyr

Maine DOE Team member Laura Cyr is being highlighted this week as part of the Get to Know the Maine DOE Team Campaign. Learn a little more about Laura in the question and answer below.

What are your roles with DOE?

I am the Legislative and Constituent Services Specialist and the Rulemaking Liaison

What do you like best about your job?

A big part of my job is helping our content experts answer questions about the process of governing education, which can be very different from when we used to be teachers delivering education. I love being able to support our teams as they support educators in the field.

How or why did you decide on this career?

I began my teaching career shortly before NCLB in 2001. My students were middle-schoolers dealing with English language acquisition, housing instability, equity issues, and dramatic curriculum changes. I focused my graduate degrees on public policy and educational administration because I believed I could help more students outside of the classroom.

What do you like to do outside of work for fun?

Work during the legislative season keeps me pretty busy. At home, my husband and I have 3 dogs: an Italian mastiff, a Pitbull, and a Belgian Malinois. They like to drink my coffee, snore loudly during Zoom meetings, and begrudge me even one couch cushion. We have a cozy little farm in a 150-year-old farmhouse where we raise our own veggies, goats, ducks, and chickens. Our fun is usually something like building garden beds, renovating our old home, and watching our dogs act like fools.

Resources for Black History Month

February marks Black History Month and the Maine Department of Education is sharing a collection of resources to help educators integrate Black history into the curriculum, not only this month but on a regular basis.

Resources to Support Black History Month:

Maine Related Resources for Black History:

Malaga Island:

African American Studies:

Civil Rights Movement:

  • Selma: The Bridge to the Ballot – This film tells the story of a courageous group of students and teachers who, along with other activists, fought a nonviolent battle to win voting rights for African Americans in the South.
  • Selma March 55th Anniversary in 2020 (Teaching Tolerance) – 2020 marks the 55th anniversary of the Selma-to-Montgomery march for voting rights.
  • Beyond the Bus – Beyond the Bus, a special publication of the Teaching the Movement initiative, brings together key elements from several resources Teaching Tolerance has developed to help educators recognize and fill instructional gaps when teaching about the civil rights movement.
  • Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Movement 1954-1985 – Individuals, groups and nations have responded to injustice throughout history.
  • Choices in Little Rock – Choices in Little Rock is a teaching unit that focuses on efforts to desegregate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957—efforts that resulted in a crisis that historian Taylor Branch once described as “the most severe test of the Constitution since the Civil War.”.
  • Civil Rights Historical Investigations – In this resource students trace the development of the civil rights movement in the United States from the 1950s to the 1970s.
  • Library of Congress: Civil Rights History Project
  • Library of Congress: Rosa Parks Papers – The Library of Congress offers classroom materials to help teachers effectively use primary sources from the Library’s vast digital collections in their teaching about Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights movement.
  • Created Equal – The NEH Created Equal project uses the power of documentary films to encourage public conversations about the changing meanings of freedom and equality in America.
  • PBS Learning Media: Civil Rights – In 1954, the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Brown v. Board of Education declared segregated schools unconstitutional and sparked a decade of groundbreaking civil rights activism and legislation.
  • Selma Online – This website by the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University is a free, online teaching platform that seeks to transform how the civil rights movement is taught in middle and high schools across the country.
  • The Road to Civil Rights (a lesson plan from iCivics)
  • National Civil Rights Museum
  • Five Essential Practices from Teaching the Civil Rights Movement
  • Race and Civil Rights in the Nation – The Nation has put together a five-part Journey Through History on Race and Civil Rights:
    • Part I, From the Memphis riots of 1866 to the first anti-lynching conference, in New York City, in 1919.
    • Part II, From the “Red Summer” of racial violence in Chicago, in 1919, to Rosa Parks’s bus protest, in 1955.
    • Part III, From the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957 to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1968.
    • Part IV, From the ban on segregation in housing, in 1968, to freedom for Nelson Mandela, in 1990.
    • Part V, From the LA riots of 1992 to the release of Selma, in 2015.
  • Students “Sit” for Civil Rights – On February 1, 1960, four African American college students challenged racial segregation by sitting down at a “whites only” counter lunch counter in Greensboro, N.C. Politely asking for service, their request was refused. When asked to leave, they remained in their seats. Their sit-in inspired others to engage in nonviolent protests, which drew attention to the inequalities in civil rights at the time. Learn more about these sit-ins and books to use with your students.
  • Social Justice Books – a Teaching for Change Project
  • Curated Booklists – Teaching for change has carefully selected the best multicultural and social justice books for children, young adults, and teachers on more than 70 topics. Reviews and selections on the booklists come from the See What We See coalition and are generated at Teaching for Change.

Elementary Booklist Black History

  • Africville By Shauntay Grant and Eva Campbell (Illustrator)
  • Beautiful Shades of Brown: The Art of Laura Wheeler Waring By Nancy Churnin and Felicia Marshall (Illustrator)
  • Before She Was Harriet By Lesa Cline Ransome, James E. Ransome
  • Buzzing with Questions By Janice N. Harrington
  • Carter Reads the Newspaper By Deborah Hopkinson, Don Tate (Illustrator)
  • Child of the Civil Rights Movement By Paula Young Shelton, Raúl Colón (Illustrator)
  • Circle Unbroken: A Story of a Basket and Its People By Margot Theis Raven, E. B. Lewis (Illustrator)
  • Down on James Street By Nicole McCandless and Byron Gramby (Illustrator)
  • Dream Builder: The Story of Architect Philip Freelon By Kelly Starling Lyons
  • Ellen’s Broom By Kelly Starling Lyons
  • The Escape of Robert Smalls By Jehan Jones-Radgowski
  • Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table By Jacqueline Briggs Martin, Eric-Shabazz Larkin (Illustrator), Will Allen (Afterword by)
  • Freedom’s School By Lesa Cline-Ransome, James E. Ransome (Illustrator)
  • Going Down Home with Daddy By Kelly Starling Lyons
  • The Great Migration: Journey to the North By Eloise Greenfield, Jan Spivey Gilchrist (Illustrator)
  • Harlem’s Little Blackbird By Renee Watson, Christian Robinson (Illustrator)
  • Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat By Nikki Giovanni, Alicia Vergel De Dios (Illustrator), Damian Ward (Illustrator)
  • A History of Me By Adrea Theodore and Erin Robinson (Illustrator)
  • It Jes’ Happened By Don Tate, R. Gregory Christie (Illustrator)
  • Little Melba and Her Big Trombone By Katheryn Russell-Brown
  • Love to Langston By Tony Medina, R. Gregory Christie
  • Maritcha: A Nineteenth-Century American Girl By Tonya Bolden
  • Me and Momma and Big John By Mara Rockliff, William Low (Illustrator)
  • Milo’s Museum By Zetta Elliott
  • My Story, My Dance By Lesa Cline Ransome, James Ransome
  • New Shoes By Susan Lynn Meyer
  • No Mirrors in My Nana’s House By Ysaye M. Barnwell, Synthia Saint James (Illustrator)
  • The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read By Rita Lorraine Hubbard and Oge Mora (Illustrator)
  • Opal’s Greenwood Oasis By Quraysh Ali Lansana, Najah-Amatullah Hylton and  Skip Hill (Illustrator)
  • Opening the Road: Victor Hugo Green and His Green Book By Keila V. Dawson and Alleanna Harris (Illustrator)
  • Papa’s Free Day Party By Marilyn Nelson and Wayne Anthony Still (Illustrator)
  • A Ride to Remember By Sharon Langley and Amy Nathan
  • Sing a Song: How “Lift Every Voice and Sing” Inspired Generations By  Kelly Starling Lyons
  • Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down By Andrea Davis Pinkney, Brian Pinkney (Illustrator)
  • Someday Is Now: Clara Luper and the 1958 Oklahoma City Sit-ins By Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, Jade Johnson (Illustrator)
  • So Tall Within: Sojourner Truth’s Long Walk Toward Freedom By Gary Schmidt, Daniel Mintor (Illustrator)
  • Sprouting Wings: The True Story of James Herman Banning, the First African American Pilot to Fly Across the United States By Louisa Jaggar,  Shari Becker,  and Floyd Cooper (Illustrator)
  • Steamboat School By Deborah Hopkinson
  • Sugar Hill: Harlem’s Historic Neighborhood By Carole Boston Weatherford, R. Gregory Christie (Illustrator)
  • Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt By Deborah Hopkinson
  • Take a Picture of Me, James Van Der Zee! By Andrea Loney, Keith Mallett (Illustrator)
  • Tea Cakes for Tosh By Kelly Starling Lyons
  • This Is the Rope: A Story from the Great Migration By Jacqueline Woodson
  • Thurgood By Jonah Winter, Bryan Collier
  • Uncle Jed’s Barbershop By Margaree King Mitchell
  • When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop By Laban Carrick Hill, Theodore Taylor (Illustrator)
  • William Still and His Freedom Stories: The Father of the Underground Railroad By Don Tate
  • Zora Hurston and the Chinaberry Tree By William Miller, Cornelius Van Wright
  • Ruby Bridges Goes to School – My True Story by Ruby Bridges
  • Sojourner Truth’s Step-Stomp Stride By Andrea Davis Pinkney  Illustrator Brian Pinkney
  • Great Black Heroes: Five Brilliant Scientists By Lynda Jones  Illustrator Ron Garnett
  • Great Black Heroes: Five Notable Inventors By Wade Hudson  Illustrator Ron Garnett
  • Five Brave Explorers By Wade Hudson  Illustrator Ron Garnett
  • Henry’s Freedom Box By Ellen Levine  Illustrator Kadir Nelson
  • 28 Days: Moments in Black History that Changed the World By Charles R. Smith, Jr.  Illustrator Shane W. Evans
  • Granddaddy’s Gift By Margaree King Mitchell  Illustrator Larry Johnson
  • The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind By William Kamkwamba , Bryan Mealer  Illustrator Elizabeth Zunon
  • Amistad By Patricia C. McKissack  Illustrator Sanna Stanley
  • Gordon Parks By Carole Boston Weatherford  Illustrator Jamey Christoph
  • Delivering Justice: W.W. Law and the Fight for Civil Rights By James Haskins  Illustrator Benny Andrews
  • Talkin’ About Bessie By Nikki Grimes  Illustrator E. B. Lewis
  • Rosa By Nikki Giovanni  Illustrator Bryan Collier
  • Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince And His Orchestra By Andrea Davis Pinkney  Illustrator Brian Pinkney
  • Champion By Jim Haskins  Illustrator Eric Velasquez
  • Martin Rising: Requiem for a King By Andrea Davis Pinkney & Brian Pinkney  Illustrator Andrea & Brian Pinkney

USM Teacher Certification Program for Current School Employees

Do you have educators in your district with bachelor’s degrees who are seeking initial teacher certification? Consider directing them to the University of Southern Maine’s (USM) ETEP Program.

Here are a few highlights for the 2023-2024 academic year:

  • All classes will be held in the evening, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. This could be more convenient for ed techs, long-term substitute teachers, and/or teachers with conditional certificates who may want to continue employment while completing the program
  • Participation in the Maine Teacher Residency program
  • Enrollment in select courses (rather than entire program) may be an option (on a case-by-case basis).
  • All classes apply to a Master’s in Teaching & Learning

Applications need to be started by January 31, 2023 to guarantee consideration for this year, but there may also be rolling admissions.

Apply and get more info here.

All questions can be directed to Michael Katz (michael.katz@maine.edu). Mike would be willing to meet with educators individually or arrange a time to meet as a group at your school.

 

Resources and Guidance for Ensuring a High-Quality Education for Highly Mobile Children

The following message is from the United States Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services: 

The letter below and the list of resources provides guidance and describes several important principles that states, school districts, school staff, parents, families, and others may find helpful in ensuring that highly mobile children with disabilities receive required special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs in a timely manner.

Ensuring a high-quality education for highly mobile children is a critical responsibility for all of us. Highly mobile children include children and youth experiencing frequent moves into new school districts, such as military-connected children, migratory children, children who are homeless, and children in the foster care system. While these children often possess remarkable resilience, they also experience formidable challenges as they cope with frequent educational transitions.

  • Identify ways to make State and district policies and procedures consistent with guidelines and rules set forth under the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3) Compact;
  • Honor and respect the previous academic standing and accomplishments of highly mobile children in their new districts;
  • Involve district and school leaders, teachers, school counselors, social workers, coaches, school nurses, and administrators at all levels in efforts to better address the needs of highly mobile children; and
  • Provide professional development opportunities to educators, related service providers, and staff on how to recognize and respond to the needs of highly mobile children.

Issue #1: Highly mobile children should have timely and expedited evaluations and eligibility determinations.

Issue #2: Comparable services include services during the summer, such as Extended School Year (ESY) services.

Read more and access the letter.

We ask you to share this information with your local school staff to help ensure highly mobile children with disabilities receive the appropriate special education and related services in a timely manner. Thank you for your continued interest in improving results for children with disabilities.

The Maine Department of Education is available to support SAUs with these requirements. For professional development requests on this topic, please contact Amelia Lyons Rukema, Maine DOE McKinney Vento Specialist at amelia.lyons@maine.gov or 207-557-1787 and/or Colette Sullivan, Maine DOE Federal Programs Coordinator at colette.sullivan@maine.gov.