Month: November 2024

REMINDER: Seeking Public Comment on Chapter 115 – the Credentialing of Education Personnel

The Maine State Board of Education is conducting conversations with the public about Rule Chapter 115: The Credentialing of Educational Personnel, from August through December. Resolve 2024, Chapter 137 directed the State Board of Education to amend Rule Chapter 115, with special attention to sections related to the State Board of Education’s report submitted to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs in 2023.  

The State Board of Education intends to take the following steps with respect to review of these rules: 

  1. Begin speaking with experts in the field 
  2. Revise necessary sections of Chapter 115 
  3. Invite public feedback on the revisions 
  4. File updated rule 
  5. Engage with Legislative oversight of the rule 

The State Board of Education will hold several regional meetings focused on ideas and goals related to certification regulations in a general sense. These meetings will also focus on specific sections of Chapter 115 and will provide invaluable feedback to the State Board. In addition, the State Board of Education’s Certification and Higher Education Committee will provide time within the established meeting schedule to receive public feedback on Rule Chapter 115.  

 Remaining dates for these meetings are as follows. For the Zoom link, please email Emily Cummins.

  • November 20, 2024: 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 
  • December 18, 2024: 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 

Taking into consideration the insights gained from all of these discussions, the State Board of Education will propose updates to Rule Chapter 115 and begin the Maine Administrative Procedures Act (A.P.A.) routine technical rule process pursuant to Title 5 MRS §8052 (public notice of filing, public hearing, open public comment period). Once the proposed rule has been filed, the public will be notified of the scheduled public hearing and comment period.  This will be an opportunity to provide written and oral comments regarding the proposed rules. The State Board of Education will review all comments and respond accordingly.  Updates to the rules will then be submitted for review as to form and legality and legislative oversight before final adoption.    

For more information and updates, check the State Board of Education webpage. 

For more information about the conceptual conversations for Rule Chapter 115, contact Laura Cyr at laura.cyr@maine.gov. 

Maine Academy of Natural Sciences Offers Learning Tour to Highlight Outdoor and Experiential Learning Opportunities

Are you a middle or high school educator interested in providing more outdoor and experiential learning opportunities to your students? If so, consider attending a Learning Tour at the Maine Academy of Natural Sciences in Hinckley on Wednesday, Nov. 13 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will highlight the school’s new Maker Space barn and blacksmithing shop, among other features.

In August of 2020, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) received $16.9 million from the U.S. Department of Education’s Rethink K-12 Education Models Grants. Maine was one of 11 states to receive funding and used it to launch the Rethinking Responsive Education Ventures (RREV) project, a multi-pronged solution with a primary goal of generating innovative remote learning models to provide equitable access to high-quality remote learning opportunities for all students. The RREV Research & Design (R&D) team is continuing the momentum of this work by offering learning tours and fostering peer-to-peer professional learning.

Over a span of four years, 42 school districts in Maine were awarded RREV pilot funding. The Maine Academy of Natural Sciences used its innovative pilot to expand outdoor and experiential learning opportunities with the creation of a barn and a blacksmithing shop. At the Nov. 13 Learning Tour, educators will have an opportunity to see this new Maker Space barn, observe the variety of outdoor and experiential learning opportunities available, watch blacksmithing in action, and talk to teachers and students about their process and experience implementing this innovative pilot.

This Learning Tour is limited to 10 additional Maine educators. If you are interested in joining this tour, please reach out to Elaine Bartley, the RREV R&D Director, at elaine.bartley@maine.gov.

Click here to learn more about other innovative RREV pilots and find a list of upcoming learning tours, available throughout the school year.