Website of LGBTQ+ and Gender Expansive Resources now Available to Schools

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) has launched a new section of its website devoted to improving school climate and support of LGBTQ+ students in Maine.

“Every student in Maine has an irrefutable right to feel safe, recognized and valued in their school,” said Commissioner of Education Pender Makin (she/her/hers). “The Maine Department of Education is deeply committed to providing schools and educators the resources they need to ensure that theirs is a safe and welcoming climate, and to validating the voices and experiences of our LGBTQ+ students and school community members.”

The coordination of the website and its resources is the result of a year-long effort and partnership between Maine DOE, OUT Maine, and GLAD (GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders) to provide meaningful resources and information to schools to give them the tools to support not only their LGBTQ+ students but their families and school staff as well. The resources are part of an initiative across the Maine DOE to provide resources and supports to ensure schools are safe and equitable for all students.

Our Stance: The Maine Department of Education supports all LGBTQ+ identifying, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender queer and questioning students, families, and school staff.

“We are thrilled with and grateful for DOE’s strong statement of support for LGBTQ+ youth in Maine schools,” said Jeanne Dooley, Executive Director of OUT Maine. “The thoughtful collection of resources and specific guidance for school districts will be extremely helpful to schools that have been seeking DOE leadership on laws and best practices.”

The website includes data about Maine’s LGBTQ+ youth, the Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (MIYHS) data, and other vital tools for Maine schools to ensure equity for LGBTQ+ identifying students. There are also additional resources specifically for students and parents.

The website of resources can be accessed here: LGBTQ+ and Gender Expansive Resources. Additional resources for supporting schools in reducing in-school violence and building positive school culture are:

SEL4ME: a free to use, comprehensive, CASEL aligned and trauma informed, PreK-12th grade Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum, and;
Maine School Safety Center (MSSC): contacts and resources to help develop a safe school infrastructure delivering high quality, up-to-date best practices, procedures, training, technical assistance, and support to Maine Schools.

DOE Webinar on Submitting English Learner Data

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Data Team will be holding a training session on September 9^th at 10am to discuss how SAUs and private schools should be submitting English Learner data to the State. The target audience for this training includes both data coordinators and ESOL educators.

We will have April Perkins, Maine DOE’s World Languages & ESOL/Bilingual Programs Specialist on hand to answer any specific EL student questions. Please follow the “Join Live” link at the time of the training to join us.

Join Live

If you have any questions, comments or concerns regarding this webinar please contact the MEDMS Helpdesk at MEDMS.Helpdesk@Maine.gov or (207) 624-6896.

Graduation Reporting Webinar

The Maine Department of Education Data Team is holding a Graduation Reporting webinar Tuesday August 24^th at 1pm. We will be discussing the graduation certification report and related procedures for validating and clearing up any issues on the report. This certification is due by August 30^th, so attendance is strongly encouraged for those charged with validating this report. Please follow the “Join Live” link at the time of the training to join us. Thank you.

Join Live

If you have any questions, comments or concerns regarding this webinar please contact the MEDMS Helpdesk at MEDMS.Helpdesk@Maine.gov or (207) 624-6896.

Updated Cultural and Religious Observances Calendar Available

As SAUs are scheduling important school events, it is important to know and understand the religious and cultural observances that may not be recognized as part of the school calendar. The timing, traditions, and possible impacts of various cultural and religious holidays and observances are important to consider when planning events such as open house, awards nights, testing windows, or other events. The Maine Department of Education has updated a calendar of Cultural and Religious Observances that occur during the school year.

We hope this resource will assist schools across Maine in helping their students navigate religious and cultural observances around expectations at school, including attendance and participation, which may conflict with some students’ traditions and observances that are outside the holidays that are typically observed by American schools throughout the school year.

The calendar has been updated for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years and can be viewed on our website: Cultural and Religious Observances by School Year.

Michelle Strattard Named 2021 Maine History Teacher of the Year

Michelle Strattard, a teacher at Gray-New Gloucester High School has been named the 2021 Maine History Teacher of the Year, an award presented annually by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to K-12 American history education. The selection of the award winner in Maine is facilitated by the Maine Department of Education (DOE) by Joe Schmidt, Social Studies Specialist for the Maine DOE.

In 2021, parents, students, teachers, and administrators nationwide nominated a record 8,510 teachers for the History Teacher of the Year Award. Amidst a very competitive field, Michelle rose to the top in Maine.

In 2012, Michelle earned a Master’s of Teaching and Learning from the University of Southern Maine after completing the Extended Teacher Education Program (ETEP). She previously earned a BA in History from the same institution. As an alumna of Gray-New Gloucester High school, she was proud to join their faculty in 2015, eventually coming to teach the very class that inspired her love of local history as a student, Shaker Studies. She brings this love of local history to the classroom so students can see where they fit into the larger picture. Students engage in historical research, exploration, and inquiry in the classroom to build academic skills and become engaged citizens. Michelle also serves as a board member of the Maine Council for the Social Studies, helping to support social studies educators around the state.

In addition to a $1,000 honorarium, Michelle’s school will receive a core archive of American history books and Gilder Lehrman educational materials and recognition at a ceremony in Maine.

Inaugurated in 2004, the History Teacher of the Year Award highlights the crucial importance of history education by honoring exceptional American history teachers from elementary school through high school. The award honors one K-12 teacher from each state, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools and US Territories. In fall 2021, the National History Teacher of the Year will be selected from the pool of state winners.

The 10 finalists for the National History Teacher of the Year Award will be announced on Thursday, September 9, with the national winner announced later that month. An in-person ceremony for the winner will be held in late fall 2021, health and safety protocols permitting. Support for the National History Teacher of the Year Award ceremony is provided by HISTORY®

Nominations for the 2022 History Teacher of the Year awards are now open. Students, parents, colleagues, and supervisors may nominate K-12 teachers for the award by visiting gilderlehrman.org/nhtoy. The deadline for 2022 nominations is March 31, 2022.

Maine DOE Update – August 13, 2021

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

Toolkit of Resources Available to Promote the Meal Benefit Application

As schools across Maine prepare for the 2021/2022 school year with many changes, including the implementation of free school meals and the challenges of COVID-19, we are aware of the increasing difficulty you face with asking families to fill out the Meal Benefit Application. | More

Maine Department of Education Received Over $2.6 Million in American Rescue Plan Funds to Support Students Experiencing Homelessness  

The Maine Department of Education received over $2.6 million in funding under the American Rescue Plan Act’s Homeless Children and Youth (ARP-HCY) program to support students experiencing homelessness. | More

Student Opportunity: NASA Day Event

The day will include a chance to hear from Spirit AeroSystems executives, spend time with some of our Engineers, hear a presentation from Lori Glaze, Director of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate’s Science Division, and enjoy a great lunch! | More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

| Submit your Maine School Success Story |

Professional Development & Training Opportunities

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities

View current Maine Department of Education employment opportunities here

PRIORITY NOTICE: Toolkit of Resources Available to Promote the Meal Benefit Application

Families, schools, communities, and our state can greatly benefit from the data that is gathered from the application, which includes key funding for school resources and additional resources for families in need.

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) has created a Meal Benefit Application Toolkit for schools/districts to help inform and promote the application within your school community:

Meal Benefit Application Toolkit for Schools

We hope that having these resources laid out in this toolkit can ease some of the burden to create your own promotional and informational materials. Here are some of the resources you will find in the toolkit:

Social Media Graphics – short informational graphics that can be shared on your district/school social media platforms.
Translated Informational Materials – a one-page info sheet that can be printed and distributed to families (translated versions available), info for teachers and school staff, and a letter to families expressing the importance of the Meal Benefit Application.
Meal Benefit Application Form Options – links to the original printable application, an online option, and an alternative sample form that can be used to help inform state subsidy calculations.

We recognize and appreciate all your hard work as you prepare for the start of the school year. Please contact Maine DOE for questions and/or additional resources:

If there is a specific additional resource you’d like to see in this toolkit, please contact Caroline Bennett (caroline.bennett@maine.gov) and Rachel Paling (rachel.paling@maine.gov).
For questions regarding application collection and SSO (Seamless Summer Option), please contact David Hartley (david.hartley@maine.gov).
To add your district to the web-based application via Nutrilink (we HIGHLY recommend this to increase accessibility of application), please contact Sarah Platt (sarah.d.platt@maine.gov).

Maine Department of Education Received Over $2.6 Million in American Rescue Plan Funds to Support Students Experiencing Homelessness  

“Even before the coronavirus pandemic highlighted and exacerbated inequities in America’s education system, students experiencing homelessness faced numerous challenges as they strove to learn and achieve in school each day. Amid COVID-19 and the transition to remote and hybrid learning, for so many students, these challenges intensified. As a nation, we must do everything we can to ensure that all students—including students experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity—are able to access an excellent education,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “I am thrilled that all states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico now will be able to use these funds from the American Rescue Plan to support students’ success in the new school year and ensure they are connected to vital services and supports.”

The additional ARP-HCY funding will be used by states and school administrative units (SAUs) to identify children and youth experiencing homelessness. States can provide wraparound services in light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to enable children and youth experiencing homelessness participate fully in school activities, consistent with the McKinney-Vento Act, which is the primary piece of federal legislation related to the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness.

The Maine Department of Education will award 75 percent of the state’s funding to SAUs through formula subgrants, determined in part by a SAU’s population of children and youth experiencing homelessness and a district’s Title I-A allocation. Accordingly, SAUs will not have to compete for these funds, so these funds will reach SAUs that may not have accessed previous federal funding designated for students experiencing homelessness. This will make it possible for states and SAUs to access funding more quickly and reach more students experiencing homelessness.

SAUs that do not meet the minimum threshold of $5,000 for an award, based on the formula, should consider creating a consortium with other SAUs to receive a joint award. The Department’s initial estimates for ARP-HCY II disbursements can be found here.

For more information about this funding, register here to join the Maine Department of Education Staff for a webinar on August 17, 2021 from 1:00 – 2:00 PM. Or contract Amelia Lyons, McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Specialist, amelia.lyons@maine.gov or (207) 557-1787.

For assistance with the Emergency Rental Assistance Program with MaineHousing, connect with your local Housing Stability Coordinator at each Community Action Agency here.

Student Opportunity: NASA Day Event

This event is being hosted by Fiber Materials Inc.

AUGUST 24, 2021* | 9:45am – 1:30pm

Are you a high school junior or senior involved in STEM? Are you thinking about a career in manufacturing? Ever dreamed of becoming an Engineer or working in the Aerospace industry? If you answered yes to any of these questions, we’d like to invite you to be a guest at our NASA Day event.

Fill out the registration form and submit to kwhitney@fibermaterialsinc.com by August 6th. We will pick 10 students to join us for the big event. Selections will be made by August 13th.

Registration Form (PDF)

For more information, contact kwhitney@fibermaterialsinc.com.

*Please note that participants must commit to the entire event.

Maine DOE Update – August 6, 2021

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

Summer Graduates/Exits Data Reminder

The Maine Department of Educations Data Team will be leaving Synergy open for the 2020-2021 school year data entry through August 15^th,2021 to allow organizations to change their summer graduates’ end statuses to “Graduated with regular, advanced, International Baccalaureate, or other type of diploma”. | More

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

Maine’s 3rd Annual Opioid Response Summit Highlights Maine DOE’s Commitment to SEL in Schools

Governor Janet T. Mills’ 3rd Annual Opioid Response Summit was on held on July 15th this year and reminded the public of the importance of social emotional learning and trauma informed approaches in Maine schools, highlighting the work of the Maine Department of Education’s development of SEL4ME, a social emotional learning (SEL) platform for Maine educators and learners. | More

Maine DOE Office of Special Services Awarded a State Personnel Development Grant

Maine Department of Education (DOE) Office of Special Services has been awarded a State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). State Personnel Development Grants are awarded to state run agencies with the aim of improving and increasing professional development for “individuals providing early intervention, educational, and transition services to improve results for children with disabilities.”* | More

Water Treatment Provides Opportunity for Adult Education Program

Maine Adult Education Hub 9 staff, Biddeford Adult Education students and some of their college aged children attended a professional Water Treatment forum at Southern Maine Community College recently. | More

Maine Agriculture Education PK-12 Grants Available – Deadline Approaching!

Maine Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC) has earmarked $60K for education agriculture grants in 5 categories in 2021! This support of Maine agriculture education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through 12 is a direct result of the Maine Agricultural Specialty License Plate. | More

Maine DOE Announces Over $2M in First Round of Innovative RREV Pilot Awards

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) has announced over $2 million in pilot implementation funding for Maine schools that have created innovative pilot programs as part of the Rethinking Remote Education Ventures (RREV) project. Imagined and designed by teams of educators right here in Maine, the pilots offer responsive and systemic approaches to engaging students in their education. | More