2021-2022 Leadership Development Opportunities- Information Session

Do you love being an educator in Maine? Is developing your own leadership capacity intriguing to you? Do you strive to ensure more equitable outcomes for your students? Do you thrive by learning with a diverse group of thoughtful and engaged educators? If so, please consider attending an information session coming to you from the Maine Department of Education to learn more about our year-long professional learning experiences for leaders in education.

Representatives from The Transformational Leaders’ Network and Maine’s Leadership Development Program will share more about these programs and answer any questions you may have. The session will take place virtually on June 7, 2021 starting at 3:15pm.

If you would like to attend, please email Emily Doughty (Emily.Doughty@Maine.gov) or Teri Peaslee (Teri.peaslee@maine.gov) for a registration link.

If you are interested, but unable to attend, we welcome the opportunity to meet with you directly as well. Please feel free to reach out by August 1st to make alternative arrangements.

To learn more about these offerings, please visit the Maine LDP (Maine’s Leadership Development Program | Department of Education) and TLN (Transformational Leaders’ Network | Department of Education (maine.gov) websites.

Maine DOE Joins MCLA in Honoring Top Curriculum Leaders

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) joins the Maine Curriculum Leaders Association (MCLA) in honoring Beth Clifford, Curriculum Director of Maine Indian Education, as the 2021 Curriculum Leader of The Year, and Susan O’Brien, Instructional Coach in RSU 22, as the 2021 Instructional Coach Of The Year.

Beth Clifford Maine Indian Education — Beth Clifford

Beth Clifford
Curriculum Director of Maine Indian Education
2021 Curriculum Leader of The Year

Throughout her sixteen years with MIE, Beth has put learner equity and access at the center of her work with the MIE learning communities. She is a dedicated professional who selflessly works to ensure that every person has access to exceptional education, young learners and adult learners alike. Beth has served on the MLCA Board longer than any other board member, and is a cherished holder of historical MLCA knowledge. She has also given her energy and expertise to AXIOM Education and Training Center, the Cohort For Customized Learning, and to professional learning initiatives across Washington County.

Susan O’Brien
Instructional Coach in RSU 22
2021 Instructional Coach Of The Year

After a distinguished career as a classroom teacher, Susan moved into Instructional Coaching in 2017. Since then she has inspired and nurtured the professional learning of many teachers and coaches within RSU 22 and across Maine. Susan’s coaching is rooted in relationships and respect, and supports people at all stages of their professional learning, from new teachers, to teachers working towards National Board Certification, to teachers ready to become coaches themselves. All of her work centers around students, and how we create the most optimal learning experiences for them. We look forward to having Susan O’Brien join us on the MCLA Board.

For more information about the awards for the MLCA, please visit their website: https://www.mainecla.org/.

Leading Early Learning—A Professional Learning Series for Elementary School Administrators

As Maine elementary schools have added preschool programming and continue to support the development of children in the Pre-K -Grade 3 span, many elementary principals have requested additional professional learning to support their work as educational leaders. The Maine Department of Education (DOE) and several Maine educational organizations, listed below, have collaborated to design an exciting new professional learning series to address identified needs and support professional growth. We are pleased to announce that the first cohort for this series will launch during the 2021-22 school year.

The series will not only provide participants with opportunities to deepen their knowledge of early learning pedagogy and best practices related to supporting students and teachers across Pre-K-3, but it will also provide participants with a professional learning network, opportunity to target a self-selected aspect of practice through a project-based approach, and be supported through facilitated discussions and coaching opportunities. Participants will be engaged in a variety of modes of learning, from asynchronous learning modules to professional learning communities, to attendance at a statewide early learning conference.

If this opportunity interests you, please review the details of the series in the informational guide. A link to apply for the series is included in the informational guide. The series will be able to support up to 20 participants. Applications will be received through June 30, but once spaces are filled, a waiting list will be generated.

An optional informational session about this professional learning opportunity will also be held on June 15 from 3:30-4:30 for anyone who is interested in learning more and who has questions about the opportunity. Register for the informational session using this link.

For additional information, please contact Lee Anne Larsen, Early Learning Team Coordinator at Maine DOE, leeann.larsen@maine.gov.

Leading Early Learning Partner Organizations

Maine Department of Education
Maine Roads to Quality Professional Development Network
Maine Principals Association
Maine Association for the Education of Young Children
UMaine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies

Merrymeeting Adult Education Awards 52 Diplomas on May 25th

Merrymeeting Adult Education awarded 52 diplomas on May 25 in a very special hybrid ceremony held both on Zoom and in person under a tent at Mt. Ararat Middle School. These adult learners completed either the High School Equivalency Tests (HiSET, formerly GED) or traditional high school diploma during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 academic years.

Director Allen Lampert led the celebration, followed by opening remarks from Bob Lucy, interim superintendent of Maine School Administrative District 75.

Faculty members Jan Crosson, Kathy Ingmundson, Bob Goddard, and RSU 1 site coordinator Dawn Wheeler welcomed Elizabeth Begin, Diego Howard, and Alyanalyn Saenz to the National Adult Education Honor Society. College Transitions student Benedita Kakahuba achieved this distinction, as well.

Commencement speeches by Sharrod Mosley, David Namwira, and Alyanalyn Saenz were followed by the inaugural presentation of Merrymeeting scholarships.

In memory of the longtime office administrator who passed away unexpectedly Feb. 2, 2020, the Carolee Tupper Memorial Scholarship was awarded to her daughter Kiley Tupper, a senior at St. Joseph’s College in Standish. Two additional scholarships were presented to David Namwira, who attends Husson University in Bangor, and Benedita Kakahuba, who attends Southern Maine Community College.

Diplomas were presented by Lampert and Wheeler to the following graduates who attended in person. Class of 2020: Joseph Bellevue, Bethany Cole, Jeff Joy, Jr., Sharrod Mosley, and Spinoza Leboundoza (RSU 1). Class of 2021: Richard Evens, Diego Howard, David Namwira (RSU 1), Alyanalyn Saenz, Duane Wilcox, and Margery Whelchel.

Douce Namwira, Class of 2020, and Nevaeh Pinkham (RSU 1), Serenity Ross and Grady Suhr, Class of 2021, attended the ceremony on a Zoom webinar hosted by Paul Elisha, academic counselor, and his wife – and HiSET proctor – Elsbeth. Forty guests joined them.

Additional diplomas were awarded to Class of 2020 graduates Heather Adams, Zachary Blair, Sarah Blake, Noelle Brown, Taylor Chubbuck, Jonas Cloukey, Robert Creamer, Alexis Deguio, Antonia DiPietro, Laelin Fischer, Elizabeth Felkey, Richard Griffin, Narcisse Isafamba, Will Kinney, Spencer Letourneau, Emily Mitchell, Robert Mitchell, William Panzino, Pirx Rhodes, Marina Tuefel, Quinn Underwood (RSU 1), Trevor Wallace, Sean Webster, and Syan Wheeler (RSU 1).

Additional Class of 2021 diplomas included Elizabeth Begin, Amanda Bisson, Devon Blodgett, Cody Caron, Alexandra Cook, Matthew Plutchak, Jr., Mark Proctor, Alyssia Russell, Miranda Vining, and Michael Pinkham (RSU 1).

Merrymeeting Adult Education provides opportunities for adult learners to complete a traditional high school diploma, earn a HiSET, prepare for college, train for careers, and develop skills and interests in a variety of personal enrichment classes, everything from canoe paddle making to private pilot ground school.

For more information about Merrymeeting’s academic and enrichment classes, visit merrymeeting.org or call 729-7323.

Information for this article was provided by Merrymeeting Adult Education Program as part of the Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. To submit a story or an idea, email it to Rachel at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

Maine DOE Update – May 28, 2021

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

PRIORITY NOTICE: 2021-2022 NEO Maine Schools for Private Schools and Updated School Approval Process

In accordance with 20-A M.R.S. Chapter 117, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) requires private schools seeking approval status to be approved annually. What follows are updates and reminders of the annual and ongoing reporting requirements to attain and maintain approval as an approved private school for attendance and tuition purposes by the Maine Department of Education.| More

MOOSE Distinguished Educator Announcement

The Maine Department of Education is seeking educational experts to join the Office of Innovation team. These full–time, fully remote, contracted positions will provide leadership in the creation of pk-12, asynchronous, interdisciplinary learning progressions for the MOOSE (Maine Online Opportunities for Sustained Education) platform. | More

Three Maine Schools Win a Brand New $100K DON’T QUIT!® Fitness Center

Today, Governor Janet Mills and fitness icon Jake (Body by Jake) Steinfeld, Chairman of the National Foundation for Governors’ Fitness Councils (NFGFC), announced three Maine schools have won a state-of-the-art $100,000 DON’T QUIT! Fitness Center. The multi-million dollar DON’T QUIT! Campaign has selected Deer Isle-Stonington Elementary School in Deer Isle, Gorham Middle School in Gorham and SeDoMoCha School in Dover-Foxcroft for new fitness centers in recognition of their commitment to the health of their students. | More

Unpacking the Public Pre-K Guidebook

The Maine Department Of Education’s Early Learning Team is excited to offer a summer professional learning series focused around the newly released Pre-K Guidebook. This resource was designed to support expansion of high-quality and inclusive public Pre-K in Maine. | More

Notice of Concussion Workgroup (LD 104)

As directed by L.D. 104, An Act to Protect the Health of Student Athletes by Requiring the Department of Education to Report on the Incidence of Concussions which was signed into law by Governor Mills on March 17, 2021, the Department of Education’s Concussion Workgroup is expanding its work. The law requires that the Department work with the Maine Principals’ Association to use existing or new collection methods in order to report on the incidence of concussion in Maine schools. The Department, together with the Maine Principals’ Association is pleased to continue working with the Maine Association of School Nurses and Maine Concussion Management Initiative (MCMI) as the Concussion Workgroup. | More

PRIORITY NOTICE: Adopted English Language Development Standards; Process and Support

In March of 2021, WIDA released the refreshed ELD Standards Framework, 2020 Edition, which serves as a foundation for systems that foster engaged interactive student learning and collaborative educator practice. The Framework is centered on equity for all students and fosters the assets, contributions, and potential of culturally and linguistically diverse children and youth. It also provides a clear and coherent structure to guide the development of curriculum, instruction, and assessment of content-driven English language learning. | More

National Funding to Support Enhanced Access, Utilization of Wabanaki Resources

The National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded a grant of more than $59,000 to the University of Maine’s McGillicuddy Humanities Center to support development of a centralized digital portal that will improve access to Wabanaki historical and cultural resources and archival collections currently distributed across UMaine and, in the future, to incorporate collections curated by several external institutions. | More

Free Inclusive Practices Training & Technical Assistance for Public Preschool Programs

School Administrative Units (SAUs) are asked to apply by June 4, 2021 to take advantage of this exciting professional development opportunity. Notifications of acceptance will be provided by June 10, 2021. | More

Get to Know the Maine DOE Team: Meet Regina Lewis

Maine DOE team member Regina Lewis is being highlighted this week as part of the Get to Know the Maine DOE Team Campaign. Learn a little more about Regina| More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

| Submit your Maine School Success Story |

Professional Development & Training Opportunities

Wabanaki Seminar June 12, 2021 9am-12:15pm

The Maine Department of Education is delighted to invite educators statewide to our June 12 virtual recognition of the 20th Anniversary of the signing of LD 291 which requires the teaching of Wabanaki History and Culture in Maine classrooms. Please join us and a variety of educational leaders from 9-12:30 on Saturday, June 12. We will begin the morning with greetings from Governor Mills, Commissioner of Education Pender Makin and a keynote by legislation sponsor, Hon. Donna Loring. | More

Students Against Destructive Decisions Offers Free Programming to Maine Schools

Students Against Destructive Decisions is expanding its reach throughout the state and offering all educational institutions free access to resources on mobility safety; substance use and prevention; mental health and wellness; and leadership and engagement. SADD offers students the chance to make big changes in their communities and improve the culture and climate of their schools through peer-to-peer education. SADD”s programming is evidence based, student led, and completely free. | More

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities

View current Maine Department of Education employment opportunities here

Wabanaki Seminar June 12, 2021 9am-12:15pm

For more information about the Wabinaki Seminar, contact Joe Schmidt at joe.schmidt@maine.gov

Free Inclusive Practices Training & Technical Assistance for Public Preschool Programs

Reminder, the deadline for applying is fast approaching!

This offering is available to any SAU in Maine with a public preschool program. The 2021 cohort will consist of 3 classrooms of 6 participants each. Teams must include the preschool teacher, ed tech, principal, special ed director, elementary special ed teacher and a regional CDS consultant or teacher. The purpose of team participation is to ensure consistent understanding and application of the course content so that high quality inclusive practices will be supported and sustained.

More detailed information about this opportunity can be accessed here.

The complete application is available at this link.

You may access this PDF version to preview the application prior to completing.

The project requirements include:	Projected timeline:
Completion of the on-demand training: Inclusive Environments in Public Pre-K.	By August 18, 2021
Participation in a half-day virtual orientation session.	Mid-August 2021
Completion of an 18 hour online training: Creating Inclusive Preschool Settings Classrooms.	September-November 2021
Participation in 2 PLCs scheduled as follow-up support during the online training.	October 2021
Participation in consultation. It may be necessary to align class coverage on the days of consultation for some period of time. 2 (1-2 hour) classroom based consultations (onsite or technology-based). 2 (1-2 hour) administrative consultation (onsite or technology based)	October-November 2021
Participation in a wrap up meeting hosted by the DOE to evaluate the project and short district team presentations to showcase your learning.	December 2021

For more information, view the FAQ or contact:

Nicole Madore at Nicole.madore@maine.gov or

Marcy Whitcomb at Marcy.r.whitcomb@maine.gov

MEDIA RELEASE: National Funding to Support Enhanced Access, Utilization of Wabanaki Resources

Image: Courtesy of the Hudson Museum HM7182.133

Collaborators on the project include partners from Raymond H. Fogler Library, the College of Education and Human Development and Native American Programs at UMaine, members of the Wabanaki Confederacy and the Wabanaki Studies Working Group, the Maine Department of Education, the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, Amherst College and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

“Teaching about the people whose land we inhabit today is crucial work and I am excited to be able to represent the Maine Department of Education (DOE) in support of this grant,” said Maine DOE Coordinator of Secondary Education and Social Studies Specialist Joe Schmidt. “During my time at the Department I have strived to make sure that we remove barriers for educators when it comes to teaching about Maine Native Americans and from the start of her time at the Department, Commissioner Makin has made this one of her top priorities as well. By working to develop a centralized portal of historic artifacts, educators will be better equipped to develop and deliver inclusive and accurate curriculum related to Wabanaki history and culture. Through this grant, we will take another step in making sure that all of our students can see themselves as important contributors to the past and present of all that Maine has to offer.”

UMaine professor of English Margo Lukens, a faculty adviser to the McGillicuddy Humanities Center, will lead the interdisciplinary Wabanaki Resources Portal project, which seeks to enhance utilization of existing resources to promote the study of Wabanaki history and culture at the elementary, high school and post-secondary levels in Maine and to facilitate interdisciplinary academic and arts scholarship.

UMaine’s archival holdings related to Wabanaki history and culture are extensive, and include the collection of Fannie Hardy Eckstorm, an early twentieth-century independent scholar of Wabanaki history and culture; the Molly Spotted Elk Collection, which provides a Penobscot view of the United States and Europe; the Linda Gilbert Collection of Penobscot Indian Music featuring original audio recordings about traditional song and dance; and the Maine Indian Collection, one of the largest institutional collections of Wabanaki baskets and basketmaking materials and tools, which is curated by the Hudson Museum. The museum also maintains a collection of significant primary resources, particularly images portraying traditional Wabanaki activities such as basketmaking and harvesting.

Other Wabanaki artifacts stewarded by UMaine include photographs of Passamaquoddy and Penobscot people including prominent tribal members Andrew Sockalexis and Lucy Nicolar Poolaw, who was also known as Princess Watawahso, characteristic objects from the 1880s through today, and the Senator William S. Cohen Papers related to the Maine Indian Land Claims Settlement Act of 1980. Fogler Library also maintains copies of recordings of Wabanaki speech and story now in the Library of Congress collection.

Much of the Wabanaki history and cultural material now housed in University of Maine collections is the intellectual and physical property of the Wabanaki tribes. A 2018 memorandum of understanding between UMaine and the Penobscot Nation delineates a process of artifact co-curation that includes tribal members to ensure culturally responsive care and use of archival material held by a nontribal organization. Maine’s Native American communities will be included in decision and policymaking related to the collections, including controlling access to culturally sensitive materials. UMaine is working to develop a similar memorandum of understanding with the Passamaquoddy Tribe.

Currently, access to UMaine’s resources is limited by siloed storage across multiple, unconnected locations and formats. Developing a centralized portal where digital copies of historic artifacts can be archived as searchable files will enhance interest in Wabanaki history and cultures while serving a diverse stakeholder base with interests in American history, literature, linguistics, law, art and natural sciences, as well as the study of colonization and decolonization in American society.

The Wabanaki Resource Portal project will center the ideas and perspectives of Wabanaki people in providing access to significant historical materials meant to educate the public, facilitate scholarship, preserve Wabanaki traditions and art, and support development of inclusive and accurate K–12 curricula that enhance the teaching of Wabanaki history and culture in Maine schools.

Collaborators on the portal project include partners from Raymond H. Fogler Library, the College of Education and Human Development and Native American Programs at UMaine, members of the Wabanaki Confederacy and the Wabanaki Studies Working Group, the Maine Department of Education, the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, Amherst College and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Lukens has co-authored “‘Still They Remember Me’: Penobscot Transformer Tales, Volume 1” with Penobscot language master Carol Dana and University of Southern Maine linguistics faculty Conor Quinn. The book recounts traditional tales of Gluskabe, the tribe’s culture hero, as told by Penobscot Newell Lyon to anthropologist Frank Speck. Speck published the stories in 1918 in an academic report titled “Penobscot Transformer Tales.” The 2021 bilingual edition of Transformer Tales, which was designed for language learning, presents the stories in contemporary Penobscot orthography with updated English translations and features artwork created by tribal members. The book will be available from the University of Massachusetts Press in June 2021.

For more information about this project contact Joan Perkins, joan.perkins@maine.edu

Wabanaki Seminar June 12, 2021 9am-12:15pm

The Maine Department of Education is delighted to invite educators statewide to our June 12 recognition of the 20th Anniversary of the signing of LD 291 which requires the teaching of Wabanaki History and Culture in Maine classrooms.

Please join us and a variety of educational leaders from 9-12:30 on Saturday, June 12. We will begin the morning with greetings from Governor Mills, Commissioner Makin and a keynote by legislation sponsor, Hon. Donna Loring.

Register here

For more information about the Wabinaki Seminar contact Joe Schmidt at joe.schmidt@maine.gov

Huge Increase in Independent Capstones at Portland High School During Unique School Year

This year, many Portland High School seniors took on unique independent projects as their senior capstone. Projects included building an artist’s shed, building a smoker, art work, career research, building a guitar, making electronic music, and researching topics such as Buddhism, reading and mental health, preparing for the Navy, lobstering and African clothing.

Capstone requirements include student choice and research. Most students complete their capstone through a class, but some students design their own independent projects. In a typical year, there may be two or three students who take on an independent capstone, but this year over twenty students designed their own project. Independent capstones help students to explore a particular passion.

Skye Ferris, who made a series of portraits of friends and family reflects, “My advice for next year’s students is to choose a project that you are actually excited to complete, as I found my own process very enjoyable and it was something I had wanted to do for some time.”

Elias Parker who worked with two other students to help build an artist’s shed said, “ I am most proud of the seemingly far-fetched idea we had, and our ability to follow through and not sacrifice any magnificence nor quality in our project.” When asked about advice he would give other students, Eli shared “GO BIG, you’ll be proud of yourself”

Portrait by Skye Ferris

Malcom Gartland with the meat smoker he and Matthew Breece made for their senior capstone

Elias Parker, Jack Mahoney, Mikeal Van Mierlo working on their artist’s shed

The inside of Matthew Breece and Malcom Gartland’s meat smoker

This large increase is likely due to the fact that the pandemic allowed for more independent learning, time to explore personal interests, and flexible time in which to do the projects. Hopefully this is a start to many meaningful independent projects in the future!

Information for this article was provided by Portland Public Schools as part of the Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign. To submit a story or an idea, email it to Rachel at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

Lyseth Spanish Teacher Wins ‘Teacher of the Year’ Award

José Iván Sabau Torrelo, fifth-grade teacher in Lyseth Elementary School’s Spanish Immersion program, has been selected as Teacher of the Year 2021 by the Ministry of Education, Embassy of Spain. In recognizing Sabau Torrelo, the Ministry of Education cited an “outstanding” mystery-solving gaming project involving multicultural cooperation that he created for his students.

The project, titled Operación Museo, connected Lyseth fifth-graders with students in Spain at Colegio La Salle in Santiago de Compostela, and Colegio Montserrat Fuhem in Madrid. Sabau Torrelo “implemented gamification methodology to develop a mystery-solving story where students became detectives,” the Ministry of Education said. “Using a dynamic, cross-curricular and student-centered approach, students used their artistic and language skills and explored information about Spanish painters, like Miró and others, as well as geography, mathematics, physical education, and culture to solve the case.”

Sabau Torrelo explained that the two-month gaming project began with a message from a “police officer” asking students for help in dismantling a worldwide organization that was stealing famous paintings from museums. “First, they needed to go to the detective academy to get their licenses,” Sabau Torrelo said. “They needed to overcome many different challenges to do that. Once they graduated, they needed to crack codes, learn about painters and use logical thinking and skills to solve six different cases.”

The Ministry of Education praised the video Sabau Torrelo made about the project and also the project’s other aspects. “The visual and technical quality of Operación Museo’s materials is very high and demonstrates the great potential of numerous, valuable educational tools,” the Ministry of Education said. “The project’s elements combined to create a fun, creative, and engaging plot – full of humor and surprises to fuel students’ interest and attention. Mr. Sabau Torrelo’s students will remember Operación Museo forever and the Spanish teaching community will love the opportunity to learn more about this enriching project.”

“I feel honored,” Sabau Torrelo said, regarding the recognition.

Last year, Lyseth Elementary School won the Ministry of Education, Embassy of Spain’s School of the Year 2020 Award in the elementary school category. Lyseth, home of the only public Spanish immersion program in Maine, won for its “outstanding immersion program” and the school’s “enthusiasm and dedication to the Spanish language and culture.”

The immersion program was begun at Lyseth in 2014 with one kindergarten cohort. A new class was added each year. There is now an immersion classroom at each grade level from kindergarten through fifth grade.

Superintendent Xavier Botana said, “The Portland Public Schools is very proud of Iván for winning the Teacher of the Year 2021 award. His innovative Operación Museo project exemplifies his dedication to student learning. Spanish is the second most-spoken language in the United States and biliteracy in Spanish and English makes students attractive to colleges and future employers. We are very grateful to Iván and other staff at Lyseth for making the Spanish Immersion program there such a success.”

Lyseth Principal Lenore Williams said, “Iván has been steadfast in his commitment to ensure learning for his students is both engaging and interactive and connected to real-life experiences. His students are immersed in the target language and culture and they have content taught to them through an integrated teaching approach that unifies the arts, math, science, writing, and geography. “Operacion Museo” embodies Iván’s approach and beliefs about what and how students should experience learning.”

Carlos Gomez, the district’s Director of Language Development, said, “Engaging students is ‘profesor’ Sabau’s superpower! His creativity and energy help students to learn language while they learn content and culture, making for a rich, memorable and life-changing experience for his students and colleagues at Lyseth.”