Maine DOE Launches New Professional Development Calendar and Video Library

The Maine Department of Education has launched a new and improved calendar system that will house all the of its professional learning, virtual office hours, and training opportunities in one place on the DOE Website. The Department has also created a new video library that accompanies the calendar as a place where educators and school staff can browse recorded webinars and office hours for additional professional learning opportunities.

Below are links to both the calendar and the video library. You can also find them conveniently linked to the website where the previous listing of virtual professional learning and office hours were located as part of the COVID-19 webpage, or you can find the calendar by navigating from the main menu system under Maine Educators > Professional Development & Training and the Video library linked from the top of the calendar.

Professional Development & Training Calendar (maine.gov/doe/calendar)
Professional Learning Webinar Library (maine.gov/doe/webinarlibrary)

You can also find all of the the Department’s videos on the Maine DOE YouTube Channel where you can also find a listing of our playlists. A link to the YouTube Channel can also be found in the footer of the website.

For questions or suggestions about the Calendar or the Video Library, email Rachel Paling at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

DOE Statement & Resources for Juneteenth

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally-celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States, honoring African American freedom and highlighting education and achievement. Today, we join others in our community for a Day of Solidarity to promote greater racial justice and equality. We invite you to take action and join us.

Anti-racist education demands more than teaching about holidays, foods, and festivals. Note that collected lesson ideas for Juneteenth also encourage teaching about the history and culture of the United States by including experiences and perspectives of formerly enslaved people, immigrants, and indigenous peoples – among others – in an on-going manner throughout the year. Students need to understand their world in order to take action to change it.

Resources for Teaching and Learning about Juneteenth:

Three Part Documentary produced by the Texas Institute for the Preservation of History and Culture:

Other Resources on Anti-Racism and Teaching about Race

What Anti-Racist Teachers Do Differently
We are Kid Lit: Summer Reading List on Diversity, Inclusivity, and Intersecting Identities
Resources on Teaching about Racism, Racial Injustice, and Human Rights
The National Association for the Education of Young Children, Equity Resources: An extensive list of resources for teaching for equity with young children.
Anti-Racism Resources for White People: A compilation of resources for white people and parents to deepen their anti-racism knowledge and work.
75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice: Curated by Medium and updated regularly.
Teaching about Race, Racism, and Policy Violence: A resource from Teaching Tolerance for educators to address subjects in the classroom.

End of School Year 19’-20’Checklist for Completing Reports

The following checklist is designed to assist school administrative units (SAUs) with publicly funded students in completing required end of year reports. The dates listed after each report are when the report is open for entry and due for certification, if required.

Synergy: The following items are available in the Synergy Student Information System. Please visit the Synergy Instructions Helpdesk Page for Synergy codes to be used for the items below.

Special Education – exit any students who have left special education: Special Education will not need to be ended unless the student is exiting the special education program. Special Education services will need to be uploaded each year. Special Education Exit Reporting Instructions

Update/End ALL Enrollments (done last):

Manual Student Enrollment Exit Instructions

Upload Student Enrollment Exit Instructions

DOE will NOT be automatically ending enrollments
Concurrent enrollment MUST be ended before the primary enrollment can be ended
All students will need to be exited on their actual last day of school. This may be verified using “Attending Student Report”
June 30 should not be automatically populated for the last day of school
Future exit dates that are more than 7 days out are not permitted in the system
Ending a student’s enrollment will end Economic Status and Truancy – to avoid this, update Truancy records prior to ending enrollments
Ending enrollments will prevent you from manually updating Attendance Data. Once an enrollment has been ended, attendance data can only be modified by uploading the data.
New enrollments will need to be uploaded/entered as well as special education information each school year.

Annual End of Year Reports and Certifications:

The following items are Annual Reports for the 2019/2020 school year. Instructions for these reports can be found here: Annual Report Instructions.

The report listed below is linked directly to its corresponding certification report in NEO

Graduation Phase I : Verified and certified by Superintendent. May 15th – June 15th Graduation Phase 1 Instructions

Maine Schools and School Approval – Verified and certified by Superintendent by June 30th. Instructions can be found at: Instructions for Maine Schools

Special Education Exit Report – Verified and certified by Special Ed Director or Superintendent. June 1st – July 30th Instructions can be found at: Special Education Exit Reporting Instructions

Bullying reporting – Verified and certified by Superintendent. June 1st -June 30th. Instructions can be found at: Bullying Reporting Instructions

Report of Adult Education for Subsidy Purposes (EF-M-39A) – Submitted by the Special Education Director and certified by the Superintendent. June 1^st – July 15th. Instructions can be found at: EF-M-39 Report of Adult Education Instructions

School Health Report. May 1st – July 31st. Instructions can be found within the portal at: School Health Report.

Restraint and Seclusion Report – Verified and certified by Superintendent. June 15 – August 1. The instructions can be accessed within the portal, found at: SAR portal.

Graduation Phase II: Verified and certified by Superintendent. August 1st – August 31st. Instructions can be found at: Graduation Phase II Instructions

Q4 Actual Balance Sheet July 1 – August 23. Instructions can be found at: Actual Balance Sheet Instructions

Q4 Actual Expenditure July 1 – August 23. Instructions can be found at: Actual Expenditure Instructions

Q4 Actual Revenue July 1 – August 23. Instructions can be found at: Actual Revenue Instructions

Q1 Budget Expenditure – Due by 8/14/2020 or 30 days after the budget passes, whichever is later. Instructions can be found at: Budget Expenditure Instructions

Q1 Budget Revenue – Due by 8/2/2020 or 30 days after the budget passes, whichever is later. Instructions can be found at: Budget Revenue Instructions

If you have questions about these reports, (i.e. what should be entered) please contact the specialist listed below:

Maine Schools: Katherine Warren 624-6716 Katherine.Warren@Maine.gov

Special Education: Brandi Giguere 624-6648 Brandi.A.Giguere@Maine.gov

Financial Reports: Tyler Backus 624-6635 Tyler.Backus@Maine.gov

School Approvals: Pam Ford-Taylor 624-6617 Pamela.Ford-Taylor@Maine.gov

Bullying: Kellie Bailey 441-5378 Kellie.Bailey@Maine.gov

Restraint and Seclusion: Bear Shea 441-7404 W.Bear.Shea@Maine.gov

School Health Report: Emily Poland 592-0387 Emily.Poland@Maine.gov

If you have questions about accessing the reports, please call or email the helpdesk, 624-6896 or MEDMS.helpdesk@maine.gov

If you do not have credentials for Synergy or NEO, the district superintendent may grant access using the appropriate webform on the Helpdesk Page:

Synergy Access Request here
NEO Access Request here

Message from Kellie D. Bailey SEL Specialist Maine DOE

Rock with a leaf on it — This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND

Dear Maine Educators-

It has been such a pleasure to collaborate with you over the past few months. You are Educational Warriors. Your passion, strength, ingenuity and resilience overwhelms me. I’m beyond grateful to work for Commissioner Makin who clearly supports and honors the emotional wellbeing of our Maine educators and support staffs. When I accepted this position as the first SEL specialist for the Maine DOE in January 2020, I could never have foreseen that in just 10 short weeks, Maine educators would be faced with such sadness, grief and concern for their students and the world.

Our morning mindful practices and the work that hundreds of you have put in over the past three months to learn and grow in all things social/emotional is greatly appreciated. For many of you the school year is over, but the work has not stopped. Preparations for school re-entry and how this will look is on everyone’s mind. Please remember to take small moments to be present in your life. Listen to the birds, feel the sun warm your face, smell the freshly cut grass and BREATHE ON PURPOSE.

Breathing is our first life gift and our birthright. Breathe for yourselves and for one another. Give yourself permission to step outside of the automaticity of an unaware existence and spend a few moments in gratitude and hope. We will get through this together and we will begin the important work of building a new reality in education with a solid foundation of love, compassion, equity and understanding. Our children deserve for us to be at our emotional and physical best so we can continue the work of teaching courageously and compassionately and growing good humans.

Be Well, Safe, Healthy and Happy-

With Love- Kellie

PRIORITY NOTICE: 2020-2021 NEO Maine Schools for Private Schools and School Approval Process Now Open for Completion

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.

Private School Approval Process Updates

Maine private schools are advised that the 2020-2021 NEO Maine Schools Update is open for completion. The Department urges private schools to submit complete information as early as possible for FY2021 and reach out early to our help desk in order to resolve any questions or issues. Any requested funding for publicly funded students will be contingent on the process of basic school approval, following by receipt of the Year-End Report of Private Schools (Form EF-M 240).

All private schools seeking approval status, in addition to completing the organizational piece in NEO Maine Schools, need to enter required staff information into the NEO staff module and submit their annual report with supporting documentation by July 1. The Department urges private schools to review instructions at https://www.maine.gov/doe/data-reporting/collection/helpdesk/resources/staff-dataentry-guides, and contact the Help Desk with questions regarding the proper way to enter staff information in the NEO information system.

Private School Approval and NEO

Maine Schools NEO Module
The NEO Maine Schools form is required by all public and private schools to inform DOE of school and district contact information, changes in grade spans, and other school-related information. As a preliminary step, in order for an organization to be updated in Maine Schools, the superintendent or chief administrator of the school must first be entered into the NEO Staff Module. Access to NEO staff can be obtained by submitting a NEO Access Request Form to the MEDMS Helpdesk as follows:

Log in to the NEO information system. Click on Maine Schools. If you do not see this option on your menu, and are a superintendent (for private schools, this is the chief administrator of school), technical coordinator, or administrative assistant, please contact the MEDMS Helpdesk at MEDMS.Helpdesk@maine.gov or 207-624-6896.

When completing the Maine Schools Module, please be aware that all fields, with the exception of Administrative Office Fax, are required. Also, PO Boxes are not valid entries in the “Physical Address” box and the mailing address is needed only if it is different from physical address. At the bottom of the form, check the box to confirm that all information has been reviewed before signing and submitting the form.

Staff NEO Module
For security and privacy purposes, all staff information must be properly entered in the NEO Staff module. The School Approval office utilizes only the NEO public portal Staff Positions search function, together with internal staff violations reporting, to verify that all staff have appropriate certifications and/or clearance. Neither certification nor clearance information should be manually or electronically submitted in any format with school approval materials. This ensures that private information is being relayed in a safe manner.

Private School Annual School Approval Report and Documentation

The annual report is submitted separately from the NEO system, with related documentation, to DOE’s School Enrollment/Approval Specialist, either electronically (email, preferred) or by mail. The NEO requirements need not be completed prior to the submission of the annual report; however, school approval will not be issued until the NEO information is complete and verified.

2020-2021 Approval Reports and requirement checklists are linked below, and also available from the updated Private School Approval web page. If unsure of which form is appropriate for your needs, please contact Pamela Ford-Taylor, School Enrollment/Approval Specialist.

Private School – Annual School Approval Report
Private School – Checklist
Special Purpose Private School – Annual School Approval Report
Special Purpose Private School – Checklist
Non-Traditional Limited Purpose Private School – Annual School Approval Report
Non-Traditional Limited Purpose Private School – Checklist
Electronic Signature Certification (required for schools submitting school approval materials electronically. Please send signed form separately via USPS)

Private School Student Reporting

School approval includes the requirement that all private schools provide attendance data on their publicly funded students in the Synergy student information system.

Currently, every private school that seeks tuition from a school administrative unit is already entering information into the Synergy student information system for each student for whom they seek public funds. The attendance data entry is comprised of the number of days in the reporting period for which the student is enrolled, the number of days they were present, and the number of days of excused absences. This data needs to be updated and reviewed quarterly and certified on June 30th.

Subsidy will as always be dependent on accurate reporting of October 1st enrollment counts. In order for an accurate enrollment count and to ensure that private schools are on track to receive the appropriate tuition allocation, the following guidelines should be closely followed:

In order for attendance data to be submitted, NEO Maine Schools organizational information must have been submitted and approved. If Maine Schools is not submitted, enrollment and attendance cannot be uploaded, and EPS cannot be processed;
The first instance of submitting attendance for publicly funded students at private schools, which is due quarterly, must be entered by October 15 and includes the attendance period July 1 through September 30. The next reporting period (to be entered by January 15) will require updated attendance numbers through December, and so on. More details about attendance data submission, and a helpful training manual document, can be found in Student Attendance Reporting and Attendance Manual Entry Guide.
Publicly funded October 1^ststudent enrollment data must be entered by October 15; certified by October 31.

Please contact the MEDMS Help Desk at 624-6896, or MEDMS.Helpdesk@maine.gov for assistance with NEO or the student information system. For staff certification questions, please contact the DOE Certification Team at cert.DOE@maine.gov. Please contact Paula Gravelle at 624-6792 or Paula.B.Gravelle@maine.gov for questions about tuition. And, for questions about school approval please call Pamela Ford-Taylor at 624-6617, or Pamela.Ford-Taylor@maine.gov.

MEDIA RELEASE: Maine DOE Welcomes 5 Student Interns for the Summer

The Maine Department of Education today announced five student interns have joined the team for the summer. Throughout the summer, the students will assist in the daily operations of the Maine DOE while working remotely due to COVID-19. The interns will be working for a variety of Department of Education teams including the Department of Assessments, the Volunteer Maine Commission, the Commissioner’s Office, and the Office of Special Services.

“Maine DOE offers an enthusiastic welcome to our summer interns! Our work is always enriched by fresh perspectives, creativity, and energy – and we hope that the interns will gain valuable skills and new insights during their time with us!” said Pender Makin, Maine Department of Education Commissioner.

Louisa Goldman is a recent graduate from Colby College where she majored in American Studies while also on the pre-med track. She is currently applying to medical schools with hopes of going into primary care. Louisa would also like to pursue an MPH, which would allow her to join the field of public health policy. This summer, Louisa will be working with the Maine DOE’s Department of Assessments team as the Assessment Webmaster. She will be redesigning the Assessments webpage and producing test-specific infographics in an effort to increase accessibility for interested families. She hopes to gain a better understanding of how accessibility can be used to make for more effective communication and is excited to create materials that will be consumed by a wide audience. In her free time, Louisa enjoys writing, going for runs, and sailing and is incredibly passionate about journalism, and local reporting. Louisa is from St. Louis, Missouri.

Anthony Inhorn is a rising junior at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He is a Political Science and American History double major, and Environmental Policy and Culture minor. This summer, he will be interning as a Research Associate with Volunteer Maine, Maine’s Service Commission. Anthony will be responsible for researching the biggest issues that Maine will be facing in the coming years and analyzing the reports of various governmental and nonprofit organizations to better understand where support exists for volunteer programs to make an impact surrounding those issues. This work will culminate in a report for the Volunteer Maine commission with his findings and recommendations of where local and national Americorps volunteers can be best utilized. He will also be working to create a database of all of the operational nonprofits in Maine. Anthony hopes to gain a deep understanding of the workings of the Maine government and volunteer programs in the state, and will be working to take his research and writing skills to the next level. He is looking forward to gaining valuable experience in government work while having the opportunity to serve his home state. In his free time, Anthony enjoys watching cartoons, reading on the beach, hiking, playing Spikeball, and getting into debates about history and politics. Anthony is passionate about protecting the environment, learning about history, and competing on his school’s model U.N. team. Anthony is from Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

Nathan McIvor is a rising senior studying English and Philosophy at the University of Maine Farmington. This summer, he will serve as the Public Affairs Intern at Volunteer Maine, Maine’s Service Commission. Nathan will be supporting the department’s communications officer, creating press materials, and assisting with several website projects. He looks forward to learning more about government and communications work. Nathan says that the best part about this internship is that it will provide him a wide variety of opportunities, such as social media outreach, producing videos, graphic design, participating in the department’s Communications and Public Policy task force, and writing press materials. Looking forward, Nathan is drawn to careers that involve writing editing, and creativity. He is interested in communications work, preferably for a government agency, school, or nonprofit whose mission he supports. In his free time, Nathan enjoys reading, hiking, kayaking, and traveling. He is passionate about helping others, a sustainable future, a fair and equitable society, and art. Nathan is from Jefferson, Maine.

Aidan Sachs is a rising senior at Connecticut College where she is a Human Development major and Psychology minor. Aidan is also a member of her college’s Elementary Education Teacher Certificate Program and is a selected scholar through Connecticut College’s Holleran Center for Community Action and Public Policy. This summer, she will serve as the Education Commissioner’s Office Intern where she will be working with the Communications and Legislative teams. Over the course of the summer, Aidan will be working on a variety of projects, including writing Good News Stories for the DOE’s website, helping to redesign the Professional Development Calendar, assisting the legislative team with the 129th Legislative Second Session Publication for K-12 Educational Leaders, as well as working with the Commissioner’s Student Cabinet. This summer, Aidan hopes to expand on her writing skills, and to learn about roles within the department to further her career interest in education. Aidan is looking forward to connecting with DOE staff across departments and to taking advantage of opportunities to sit in on meetings and learn more about the innerworkings of the department. In the future, she hopes to become an elementary school teacher here in Maine and to pursue a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education. In her free time, Aidan enjoys skiing, hiking, paddle boarding, and kayaking. She is passionate about working with children in many different settings, and loves watching them learn and construct knowledge. Aidan is from Brunswick, Maine.

Olivia Wilson is a rising senior at Husson University majoring in Web Design. This summer, Olivia will be interning with the Maine DOE’s Office of Special Services, where she will serve as their Website Development and Content Specialist. Over the course of the summer, Olivia will work to create an interactive experience for teachers and students, as well as maintain and frame content into the Special Services website. She hopes to expand her skill set in web design and gain more experience that can be applied to her future career. Olivia is looking forward to seeing what she can achieve and to working on projects that she finds enjoyment in. In the future, Olivia plans to become a Front-End Web Developer for a big company, and to start her own company to help local businesses. Olivia enjoys photography, singing, hanging out with her cat, and going on road trips. She is extremely passionate about music and art and looks forward to incorporating this into her career. Olivia is from Bangor, Maine.

Maine Students Create Innovative Solutions to Real-World Problems in 2020 MLTI Prototype Challenge; Winners Announced

The Maine Department of Education held a Prototype Challenge this year. An educational activity for students involved with the MLTI (Maine Learning Technology Initiative) Student Conference, the post conference prototype challenge offered students the opportunity to work in teams to develop an innovative product that solves a real-world problem defined in Maine DECDs 2030 report.

Each year, over one thousand students and educators gather for the MLTI Student Conference to engage in learning related to technology. This year, due to the (COVID-19) pandemic the Maine Department held the conference virtually.

Building off of their experience at the virtual conference, students developed an innovation in one of the five challenge categories defined in the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development’s 2030 report. As part of the challenge, student teams researched, explored, and applied their conference skills to create a prototype of a product that solves a real-world problem defined in the Report. Using “Design Thinking” framework, student teams created a prototype in the form of an executive summary, slide deck, demo of the product, all three forms, or some other representation of the innovative solution to the real-world problem. The projects were examined and evaluated by a team of experts at CATES, an education company that focuses on helping people solve social problems in a new and different way

Prototype Challenge Winners:

First Place

Helping Heart by Audrey Tucker and Rowan Lambert-Ellis, Wayne Elementary School. Fruit & vegetable trading cards that fosters community and inclusion through gaming and growing produce.


Aubrey Tucker, 4th Grade, Wayne Elementary School	Rowan Lambert-Ellis, 4th Grade, Wayne Elementary School

Second Place

Apples to Energy by Rowan Jackson Sanborn, Beatrix Foster, and Cailan Barton from Orono Middle School, Orono. A juice press that uses bruised fruit to generate electricity, compost tea, and profits from the sales of freshly-squeezed juice.


Beatrix Foster, Orono Middle School	Rowan Jackson Sanborn, Orono Middle School	Cailan Barton, Orono Middle School

Third Place

Eco-Friendly Renewable Energy by Carter Boulanger from Sacopee Valley Middle School, Hiram. A super wind mill that combines a hydro energy plant, windmills, and solar panels to make an even more powerful renewable energy source.

Carter Boulanger, Sacopee Valley Middle School

Honorable Mention:

Match a Maine Pound by Aubri Bosco and Delaney Evans from James F Doughty School, Bangor
Solar Panel Incentives by Joseph Bowman from Maine Academy of Natural Sciences, Skowhegan
NRGized by Nolan Ainsworth from Central Middle school, Corinth

A total of 10 students representing 6 teams received $1,000 scholarships toward tuition at the University of Maine-Orono for their submissions. The University of Maine scholarships were presented to students by Don Hummels, Professor and Chair of the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department at the University of Maine during an award ceremony via Zoom on June 4, 2020.

NEW: Remote Learning 101 with Maine DOE Digital Learning Specialists

Digital Learning Specialists at the Maine Department of Education are hosting a Remote Learning 101 professional learning series. The series is currently underway and consists of three modules total. Sessions are being recorded and will be posted to the Maine DOE website and YouTube Channel as they happen.

The first module of the series provides an overview of getting started with remote learning, the fundamentals of engaging in a virtual environment, including establishing classroom management practices, setting norms, digital citizenship, and more. The second module of the series explores the key components of designing and delivering effective instruction in a remote learning environment. Building upon the first module, we look at different models, the elements within them, and the various digital tools that can aid in implementing them. The third module of the series focuses on tying everything together within a remote classroom. We look at bringing students into the process as they connect with the content, with each other, and with the educator(s) to encourage students to make deep connections and demonstrate their understanding in ways that are new and exciting.

View the complete schedule, view previous recordings, and register for upcoming sessions here.

Get to Know the DOE Team: Meet Brenda Vigue

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

What are your roles with DOE?

I am the Office Manager of Higher Education and Student Support Services. My main focus is Certification

What do you like best about your job?

The variety of the things I do and the business of the job.

How or why did you decide on this career?

I worked in at DHHS for most of my state career and needed a change and the opportunity came up in Education. I am glad I ended up here as I have met a variety of people in DOE and the education field.

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

I like to spend time with family! My grandson just graduated from high school and I am so proud of him to have graduated during this pandemic. He was born right after 9/11 so I expect good things to happen in his future.

I am taking my last two classes in the fall at UMA and will be graduating with a Bachelor’s degree. It has been a long adventure but my hope is to inspire my daughter and two grandchildren that it is never too late in life to pursue your educational dreams! My husband and I, and our 2 dogs like to take rides and walk on the beach and in the mountains!

MaineCare Seed Adjustments to be Made, Review Q3-20 Reports by July 15, 2020

The recovery of Q3-20 MaineCare Seed will occur in the July 2020 subsidy payment and the Maine Department of Education (DOE) is asking School Administrative Units (SAUs) to review their reports by July 15, 2020 to ensure accurate adjustments to subsidy. Please review student by student claims on both the public and private MaineCare reports for Q3-20 by July 15, 2020.

To access the MaineCare Seed reports, please follow the instructions below.

Log into NEO using the link below

https://neo.maine.gov/DOE/neo/Dashboard

Anyone who currently has Special Education Director permissions to the Special Education module, will automatically have permissions to access MaineCare reports.

As in the past, if a new staff member needs permission to access this module, a request from the Superintendent to the Maine DOE helpdesk will be necessary. The helpdesk contact information is medms.helpdesk@maine.gov or 207-624-6896.

Click on the Student Data tab
Click on the Student Report tab
Select MaineCare in the Reporting Area drop-down
Choose the quarterly Seed report and the report type (private/public)
Click view report button
Once the report appears on the screen, choose the export button.

You may export the reports to Excel, but please be aware that there may be multiple worksheet tabs within the workbook. Save the file to your computer.

If you disagree that a particular student or time period should be on the report, please provide the reason that you disagree along with the following to stephanie.clark@maine.gov.

Identify the type of report (public or private) and the quarter in which the claims are located.
State Student ID
Service provided dates (From and To)
Total amount of Seed being disputed

Summer services: Students must be enrolled for the time period they are receiving educational services. This means that students that are receiving extended school year services in district or extended school year services in an out of district placement must have a primary enrollment for that time period in order for the Maine DOE to have the most accurate enrollment data to determine SAU responsibility for MaineCare Seed.

For more information or technical assistance related to MaineCare Seed, please contact stephanie.clark@maine.gov.