The U.S. DOE annually designates teacher shortage areas for purposes of deferment of loan repayments or reductions of teaching obligation.  On February 4, 2020 the Department of Education requested input regarding designated teacher shortage areas for federal reporting. The Department would like to thank all those who submitted information related to teacher shortage and, because of public input, will be proposing the following as K-12 teacher shortage areas for the 2020-2021 school year:

• Early Elementary (K-3)
• Early Childhood (Pre-K)
• Teacher of Students with Disabilities
• French
• Spanish
• Health
• Theater
• English – Second Language
• Mathematics
• Middle Level Science
• Physical Science
• Life Science
• Latin
• Italian
• Visual Arts
• Gifted/Talented
• CTE (Firefighter/EMT, Automotive Mechanics, Truck, Automotive Body Repair, Diesel Engine Mechanic, Carpentry, Marine Maintenance, Electrician, Computer Info Services, Machine Toll Oper/Shop, Weld Braze Solder, Building Maintenance, Plumbing, Agricultural Prod. Gen, Allied Health, Nursing Asst., Law Enforcement, Forestry Prod & Proc., Food Production Manager, Child Care/Guidance, Business Admin/Manager)

The Maine Department of Education received additional input regarding Specialist and Administrative certificates, not currently covered by this provision, but will be investigating the possibility of inclusion in the shortage report in the future.

The Special Education Staff Certification (EF-S-05 Part II) will open for verification and certification on March 1, 2020 and will close on April 15, 2020.

The EF-S-05 Part II must be verified and certified by the Special Education Director in NEO. The report is used to verify the full-time equivalency (FTE) and qualification status of special education teachers, paraprofessionals (educational technicians), and related services personnel who were employed or contracted to provide special education services to students with disabilities ages 3 through 20 as of December 1, 2019.

Instructions for completing the report can be found at: https://www.maine.gov/doe/data-reporting/collection/helpdesk/resources/data-reporting-instructions.

If you have trouble logging into NEO or have other technical issues, contact the help desk at 207-624-6896 or MEDMS.Helpdesk@maine.gov. For questions about the EF-S-05 Part II, contact Brandi Giguere at 207-624-6648 or brandi.a.giguere@maine.gov.

Reminders for School Communities Regarding the 2019 Novel Coronavirus!

Please note that at this time Maine has no confirmed cases associated with the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The Maine Department of Education, in collaboration with, and with guidance from The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC), issued information to School Administrative Unit (SAU) leaders last month about the coronavirus outbreak. This is a reminder and update of that information; we will continue to work with Maine CDC and provide updated guidance and information, as it becomes available. Schools and districts should review and keep their School Emergency Operations Plans up to date, including portions of the plan that address infectious diseases.

Information from the CDC:

Students or staff who recently traveled outside the United States who have respiratory symptoms or fever should inform their health care provider about their travel history. Health care providers should notify Maine CDC at 1-800-821-5821 and screen for routine respiratory illnesses such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus.

Maine CDC staff have been working closely with public health officials from the federal government and other states since the 2019 novel coronavirus was first identified in China. Maine CDC continues to offer guidance to the state’s health care community and other agencies, including Maine DOE, as the global situation evolves.

As part of that effort, Maine CDC created and regularly updates a webpage with information about the 2019 novel coronavirus. Visit the webpage at: www.maine.gov/dhhs/coronavirus.

Additionally, this fact sheet (PDF) provides answers to common questions about the 2019 novel coronavirus.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintain that the immediate risk of contracting this novel virus remains low in the United States. The greater risk for Mainers at this time, is seasonal influenza and it is not too late to get the flu shot.

The best preventive measures for all infectious diseases include washing hands thoroughly with soap and water, covering your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, and staying home when you feel sick.

Updating School Emergency Operations Plans:

While Maine has no confirmed cases associated with the 2019 novel coronavirus, we are recommending that all schools review their Emergency Operations Plan with local public safety officials to make sure the team is familiar with the plan, update the plan if needed, and address any other improvements that may be required. Should your plan not have a section that addresses infectious diseases and continuity of operations, please take time to develop that plan with your local public safety partners (school nurse, Emergency Management Association, health services, law enforcement and other first responders).

Below are some helpful links to information on preparing your schools for a possible pandemic:

• Get Your School Ready for Pandemic Flu (PDF)
• School District Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist (PDF)
• Community Mitigation Guidelines
• Healthy Habits to Help Prevent Flu
• How to Clean and Disinfect Your School

Should school emergency planning teams need any assistance with the development of their emergency plans, please contact the Maine School Safety and Security Center at  DOESchoolandStudentSupports@maine.gov.