Author: Maine Department of Education

Media Release: Nominations Sought for 2020 Teacher of the Year

AUGUSTA – As part of the Maine Department of Education’s ongoing efforts to highlight Maine’s outstanding teachers, nominations are now open for the 2019 County Teachers of the Year and 2020 Teacher of the Year. Members of the public are encouraged to nominate educators who demonstrate a commitment to excellence and nurturing the achievement of all students.

Nominations can be made through the Maine Teacher of the Year Website starting today, January 4, 2019 and will be open through Feb. 4, 2019.

To be considered, a teacher must:

  • hold the appropriate professional certification for the position,
  • be employed by a Maine public school – including a public charter school or publicly-supported secondary school,
  • be actively teaching students at least 50% of full-time at the time of nomination and during the year of recognition, and
  • have a minimum of five years teaching, three of which are in Maine.

The eventual winner serves as an advocate for teachers, students, and the efforts underway in Maine’s public schools to prepare students for success in college, career and civic life.

Maine’s recently named 2019 Teacher of the Year, Joseph Hennessey, an English teacher at Piscataquis Community High School in Guilford, was selected from over 300 entries and included recognition as the 2018 Piscataquis County Teacher of the Year. In addition to Hennessey, the other 2019 state finalists include Connie Russell, a teacher at Mabel I. Wilson School and 2018 Cumberland County Teacher of the Year, and Shana Goodall, a teacher at Orono High School and the 2018 Penobscot County Teacher of the Year.

The 2020 Maine Teacher of the Year will be selected from the 16 county honorees. The field will be narrowed to eight semi-finalists and then three state finalists before the ultimate winner is announced by Maine’s Education Commissioner at a surprise school assembly in the fall.

The Maine Teacher of the Year program is administered by Educate Maine, a business-led organization whose mission is to champion college, career readiness, and increased education attainment. Funding is provided by Bangor Savings Bank, Dead River Co., Geiger, Hannaford, the Maine Lottery, and Pratt & Whitney with support from the State Board of Education and the Maine State Teacher of the Year Association.

The Teacher of the Year program is no cost to taxpayers. Bangor Savings Bank reimburses the winning educator’s school district for the cost of substitutes while the Teacher of the Year is out of the classroom on their official duties, which includes travel throughout the state, a week at NASA Space Camp and a visit to the White House.

For more information about the Maine Teacher of the Year program, visit the Maine Department of Education website.

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Media Contact: Rachel Paling, Maine DOE Director of Communications, rachel.paling@maine.gov

Maine DOE Update – January 3, 2019

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

Reminder:  Report of Adult Education (EF-M-39B) – opened December 1st, due by January 15, 2019

Starting on December 1, the EF-M-39 Report of Adult Education opened for submissions through the NEO Student Data Module. The report is a resident-based aggregate count of students aged 16 to 20 who live within the boundaries of a school administrative unit (SAU), are no longer enrolled in regular education classes, and are taking academic courses through a Maine Adult Education program, but not necessarily through the SAU in which they reside. | More

MaineCare Seed Adjustments to be Made; Review Q119 Reports by January 18, 2019

The recovery of Q119 MaineCare Seed will occur in the January 2019 subsidy payment and the Maine DOE is asking School Administrative Units (SAUs) to review their reports by January 18, 2019 to ensure accurate adjustments to subsidy. | More

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

Important Information Regarding Lapsed Certificates

Please note that we have just reached the 6-month threshold for all certificates that expired on July 1, 2018.  This means that any educator who has not yet applied for renewal is now considered lapsed and will need to submit an initial paper application. | More

Proposed Rule Chapter 8: Rules Relating to the use of Essential Programs and Services Targeted Funds for Economically Disadvantaged Students

The Maine Department of Education is proposing a new Rule Chapter 8 that outlines the ways in which districts may use the targeted funding allocation, which was enacted by the 128th Legislature, to support economically disadvantaged students. | More

Maine Celebrates School Counselors of the Year with Local and National Ceremonies

The Maine School Counselor Association (MESCA) is pleased to announce that Kelly O’Brien Weaver from Weatherbee Elementary School is the 2018 Maine School Counselor of the Year and will represent Maine at the 2019 School Counselor of the Year celebration at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. in February. | More

Professional Development & Training Opportunities

Maine DOE Offers Two Opportunities to Participate in a 1% Alternate Assessment Support Webinar

Letters were sent out Friday, December 21st to all districts that have identified more than 1% of their students as alternate assessment students.  Three levels of support are offered to all districts.  Districts assigned to a level of support in Tier 2 and Tier 3 are required to attend one of the 1% Support Webinars | More

Integrated Pest Management School Workshop

Registration is now open for the Comprehensive Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Workshop to be held February 20th at Gardiner Area High School. This workshop is offered by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. | More

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities

Important Information Regarding Lapsed Certificates

Please note that we have just reached the 6-month threshold for all certificates that expired on July 1, 2018.  This means that any educator who has not yet applied for renewal is now considered lapsed and will need to submit an initial paper application. Educators with lapsed certification will now appear on the Superintendent’s violation list if they are currently employed.  If the support chairs had verified their renewal requirements, that verification is now null and void.  New applications submitted by the educators will need to include all contact hours and/or semester hours needed for renewal.  Because there is a lapse in certificate, these educators will now also need to be re-fingerprinted with IdentToGo before their certificates can be issued.

Ed Tech renewals that expire on February 1, 2019 will need to be done through the MEIS portal. For anyone who has not yet created an online account, please do so as soon as possible. Step by step instructions on how to create an account and apply for renewal can be found here: https://www.maine.gov/doe/cert/renewals

District Support Chairs – Teachers (and Ed Techs if applicable) will appear on your renewal verification list 6 months prior to their expiration date. Once you verify they have completed renewal requirements, teachers are welcome to complete their online renewal.  If a teacher renews early, the new certificate will not begin until the current one expires.

As a reminder, only renewal applications are being submitted through the MEIS system. For new certificates, new endorsements, or certificates that have lapsed, paper applications need to be mailed to or dropped off at the certification office.

The certification office will be posting updates on their home page http://www.maine.gov/doe/cert/index.html as well as on Facebook, Twitter, and in the DOE newsroom.

Maine Celebrates School Counselors of the Year with Local and National Ceremonies

The Maine School Counselor Association (MESCA) is pleased to announce that Kelly O’Brien Weaver from Weatherbee Elementary School is the 2018 Maine School Counselor of the Year and will represent Maine at the 2019 School Counselor of the Year celebration at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. in February. Kelly’s focus has been on promoting comprehensive school counseling programs in the State of Maine through the RAMP process (Recognized ASCA Model Program).  Kelly has also worked to promote National Board Certification (NBCT) for School Counselors in Maine. Kelly’s passion includes use of experiential social learning through educational break-out boxes and escape games.

In addition, Tara Kierstead from Hall-Dale Middle & High School, has been announced as Maine’s 2019 School Counselor of the Year.  Tara was recognized at MESCA’s annual conference on November 30, 2018 in Portland, Maine. Tara’s focus has been to support all students, especially those who identify as LGBTQ to ensure they are successful in high school and beyond.

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) School Counselor of the Year program (#SCOY19) honors the professionals who devote their careers to serving as advocates for the nation’s students, helping them achieve success in school and in life.  State school counselor of the year honorees were selected based on several criteria, including: school counseling innovations, effective school counseling programs, leadership and advocacy skills and contributions to student advancement.

“The ASCA School Counselor of the Year award is an esteemed recognition for our profession,” said Richard Wong, Ed.D., ASCA executive director.  “School counselors make significant contributions to the overall well-being of students and their success. Their unique qualifications and training allow them to support students’ academic achievement, career development and social/emotional needs. This award highlights their commitment, dedication and excellence.”

On February 7, 2019, from 2:00-4:00, MESCA and the Maine DOE will recognize Kelly, Tara, and all of Maine’s School Counselors in the Hall of Flags to celebrate National School Counselor Week.  All are welcome!

For more information or questions about the role of the School Counselor, contact Sarah Adkins at sarah.adkins@maine.gov or 207-624-6685.

MaineCare Seed Adjustments to be Made; Review Q119 Reports by January 18, 2019

The recovery of Q119 MaineCare Seed will occur in the January 2019 subsidy payment and the Maine DOE is asking School Administrative Units (SAUs) to review their reports by January 18, 2019 to ensure accurate adjustments to subsidy. SAU staff must review student by student claims on both the public and private MaineCare reports for Q119 by January 18, 2019.

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

  1. Log into NEO
    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. Anyone who currently has Special Education Director permissions to the Special Education module, will automatically have permissions to access MaineCare reports.
  2. Click on the Student Data tab
  3. Click on the Student Report tab
  4. Select MaineCare in the Reporting Area drop-down
  5. Choose the quarterly Seed report and the report type (private/public)
  6. Click view report button
  7. Once the report appears on the screen, choose the export button.

    Export Button
  8. 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 Denise.towers@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 (to and from)
  • 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 MDOE 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 Denise.towers@maine.gov.

 

Maine DOE Offers Two Opportunities to Participate in a 1% Alternate Assessment Support Webinar

Letters were sent out Friday, December 21st to all districts that have identified more than 1% of their students as alternate assessment students.  Three levels of support are offered to all districts.  Districts assigned to a level of support in Tier 2 and Tier 3 are required to attend one of the 1% Support Webinars listed below.  All other districts are welcome to attend.

The webinar will include an overview of the 1% ESSA regulation – Section §1111(b)(2)(D)(I) for providing alternate assessments, including: the definition of significant cognitive disabilities, meeting the criteria within the Participation Guidelines, how to identify students in Synergy, and how to complete the Action Plan for districts over the 1% participation threshold. Concentration on the Action Plan will look at three levels of support and what that means to districts, how to provide justifications, and a look at disproportionality.

Please contact Sue Nay at sue.nay@maine.gov or Ann Belanger at ann.belanger@maine.gov  with questions.

Integrated Pest Management School Workshop

Registration is now open for the Comprehensive Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Workshop to be held February 20th at Gardiner Area High School. This workshop is offered by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.

View the full workshop schedule (click on Training and Events). All School IPM Coordinators are required to attend this training one time but everyone is welcome to attend. It is an opportunity to network with other Coordinators, see what other schools are doing to prevent and manage pests.

Register for Comprehensive IPM Workshop at Gardiner High School HERE. 

Save the Date: October 29-30, 2019 for our first Rodent Academy! This 2-day workshop, featuring internationally recognized rodent expert, Dr. Robert Corrigan is not to be missed! You’ll learn very practical information about how to recognize and eliminate rodent activity in your schools (and at home too!).

Questions/Comments? Contact kathy.murray@maine.gov Phone: 207-287-7616

Proposed Rule Chapter 8: Rules Relating to the use of Essential Programs and Services Targeted Funds for Economically Disadvantaged Students

The Maine Department of Education is proposing a new Rule Chapter 8 that outlines the ways in which districts may use the targeted funding allocation, which was enacted by the 128th Legislature, to support economically disadvantaged students. The purpose of the funding is to increase achievement among economically disadvantaged students through extended learning programs. The rule includes eligible uses of the funds and a process for districts to certify the appropriate use of these funds.

The proposed rule was posted in the Secretary of State Newspaper ad on December 19, 2018. The comment period ends January 18, 2019 at 5 PM.

The proposed Rule Chapter 8 can be found here (proposed rules are listed in order by rule number).

Comments can be submitted by email to Tyler Backus at tyler.backus@maine.gov or by mail to Tyler Backus, 23 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333

Middle School Career and Technical Education (CTE) is gearing up across Maine

Public Law Chapter 171, “An Act To Enable Earlier Introduction of Career and Technical Education in Maine Schools,” was enacted in June 2017 to expand Career and Technical Education (CTE) opportunities by requiring Maine schools to provide access to developmentally-appropriate CTE for middle school students (grades 6-8). The expansion of CTE to middle school builds on a long history of providing high-quality and industry-relevant CTE to students in high school grades 9-12. The Department also responded with a goal to increase CTE participation by 100% by 2020.

The funds, as established by  2018 PL Chapter 446, §15688, were created to facilitate the development and implementation of career and technical education pilots by CTE regions and centers in collaboration with middle. A Request for Proposals (RFP) will be announced soon with more details about this opportunity.

For more information about middle school  CTE implementation in Maine  please contact Margaret.harvey@maine.gov.

Maine DOE Update – December 20, 2018

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

Proposed Revisions to Rule Chapter 115: Credentialing of Educational Personnel

As part of the Maine Department of Education’s efforts to streamline and clarify certification processes for Maine educators, the Department is proposing revisions to Rule Chapter 115: Credentialing of Educational Personnel. | More

McKinney Vento Sub-grant for the Education of Homeless Students

The Maine DOE congratulates the Bangor School Department for being conditionally awarded a $40,000 McKinney Vento sub-grant for the education of homeless students. | More

Certification of Superintendent Election or Re-election

The Maine DOE is reminding administrators and school board members of the approaching deadline for annual certification to the Maine DOE of employment of Superintendent of Schools.| More

Middle School Career and Technical Education (CTE) is gearing up across Maine

Public Law Chapter 171, “An Act To Enable Earlier Introduction of Career and Technical Education in Maine Schools,” was enacted in June 2017 to expand Career and Technical Education (CTE) opportunities by requiring Maine schools to provide access to developmentally-appropriate CTE for middle school students (grades 6-8). The expansion of CTE to middle school builds on a long history of providing high-quality and industry-relevant CTE to students in high school grades 9-12. The Department also responded with a goal to increase CTE participation by 100% by 2020.| More

Upcoming Review of Local MACM Programs; SAUs to be Contacted

As a reminder, Maine’s Alternative Certification and Mentoring Program (MACM), in response to OSEPS’s requirements for qualified special educators, is in progress. The goal of MACM is to ensure that conditionally certified special educators earn Professional Certification by the end of a three year period.| More

Maine DOE to Launch Maine Harvest of the Month Program in Schools

The Maine Department of Education’s Child Nutrition Program is excited to announce the launch of Maine’s Harvest of the Month Program. Currently in planning phases, the program is slated to launch in schools in the Spring of 2019.  | More

Professional Development & Training Opportunities

Reminder: Using Assessment to Strengthen Instruction in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science, K-8

As part of its 2018-19 Assessment Literacy series, the Maine Department of Education will present full-day workshops to continue supporting educators in examining eMPower ELA and math, and MEA science assessment data, connecting that data with locally generated assessment information, and identifying high impact instructional strategies that foster student engagement and achievement of learning standards.| More

Professional Learning Opportunity: #DigCit4ME Challenge and Workshops

The Maine Department of Education will be facilitating a series of opportunities for educators to participate in professional learning related to digital citizenship, as well as interacting in the digital world in healthy and safe ways. | More

MEA Released Item Workshop Webinars

In November 2018, Maine DOE content specialists provided workshops to help Maine educators utilize the released items associated with Maine’s eMPower English language arts and math assessments and MEA science assessment. For those who were unable to attend, recordings of these sessions are now available. | More

Professional Development Opportunity – Poverty: The Multiple Influences and Effects

The Maine DOE is providing a 3-part workshop series with Miriam Dodge, a GoldStar speaker for Communication Across Barriers, that will challenge participants to understand poverty at a deeper level and to think about their own biases and beliefs around poverty. The series will be limited to 20 participants and will focus on the Pre-Kindergarten/Kindergarten age span. | More

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities