MaineHousing Seeking Proposals from Maine SAUs for Homelessness Prevention Funding

The Maine State Housing Authority (MaineHousing) is seeking proposals from school administrative units (SAUs) in Maine interested in hiring a Homelessness Prevention and Housing Navigation Specialist. This position is designed to assist students and families in maintaining their current housing and in obtaining new housing that meets their needs.

SAUs may also apply for Direct Financial Assistance Payments, which are provided to families utilizing the Student Homelessness Prevention Pilot.

Proposals are due by Friday, Dec. 6, 2024 at 5 p.m. You can review the notice for funding assistance and the application process here.

Please note that the Maine DOE will not be overseeing this housing initiative. All questions related to the notice for funding assistance should please be directed to MaineHousing’s Lauren Bustard at studenthomelessnessrfp@mainehousing.org by Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 at 5 p.m.

REMINDER: Seeking Public Comment on Chapter 115 – the Credentialing of Education Personnel

The Maine State Board of Education is conducting conversations with the public about Rule Chapter 115: The Credentialing of Educational Personnel, from August through December. Resolve 2024, Chapter 137 directed the State Board of Education to amend Rule Chapter 115, with special attention to sections related to the State Board of Education’s report submitted to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs in 2023.

The State Board of Education intends to take the following steps with respect to review of these rules:

Begin speaking with experts in the field
Revise necessary sections of Chapter 115
Invite public feedback on the revisions
File updated rule
Engage with Legislative oversight of the rule

The State Board of Education will hold several regional meetings focused on ideas and goals related to certification regulations in a general sense. These meetings will also focus on specific sections of Chapter 115 and will provide invaluable feedback to the State Board. In addition, the State Board of Education’s Certification and Higher Education Committee will provide time within the established meeting schedule to receive public feedback on Rule Chapter 115.

Remaining dates for these meetings are as follows. For the Zoom link, please email Emily Cummins.

November 20, 2024: 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
December 18, 2024: 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Taking into consideration the insights gained from all of these discussions, the State Board of Education will propose updates to Rule Chapter 115 and begin the Maine Administrative Procedures Act (A.P.A.) routine technical rule process pursuant to Title 5 MRS §8052 (public notice of filing, public hearing, open public comment period). Once the proposed rule has been filed, the public will be notified of the scheduled public hearing and comment period.  This will be an opportunity to provide written and oral comments regarding the proposed rules. The State Board of Education will review all comments and respond accordingly.  Updates to the rules will then be submitted for review as to form and legality and legislative oversight before final adoption.   

For more information and updates, check the State Board of Education webpage.

For more information about the conceptual conversations for Rule Chapter 115, contact Laura Cyr at laura.cyr@maine.gov.

Maine Academy of Natural Sciences Offers Learning Tour to Highlight Outdoor and Experiential Learning Opportunities

Are you a middle or high school educator interested in providing more outdoor and experiential learning opportunities to your students? If so, consider attending a Learning Tour at the Maine Academy of Natural Sciences in Hinckley on Wednesday, Nov. 13 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will highlight the school’s new Maker Space barn and blacksmithing shop, among other features.

In August of 2020, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) received $16.9 million from the U.S. Department of Education’s Rethink K-12 Education Models Grants. Maine was one of 11 states to receive funding and used it to launch the Rethinking Responsive Education Ventures (RREV) project, a multi-pronged solution with a primary goal of generating innovative remote learning models to provide equitable access to high-quality remote learning opportunities for all students. The RREV Research & Design (R&D) team is continuing the momentum of this work by offering learning tours and fostering peer-to-peer professional learning.

Over a span of four years, 42 school districts in Maine were awarded RREV pilot funding. The Maine Academy of Natural Sciences used its innovative pilot to expand outdoor and experiential learning opportunities with the creation of a barn and a blacksmithing shop. At the Nov. 13 Learning Tour, educators will have an opportunity to see this new Maker Space barn, observe the variety of outdoor and experiential learning opportunities available, watch blacksmithing in action, and talk to teachers and students about their process and experience implementing this innovative pilot.

This Learning Tour is limited to 10 additional Maine educators. If you are interested in joining this tour, please reach out to Elaine Bartley, the RREV R&D Director, at elaine.bartley@maine.gov.

Click here to learn more about other innovative RREV pilots and find a list of upcoming learning tours, available throughout the school year.

Andover Elementary School Students Learn Homesteading Techniques Through New School Garden

Since the spring of 2024, staff members at Andover Elementary School (AES) have been volunteering their time to a large garden project behind the school building. School secretary Amanda Beliveau and teachers Rachael Wyman, Brooke Harris, and Sarah Woodbury have been instrumental in bringing this exciting initiative to fruition.

AES is a small, rural school in western Maine with fifteen staff members and twenty-six students. Several of these staff members have farms of their own and are eager to pass down the traditional skills of gardening and food preparation—including canning—to students. The garden project is designed to embody the school’s vision of AES as place that fosters a positive and personalized learning environment and allows for relationship-building in a respectful and inclusive setting.

Last fall, after getting approval from their school board, Beliveau, Wyman, and Harris applied for a $3,000 Whole Kids Garden Grant through the Whole Kids Foundation to bolster this effort. They were awarded that funding on August 1, 2024, and since then, even more volunteers have stepped forward to help with the garden project.

This fall, as part of their daily classroom routines, AES students have been spending time outside preparing, planting, weeding, and harvesting the garden. That work continues with the Andover After-School Program. AES has purchased garden tools and wheelbarrows for students, and staff members and volunteers are working to build and till twenty raised beds. These will be used for strawberry and raspberry plants, as well as other crops that grow in the spring, like asparagus, dill, and daffodils.

AES hopes that the garden project will eventually include a bird-watching element and a section of pollinator plants to attract more birds and bees to the area. In the future, students will also learn to can and ferment food. Additionally, AES has purchased sewing and knitting machines, and community volunteers are ready to share these additional homemaking skills with students.

Information for this article was provided by Andover Elementary School. To submit good news from your school, fill out the Maine Department of Education (DOE) good news submission form.

Portland High School Students Watch World-Famous Cellist Yo-Yo Ma Rehearse at Merrill Auditorium

On Thursday, Oct. 10, world-famous and Grammy Award-winning cellist Yo-Yo Ma visited Merrill Auditorium for a performance with the Portland Symphony Orchestra, celebrating its 100^th anniversary season. Thanks to some enterprising educators, Portland Public Schools (PPS) high school orchestra students had a unique opportunity to watch Ma rehearse earlier in the day before the concert.

Ashley Terison, an orchestra educator at Lyman Moore Middle School and various elementary schools, spearheaded this unique effort.

“Tickets for the actual concert sold out within minutes, so it is extremely unlikely that students would have had the opportunity to see this performer otherwise,” Terison said.

Other teachers in the PPS orchestra department—Kim Robison, who teaches at King and Lincoln Middle Schools and various elementary schools, and high school orchestra teachers Audrey Cabral and Abby Hutchins—worked with Terison to ask Portland Symphony Education Coordinator McKenzie Blanchard for permission for students to attend the rehearsal. Attendance was approved for all PPS high school orchestra students and their teachers.

“We are extremely grateful to Mr. Ma and the Portland Symphony Orchestra for this extraordinary opportunity for our students,” Cabral said.

Cabral and a PPS music student were interviewed about this opportunity for a story by the Portland Press Herald. You can read more here.

This article was provided by Portland Public Schools. To submit good news from your school, fill out the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) good news submission form.

Teacher Mentor Training: Opportunities for Feedback and Participation

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is committed to supporting the growth and development of educators through teacher mentorship opportunities. The following two opportunities are available for Maine educators to provide feedback about and participate in improving mentorship across our state.

Mentoring in Maine Schools Survey:

Teacher leaders from the 2024 County Teacher of the Year cohort have announced a new initiative called the Mentoring in Maine Schools Survey, aimed at supporting and elevating Maine teachers across all career stages. To help build a strong and effective mentoring network, this cohort is asking for valuable input from all teachers and administrators across Maine. Please take a few minutes to complete this short survey here. If you do so, you will be entered to win one of three $50 Amazon gift cards.

Your responses will help to:

Identify the mentoring needs of Maine teachers,
Develop a comprehensive mentoring program that meets your specific requirements, and
Connect you with potential mentors or mentees.

Thank you in advance for your time and participation. Your feedback is crucial to the success of this project!

The Maine Department of Education’s Teacher of the Year program is administered through a partnership with Educate Maine. For more information about the program, visit http://www.mainetoy.org.

Regional Mentor Training (coming soon):

The Maine DOE is pleased to announce there will be regional mentor training opportunities this school year. Recently, the Maine DOE’s mentor training was updated to include current research and best practices, building upon prior collaborative work with teacher leaders, administrators, and higher education partners. This training will continue to be refined utilizing feedback from the Mentoring in Maine Schools Survey.

Regional mentor training will consist of an initial one-day, in-person session, followed by two virtual two-hour sessions later in the year. This scaffolded approach comes in response to valuable educator feedback and provides a more customized just-in-time learning experience.

Contact hours will be awarded for training. Mentors will also be offered access to a Mentor Community of Practice to network and share resources. Training dates and locations will be announced soon, and the updated resources will be available to school administrative units (SAUs) that wish to provide local support and training to new mentors.

Mentors serve a critical role within their schools, and we appreciate their ongoing dedication to supporting new educators. Current mentors have been crucial to the education profession; each individual mentor has made a significant impact.

Support for new educators through mentoring and induction is a key strategy outlined in the Teach Maine framework to develop, support, and sustain Maine’s education workforce. We are encouraged by and thankful for those educators who enthusiastically become mentors. We are currently developing a refresher course for experienced mentors who are interested in engaging with our new training materials.

If you would like to be notified of mentor training dates, are interested in hosting a regional training, or have any questions, please reach out to Maine DOE Educator Excellence Coordinator Christina O’Neal at christina.l.oneal@maine.gov or 207-441-8461.

Public Comment Period to End Soon for Rule Chapter 132, Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction

On October 1, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) opened public comment on proposed revisions to Rule Chapter 132, Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction (Social Studies MLR). This public comment period is scheduled to conclude on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024 at 5 p.m.

Until that time, the public will have the opportunity to deliver feedback related to the proposed revisions. Written comments may be submitted to Laura Cyr, State House Station #23, Augusta, Maine 04333 or emailed to laura.cyr@maine.gov.

Again, the public has until 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct.31, 2024 to submit comments. Comments submitted after that time will not be included for consideration.

The proposed revisions to Chapter 132 (Social Studies MLR) can be found here: https://www.maine.gov/doe/about/laws/rulechanges

CONTACT PERSON FOR THIS FILING:

Laura Cyr, laura.cyr@maine.gov, 207-446-8791

Maine DOE Update – October 25, 2024

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

Upcoming Fall Reporting Due Dates

reports are due soon for validation and/or certification by School Administrative Units! All reports require review, validation, and/or certification by superintendents. | More

News & Updates

PUBLIC FEEDBACK – Rule Chapter 115: The Credentialing of Education Personnel

The Maine State Board of Education is beginning conversations with the public about Rule Chapter 115: The Credentialing of Education Personnel. Resolve 2024, Chapter 137 directed the State Board of Education to amend Rule Chapter 115 with special attention to sections related to the State Board of Education’s report submitted to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs in 2023. | More

Public Comment Period to End Soon for Rule Chapter 132, Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction

Applications Due November 15 for Extended Learning Opportunities Expansion 2.0

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is seeking applications from Maine school administrative units (SAUs) and community-based organizations partnering with SAUs for the Extended Learning Opportunities Expansion 2.0. The purpose of this funding is to develop new Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) programs or to expand current ELO programs. | More

Maine DOE Launches New Project to Expand the Impact of the Rethinking Responsive Education Ventures (RREV) Initiative

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) recently launched a new project, designed to continue the work of the Rethinking Responsive Education Ventures (RREV) initiative. The ongoing goal is to promote systemic change in Maine schools through innovative solutions to various educational challenges. | More

Maine Department of Education Celebrates National School Lunch Week by Recognizing Child Nutrition Programs

On Wednesday, Oct. 16, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) gathered with other child nutrition leaders at Connors Elementary School in Lewiston to celebrate National School Lunch Week (Oct. 14-18, 2024). Special guest Alberto A. Gonzalez, Jr., Senior Advisor for External Engagement at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service, attended, as did USDA Northeast Regional Office officials and others. | More

Nominations Open for Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is pleased to announce that nominations are open for the 2024-2025 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science (PAEMST). Every year, this award recognizes up to 110 exemplary teachers nationwide from grades 7-12. It is considered the nation’s highest honors for elementary and secondary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teaching. | More

Nominations Open for National LifeChanger of the Year Award

Nominations are now open for the LifeChanger of the Year Award, a national program sponsored by the National Life Group. This award recognizes and rewards K-12 educators and school employees across the country. The goal is to celebrate those who are making a significant difference in students’ lives by exemplifying excellence, positive influence, and leadership. | More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

St. Croix Regional Technical Center Celebrates Instructor Lauren Remington as a 2024 Marcia Lovell Awardee

The St. Croix Regional Technical Center in Calais is celebrating instructor Lauren Remington as a 2024 Marcia Lovell awardee. Administered by Maine Roads to Quality, the Marcia Lovell Award honors eight outstanding early childhood practitioners from across Maine every year. | More

New Yurt at Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences Provides Creative Outdoor Learning Space for Students

Nestled in the campus green area at Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences in Gray is a new yurt, serving as a unique outdoor learning space for students. For the school, it also represents something more: the power of creativity and community. | More

Submit good news to the Maine Department of Education here.

Professional Learning/Training Opportunities

View the Maine Department of Education’s Events Calendar here.

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities:

Find education-related jobs in Maine.

Nominations Open for Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching

The PAEMST program was established by Congress in 1983 and is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Each PAEMST awardee receives a $10,000 prize, as well as a commemorative Presidential certificate.

Awardees join a group of more than 5,200 PAEMST alumni. They are also invited to an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. and participate in meetings with STEM education, research, and policy leaders.

Please consider nominating an excellent grade 7-12 educator on the PAEMST website. You may also submit an application for yourself. The deadline to nominate/apply is Thursday, February 6, 2025.

For questions about the program or the nomination process, please contact paemst@nsf.gov or Maine’s PAEMST State Coordinator Michelle Mailhot at michele.r.mailhot@maine.gov.

Applications Due November 15 for Extended Learning Opportunities Expansion 2.0

To be eligible, applicants must be an SAU, Career and Technical Education school, Adult Education diploma program, or a community-based organization partnering with a local SAU.

The 2024 ELO Expansion 2.0 Request for Applications (RFA), also known as grants or grant RFA, is available here. (See RFA 202410182.) Applications are due Friday, November 15, 2024.

The Extended Learning Opportunities team at the Maine DOE recently partnered with Black Fly Media to produce a short video that shows the impact of ELOs throughout the state. Watch the video below to hear from ELO coordinators, students, school leaders, and employers as they share about ELOs in their communities!