State Reporting Summer Training

Mark your calendars! Registration for the Data Summer Training is currently open! Trainings are scheduled at varying locations across the state from July 29th to August 1st and August 12th to August 15th. This year’s training will focus on reporting resource updates, guidance for data reporting best practices, and assistance with student enrollment. We look forward to providing this opportunity to meet with school administrative units to network and collaborate.

Dates and Locations:

July 29th – Presque Isle
July 30th – Old Town
July 31st – Perry
August 1st – Farmington
August 12th – Union
August 13th – Auburn
August 14th – Buxton
August 15th – Remote

Register Here!

Please Save a Seat for a specific location after initial registration is complete.

Registration will close on Friday, July 26th. If you have any questions about this year’s Summer Training, please get in touch with Alexandra.Cookson@maine.gov or call 207-446-3897

U.S. CDC Guidance for Preventing the Spread of Infections in Schools

United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC) recently released a press release highlighting Guidance for Preventing Spread of Infections in Schools to Keep Children Healthy and Learning. The full guidance, Preventing Spread of Infections in K-12 Schools, has been provided for consideration in the 2024 – 2025 school year on preventing the spread of infections in schools. US CDC is now providing this guidance to ensure it can be part of back-to-school preparations as plans for the new school year in the fall are being formulated.

The evidence-based strategies included in this guidance include:

Teach and reinforce proper hand washing and respiratory etiquette.
Improve ventilation in schools to promote cleaner air. Schools should consider ventilation enhancements and design when remodeling or constructing new buildings.
Clean, sanitize, and disinfect when appropriate.
Promote vaccinations for students and staff.

When staff or children become ill, there are additional strategies to slow the spread of infectious disease that schools can implement, including:

Have staff and students stay home when they are sick. The guidance makes clear what specific symptoms necessitate staying home.
When applicable, use personal protective equipment (PPE) for school staff caring for sick children.
Hand washing, respiratory etiquette, cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting remain important.

The new guidance recommends updating school emergency operation plans, including infectious disease sections, and establishing and maintaining key partnerships with health departments, local medical systems, and other community health providers. It also complements the recently released CDC Respiratory Virus Guidance. These documents intend to support schools in developing and implementing evidence-based action plans to maintain healthy and safe school environments.

Additional Resources:

Maine CDC has additional free resources on infectious disease prevention that schools can order or download. For more information about airborne and direct-contact diseases, visit the Maine CDC website.

Maine DOE Announces 9th Annual Read to Ride Summer Reading Challenge

(Pictured: Valerie, a student at Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary, Brunswick School Department.)

Summer vacation is a welcome break from the daily school routine for children and parents alike, but the summer months can be detrimental to students’ learning if young minds are not kept active. Summer learning loss is a well-documented phenomenon, particularly for reading achievement. Students can lose up to three months of reading progress during the summer if they don’t keep reading. Combined across a child’s PK-8 school career, this can result in 1-2 years of lost reading progress.

Fortunately, the summer slide can be prevented or greatly reduced when students continue to read regularly. By encouraging children to read from a variety of resources for fun and to explore topics of interest, they continue to practice applying the skills they have learned, build their vocabulary, and widen their knowledge of the world. Reading to and with parents is equally beneficial for students who are not yet reading independently or just beginning to read.

Again, this year, the Maine Department of Education is collaborating with the Freemasons of Maine to sponsor the Read to Ride Summer Reading Challenge for students in grades PK-8. The Maine Freemasons have generously agreed to continue supporting the Read to Ride Challenge. In 2023, 36 students were awarded bikes and helmets; it is hoped that this number will grow even higher during the summer of 2024.

Louie from Laura E. Richards School

Clementine from Nobleboro Central School

Any school with students in the PK-8 grade span may register to participate. Participating schools will collect documentation from students who have completed the challenge. They will hold school-level drawings to select two students whose names will be entered into the state-level drawing held in October. Schools are encouraged to participate in this challenge, coordinate it with any other summer reading challenges/programs they offer, and consider soliciting local-level prizes for students who complete the challenge. Additional details, supporting documents, and a registration link are on the Maine Department of Education Read to Ride landing page.

Questions may be directed to Dee Saucier, danielle.m.saucier@maine.gov.

Media Release: Maine DOE Celebrates Deer Isle-Stonington Elementary School and Deering High School Employees as 2024 RISE Award State Honorees

Food Service Coordinator Sheila Nevells and Administrative Secretary Liana Littig Selected as Recognizing Inspiring School Employees (RISE) State Finalists

Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin joined School Union 76 school leaders and staff to honor Food Service Coordinator Sheila Nevells, and Deputy Commissioner Dan Chuhta joined Deering High School and Portland Public School leaders and staff to honor Administrative Secretary Liana Littig with the Recognizing Inspiring School Employees (RISE) Award for the extraordinary contributions they have made to their students, schools, and communities. Both honorees are known for their dedication to their communities and their support for colleagues and students.

Created by Congress in 2019 and overseen by the U.S. Department of Education, the prestigious RISE Award honors non-teaching school employees who provide exemplary service. Nevells and Littig were selected as the two state-level honorees out of ten finalists. Nearly 70 nominations were submitted to the Maine Department of Education (DOE) by colleagues and community members. Nevells and Littig were selected to represent Maine for consideration for the national RISE Award.

“I am in awe of Sheila. You are a true hero, a champion of education, and a champion of making sure kids get fed. The most fundamental thing that can happen for any of us is the food that feeds our souls and our bodies, and fuels us for learning. You have consistently gone so far above and beyond to make sure the kids in your school and community are fed,” said Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin while presenting the honor to Nevells.

“You make my job easy. I enjoy cooking for every one of you. I enjoy talking with every one of you every day. I am humbled and very appreciative of this award,” said School Union 76 Food Service Coordinator and Maine’s 2024 RISE Award State Honoree Sheila Nevells.

“Liana’s day-to-day dedication to the students, families, and staff at Deering High School has been described by her colleagues as ‘unmatched’. You are an essential part of the school, a valued community member, and a true example of a public servant,” said Maine Department of Education Deputy Commissioner Dan Chuhta while presenting the honor to Litig.

“Everyone who knows Liana says she is remarkable. She has especially impacted our Portuguese students and embraced them warmly, connecting them with the resources they need. She is so helpful and never makes anyone feel less than for needing help. We all adore her,” said Deering High School Assistant Principal Halima Noor.

“I feel so loved and appreciated. This is such a good place. They are so good to me,” said Deering High School Administrative Secretary and Maine’s 2024 RISE Award State Honoree Liana Littig.

RISE nominees demonstrate excellence in the following areas: (A) Work performance; (B) School and community involvement; (C) Leadership and commitment; (D) Local support (from co-workers, school administrators, community members, etc., who speak to the nominee’s exemplary work); (E) Enhancement of classified school employees’ image in the community and schools.

Maine’s Two RISE State Honorees

Liana Littig
Administrative Secretary
Portland Public Schools

From Liana’s nomination: Liana’s involvement in school and community is unmatched. She is the first person students and staff see when they walk in the door. For many of our newcomer students who speak Portuguese, it is the first time someone in the school system stops and has a deep, kind and welcoming conversation with them in Portuguese. All students know if they have a question to find Ms. Littig in the main office because she always has the answer or knows who does! No student is turned away without receiving a thoughtful response when she is in the office.

Liana is not a gatekeeper of knowledge but rather imparts knowledge and the know-hows of all she does to better equip staff, students and parents with what they need to have a successful day at school. Liana has also become well known in the community, especially with immigrant families.

Liana’s sense of confidence and calm demeanor has ensured our students, staff, parents and building are able to withstand even the most challenging disruptions with ease. That air of confidence and calmness shrouds the entire building and allows every single person to genuinely feel like everything is under control. That is credit to Ms. Littig!

Sheila Nevells
Food Service Coordinator
School Union 76

Fom Sheila’s nomination: Since Sheila took over as Food Service Coordinator in 2017, her work performance and leadership and commitment have been exemplary. She quickly learned all the ins and outs of USDA and our food service funding, and then took it upon herself to see that no child on our island ever went hungry. Sheila learned how to write grants, and then found every way available to provide food for everyone. CACFP, No Kid Hungry, summer food program -she went after them and worked hard to provide all these opportunities for our children and families. She organized an amazing food delivery service during the COVID lockdown and continues to provide comprehensive food service despite a number of administrative changes. Sheila goes above and beyond, and it all comes from her big heart and love for this Sheila is a quiet leader, but the programming that she does gets some great PR. She is a role model for all of us in the school system and to our children and families who come in contact with her every day. Her work ethic, ambition and drive to help others, and her big smile and caring heart impact us all.

Sheila has also done all the extra work of getting grants and running extra programming on top of her everyday work of also being Head Cook at Deer Isle-Stonington Elementary School. Sheila doesn’t sit in an office all day – she cooks and serves and talks to all the kids, cleans up, and then she sits in her office after hours getting all the paperwork done and finding new ways to feed our families. Sheila is Lunch Lady Extraordinaire!
Maine’s RISE State Finalists

Sarah Beam
School Social Worker
Talbot Community School, Portland Public Schools

Kerrie Edgerton
Executive Assistant to the Superintendent
Biddeford School Department

Kadija Fulli
Custodian
Portland High School, Portland Public Schools

Ben Jacobson
Food Service Director
RSU 26

David Martin
Director of Maintenance
Maine School of Science and Mathematics

Tanya Ouellette
Secretary
Sabattus Primary, RSU 4

Nicole Richard
Ed Tech
Veazie Community School

Christine Small
Nurse’s Assistant
Portland High School, Portland Public Schools

Shelley Tinker
Transportation/Bus Driver
Lubec, SAD 19

Preschool Maine Early Learning and Development Standards Update Released

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the Maine Roads to Quality Professional Development Network (MRTQ PDN), are thrilled to announce the release of the updated Preschool-Maine Early Learning and Development Standards (P MELDS).

Formally known as Maine’s Early Learning and Development Standard (MELDS, 2015), this new version aligns the Infant Toddler Maine Early Learning and Development Standards (IT MELDS) and Maine Learning Results, K-12 learning standards, with Maine’s early learning and development standards for 3–5-year-olds. The updating process involved over 130 Maine professionals from across multiple sectors of the early childhood field.

Additionally, the Maine Department of Education and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services have established a landing page for information related to Maine’s early learning and development standards which explains the relationship between the MELDS (Infant Toddler and Preschool) and Maine’s Learning Results K-12. Please visit Maine’s Early Learning and Development Standards website or the Office of Child and Family Services website and click the “Maine Early Learning and Development Standards (MELDS)” link under provider resources.

In another exciting update, the Maine Department of Education and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the Maine Roads to Quality Professional Development Network (MRTQ PDN), will offer professional learning on the Maine Early Learning and Development Standards as an on-demand training beginning this summer (2024).

Digital versions of Infant Toddler MELDS, Preschool MELDS, and Maine Learning Results are available now on the websites referenced above. Stay tuned for information on how to access a physical copy of the P MELDS.

For more information, please contact the Early Childhood Specialist at the Department of Education, Nicole.Madore@maine.gov, or the Family and Community Engagement Program Manager at the Department of Health and Human Services, Megan.Swanson@maine.gov.

Seeking Teacher Leadership Fellows to support Multilingual Learners

As part of our work to elevate the expertise of the Maine education field, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) is looking to hire Maine English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) educators in the following areas: elementary newcomer programming, including SLIFE, secondary newcomer programming, including SLIFE, and Multilingual Learners with disabilities.

These educators will be provided a stipend through this program to:

Enhance and revise content on the Maine DOE website related to their focus area;
Provide Maine educators technical assistance regarding classroom-specific best practices in their focus area;
Provide a monthly, 1-hour long professional learning opportunity for Maine educators. The professional learning will be based on requested needs from the field and will be offered virtually, synchronously, and archived for asynchronous access;
Form a community of practice that will be co-facilitated by the TLF and ESOL State Specialist to build and/or enhance systems and structures of collaboration among stakeholders specific to the emerging trends and needs in the field. The COP will meet monthly to build collective efficacy through common reads, expert guests, and actionable, differentiated planning.

The Fellows will be selected from Maine’s field of exceptional educators through a competitive process. Applicants must demonstrate that they have experience as classroom educators (all levels welcome to apply), have demonstrated innovative approaches in their classroom, have knowledge and experience in the focus area, and have been involved in learning communities throughout Maine.

Since the fellowship is in addition to their regular teaching job, fellows will work remotely and outside their contracted school hours.

Fellows will begin work as soon as suitable candidates are found. Work will begin in the 2024-25 school year (August – August) for 12 months. Fellows will be expected to work up to 20 hours/month for a stipend of up to $2,000/month.

Click here to apply. Applications close on June 21st, 2024.

For more information or questions, please contact Beth Lambert, Maine DOE Chief Teaching and Learning Officer, at beth.lambert@maine.gov.

Save the Date: 2024 Maine DOE Annual Summit Scheduled for August 6-8

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is excited to announce that its Annual Summit is scheduled for August 6th through 8th at Augusta Civic Center. This year’s theme is Supporting the Whole Student & Community.

The event features keynote speakers Pender Makin, Maine Education Commissioner; Jared Cooney Horvath, a Neuroscientist and Educator; Kim Strobel, a motivational speaker and Happiness Coach; and Catherine Ann Wilson, the founder of Stop Trafficking US, along with over 150 presentations and professional learning opportunities for everyone working in Maine’s school communities.

Build your knowledge base on a host of topics related to education and school safety, connect with colleagues, and get the high-quality professional learning, tools, and resources you need from the 2024 Maine DOE Annual Summit.

Registration is expected to open in early June! While we are busy preparing an exciting agenda and activities for this event, find updated information and more to come on the Maine DOE Annual Summit event page.

Maine DOE Update – May 24, 2024

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

Due Dates & Resources for Quarter End-of-Year Reports

Four end-of-year reports require certification in June and July. These reports aggregate data from the entire school year’s reporting timeframe. | More

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

Governor Mills Announces Major Expansion of Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative

Governor Janet Mills today announced a significant expansion of her Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative that will provide thousands of middle and high school students with access to free outdoor learning and career exploration programs this summer and fall. | More

Maine DOE Seeking Participants for the Title I Committee of Practitioners

We are still looking to recruit career and technical educators, school board members, and parents for the Title I Committee of Practitioners. Virtual meetings will be conducted on an ‘as needed’ basis (most likely three times per year). | More

Celebrating & Welcoming Our Military Families at School

Since 1999, May has been recognized as Military Appreciation Month after former Senator John McCain proposed this during the legislative session. Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger first designated April as the “Month of the Military Child,” acknowledging the significant role military-connected students play in our communities. In 2011, the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension Military Youth and Family Program started the “Purple Up! for Military Kids” to encourage communities to support military children for their strength and sacrifice. | More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

#TeachWithTech Grant Makes 3D Printing Accessible and Ecological at MDIRSS/AOS #91

The Mount Desert Island Regional School System’s (MDIRSS/AOS #91) Filabot Full Recycling initiative is creating new opportunities and ways of engaging in innovative educational practices in environmentally and economically conscious ways that foster interdisciplinary collaboration, improve engagement, increase student motivation, promote the growth in critical thinking skills, and stimulate thinking about ecologically sustainable practices in a high-tech world. | More

Virtual Reality Enhances Cultural Learning in Cony High School’s German Class

Deb Backman’s German 3 class at Cony High School in Augusta is leading the way in educational technology by integrating virtual reality (VR) into their curriculum, thanks to the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) TeachWithTech grant. | More

Brewer School District’s Renita Ward-Downer Named 2024 Curriculum Leader of the Year

The Maine Curriculum Leaders Association (MCLA) is thrilled to announce Renita Ward-Downer as the 2024 Curriculum Leader of the Year! MCLA is a state-wide collaborative that focuses on high-quality learning and teaching for all Maine students. MCLA promotes equity and meaningful learning through research, information dissemination, advocacy, networking, and professional learning. | More

| Submit your Maine School Success Story |

Professional Development, Training, and Events

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities:

View current Maine Department of Education employment opportunities here

Media Release: Governor Mills Announces Major Expansion of Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative

$6.6 million investment will provide 4,000 students with access to free afterschool and summer outdoor learning and career exploration programs

Launched by Governor Mills in 2022, the Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative is a statewide effort to connect Maine’s young people to the outdoors through engaging, hands-on learning opportunities. In its first two years, more than 2,500 students have participated in programs ranging from hiking and kayaking to farming and forestry.

The $6.6 million expansion – utilizing federal funds – will now provide roughly 4,000 students across Maine with access to more than 100 afterschool and summer programs between now and the fall. The expansion triples the total amount of funding invested in the Initiative over last two years.

“In just two years, the Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative has helped thousands of Maine students to experience different parts of our beautiful state, develop a lifelong love of nature, and learn knowledge and skills that will help them succeed academically. This expansion will allow even more students to benefit from this extraordinary program,” said Governor Janet Mills. “I thank the many partners across Maine for their hard work to make these experiential learning opportunities possible.”

“The Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative offers hands-on, enriching, highly engaging opportunities that allow Maine students to explore and learn from the great outdoors,” said Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin. “These opportunities connect students with Maine’s natural beauty, build leadership skills, allow them to work in groups, and support their wellbeing. We thank all of the schools and organizations that stepped up to grow this exciting initiative.”

The Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative was developed by the Maine Department of Education (DOE) at the direction of Governor Mills, delivering on a promise made during her 2022 State of the State Address to provide children with more opportunities to learn about and explore Maine’s natural beauty and resources after two years of the pandemic. The program has prioritized participation by students from low-income families from regions of Maine where access does not typically exist for such programs.

Students have explored clam flats, operated forestry machinery, camped on islands, built boats, kayaked along Maine’s coasts and in the state’s lakes and rivers, worked alongside maritime and forestry workers, learned about scallop farming, and developed outdoor leadership skills while hiking through the woods, and much more.

Some of the 100 programs made available by the expansion include backpacking trips along the Appalachian Trail offered by the Chewonki Foundation, sailing opportunities with Sailing Ships Maine, and a science career exploration program offered by the Downeast Institute for Applied Marine Research and Education, among others. The Biddeford, Saco, and Dayton School Departments will offer kayaking, hiking, and ocean exploration opportunities for New Mainers and unhoused youth. Sixty-four schools and community organizations received Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative grants.

“Chewonki is thrilled and honored to take part in the Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative. Maine is home to amazing landscapes and a rich outdoor heritage that presents a world of opportunity for our children. Yet far too many of those children lack access to meaningful outdoor education and outdoor recreation programs. This initiative opens the door to invaluable learning experiences for our youth. Together, we can foster the next generation of Maine students who will cherish the woods, waves, waters, and trails of our state, who can see themselves engaging meaningfully in our outdoor economy, building their families and careers here, and who will always feel proud to be part of such a wonderful place to live,” said Nancy Kennedy, Acting President of the Chewonki Foundation.

“This grant will allow us to provide a team of students with an outdoor education experience intertwined with their classroom learning in English, science, and math. Our grant also includes an educator component, which gives our middle school teachers an opportunity this summer to spend time writing a unit for the 2024-2025 school year that integrates outdoor education experiences. I believe this opportunity will ultimately prove to be a benefit to all of our middle school students in Scarborough Public Schools,” said Katie Vetro, Director of Curriculum and Assessment of Scarborough Public Schools.

“The Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative enables us to provide mentorship, hands-on learning, and outdoor adventure to youth who would not otherwise have access to these opportunities. Students are already looking forward to a summer of hiking, paddling, gardening, citizen science, service learning, and career exploration,” said David Wessels, Belfast High School Extended Learning Opportunities Coordinator.

Maine DOE has launched a new Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative portal to help families easily access available programs and identify opportunities for their children to participate. All programs are at no cost to families, include free transportation, and are designed for students who face economic or other barriers to experiencing high-quality outdoor learning experiences.

The Outdoor Learning Initiative is paid for through the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Program funds received from the US Department of Education. The Initiative is complimented by the Maine Career Exploration Program, a $25 million initiative of the Governor’s Maine Jobs & Recovery Program to connect teenagers and young adults to high-quality paid work experiences across the state. Since its launch in October 2022, the program has engaged more than 2,700 participants in paid work experiences.

Maine DOE Seeking Participants for the Title I Committee of Practitioners

Title I of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires each state educational agency that receives Title I funds to create a State Committee of Practitioners to advise the State in its responsibilities under the Title I program. The purpose of this committee is to review any state rules and regulations relating to Title I and provide recommendations concerning processes and procedures related its implementation.

Committee members we are still looking to recruit:

Career and technical educators
School board members
Parents

The committee’s meetings will be conducted on an ‘as needed’ basis via Zoom (most likely three times per year). The term of membership commences July 1, 2024, and expires June 30, 2026. For those looking for more information on the Title I Committee of Practitioners, please see the FAQ.

Those interested in serving on Maine DOE’s Title I Committee of Practitioners Committee should fill out this form by Friday, June 7th, 2024. Questions can be sent to Rita Pello, at rita.pello@maine.gov.