Author: Maine Department of Education

Inclusive Education Webinar Series: Dispelling Myths about Assistive Technology (AT) Devices and Services

Want to learn more about assistive technology use in the classroom to benefit all learners? Recent guidance on the myths and facts surrounding assistive technology was released from the federal government which supports reducing barriers that often lead to a lack of utilization of AT. This webinar, hosted by Maine CITE and the Maine Department of Education’s Office of Special Services & Inclusive Education, will guide educators, administrators, and ed techs through the latest AT information and provide insights on moving toward a more inclusive education environment.

This will be a two-session event:

  • March 12th from 4:00 – 5:00 pm will include the overview of the myths.
  • March 19th from 4:00 – 5:00 pm will be an open forum for the public to come for conversations about the use of assistive technology in schools.

Register here.  (Same link for both sessions.)

For more information or questions, contact Tracy Whitlock at tracy.w.whitlock@maine.gov

Interdisciplinary Resource Highlight for African American Studies: Mathematics, Science, and Technology

The Interdisciplinary Instruction team has curated resources of content and instructional approaches to help educators include and highlight the important contributions of Black and African American Mainers in authentic ways. These project-based strategies include finding local historical figures and guest speakers, researching local history, and bridging content areas.

Incorporating a mathematical and scientific lens into the teaching of African American Studies of Maine can provide an authentic learning experience for all students, highlighting the contributions that African Americans have made in the fields of mathematics, science, and technology.

A 5E inquiry model allows students to construct their own understandings of concepts and skills and then apply them to a new situation. In the example below, students develop background knowledge about an African American scientist or mathematician and apply that knowledge to answer a challenging question.

Engage: Engage students with a video, prompt, or image to capture their attention and develop questions.

  1. If you use the Questions Formulation Technique to support student questioning, an example of a Q focus statement could be: A world without African American scientists and mathematicians. (Use this link to learn more about the Question Formulation Technique and upcoming PD.
  2. You could also use a video or image that illustrates the contributions of African American scientists and mathematicians.
  3. From there, you can use student questions to drive the unit or prompt students with your own guiding/assessment question. A potential guiding/assessment question could be: How would the world be different if the contributions of African American mathematicians and scientists were overlooked?

Explore: Students explore the contributions of African American scientists and mathematicians to develop the needed background knowledge to answer the guiding/assessment question.

Explain: This phase is for formative assessment and clearing up misconceptions through direct instruction, feedback, and reflection.

Elaborate: Students communicate their new knowledge by answering the guiding/assessment question. Elaborate is also the student assessment, which could include a rubric and expectations.

  • The modality of this is very flexible. For example, students could contribute their information to a whole class website to share what they learned with the world, present to an authentic audience of community members, develop a podcast that can be shared, create videos that are shared through YouTube or Social Media, or a documentary that discusses the contributions of the scientist or mathematician and what the world be like without those contributions.

Evaluate: Students and teachers collaborate to evaluate and score student learning through feedback and reflection. This process can look very different depending on the age of students.

For more information about interdisciplinary instruction, please contact Kathy Bertini, Interdisciplinary Instruction Coordinator at kathy.bertini@maine.gov

 

Maine DOE Update – February 16, 2024

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

Commissioner Makin Kicks Off Read to ME Challenge at Jameson Elementary School in Old Orchard Beach

Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin kicked off Maine’s Read to ME Challenge today by reading Manolo & the Unicorn to second graders at Jameson Elementary School in Old Orchard Beach. The students enthusiastically responded to Makin’s call for them to join the Read to ME challenge themselves and read to an adult or younger child in their lives. They also discussed their favorite books and who the students plan to read to. |  More

Maine Teachers Share Why They #LoveTeaching as Part of a National Campaign to Promote Educator Voices

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) partnered with News Center Maine this week to highlight the voices of teachers and school staff sharing why they #LoveTeaching during a weeklong national campaign. |  More

Fostering the Future – Kicking Off CTE Month at the State House

The Hall of Flags was abuzz Wednesday morning as representatives from across the state came to Maine’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month Kick Off at the State House. Students, instructors, and directors from 15 of Maine’s 27 CTE centers came with everything from canapes to holographic 3D fans, proudly sharing legislators and government officials the advanced skills CTE students are learning. |  More

Interdisciplinary Resource Highlight for Black History Month: Side x Side

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Interdisciplinary Instruction team has curated resources of content and instructional approaches to help educators include and highlight the important contributions of Black and African-American Mainers in authentic ways. These project-based strategies include finding local historical figures and guest speakers, researching local history, and bridging content areas. Incorporating artistic approaches into the teaching of African American Studies of Maine can provide an authentic learning experience for all students. |  More

Seeking Maine Science and Social Studies Educators to Design and Deliver Professional Development on Updated Standards (Stipends Available)

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) seeks dynamic, creative, and collaborative science and social studies educators to design and deliver professional development on the updated standards. |  More

Nominations Open 2024 Outstanding Biology Teacher Award

The National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) has opened nominations for the 2024 Outstanding Biology Teacher Award! Every year, the Outstanding Biology Teacher Award (OBTA) program attempts to recognize an outstanding biology educator (grades 7-12 only) in each of the 50 states; Washington, DC; Puerto Rico, Canada; and overseas territories. |  More

Statewide Student Writing Contest Winners Announced by MCSTOYA and MCELA

The Maine County and State Teachers of the Year Association (MCSTOYA), in partnership with the Maine Council of English Language Arts (MCELA), has announced the winners of the second annual Student Writing Contest that showcased the outstanding talent of students and the incredible impact of teachers in Maine. |  More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

Celebrating Women in CTE: Meet Computer Tech Powerhouse Madison Jackson

As a junior in high school, Madison Jackson had no idea what she wanted to do when she graduated. “I was worried about it because everyone else already knew,” remembers Jackson as she one day decided to check out the list of class options at her local Career and Technical Education (CTE) center, Capital Area Tech Center (CATC) in Augusta. Initially, Jackson wanted to be a Game Warden but remembers seeing computer technology on the list of pathways at CATC and thinking, “Oh, that’s like video games, that will be fine,” she recalled. “That’s not what it turned into at all,” she added. |  More

Eliot Elementary School Civil Rights Team Takes the Great Kindness Challenge

The Civil Rights Team at Eliot Elementary School has been working hard to make their school a better place to be. The Civil Rights Team is made up of 21 grade three students who engage their school community to think and talk about race and skin color, national origin and ancestry, religion, disabilities, gender, and orientation (in an age-appropriate manner). |  More

| Submit your Maine School Success Story |

Professional Development, Training, and Events

Regional Conversations for McKinney-Vento Liaisons and Organizations

Join the Maine Department of Education for in-person Spring 2024 regional conversations for McKinney-Vento liaisons and organizations. |  More

Making Math Meaningful For All: Math4ME is Accepting Applications for Newest Cohort

Math4ME is a free, three-year, whole-school project designed to support all educators (classroom teachers, special educators, ed techs, and interventionists) to strengthen math proficiency for all learners with a specific focus on increased math proficiency for students with math IEP goals. |  More

Save the Date: Math4ME Informational Session on March 20th

The Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education is hosting a Math4ME Informational Session on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, from 4:00-5:00 PM virtually via Zoom. |  More

Asynchronous Course: Introduction to the Question Formulation Technique Introduction to the Question Formulation Technique

In February, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Interdisciplinary Instruction Team celebrates the love of the question by hosting a course called Question, Reflect, Repeat: Introduction to the Question Formulation Technique. In collaboration with the Right Question Institute, the Maine DOE is hosting a three-week asynchronous course on the Question Formulation Technique (QFT). |  More

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities:

View current Maine Department of Education employment opportunities here

 

Seeking Maine Science and Social Studies Educators to Design and Deliver Professional Development on Updated Standards (Stipends Available)

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is seeking dynamic, creative, and collaborative science and social studies educators to design and deliver professional development on the updated standards.

We are looking for Maine educators including, but not limited to, teachers, curriculum leaders, and administrators with a strong background and understanding of the revised science and/or social studies standards. These cohorts of educators will work with Maine DOE content area experts as well as community partners to support their work.

Work will begin in March 2024 and run through February 2025. We will work to design, create, and deliver high-impact asynchronous, live/virtual, and live/in-person professional development. Selected educators will meet with their design teams once a month and be expected to complete work between meetings. We are looking for 40 educators to work with us. Educators will earn stipends of $900 to create professional learning and selected teacher-leaders can earn an additional $300 to take on a leadership role in the design teams. Interested educators should submit an application via this form. Please submit your application by March 6th, 2024. Selected applicants will be notified by March 15th, 2024.

For more information about this opportunity, please contact Beth Lambert, Maine DOE Chief Teaching and Learning Officer, beth.lamber@maine.gov.

Maine Teachers Share Why They #LoveTeaching as Part of a National Campaign to Promote Educator Voices

Maine DOE Partners with News Center Maine to Highlight Stories From Teachers Across Maine

Augusta, ME—The Maine Department of Education (DOE) partnered with News Center Maine this week to highlight the voices of teachers and school staff sharing why they #LoveTeaching during a weeklong national campaign.

#LoveTeaching week is a national campaign started by educators in 2015 and takes place every year around Valentine’s Day. All week, News Center Maine featured videos from Maine’s 2023 County Teachers of the Year and other educators sharing their joy and love of teaching.

Here’s what some teachers shared in their video messages about why they #LoveTeaching:

“I love to teach because every single day I get to make good memories for kids. It’s a great day when kids leave my class and can be overheard saying, ‘this is the best day of my life.’ In my class, that’s where the magic happens,” said Dawn McLaughlin, physical education teacher at Milo Elementary and Brownville Elementary and 2023 Piscataquis County Teacher of the Year.

“I enjoy building rapport with my students. When I see smiles on the faces of students in the classroom and in the halls, on stage, or on the competition fields, I know I’ve made a difference. There are few professions where you get to help our future take steps towards attaining their goals and aspirations. That’s why I love teaching,” said Rob Messier, math teacher at Mt. Ararat High School and 2023 Sagadahoc County Teacher of the Year.

“My favorite thing about being a teacher is that learning occurs beyond the four walls of the classroom and it’s boots on the beach to collect authentic data that connects learning to our community. I also love that my students, colleagues, and community partners are like family, and I find them truly inspired,” said Colleen Maker, biology and marine biology teacher at Washington Academy and 2023 Washington County Teacher of the Year.

“I love teaching because the future of the world is literally in my classroom today. I get to see the amazing working minds of my students in action every single day. They come up with new ideas and creative and wonderful views on the world that they see around them, and it just fills my heart with so much hope for a beautiful and amazing future,” said Lisa Tripp, science teacher at Bonny Eagle Middle School and 2023 York County Teacher of the Year.

“I love teaching in Maine schools because I get to teach the next generation of Maine educators,” said Meghan Stubbs, Hancock County Technical Center’s early childhood education instructor and Maine’s 2023 Milken Educator.

The video messages aired on News Center Maine all week and can be found here.  Educators can participate in the campaign by posting their videos to social media and using the hashtags #LoveTeaching and #LoveSchoolStaff.

Eliot Elementary School Civil Rights Team Takes the Great Kindness Challenge

The Civil Rights Team at Eliot Elementary School has been working hard to make their school a better place to be. The Civil Rights Team is made up of 21 grade three students who engage their school community to think and talk about race and skin color, national origin and ancestry, religion, disabilities, gender, and orientation (in an age-appropriate manner).

“Our team works to make our school a safe and accepting place for all of our students,” said Civil Rights Team Advisor Marissa Armitage. The Civil Rights Team Project is a statewide initiative coordinated by the State of Maine Office of the Attorney General.

Grade 3 students have been spreading the message of acceptance and standing up for what’s right. They’ve been thinking about important issues, hosting important conversations, and changing the climate of the school to be more inclusive.

To combat bias-based harassment, the Civil Rights Team recently hosted an assembly for the Great Kindness Challenge, a weeklong national campaign in January where students in schools across the U.S. are challenged to complete as many acts of kindness as possible using a customizable checklist. Armitage says the Civil Rights Team was outstanding at modeling citizenship during their week of kindness this year.

“The Great Kindness Challenge is just one example of [the Civil Rights Team] initiative,” said Armitage. “I’m really proud of the way our students have shown up as leaders. They set the tone for the rest of the school,” she added.

Armitage tells us that the Civil Rights Team has many more plans for schoolwide initiatives throughout the year.

Find more information about The Great Kindness Challenge here.

This story was a collaboration with Eliot Elementary School. To submit a story from your school, fill out our good news submission form.

Statewide Student Writing Contest Winners Announced by MCSTOYA and MCELA

The Maine County and State Teachers of the Year Association (MCSTOYA), in partnership with the Maine Council of English Language Arts (MCELA), has announced the winners of the second annual Student Writing Contest that showcased the outstanding talent of students and the incredible impact of teachers in Maine.

“The Student Writing Contest aims to lift students’ voices in recognizing teachers’ impact on their lives in ways both small and large,” MCSTOYA and MCELA said in a joint statement. “In only our second year, the submissions exceeded our expectations. We are touched by the stories of caring and supportive teachers from across our state and from every grade span.”

After careful consideration, the judges have selected the following students as the winners:

PK-2

  • 1st Place: Giles Urwin, Grade 2, The Center for Teaching and Learning, Edgecomb
  • 2nd Place: Avery Barnett, Grade 2, Elm Street School, Mechanic Falls
  • Honorable Mentions:
    • Po Salko, Grade 1, Kate Furbish Elementary School, Brunswick
    • Brenden Onyon, Kindergarten, Poland Community School
    • Anais Hernas, Grade 2, Daniel W. Merritt School, Addison

Grades 3-5

  • First Place: Adeline Inman, Grade 5, The Center for Teaching and Learning, Edgecomb
  • Second Place: Abisag H. Castillo Marrero, Grade 4, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Brunswick
  • Honorable Mentions:
    • Arthur Douglas, Grade 5, Oxford Elementary School
    • Josie Mains, Grade 5, Oxford Elementary School

Grades 6-8

  • First Place: Isla A. Litton, Grade 8, Cape Elizabeth Middle School
  • Second Place: Arianna Brooks, Grade 8, Bruce M Whittier Middle School, Poland
  • Honorable Mentions:
    • Ruby Glenn, Grade 7, Coastal Christian School, Waldoboro
    • Zabina Zimmermann, Grade 8, Cape Elizabeth Middle School

Grades 9-12

  • First Place: Jocelyn Davis, Grade 9, Oak Hill High School, Wales
  • Second Place:  Sebastian Milstein-Jones, Grade 9, Casco Bay High School, Portland
  • Honorable Mentions:
    • Shukri Ibrahim, Grade 9, Casco Bay High School, Portland
    • Nataly Fitzpatrick, Grade 12, Nokomis Regional High School, Newport

“We are incredibly proud of all the students who participated. Teaching can be so incredibly hard, and on really tough days, you can start to question yourself and whether or not you make a difference. But how can you not be uplifted by the words of these students,” said Heather Webster, Co-chair of the Writing Contest Committee.

Our youngest writers in grades PK-5 share:

“He shows us things in little steps…”

“[she] makes me feel safe/by knowing me so well.”

“She changed my life, made me think smarter…”

Students in grades 6-12 echo these thoughts in more complexity:

“She makes you feel seen in a room jammed with people.”

“He pushed me to my limits…every day he was in class he taught me a new life lesson.”

“[She] saved me, my spark, and life and she has continued to help me guide myself…to become the person I am today and dream to be.”

And of course, the sentiment that shines through every submission is “all I want to say is, truly, thank you.”

The winners will receive Amazon Gift Cards in the amounts of $125.00, $60.00, and $30.00, and their work will be featured on the MCELA website.

MCSTOYA and MCELA extend their gratitude to the judges for their time and dedication in evaluating the entries. Additionally, we thank all the participating schools, teachers, and students for contributing to the success of this contest.

Making Math Meaningful For All: Math4ME is Accepting Applications for Newest Cohort

Math4ME is a free, three-year, whole-school project designed to support all educators (classroom teachers, special educators, ed techs, and interventionists) to strengthen math proficiency for all learners with a specific focus on increased math proficiency for students with math IEP goals.  The project will focus on building positive math school communities and classrooms, mathematical content and pedagogical skills, supporting inclusionary practices, increased family engagement, and formative assessment including the Early Mathematics Diagnostic Interview (EMDI).

For more details about the Math4ME project check out the informational video.

We are accepting applications for the 2024-2025 cohort until April 5, 2024.  Math4ME Application

We will hold a virtual informational meeting on Wednesday, March 20, 2024 at 4:00 PM. Register here in advance for this meeting.

For questions or more information contact Susan Hogan, susan.hogan@maine.gov or Jen Robitaille, jennifer.r.robitaille@maine.gov.

Regional Conversations for McKinney-Vento Liaisons and Organizations

Join the Maine Department of Education for in-person Spring 2024 regional conversations for McKinney-Vento liaisons and organizations. During these meetings, participants will:

  • Hear updates on federal, state, and local policies and resources for students and families who are homeless or have unstable
  • Learn how to increase your school and district’s capacity to support
  • Hear strategies to address human trafficking impacting Maine students and families from Hailey Virusso and Celine Guedj, Preble Street.
  • Brainstorm solution-oriented strategies affecting youth in your school and
  • Network with colleagues from other schools and organizations in your

Dates and times for schools and organizations in your region!

  • Androscoggin, Franklin, & Oxford Counties
    University of Southern Maine-Lewiston Auburn – 51 Westminster St, Lewiston
    Tuesday, March 12 – 9:00 – 11:30 am
  • Aroostook County
    ME Department of Labor – 66 Spruce Street, Presque Isle
    Thursday, March 21 – 9:00 -11:30 am
  • Mid Coast, Kennebec & Somerset Counties
    Burton M. Cross Office Building – 111 Sewall Street, Augusta – Room 103 A&B
    Thursday, April 25 – 9:00 -11:30 am
  • Penobscot & Piscataquis Counties
    Wings for Children and Families, 900 Hammond St, #915, Bangor
    Wednesday, March 20 – 8:05 – 10:30 am
  • Washington & Hancock Counties
    Maine DHHS Regional Office – 38 Prescott Drive, Machias
    Wednesday, March 20 – 1:00 – 3:30 pm
  • Washington & Hancock Counties
    Maine DHHS Regional Office – 38 Prescott Drive, Machias
    Wednesday, March 20 – 1:00 – 3:30 pm
  • York & Cumberland Counties
    People’s Choice Credit Union – 23 Industrial Park Road, Saco
    Tuesday, April 30 – 9:30 am -12:00 pm

No cost to participants ~ Registration is required.  Click here to register here for the regional meeting you want to attend!

For More Information Contact:
Signe Lynch, Interim McKinney-Vento State Coordinator at signe.lynch@maine.gov or Susan Lieberman, ARP Homeless Children and Youth Consultant at susan.lieberman88@gmail.com.

ARP funds received from the USDOE support the implementation of this project. The project has an award totaling $795,000 dollars of which 100% is federally funded and directly attributed to project implementation. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by the USDOE or the U.S. Government.

 

Grant Funds Available to Support Community Schools (RFA# 202401017)

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is accepting applications from school administrative units (SAUs) and Education in the Unorganized Territory (EUTs) whose school boards designate an existing school or establish a new school as a community school. The Commissioner may provide state funding to the SAU in which community schools are located pursuant to  section 15689, subsection 25. 

To learn more about Community Schools and this opportunity, interested applicants are encouraged to view this recorded Community Schools Information Session by accessing the link here: https://youtu.be/YYIXcgeRqv0. Additional information about Community Schools can be found on the Maine Department of Education’s Office of School and Student Supports’ Community Schools webpage.  

Eligible schools interested in the Community School grant opportunity may access the application here: Grant RFPs and RFAs | Division of Procurement Services (maine.gov) under Department of Education grants.  

A timeline for the RFA process is provided below.  

  • February 13 – RFA released  
  • February 21 – RFA question submission deadline  
  • March 15 – RFA submission deadline  

All questions about the Community School RFA should be submitted to the Community School Grant Coordinator identified on the Grant RFPs and RFAs webpage.  

Additional questions regarding this announcement should be directed to
Julie Smyth, Director of Office of School and Student Supports at Julie.A.Smyth@maine.gov.