Author: Maine Department of Education

Maine DOE to Host Open Office Hours for School-based Mental Health Providers in the Wake of Lewiston Tragedy.

The Maine Department of Education’s Office of School and Student Supports is partnering with Inspired Consulting Group, LLC, to support our school mental health providers

On Wednesday, November 1st from 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. or Thursday, November 2nd from 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., all Maine school-based mental health providers are invited to a virtual Office Hour with Chris McLaughlin, MSW, LCSW, Executive Director of NASW Maine (National Association of Social Workers) and owner of Inspired Consulting Group, LLC.

No matter where you are in the state, you are invited to log on for support, and resources, or to be with your colleagues around Maine. “These times are an opportunity to hold space for anyone who desires it,” said McLaughlin. “No agenda. Nothing formal. Just a safe space.”

Join one or both offerings for whatever amount of time you can!  We in the Office of School and Student Supports are so thankful for all you are doing to support students, families, and school personnel – please know how important it is for you to make time for yourselves! There is no need to register for these sessions. Find the Zoom links to join the virtual office hours below.

  • Wednesday, November 1st from 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. –  Zoom Link
  • Thursday, November 2nd from 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – Zoom Link

For further questions, please contact Maine DOE Office of School and Student Supports Director Julie Smyth at Julie.A.Smyth@maine.gov or Maine DOE Coordinated School Health Coordinator Emily Poland at Emily.Poland@maine.gov.

 

Maine DOE Office Hours in Response to Lewiston Tragedy 

Maine Department of Education (DOE) staff are hosting several virtual office hours in the coming days for educators and school staff to provide resources and provide a space for people to come together for professional support in responding to the horrific tragedy in Lewiston. More support times will be available next week, and we will continue to update you on additional office hours and resources.  

We also wanted to reshare the resources that the DOE sent out last night on how to talk to children about gun violence.  

Thank you for all that you continue to do to help students and staff cope with and process the heartbreaking events of this week and to create safe places for our students to have the routines and support from caring adults that they need in this moment.  

Office of Student and School Supports Office Hours  

  • Maine DOE School Nurse Consultant Emily Poland will be available on Friday 10/27/2023 from 3:00-4:00 PM for an open space opportunity for anyone who is working in a school health office. This time will focus on helping one another to process and provide peer support for the recent tragedy in Lewiston.  
  • Join using the link below: 
    https://mainestate.zoom.us/u/kbuQNAKNkv
    Meeting ID: 872 0894 2303
    Passcode: 88821664
  • Maine DOE SEL Specialist Kellie Doyle Bailey will be available on Friday 10/27/2023 and Monday 10/30/2023 from 4:30-5:30 PM to offer administrators and any other school staff Emotional Supports. This time will focus on helping one another to address the stress response of the recent tragedy in Lewiston and how best to support both adults and students with traumatic events. 
  • Join using the link below:
    https://mainestate.zoom.us/j/82416054534?pwd=WjhhSWZPSk42Y3huSCtrNnZsOGNoQT09
    Meeting ID: 824 1605 4534
    Passcode: 96115930 

Maine School Safety Center Office Hours 

  • Maine DOE Behavioral Threat Assessment & Management Coordinator Dr. Karen Barnes will be available on Friday 10/27/23 and Monday 10/30/23 from 2:00-3:00 PM to provide resources to assist educators and school staff with emotionally supporting students and staff around the recent acts of targeted community violence in Lewiston.   
  • Join using the link below:
    https://mainestate.zoom.us/j/2200925410?pwd=QU1FK0tJSlhTUEEySm4vMmFXNnVJUT09
    Meeting ID: 220 092 5410
    Passcode: mdoe/mssc  

These sessions are not intended to be clinician interventions. If any person should need formal clinical support please consider these resources:  

  • If you are an educator in need of additional support, The FrontLine WarmLine is also available from 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week by calling 207-221-8196 or texting 898-211.    
  • If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988. 
  • StrengthenME is available to provide supports by connecting 1:1 and/or offer resources, StrengthenME: 24/7 at 1-800-769-9819.

Resources for Schools and for Talking to Children Following the Tragedy in Lewiston

In light of the tragedy in Lewiston, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) has curated resources for talking to children about violence and resources for schools and educators.  

Talking to Children About Violence

Provide a short statement of fact: Violence took place in our community and many people were hurt. Students are safe here. You are safe. There are people here who can help you. 

  • Early elementary school children need brief, simple information that should be balanced with reassurances that their school and homes are safe and that adults are there to protect them. Give simple examples of school safety like reminding children about exterior doors being locked, child monitoring efforts on the playground, and emergency drills practiced during the school day. 
  • Upper elementary and early middle school children will be more vocal in asking questions about whether they truly are safe and what is being done at their school. They may need assistance processing the incident. Discuss efforts of school and community leaders to ensure their safety. 
  • Upper middle school and high school students will have strong and varying opinions about the causes of violence in society. They will share concrete suggestions about how to prevent tragedies in society. Emphasize the role that students have in maintaining safe communities and schools, communicating any personal safety concerns to school administrators and parents/guardians, and accessing support for emotional needs. 

Mental Health First Aid 

  • Monitor and assess impact: Students and colleagues will be affected in different ways. We do not know how this event has affected people – directly and/or indirectly. Continue to assess impact of the event on those around you. 
  • Be mindful of self-regulation to assist youth in maintaining a level of safety and connection.  
  • If you are an educator in need of additional support, The FrontLine WarmLine is also available from 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week by calling 207-221-8196 or texting 898-211.   
  • If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988. 
  • StrengthenME is available to provide supports by connecting 1:1 and/or offer resources, StrengthenME: 24/7 at 1-800-769-9819.

Returning to School During and After a Crisis

Additional Resources  

EPS Reports Due 10/30

EPS Reports are due on Monday, October 30th. The following reports need to be reviewed and certified first by special education directors and then by superintendents:

  • Special Education Student Count EF-S-05 Part 1
  • October 1 Student Enrollment Count
  • Special Education Staff EF-S-05 Part 2
  • Staff Certification
  • CTE October Counts

If you have questions about any of these reports, please reach out to the MEDMS.Helpdesk@maine.gov or call 207-624-6896

Maine State Board of Education Solicits Input on Educator Certification

The Maine State Board of Education was directed by the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs of the 131st Legislature to study potential revisions to the State Board Rule Chapter 115, the Credentialing of Education Personnel, and to make recommendations as needed via L.D. 485 and a letter from the chairs of the committee dated August 4, 2023. This report is to be submitted by January 2, 2024.

Two special Certification & Higher Education committee meetings:

  • November 13, 2023 at 1:00 p.m.
    In-person in Room 500 of the Burton Cross Office Building and virtually via Zoom (join here)
  • November 27, 2023 at 3:00 p.m.
    In-person in Room 500 of the Burton Cross Office Building and virtually via Zoom (join here)

At these meetings, members of the public are invited to provide comments regarding potential revisions to the State Board Rule Chapter 115. Comments at the meeting will be limited to 3 minutes. Written comments are invited until 5 pm November 27 and can be submitted to the contact below.

A single set of comments from a constituency is more helpful than multiple repeated sets of comments from many constituents, that is, multiple people sending in the same comment is not as useful as that comment being submitted by a single letter signed by those people.

The State Board will review the report at their December 13, 2023, meeting and take final action.

Contact: Sandra Bourget, Maine State Board of Education, 23 State House Station, Augusta, Maine  04333-0023, Email: Sandra.A.Bourget@maine.gov, Phone: (207) 624-6616.

MLTI Podcast, Teaching with Tech, Returns for Season Two!

Teaching with Tech is back! The Maine Department of Education (DOE), Learning Through Technology team is excited for the second season of their MLTI (Maine Learning Technology Initiative) Ambassador podcast where they will highlight new faces and voices centered around supporting technology integration across Maine. In the first season of Teaching with Tech, episodes focused on a variety of topics ranging from digital citizenship, artificial intelligence, STEAM-based learning, and gamification in the classroom. The Ambassadors share exciting strategies and tools as well as interviews from the field which showcase how teachers and schools are using innovative educational strategies to provide students with the best experience possible.

The MLTI Ambassador team kicked off season two with an episode titled “What are the Ambassadors Working on?” This episode highlights projects that the team is looking forward to this year as well as gives examples of ways they can support districts, schools, and teachers all over Maine. October will be the first themed month, focusing both episodes around educational technology in the arts. Join the team as they interview educators about how they incorporate technology, tools, and strategies into their classrooms and schools. Be sure to look out for “Community Corner” bonus episodes which cover additional topics outside of the monthly theme. Last season saw bonus episodes dedicated to game-based learning in elementary physical education, the Educate Maine Symposium, and Student Leadership Ambassadors of Maine (SLAM) Clubs.

See a listing of 2023/3024 MLTI Ambassadors here.

Do you have a topic you want to hear on Teaching with Tech or know an educator doing exciting work with technology integration? The MLTI Ambassadors would love to hear from you! To join the conversation, email the team at DOE-LTT@maine.gov. Teaching with Tech is now streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and YouTube Music.

For more information about the Teaching with Tech podcast or other MLTI Ambassador initiatives, contact the MLTI Ambassador Program Facilitator, Jonathan R. Werner, jonathan.werner@maine.gov

Resources for Mental Health Promotion in the School Setting

In early 2023, The Maine Pediatric and Behavioral Health Partnership, a partnership between The Department of Health and Human Services, Northern Light Acadia Hospital, and MaineHealth, used ECHO® Methodology to connect 125 participants across Maine, including teachers, ed techs, school nurses, social workers, counselors, and administrators to specialists in child and adolescent mental health.

Each of the six ECHO sessions contained a brief high-yield didactic presentation and provided a structured forum for those working in Maine schools to bring forward complicated behavioral health cases for exploration and review.

As a learning collaborative, we were reminded of mental health promotion skills we were already using and gained new ideas to put into action. We addressed the needs of our student population by learning from each other using case-based methodology.

As a result of the learning collaborative, MCD Global Health created the Mental Health Promotion Toolkit. A collection of helpful resources can be found inside. These materials provide information on mental health promotion, tips for addressing health disparities, and roadmaps for implementing innovative strategies to improve mental health and substance use prevention efforts in schools.

For more information about the Maine Pediatric and Behavioral Health Partnership Program, please call 1-833-MPBHP11 (1-833-672-4711) or contact Melissa Maurais at Melissa.Maurais@maine.gov

Semester of Service $1,500 Grants to Support Youth Action

Maine youth have shown they want to take action on things that matter in their community. That is why Volunteer Maine, the state service commission, is offering $1,500 mini-grants to support youth-led projects through its Semester of Service grant program. Applications are due on or before November 2, 2023.

Youth groups in schools, faith communities, service organizations, and nonprofits are eligible to apply and participate. The Semester of Service begins on Martin Luther King Day of Service in January 2024 and ends with National Youth Service Day in April 2024. Proposals that tackle issues related to climate, mental or physical health, and housing are encouraged.“Youth-led” means individuals 17 or younger take the lead in all aspects of the initiative (research, decision-making, design, implementation). Advisors over 18 years old are resources and process facilitators. Youth-leadership is critical because it develops young people’s knowledge, skills and confidence to be catalysts for positive change within their communities.Participating youth groups are asked to learn what Dr. King meant by the “Beloved Community” and reflect on what their actions can contribute to making it a reality in their locale. “The Beloved Community” is a term first coined in the early 20th Century by the philosopher-theologian Josiah Royce, b1855 – d1916. For Dr. King, the Beloved Community was not an altruistic goal but rather a realistic, achievable goal. It could be attained by people working together to end poverty, hunger, homelessness, racism, prejudice, violence, bullying, and other conditions that divide or weaken a community.

Proposals for youth-led projects will be accepted from organizations with youth programs or youth constituents, 17 years old or younger, that are Maine public or private nonprofits, state/county/local units of government, higher ed institutions, faith-based organizations, Indigenous communities, and local schools.

Regardless of the type of youth group, the legal applicant must have an employer identification number (EIN) or taxpayer identification number (TIN) and, if selected, accept responsibility for signing the grant agreement, accounting for grant funds, and submitting a report on the outcomes of the project. Awards will not be made to individuals.

Application instructions and additional information can be found here.

For more information contact Maryalice Crofton, Executive Director of Volunteer Maine at (207) 624-7792 or maryalice.crofton@maine.gov.

About Volunteer Maine
Volunteer Maine, the Maine Commission for Community Service, builds capacity and sustainability in Maine’s volunteer sector by funding service programs, developing volunteer managers and service-learning practitioners, raising awareness of the scope and the impact of the volunteer sector, and encouraging an ethic of service.

Maine DOE Update: October 20, 2023

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

Media Release: Maine DOE Launches New Podcast Highlighting Voices From Maine Schools

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) launched a new podcast today hosted by Commissioner Pender Makin featuring conversations with educators, school staff, and students. The monthly podcast, What Holds Us Together, highlights the great things happening in public schools across Maine and how public education connects us. |  More

Resources for Educators for Talking with Students About the Conflict Between Israel and Hamas

School leaders, teachers, and staff are often tasked with helping our students and their families grapple with what’s happening in the news. The Maine Department of Education (DOE) has compiled the following list of resources to assist educators in helping students process the violence, terror, and news coming from the Middle East. |  More

Funding Survey: Estimated Pre-K Enrollment Counts for New or Expanding Programs in 2024-2025

If your School Administrative Unit (SAU) is opening or expanding a Pre-K program in the 2024-2025 school year, you are eligible to receive funding on your FY25 ED279 for children you enroll in these new or expanded Pre-K programs in 2024. This means you will receive the funding for enrollment in the same year that you enroll the Pre-K children, without a year delay. |  More

PUBLIC COMMENT: Filing of Targeted Revisions to Rule Chapter 101: Maine Unified Special Education Rule (MUSER)

Public Law 2023, Chapter 450 amends 20-A MRSA §7001, 7002, 7258, and 8305 to amend the upper age limit to under 22 years of age, changes hearing impairment to deafness, including hearing loss, changes serious emotional disturbance to emotional disability, and changes deafness and blindness to deaf-blindness. Public Law 2023, Chapter 450 also amends outdated language by changing the term pupil evaluation to individualized education program. These changes are now reflected in the revised MUSER. |  More

PUBLIC COMMENT: Filing of Targeted Revisions to Rule Chapter 64: Maine School Facilities Program and School Revolving Renovation Fund

As a result of the First Special Session of the 131st Maine Legislature, Resolves 2023, Chapter 44, “Resolve, Directing the Department of Education and the Maine Municipal Bond Bank to Amend Their Rules Regarding the Maine School Facilities Finance Program and the School Revolving Renovation Fund” effective October 25, 2023 directs the Maine Department of Education (DOE) and the Maine Municipal Bond Bank to amend their rules to require: (1) that the maximum total loans from the fund for repair, renovation, and improvement projects for Priority One, Priority Two, Priority Three, Priority Four and Priority Five be increased from $4,000,000 to $8,000,000, and (2) that the maximum loan amount from the fund to address each priority level in a school building be increased from $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 within any 5-year period. |  More

PUBLIC COMMENT: Filing of Targeted Revisions to Rule Chapter 41: Offering Instruction Related to Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and the Use of an Automated External Defibrillator in Maine Public Schools

As a result of the First Special Session of the 131st Maine Legislature, Public Law 2023, Chapter 460 was signed by Governor Mills on July 27, 2023. This law, An Act to Require Public Schools to Offer Training for Secondary Students on the Administration of Naloxone Hydrochloride requires all Maine public schools to offer training to secondary students in the administration of naloxone hydrochloride in nasal spray form. |  More

Reminder: RISE Award Nominations Open Through Oct 20. Nominate an Extraordinary School Employee Today!

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) invites students, friends, families, community members, educational organizations or associations, co-workers, and supervisors to nominate school employees for the Recognizing Inspirational School Employees (RISE) Award.  |  More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

Growing Within: A Rural District’s Response to the Need for a Multilingual Learner Educator

At the beginning of the 23/24 school year, Limestone Community School was facing a need for an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) educator to meet the federal requirements of newly enrolled students. As the language use survey indicated a need for assessments, Principal Ben Lothrop recognized that while a 660-certified teacher wasn’t necessary on-site in the past, now it was. He first posted a position for a 660-certified educator with no success. In rural communities in Maine, finding a certified multilingual learner educator is often difficult, as it does fall in the US Department of Education’s teacher shortage. |  More

How Project G.R.O.W. (Garden Roots & Outdoor Wellness) is Impacting Students at Mt. Ararat High School

Project G.R.O.W. (Garden Roots & Outdoor Wellness) at Mt. Ararat High School has taken off! The program is led by Darcy Baggett and Becca Norklun. Throughout the 2022/2023 school year, they had garden involvement in a variety of ways, all of which contributed to meeting their impact goal of 1870 student hours. |  More

| Submit your Maine School Success Story |

Professional Development, Training, and Events

Book Study: Increasing Student Engagement

Starting in December, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) is hosting an asynchronous book study on student engagement based on two books: Reimagining Student Engagement and Teaching Students to Drive Their Learning. Educators will receive a free copy of each book. |  More

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities:

View current Maine Department of Education employment opportunities here

 

Growing Within: A Rural District’s Response to the Need for a Multilingual Learner Educator

(Pictured: Educator Amy Trombley, with students Sustada Ma, El-Shammah Nsadha, and Ammala Ma)

At the beginning of the 23/24 school year, Limestone Community School was facing a need for an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) educator to meet the federal requirements of newly enrolled students. As the language use survey indicated a need for assessments, Principal Ben Lothrop recognized that while a 660-certified teacher wasn’t necessary on-site in the past, now it was. He first posted a position for a 660-certified educator with no success. In rural communities in Maine, finding a certified multilingual learner educator is often difficult, as it does fall in the US Department of Education’s teacher shortage.

“In rural areas across the state of Maine like Limestone and Aroostook County, we struggle to find qualified regular education teachers, much less anything more specialized like an ESOL teacher. In the past, I’ve had to ‘grow my own,’ and this is no different. It’s a great opportunity for the teacher, our students, and the local area as more and more people with various cultural and language backgrounds are moving into our area.”

The next step was for Lothrop to identify an educator who may want to pursue the emergency certification for 660. Title I teacher, Amy Trombley, jumped at the opportunity. “ESOL is a very rare certification, especially in this rural area of Maine, but it is still very much needed. I have a history of working with multilingual learners before my teaching career and loved the experiences that it brought with it. It is a very rewarding job! My main goal in teaching is to make sure the needs of every single student is met. With this certification, I can ensure needs are met for all demographics and make the education experience for multilingual students is that much more equitable.” Trombley applied for and received emergency 660 certification and then enrolled in the University of Southern Maine in the Teaching English to Students of Other Languages (TESOL) program with the District’s support. She has also taken advantage of free professional learning offered by the Maine Department of Education (DOE): WIDA webinar series, “Scaffolding Learning through Language.”

The Maine DOE has assisted with technical support throughout the WIDA Screener assessment and implementation of a newly formed ESOL support.  Administrative Letter #27:  Legal Requirements to Provide English Language Acquisition Services to Students who are Multilingual Learners (Revised 6.21.23)  Multilingual Learner guidance can be found here.

At the Maine DOE, we recognize an increased demand for 660 certification specialists in Maine. We are offering a collaborative webinar with Maine DOE ESOL Specialist Jane Armstrong, Certification Coordinator Erin Reinhard, Family Engagement Specialist Melanie Junkins, and the University of Southern Maine TESOL program instructors Dr. Andrea Stairs-Davenport, Dr. Alec Lapidus, and Dr. Melinda Butler. This one hour webinar is designed for administrators and educators in the state who want to learn more about obtaining a 660 certification, the differences in emergency, conditional, and full certification, and a pathway to earn this certification at the University of Southern Maine.

To find out more, register here for the webinar “ESOL 660 Certification Pathway,” on October 27, 2023, from 1-2 pm.

Questions regarding the webinar can be directed to Melanie Junkins (melanie.junkins@maine.gov), Maine DOE Family Engagement and Culturally Responsive Specialist.