The following is a joint notice from Acting Commissioner of Education William H. Beardsley and Director of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services in the Department of Health and Human Services Sheldon Wheeler. Please share this with school principals and classroom teachers.
Community groups and schools across the state will be conducting activities to raise awareness about alcohol use and abuse on Monday, Dec. 7, Alcohol Awareness Day and throughout Maine’s Alcohol Awareness Week.
The Maine DOE is undertaking two rulemakings related to health.
Continue reading “Notice of proposed rule changes: Chapters 40 and 45”
Educators are encouraged to register now for the annual Maine Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (MAHPERD) conference on Nov. 1-3 at the Samoset Resort in Rockport. For this 70-year anniversary of the conference, New England Patriots former tight-end Jermaine Wiggins will join as special guest.
Maine schools are invited to participate in Fuel Up to Play 60 (FUTP60), a wellness program with numerous benefits including empowering students, with the support of adults, to take the lead in making healthy changes and to have a positive impact in their communities. The next application deadline is Nov. 4.
Continue reading “Apply now for Fuel Up to Play wellness program”
The Maine Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (MAHPERD) Annual Conference, 70 Years Going Strong…Still Making a Difference, will be held Nov. 1 – 3 at the Samoset Resort in Rockport.
The following Priority Notice was distributed to school superintendents today in advance of the 104th Annual Commissioner’s Conference for Superintendents:
Dear Superintendents,
We look forward to working with you next week during the 104th Annual Commissioner’s Conference for Superintendents, scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 28 at Sunday River’s Jordan Hotel in Newry.
Continue reading “Materials released in advance of Commissioner’s Conference”
LD 131 “An Act To Amend the Laws Related to Public Funding of Charter Schools” was signed May 8, 2015 by Governor LePage. Under the new law Maine DOE will make monthly payments directly to approved public charter schools starting in FY16, the same way the Department has long distributed funds to traditional public school districts.
Currently, districts that lose students to public charter schools are billed directly by the receiving charter school. The Maine DOE will provide financial relief to traditional school units since they no longer must include these payments in their annual budgets.
The new funding method will relieve the unpredictable financial impact of charters to individual (sending) districts and was overwhelmingly supported by leaders of Maine’s school districts, including the 100 or so that now have at least one student enrolled in one of the state’s five bricks-and-mortar charter schools or the virtual Maine Connections Academy. The change also allows Maine to move beyond the divisive debate about charter school funding and refocus on how to create opportunities for students to be most successful at Maine public schools, whether they be charters or traditional.
More Notices | Administrative Letters | Reporting Calendar
First Lady Ann LePage and Acting Education Commissioner Tom Desjardin marked Teacher Appreciation Week by announcing the top teacher from each Maine county. | More
The Maine Department of Education is committing over $150,000 to continue the work of the state’s first autism institute. | More
The Maine DOE is seeking feedback on Maine’s proposed Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Waiver Renewal application. | More
The deadline to submit the National Center and State Collaborative Alternate Assessment (NCSC), used to assess students with the most significant cognitive disabilities in mathematics and English language arts is this Friday, May 15. | More
Last week the Maine DOE was represented along with hundreds of library supporters in Washington, D.C. to speak with their legislators about the importance of libraries. | More
If your school submitted an application for the 30th Annual Maine Schoolsite Health Promotion Program “Wellness” Conference to the Maine DOE but has not yet received a confirmation please contact the Department. | More
More Dispatches | Press Releases | From the Commissioner
If your school submitted an application for the 30th Annual Maine Schoolsite Health Promotion Program “Wellness” Conference to the Maine DOE but has not yet received a confirmation email with a congratulatory letter, team registration form and Spring Team Leaders’ Meeting information, please contact the Department’s Susan Berry at susan.berry@maine.gov.
The Maine DOE will continue school site visits into June to provide targeted technical assistance for proficiency-based extension options five and six.
Visits to schools that were granted an extension five or six are providing valuable information about the types of supports needed by districts to sustain the transition to proficiency-based education and reflects the deep commitment of districts to student-centered learning.
The Maine DOE will release information about the 2015 renewal process for extensions soon. Last year’s extension applications provided a clear picture of the status of districts implementation of proficiency-based education to date. District extension applications can be viewed on the Maine DOE website. The Maine DOE anticipates a dramatically streamlined renewal process for spring 2015.
The Maine DOE plans to convene extension option six schools as a group in June to provide targeted supports for the implementation of proficiency-based diplomas. This convening is in lieu of a second site visit. More information about this event will be sent to districts in the coming weeks.
More Notices | Administrative Letters | Reporting Calendar
Nominations are open for the Maine Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (MAHPERD) Teachers of the Year awards. | More
The Association for Computer Technology Educators of Maine (ACTEM) announced their REBOOTED and REIMAGINED awards, open to innovative educators at all grade levels that have a direct impact on student learning. | More
Schools that have been granted schoolwide program status under No Child Left Behind (NCLB) are required to submit a budget showing funding sources for their activities. | More
Under MUSER §IV.4.E(3), the Maine DOE is responsible for the costs of special education services provided to state agency clients and pays those costs directly to the providing agency or person. | More
More Dispatches | Press Releases | From the Commissioner
Nominations are open for the Maine Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (MAHPERD) Teachers of the Year awards.
Continue reading “Nominations open for MAHPERD Teachers of the Year”
Maine DOE Newsroom 