Category: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Celebrating Pride Month. Resources to Support LGBTQ+ Students and Build a Welcoming School Climate

June is LGBTQ Pride Month and the Maine Department of Education (DOE) has a robust collection of resources devoted to supporting LGBTQ+ students in Maine and fostering a positive school climate.

The resources were put together through a collaborative partnership between Maine DOE, OUT Maine, and GLAD (GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders) in an effort to provide meaningful resources and information to schools to give them the tools to support not only their LGBTQ+ students but families and school staff as well. The Maine DOE is committed to ensuring Maine schools are safe and welcoming environments for all students.

The website includes data about Maine’s LGBTQ+ youth, the Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (MIYHS) data, teaching resources, and other vital tools for Maine schools to ensure equity for LGBTQ+ identifying students and meaningfully celebrate Pride Month. There are also additional resources specifically for students and parents.

The website of resources can be accessed here: LGBTQ+ Resources. 

2023 Summer Symposium on Inclusive Practices for Students with Autism and Developmental Disabilities

Join the Council for Exceptional Children’s (CEC) Division of Autism and Developmental Disabilities (DADD) groups face-to-face at UMaine Orono or join via Zoom on July 21st from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm for a full day of inclusion-building topics in education centered around two strands of learning- 1) access to the curriculum and 2) quality of life. There are multiple ways of joining and learning. Get more information and register HERE now!

Contact hours are available. For more information please reach out to Anica Miller Rushing anica.miller.rushing@maine.edu.

Spring/Summer Book Study Opportunities: ‘Social Emotional Playbook,’ and ‘This Is Your Brain On Stereotypes’

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Social Emotional Learning Implementation Specialist, Sarah Norsworthy is offering, Read Them Your Way book studies on two different titles this spring and summer.

  • The Social Emotional Playbook, written by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey and Dominque Smith is described by publisher Corwin as an “interactive playbook (which) provides the language, moves and evidence-based advice you need to nurture social and emotional learning in yourself, your students and your school.”  The book is divided into six modules.  This text is designed for educators.
  • This Is Your Brain On Stereotypes written by Tanya Lloyd Kyi and illustrated by Drew Shannon is described by publisher Kids Can Press as being, “an essential overview of the science behind stereotypes, from why our brains form them to how recognizing them can help us be less biased…This timely and hopeful book addresses the issues of discrimination, racism, sexism, ableism, and homophobia and offers concrete suggestions on how to make change.  It uses scientific inquiry and loads of relatable and interesting examples to explore these uncomfortable topics in age-appropriate ways.  Chapters, sidebars, and colorful illustrations break the text into manageable chunks.  Besides the many ways this book could be used to inspire frank and in-depth discussions on the importance of addressing stereotypes and bias, it also links to many science and social studies curriculum topics.  Backmatter includes an extensive list of sources, suggestions for further reading and an index.”  This text is designed for educators and is recommended for students 11 and up.

Read Them Your Way

  1. Choose to organize a professional community read. Maine DOE facilitation of a live, interactive, inquiry based discussion is available. Discussions of The Social Emotional Learning Playbook would be facilitated over six weeks, one week per module. Discussions of This Is Your Brain On Stereotypes would be facilitated over one session.
  2. Read individually, at your own pace, and post your thinking on a shared jamboard with other education professionals across Maine. Comment on the thoughts of others w/ MDOE moderation.
  3. Read on your own and join in a live discussion.
    • One session LIVE, interactive, inquiry based discussions of The Social Emotional Learning Playbook will be hosted by the MDOE at 4pm on 6/1, 6/29, 7/20 & 8/17. Register here. Breakout groups will be by module, as engagement allows.
    • One session LIVE, interactive, inquiry based discussions of This Is Your Brain On Stereotypes will occur at 4pm on 5/31, 6/28, 7/19 and 8/16. Register here. Breakout groups will be used depending on engagement.

Contact hours are available for all opportunities.

Questions?  Please contact Sarah Norsworthy, SEL Implementation Specialist at sarah.norsworthy@maine.gov

New Series: Co-Teaching for Inclusion in Maine

Maine Access to Inclusive Education Resources (MAIER), a collaborative between the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education and the University of Maine, has a variety of professional learning opportunities for the field and is pleased to announce a new series of co-teaching supports for inclusive classrooms and schools.

Co-teaching is being implemented in schools across the nation to address the needs of all students in classrooms with the goal of creating more inclusive environments.   Co-teaching involves having a general education teacher and special service provider (e.g., special education teacher, Title I teacher, ELL specialist, speech/language pathologist) collaboratively planning, teaching, and assessing to ensure success of all students.

Dr. Wendy Murawski, national expert and author on co-teaching and CEO of 2Teach, has created Co-Teaching Modules for Maine.  These modules, titled Co-Teaching 101, provide professional learning for Maine educators addressing co-teaching, planning, and assessing learning options for your classrooms and school.   These asynchronous modules may be found at https://umaine.edu/maier/co-planning-101/.

Additionally, MAIER is providing a Co-Teaching Community of Practice facilitated and supported by MAIER’s Research Associate, Dr. Anica Miller Rushing, and 2Teach’s Dr. Melissa Jenkins.  The purpose of this CoP is to increase both general and special educators’ ability to use co-teaching to improve inclusion practices. The CoP starts meeting in May and you may register at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc4HBkVmuPIiJ3eaqoT0kj11ZcfaMJop9DfrvWpeG6OdYKzoA/viewform.

Contact hours are available.  To learn more about this programming, please contact Anica Miller Rushing at anica.miller.rushing@maine.edu.

Reminder – Interactive Workshop of Bias and Belonging on 3/2/23 in Brewer

The Maine Department of Education (DOE), Office of Student Supports will be hosting author Hedreich Nichols on March 2, 2023, in Brewer.  Nichols is an author and educational consultant helping teachers and districts amplify the voices of all students. With her Solution Tree title, Finding Your Blind Spots: 8 Guiding Principles to Overcome Implicit Bias in Teaching, Hedreich combines her experience as a “One Black Friend” and educator with academic research and pedagogical strategies to ensure that educators have the skills and knowledge they need to create more equitable classrooms and campuses.

Hedreich will be hosting a conference on behalf of the Maine DOE titled Bias and Belonging.  This will be an interactive workshop.  Check-in on March 2nd is from 8:15-8:30, and we will depart at 3:30 pm.  There will be time for Q and A with Nichols and collaboration with participants. We invite you to our day with the author, Bias and Belonging.

Participation in the March 2nd event will include light refreshments and lunch provided at no additional cost.  Those attending on behalf of school administrative units (SAUs) are eligible for a $125 reimbursement (payable to the SAU) for employee time/travel.8 CEUs will be awarded for participation on March 2nd.

For more information about this event, contact Melanie Junkins at melanie.junkins@maine.gov