Category: employment

Public Pre-K Expansion Distinguished Educator Opportunity

As part of Maine’s Jobs and Recovery Plan (MJRP), the Maine Department of Education (DOE) was awarded $10 million in American Rescue Plan funding to support the expansion of public pre-k opportunities in Maine.  To assist with the provision of technical assistance and professional learning for the new and expanding pre-k programs being funding through this opportunity, the Maine DOE is seeking a Distinguished Educator to be part of its Early Learning Team.  Under the Distinguished Educator program, the Maine DOE contracts with a public school system or community agency to borrow an educator for a designated period, in this case the 2023-24 school year.  Following service in the program, the Distinguished Educator returns to their sending school system/community agency.

Maine educators who meet the qualifications described below are strongly encouraged to consider applying for this opportunity. Distinguished educators share their expertise with the Maine DOE and other Maine educators while also growing as professionals through a range of new and exciting experiences. The application period for this position will remain open until April 25, 2023.  Interested applicants should submit a letter of interest and resume to Lee Anne Larsen, Director of Early Learning (leeann.larsen@maine.gov).  Candidates selected for interviews will be notified by May 5, 2023.

Questions may be directed to Leeann.Larsen@maine.gov.

Maine Department of Education Distinguished Educator Public Pre-K Expansion Technical Assistance Provider

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Public Pre-K Technical Assistance Provider engages in professional work related to planning and providing technical assistance and professional learning for public preschool programs, including programs in partnership with Head Start and private providers.  The position conducts technical assistance visits, including observations of classrooms, and reviews data to help support program improvement.  The position is part of the Early Learning Team within the Maine Department of Education’s Office of Innovation.  The position coordinates regularly with the DOE’s Early Childhood Specialist and Public Pre-K Consultant.  Statewide travel is required.

REPRESENTATIVE TASKS of this position include but are not limited to:

  • Delivering appropriate technical assistance and professional learning to enhance program implementation — may specifically address evidence-based early childhood curriculum, learner-centered instruction, differential learning, assessment, developmental education and/or experiential learning, developing and implementing MOUs with community providers, etc.
  • Providing interpretation and explanations of statutory provisions to local school authorities, CDS contracted providers, and the public.
  • Supporting SAU compliance with the Chapter 124 Public Preschool Program Standards and providing technical assistance related to program improvement.
  • Analyzing data contained in SAU annual reports of pre-k programming.
  • Other duties applicable to support of public pre-k expansion efforts, as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED to successfully perform the work assigned:

  • Experience with the early childhood general education and special education communities in Maine and with public school education in Maine.
  • Knowledge of current learning research and exemplary early childhood educational instructional strategies in all early learning domains.
  • Knowledge of current and emerging state and federal legislation, rules and regulations impacting early childhood education, including Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) childcare licensing and Child Development Services (CDS).
  • Knowledge of exemplary evidence-based early childhood curriculum, learner-centered instruction, differential learning, assessment, developmental education, and experiential learning, and understanding of the relationships among these areas.
  • Knowledge of and experience with Maine’s College and career Ready Learning Results and Maine’s Early Learning and Development Standards.
  • Knowledge and experience with developing and implementing public pre-k programs in partnership with community providers (e.g. Head Start, Child Care, etc.).
  • Knowledge of community involvement issues in education policy decisions and operations.
  • Ability to interpret and explain statutory provisions to local school authorities, community providers, and the public.
  • Ability to effectively provide information, technical assistance, professional development and program development support and expertise.
  • Ability to use technology-based communications (i.e., Internet, Web) and e-mail systems and both laptop and desktop computer systems, word processing and data applications.
  • Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.
  • Ability to effectively facilitate meetings, organize and manage multiple projects.
  • Ability to apply and facilitate group dynamics and to use exemplary interpersonal skills in order to work collaboratively, develop positive working relationships, and involve stakeholders at the local and state level.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:  A Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field and two (2) years of professional level experience in public pre-k programming is required.  A Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and five years of early childhood teaching and/or administrative experience is preferred. CLASS Observer certification at the pre-k level is also preferred.

Seeking Five Distinguished Educators for MLTI Ambassador Positions

Are you passionate about professional growth and technology? Do you want to make a difference in Maine schools? Do you want to join a team of likeminded educators? Are you currently teaching in a Maine public school? This might be the opportunity you’ve been looking for!

The Maine Department of Education is hiring five distinguished educators, known as “MLTI Ambassadors,” to join our team in supporting MLTI professional learning. These are full-time, two-year, contracted, remote positions. The MLTI Ambassador team comprises of both second-year and first-year distinguished educators. They work both collaboratively and individually to provide professional learning offerings and work with MLTI schools and educators to implement the MLTI program.

Ideal candidates will be excited about instructional coaching and innovative technology practices in education, eager to work with other teachers, have outstanding communication skills, and experience with upper elementary, middle, and/or high school pedagogy.

Distinguished educator positions are set up as an exchange agreement between the Department of Education and your local school district. Through the agreement, the Department pays your local school for the duration of your contract as a distinguished educator, allowing your school to temporarily fill your vacant position and continue to pay you your current rate while you work as a distinguished educator. Once the two-year contract is complete, you will be able to return to your position within that district.

Still have questions? Contact either our Digital Learning Specialist Jonathan Graham at jonathan.m.graham@maine.gov or (Acting) Learning Through Technology Team Coordinator Emma-Marie Banks at emma-marie.banks@maine.gov.

Seeking Experienced Project Manager for the Maine Learning Technology Initiative

The Learning Through Technology Team, in the Office of Innovation, is looking for an experienced Project Manager for the Maine Learning Technology Initiative.

Overview:

The MLTI Project Manager: provides leadership and guidance to the MLTI program team, partners, and vendors; effectively manages program resources and/or vendors in coordination of competing priorities to ensure the needs of MLTI schools are met and align with program and Department of Education priorities; executes project management deliverables within program budget, deadlines and; coordinates implementation and execution of the MLTI program working with program team, partners, and vendors.

Scope:

  • Manages two project support staff.
  • Manages mid-size projects or very large projects with limited supervision
  • Utilizes Microsoft project management tools to plan, organize, and coordinate management of the overall program and projects with high visibility.
  • Oversees planning and provides guidance on the MLTI program and other project annual budgets.
  • Prepares reports and presentations to summarize the status of projects and program deliverables
  • Plans and facilitates program and project meetings with the MLTI program team, partners, and vendors.
  • Analyzes program evaluation and implementation against State of Maine Statute
  • Incorporates evaluation findings and changes into future program and project planning
  • Coaches program and project team to ensure activities are undertaken and completed
  • Assists employees in compliance with all human resources policies, procedures & guidelines of conduct
  • Provides leadership and guidance to MLTI program team, program partners, and vendors in support of program deliverables and priorities
  • Ensures compliance to policies and procedures throughout the MLTI program and projects.
  • Manages all marketing for MLTI program including overseeing website and working directly with Department communications team on social media and newsroom releases.
  • Manages all communications to key stakeholders and ensures program team are aware of significant changes to project status in a timely manner
  • Provides guidance through the creation and implementation of MLTI program procedures and process. Ensures the MLTI program team have a clear understanding of program process and procedure.
  • Provides guidance to the MLTI program team on state procurement rules and regulations as it pertains to implementation of program and projects.
  • Provides overall guidance, and reporting of all MLTI program and project activities to the LTT Coordinator.

Job Requirements:

  • Bachelor’s degree. *Business Administration, or Business Management preferred.
  • 3-5 Years of project management experience. *PMP-Project Management Certification preferred.
  • 1-3 years personnel management experience.
  • Excellent communication, problem-solving and decision-making skills with ability to effectively communicate with all levels of the organization.
  • Demonstrated ability to build strong collaborative business and technology relationships
  • Proven ability to manage multiple competing priorities, making sound business decisions
  • Self-driven and have excellent problem-solving skills
  • Detail oriented and have well-developed organizational skills
  • Individual must have exceptional interpersonal skills, ability to maintain confidentiality, flexible and possess a high degree of initiative and motivation
  • Proven record of providing excellent internal and external Customer service

Salary:

$110,000 annually. This is a contracted position and will not include state benefits.

Application:

Interested and qualified candidates should apply here. Applications close on midnight on Sunday, February 26th.

Please contact Beth Lambert, Director of Innovative Teaching and Learning, at beth.lambert@maine.gov with questions.

Seeking Applicants for Educator Summit Coordinator Position

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is seeking an energetic, motivated, and experienced individual to serve in the role as the Educator Summit Coordinator. The selected candidate will provide initiative, guidance, and leadership in handling the necessary responsibilities as outlined below in preparation for hosting the 2nd annual Maine Educator Summit. This position will be responsible for overseeing the development of a project timeline; maintaining a Summit budget; managing the event logistics; securing, negotiating, and executing the contract agreements associated with the Summit; and coordinating with the Maine DOE leadership (Commissioner’s office team, office directors, and the communication’s director) and logistics teams throughout the planning and implementation of the event.

This is a contracted professional service position that manages all aspects of the planning and implementation of the 2nd annual Maine Educator Summit.

REPRESENTATIVE TASKS:

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES of the Educator Summit Coordinator

Develop a timeline for Summit preparation, implementation, and evaluation.

  • Serve as DOE point of contact for all event logistics.
  • Include start and completion dates for each task leading up to and during the Summit.
  • Identify and provide clear description of duties for members of the logistics team and sub committees.
  • Facilitate two planning team meetings per month with Maine DOE leadership
      • Create agendas with timelines and action steps
      • Maintain a record of updates and progress made on the action steps
  • Provide weekly written program and fiscal updates to the Chief of Federal Programs and Associate Commissioners.
  • Secure keynote speakers and session facilitators that matches the needs expressed by the field with sessions as closely as possible.
  • Elicit the help of DOE employees for the days of the Summit and clearly define the duties thereof.
  • Continuously evaluate progress and propose necessary changes in timeline as warranted.

Facilitate ongoing communication and collaboration with the logistics team and subcommittees.

  • Provide regular updates to the DOE leadership team utilizing clear communication to establish guidelines, direction, and needed support.

Maintain a Summit budget:

  • Propose a detailed Summit budget by February 1, 2023.
  • Document all expenses, encumbrances, and incomes.
  • Maintain a drawdown document on the grant award.
  • Approve all proposed expenses for items assigned to other team members.
  • Coordinate with the Department of Administrative and Financial Services (DAFS) to establish the reimbursement process for all attendees regarding travel/food/lodging.

Secure and execute all Summit-related contracts, including but not limited to the following:

  • Venue
  • Caterer
  • Audio-Visual
  • Keynote Speaker(s)
  • Staging
  • Movers (as needed)

Collaborate with Maine DOE teams, including the Communications Team members to:

  • Ensure the Maine DOE website for Summit is current, attractive, and functional.
  • Develop and implement a presenter application,
  • Review and accept criteria rubric for submission, and the review and approval process.
  • Collaborate with the Chief of Federal Programs, Director of Communications and Associate Commissioners to finalize all sessions titles and descriptions by April 1, 2023.
  • In collaboration with the planning team, develop the matrices of the sessions, including locations, for all four days of the Summit.
  • Utilize the functionality of a registration and event application.
    • Obtain three estimates for the purchase of an event application to be used
  • Develop a marketing and promotional timeline for the Summit.
  • Promote the Summit using a variety of platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, MDOE Updates and news releases, and local papers (as deemed necessary).
  • Promote the Summit in all bi-weekly stand-up meetings of the DOE.

Liaise with venue to:

  • Outline configuration set ups and determine other needs for all rooms.
  • Determine and secure all catering needs including meals, snacks, and refreshments, honoring a variety of nutritional and preference requests of participants.
  • Be on-site the week before, during, and after the conference to handle all last-minute details, as needed (i.e., Deliveries, room set-ups/clean up, signage set up/clean up, AV set up, etc.).

Post Summit preparation:

  • Develop and finalize a post-Summit survey in coordination with the leadership team by July 1, 2023.
  • Implement and provide an analysis of a post-Summit survey for attendees and presenters by August 18, 2023.
  • Provide the analyzed feedback from surveys to DOE leadership by September 1, 2023.
  • Ensure that invoicing for expense reimbursement is allowable and timely.

Other duties as the position may require for successful completion of the Summit.

Submit weekly timecard to the Chief of Federal Programs for processing and payment, with a detailed accounting of the work performed during the previous week.

Minimum Qualifications:  To qualify, candidates must have excellent collaboration, organizational and communications skills, as well as strong budgetary oversight capabilities.

APPLICATION:  Please submit a cover letter, resume, and three current professional references with contact information to Cheryl Lang, ESEA Federal Programs Director, at cheryl.lang@maine.gov. Write “Application Materials for Educator Summit Coordinator” in the Subject line. Submissions will be accepted until 4 PM on Friday, December 2, 2022.

Governor Mills Announces $25 Million Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan Program to Offer Paid Work Experiences to Maine Students

Governor Janet Mills today announced the Maine Career Exploration program, a $25 million, two-year initiative of her Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan to connect 6,000 young people in Maine to future career opportunities by funding paid work experiences with employers across the state.

Through offering paid work experiences for Maine young people aged 16-24, the Maine Career Exploration program will enable thousands of students to enter the labor force in fields of their interest through work opportunities with Maine employers. In addition to work experience, students may also earn education credits through the program.

The Maine Career Exploration program is a recommendation of Maine’s 10-year Economic Development Strategy (PDF), unveiled by Governor Mills in 2019, to support Maine’s goal of adding 75,000 workers to Maine’s workforce by 2030. The program is led by the Department of Economic and Community Development in partnership with the Department of Education, Department of Labor, and the Governor’s Children Cabinet.

The Governor announced the Maine Career Exploration program today at Morse High School in Bath. Bath, Brunswick, and Topsham schools have used Jobs Plan funds to create a Regional Internship Program, in partnership with the Midcoast Chamber of Commerce, to provide students with work-based learning experiences at local businesses.

“Through the Maine Career Exploration program, high school students will gain meaningful, hands-on work experiences at local businesses that will prepare them to succeed in careers right here in Maine, strengthening our workforce over the long-term,” said Governor Janet Mills. “My Administration will continue to address Maine’s longstanding workforce shortage by making sure our students have the skills, and our businesses have the workers, that they need to succeed.”

“Our state needs to add 75,000 new workers by the end of the decade to keep our economy strong. Preparing Maine students for success in the workforce is a key part of achieving that goal,” said Heather Johnson, Commissioner of the Department of Economic & Community Development. “Maine Career Exploration will introduce thousands of Maine students to future employment options, giving them real world work experience and supporting our business community at the same time.”

“By expanding real-world, engaging learning opportunities with Maine employers, the Career Exploration program will help students explore career options, develop critical work and life skills, and plan for their futures,” said Pender Makin, Commissioner of the Department of Education. “These opportunities are also important for strengthening Maine’s workforce and building connections between schools and local businesses.”

“The mission of JMG is to identify students who face barriers to education, and to guide each one on to a successful path toward continued education, a meaningful career, and productive adulthood,” said Craig Larrabee, JMG President and CEO. “Our commitment is to equitably expand opportunity for students who need it most, particularly those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. With this funding, JMG will support more than 4,000 high school juniors and seniors, throughout all sixteen counties of the state, in engaging with Maine’s employers to gain meaningful workforce experience.”

“This funding will significantly enhance the quality of our Mt. Ararat High School Community Pathways program. Most importantly, we will be positioned to provide many more meaningful and engaging learning experiences to support students in pursuing their dreams, interests, passions, and aspirations,” said Douglas Ware, Community Learning Coordinator at Mt. Ararat High School in Topsham.

“Governor Mills and her administration saw the workforce need, heard from the businesses and the schools, and made the incredible choice to invest in some of Maine’s best problem solvers – our teachers, administrators and business leaders,” said Cory King, Executive Director of the Midcoast Chamber of Commerce. “The investment into this program through the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan is helping make this concept of paid, meaningful work for students a possibility.”

The Career Exploration program has three primary components:

Awards to Schools and School Districts

The Maine Department of Education has awarded over $5.6 million to 26 school districts, schools, adult education programs, and higher education institutions to create or expand extended learning opportunities for students, which include paid work experiences.

Examples of these efforts include:

  • The Aroostook County Action Program and Eastern Maine Development Corporation will provide paid work experiences to youth in northern and eastern Maine. Career Exploration funds will be used to strengthen and expand existing workforce & training programs through new employer partnerships, reaching students who do not qualify for existing programs, and offering support services to address transportation and technology needs.
  • In RSU 13 in Rockland, students will explore different career paths and learn basic job-seeking skills and financial literacy. Following these classes, students will participate in 10-week internships with local businesses.
  • Telstar Middle High School in Bethel will develop workforce opportunities for students in grades 9-12. These include job shadowing, career immersions with employers, credit-earning experiences, career camps during school breaks, and local internship programs.

Jobs for Maine Graduates

  • Funding from the Career Exploration Program will support expansion of extended learning opportunities, paid work experiences, and coaching now offered by Jobs for Maine Graduates for rising juniors and seniors at 90 high schools in Maine.

Community-Based Organizations

  • Through the Governor’s Children’s Cabinet, five community-based organizations in Cumberland, Sagadahoc, Androscoggin, Penobscot, and Aroostook counties will help disadvantaged young people access meaningful paid work opportunities and valuable employment experience.

The Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan is the Governor’s plan, approved by the Legislature, to invest nearly $1 billion in Federal American Rescue Plan funds to improve the lives of Maine people and families, help businesses, create good-paying jobs, and build an economy poised for future prosperity.

In the last year since the Jobs Plan took effect, the Mills Administration has delivered direct economic relief to nearly 1,000 Maine small businesses, supported more than 100 infrastructure projects around the state to create jobs and revitalize communities, and invested in workforce programs estimated to offer apprenticeship, career and education advancement, and job training opportunities to 22,000 Maine people.

Read a full report of the Jobs Plan’s investments in the past year here. For more about Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan, visit maine.gov/jobsplan.