The Maine Department of Education’s Office of School & Student Supports is hiring multiple positions to enhance the Coordinated School Health (CSH) team! We are looking for experienced school health professionals to work with us as we strive to ensure that Maine schools are inclusive, healthy, safe, and supportive communities where every student thrives.

As part of the Coordinated School Health team, these positions will assist in planning, developing, and implementing projects and programs that enhance school nursing and other school health services. These positions will provide direct consults with school staff on school health services matters in order to provide guidance and technical assistance within a specific region of the state.

Preference will be given to candidates licensed to practice professional nursing within the State of Maine (RN) and those with State Department of Education endorsement for School Nurse (524) or eligible to receive endorsement.

We are looking for people with knowledge of nursing specialty within education, issues, and problems of school nursing and school health services, and knowledge of laws, rules, and regulations applicable to and enforced by the Department of Education.

The full job posting and more information can be found here. The application closes on October 5, 2023.

The Office of School and Student Supports (O3S) at the Maine DOE is seeking a mental health professional for SY 2023-24. This opportunity is open to contracted school counselors, school social workers, or school mental health clinicians.

The Maine DOE is seeking a Distinguished Educator to be part of its Climate, Culture, and Resilience Team within the O3S to assist with the provision of technical assistance and professional learning for Maine’s school-based mental health providers. 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 September 8, 2023.

Interested applicants should submit a letter of interest and resume here. Candidates selected for interviews will be notified by September 13, 2023. 

Here is an FAQ About the School Mental Health Distinguished Educator Position (PDF). Further questions may be directed to julie.a.smyth@maine.gov.

ARP funds received from the USDOE support the implementation of this project. The project has an award totaling $125,000.00 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.

Maine Department of Education Distinguished Educator Mental Health Specialist

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Mental Health Specialist within the Climate, Culture, and Resilience Team engages in professional work related to planning and providing technical assistance and professional learning for Maine mental health providers in our schools.  The position is responsible for ensuring the Department meets the statutory directive to provide model policies, and for assisting with certification and endorsement requirements of school counselors as well as duties for both school counselors and school social workers under the Ch 117 rule. The position provides non-regulatory guidance on, and interpretation of, state laws and rules on these issues. The position is providing technical assistance to practitioners and is charged, along with other stakeholders, in developing policies and strategies to address drop-out rates, juvenile justice, restraint and seclusion, and suicide prevention.

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

• Coordinates the acquisition, review, and dissemination of up-to-date information on laws, resources, research, and best practices of school-based mental health professional practice.  This includes analyzing relevant resources from related domains in order to ensure optimal understanding and implementation of federal and state requirements related to these topics.
• Evaluates incoming requests for information, individual assistance, and technical assistance from families, schools, school districts, and community stakeholders pertaining to mental health, trauma -informed practices and school counseling in order to assess statewide needs in these areas and develop strategies to address them.
• Develops and coordinates training and the dissemination of materials and information in order to help schools, students, and parents establish local policies and practices that are mental-health responsive and student-first oriented.
• Examines statewide data collection, analysis, and reporting in order to identify trends, problems, and impact of various initiatives and assure compliance with state and federal law.
• Consults and develops collaborative initiatives with other offices within DOE, other state agencies, and non-profit leaders of organizations serving students in order to ensure that services to students and families are provided in the most comprehensive, efficient and effective manner possible.
• Represents the department on task forces and study committees related to issues of school-based mental health, trauma-informed practices and school counseling in order to ensure the most effective implementation and development of policies and practices related to these focus areas.
• Advises the Deputy Commissioner and Commissioner on issues pertaining to the position’s areas of focus in order to ensure that the department is able to provide consistent public leadership in these areas.
• Confers with team and department staff in order to exchange information, identify problems, and formulate possible solutions.
• Supports team’s long-range planning activities and facilitates attainment of goals and objectives consistent with the department’s strategic plan, in order to ensure that customer service needs are met; that department directives and state and federal laws and rules are implemented; and that education and related services delivery are integrated for maximum efficiency.

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

• Knowledge of state and federal laws, rules and regulations governing school counseling and school social work
• Knowledge and skills in trauma sensitive practices and mental health
• Knowledge of a wide range of public and private resources and efforts relating to these responsibilities, including public and private social services agencies, in-school resources, non-profit organizations, community partners, etc.
• Knowledge of standards of practices in school counseling and social work
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff in DOE, other state agencies and schools
• Ability to identify solutions to individual cases using a variety of tools and resources
• Ability to establish and maintain working relationships with staff at DOE and other stakeholder groups
• Ability to formulate and draft policies, rules and legislation relating to these issues
• Ability to plan and conduct technical assistance that is responsive to the needs of schools, students and parents
• Ability to produce reports to the Legislature and others, as may be required by law

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:  

At least 3 years employed as a school counselor, school social worker, school-based mental health clinician or commensurate position.

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is currently looking for dynamic, creative, and collaborative educators to join the MOOSE Team! 

Now in its fourth year, Maine’s Online Open-Source Education (MOOSE) platform continues to grow. We have been expanding our module library in areas of identified need, creating a robust resource for Maine students designed by Maine educators. These modules are student-driven and center on interdisciplinary, project-based learning experiences that are accessible, inclusive, and available for free online.  

This year, MOOSE extends our work in Data Science and Wabanaki Studies and adds exploration in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG). We will continue collaborating with a group of educators for our Iteration & Improvement Team, who work with existing content to augment functionality and ensure even greater accessibility. We will also be adding an Educator Resource Team that will be working to create educator materials for existing modules. All teams will be set up in two stipend phases (September 18, 2023 – January 12, 2024; January 22 –  May 24, 2024). 

The Data Science and UNSDG Teams will be set up in a single creation session with the two work phases corresponding to the stipend phases (Designers are committing to the year-long process due to the connected nature of the phases). 

• Phase 1 (Sept 18 – Jan 12): Training and orientation begins the week of September 18th with full student-facing learning progressions created by January 12th. 
• Phase 2 (Jan 22 – May 24): Creation of educator materials and/or additional modules begins the week of January 22nd and completes by May 24th. During this time, Designers will create educator materials for the modules they just created AND additional educator materials for other modules or new modules within their topic (exact plans to be determined by the Team Leader). 

The Wabanaki Studies Team will expand the reach of the material and continue to create material that supports Maine educators to implement Wabanaki Studies in their classrooms across all disciplines. 

The Iteration & Improvement Team and the Educator Resource Team will work with their Team Leader to make progress on addressing the needs of MOOSE’s extensive library of existing modules. Designers will coordinate with their Team Leader to address multiple modules throughout that time at a pace of roughly 6-8 hours of work weekly. Priority on these teams will be given to applicants who have worked on MOOSE previously and have demonstrated capacity with designing on the platform and instructional design. 

We are looking for Maine educators including, but not limited to, teachers, curriculum leaders, and representatives from Maine educational community organizations (e.g., museums, libraries, educational centers, etc.). You do not need to have expertise in the topic area you are interested in or a strong background in technology, just a commitment to learning. Our work benefits from having a diverse range of perspectives and experiences (e.g., grades, disciplines, training, etc.) represented on each team. We value your years of experience as Maine educators and your willingness to embrace creativity and innovation. Each topic will be supported by a full-time Team Leader and dedicated Module Coach to help Designers through the process. 

You can learn more about MOOSE on the MOOSE website. When you are ready to apply you can access the application here. Applications close Sunday, September 10th and folks will be notified about their status by Wednesday, September 13th.  

If you are interested in applying but still have questions, MOOSE will hold Q&A sessions with recordings that will be posted on the DOE MOOSE website following the session.  

• Q&A Session #1: Monday, August 28th, 3-4pm, Register here 
• Q&A Session #2: Tuesday, September 5th, 4-5pm, Register here 

MOOSE will also be running a Pilot Program again this year. Applications to pilot a MOOSE module and provide feedback for a stipend will be coming soon with the first round starting October 4th. 

For more information about MOOSE or if you have follow-up questions, please contact Project Manager Jenn Page, jennifer.page@maine.gov.  

The Maine Online Open-Source Education (MOOSE) project is funded entirely (100%) through Federal money under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) and American Rescue Plan (ARP) totaling $4,598,000 for the current 2023-2024 funding cycle. 

The Maine Department of Education is recruiting 17 AmeriCorps members to serve and support children with disabilities with building social-emotional skills and school readiness for children enrolled in CDS preschools across the state.  The investment in members will not only serve to ensure positive preschool experiences and improve child outcomes for those children, this opportunity will also provide important, dynamic training, 1:1 mentoring, and experience for each volunteer to utilize toward certification in the educational field. See the below job description for further details, including how to apply.

_______________________________________

Position Title:  CDS/AmeriCorps First4 Partnership Member
Location of position:  CDS Preschools at 9 CDS sites
Terms:  30 weeks at 23+ hours per week (1200 hr. members), 17 weeks at13 hours per eek (675 hr. members)
Living Allowance:  $1200-$1900/mo.
Incentives:  Training/PD toward Ed. Tech or 282 Certification funded and provided

About and/or mission statement:  CDS/AmeriCorps First 4 Partnership will recruit, train and empower 17 AmeriCorps members to serve and support children with disabilities with building social emotional skills and school readiness children enrolled in CDS preschools across the state.  The investment in members will not only serve to ensure positive preschool experiences and improve child outcomes for those children, this opportunity will also provide important, dynamic training, 1:1 mentoring and experience for each volunteer to utilize toward certification in the educational field.

Goals: CDS preschools serve children ages 3-5 with varying abilities and disabilities and are currently experiencing one of the most challenging times with staffing shortages and increasing numbers of students enrolling with social emotional and school readiness deficits post-pandemic that need support. Studies show that the early years of a child’s education are the most important for learning and development and all early learners deserve the opportunity and foundation that positive preschool experiences with ample supports can offer to thrive in their future educational years.  The CDS/AmeriCorps Partnership will provide those needed added supports and service, building and increasing social emotional skills, resiliency, and school readiness to improve upon child outcomes and also providing volunteers with dynamic experience including trainings and 1:1 mentoring to empower them to meet the needs of students now and in the future.

Position Overview: Members offer direct service and supports to CDS children and preschool classrooms.  They receive professional training and 1:1 mentoring with a classroom teacher in evidence-based special education and early childhood education practices including curriculum, data collection and analysis, and social-emotional learning.  Members will also participate in community efforts for recruitment and service.

Service activities:

• provide direct support to children with disabilities in Child Development Services Preschool classrooms
• build strong relationships & secure attachments with the children, which we know is vital for resilience & lifelong success
• receive training to better understand special education policies and practices including understanding IEP and goals training, trauma-informed teaching & social-emotional development
• collaborate with a team of like-minded people eager to impact children’s futures

Skills Required:

• Ability to work with a team and interest in serving children with disabilities
• Strong organizational skills and utilization of a database to manage trainings and service
• Experience in community-based networking
• Strong communication skills
• Strong problem solving skills, adaptability

Apply: Jacquelyn.N.Hersom@maine.gov or   https://serviceyear.org/MaineDOE

19 Elkins Lane, Room 105, 105 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0105 Phone: (207) 624-7792 • Email: Service.Commission@maine.gov • http://www.VolunteerMaine.gov EXAMPLE 2 – AYCC AmeriCorps Mentoring Program

AmeriCorps Program Manager with the Maine Department of Education

$24.77-$36.89 hourly range

Are you seeking an opportunity to utilize your education and leadership experience to support future educators and students simultaneously?  This opportunity to join the Maine Department of Education (DOE) will allow you to expand your impact in education through management with two different cohorts of AmeriCorps members focused on supporting Child Development Services (CDS) preschool classrooms (CDS AmeriCorps) and incoming high school students in two rural schools (Maine AmeriCorps Mentors for Success).

Child Development Services, a quasi-state agency providing special education services to eligible children from birth to 5 years old, has partnered with First4 AmeriCorps to make this opportunity possible through a program that includes receiving valuable early education training and supports, gaining vital hours of experience and mentoring in CDS preschool programs available throughout the state, and working with students with disabilities.  In another program focusing on older students, the Maine DOE Office of School and Student Supports has partnered with two rural high schools in York County to provide AmeriCorps members to support incoming high school students.

Your management and leadership of Maine DOE and CDS AmeriCorps programming will ensure students statewide experience improved outcomes in the areas of school readiness and success and provide a cohort of future Maine educators with the training and experiences needed to successfully launch their careers in education.

To apply for this exciting opportunity to positively impact students and prepare future Maine educators, please send your cover letter and resume to Danielle McKay at danielle.mckay@maine.gov until a viable candidate is found.

Maine DOE AmeriCorps Program Manager Position

The primary focus of this position is assisting in planning, research, development, and coordination of a CDS AmeriCorps initiative for special education services provided in preschool settings and a Maine AmeriCorps Mentors for Success (MAMS) pilot in two rural high schools in York County.  The program manager supports the development of CDS AmeriCorps and Maine AmeriCorps Mentors for Success through the coordination of community partnerships, providing targeted professional development and coaching for Americorps members, partnering with technical assistance providers, and supporting alternative pathways to becoming certified to teach or provide services in early childhood and secondary settings. More specifically, the program manager promotes the development and implementation of policies and procedures to improve outcomes for students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and to improve mental health for students with limited access to enrichment opportunities due to socioeconomics, geography, etc.

Types of decisions THE POSITION has authority to make:

Makes decisions in collaboration with the Maine DOE and CDS regarding how best to support the tasks associated with the detailed timeline for the coordination of CDS AmeriCorps volunteers and Maine AmeriCorps Mentors for Success.

Makes decisions in collaboration with the Maine DOE and CDS regarding managing, training, and supporting personnel, timelines, professional development, and data to support two AmeriCorps grants.

Make decisions in collaboration with the Maine DOE and CDS including development and coordination of long-term initiatives and programs, including securing stakeholder involvement and training for the coordination of CDS AmeriCorps and Maine AmeriCorps Mentors for Success programming.

KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

• Knowledge of management practices, organizational change technologies, and human resources management.
• Knowledge of project management principles and applications.
• Knowledge of staffing requirements and training development principles, practices, and techniques.
• Ability to plan, assign, and collaborate on managing the work of professional and technical staff members.
• Ability to plan, direct, and manage moderately complex tasks for the timeline and implementation plan proposed by CDS and Maine DOE.
• Ability to understand complex issues and negotiate amicable resolutions within a group setting.
• Ability to anticipate and analyze problems, reach logical conclusions, and make sound decisions.
• Ability to understand current policies and evaluate changing environments in order to recommend or implement changes or additions to policies.
• Ability to manage multiple complex, diverse, and concurrent activities.
• Ability to coordinate community partnerships.
• Ability to plan and assign the work of overseeing AmeriCorps volunteers.
• Ability to communicate effectively and write clearly and effectively.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships.
• Ability to use information management tools, systems, and applications.

POSITION responsibilities:

1. Assists the Maine DOE’s Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education and Office of School and Student Supports teams by presenting work issues that impact program management in order to provide input for decision making.
2. Plans, organizes, and directs a team of AmeriCorps members for a variety of projects in order to accomplish the purpose of the proposed CDS AmeriCorps and Maine AmeriCorps Mentors for Success initiatives.
3. Leads and oversees the program team through a process to include progress monitoring on the recruitment and retainment of the AmeriCorps volunteers.
4. Analyzes, prioritizes, and identifies issues in order to support effective collaboration.
5. Develops, coordinates, and implements high quality professional development to AmeriCorps volunteers.
6. Maintains and collects data, accurate schedules, budget, and additional information in order to ensure timely access and reporting for the Department on the progress of the initiatives.
7. Manage, supervise, evaluate, and support AmeriCorps members serving statewide to provide high quality programming in schools
8. Facilitates communication with teams in order to discuss on-going project issues and facilitate collaboration.
9. Conducts analyses and recommends alternative approaches to senior leadership in order to inform decision making.
10. Support both initiatives to ensure proper execution of the initiatives and adherence to federal guidelines.
11. Serve as a liaison between the Maine DOE certification team and AmeriCorps members to support AmeriCorps members in applying for Ed Tech I, II, and III endorsements.
12. Manage workflow to ensure timely completion of tasks in order to meet required timelines as well as Departmental needs.
13. Provide timely response to all constituent inquiries in area of responsibility in order to provide high level of customer service and transparency.
14. Compile highlights and stories of the AmeriCorps programming to promote through DOE communications channels.
15. Complete other duties/projects as assigned in order to meet Maine DOE’s OSSIE and OSSS.