Annual Regional Mentor Trainings Available to Maine Educators This Summer

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is pleased to announce that registration is now open for our updated annual regional Mentor Trainings, designed to equip Maine educators with the tools, knowledge, and community connections needed to mentor new educators or those new to their school administrative unit (SAU).

These trainings are free, with four training dates and locations scheduled throughout the month of August (all of which run from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.):

Please use the hyperlinks below to register for the session in which you are interested:

Monday, August 11 — York County Community College, Wells

Wednesday, August 13 — Eastern Maine Community College, Bangor

Tuesday, August 19 — Martin’s Point Health Care, Brunswick

Thursday, August 21 — Colby College, Waterville

Registration closes on July 21. A maximum of 50 participants will be allowed per location, and a minimum of 12 participants is required in order to run a session. Those who register will receive confirmation of their registration and specific location details several weeks prior to their training.

What’s New?
The Mentor Trainings build upon prior collaborative work with teacher leaders, administrators, and higher education partners and incorporate the latest research and best practices in mentoring. Designed with direct input from educators, these trainings follow a scaffolded approach to provide a more personalized learning experience.

Training Format

One-day, in-person session

Two virtual follow-up sessions (two hours each, later in the year)

Contact hours awarded for all training components

Training offered at no cost

Additional Benefits

Access to a Mentor Community of Practice through EnGiNE for ongoing support, networking, and resource sharing with mentors throughout the state

Updated materials and resources available for SAUs to use locally with new mentors

Testimonials from Participants in 2024-2025

“This will help me to start a mentorship off on the right foot. Thank you!”

“It is never too late to invest in the success of future teachers! Be proactive and engage others before they leave the system.”

“As a result of the training, I better understand:

Different ways to support new educators and to help them feel confident and successful.

How to ask questions to guide rather than just tell them what to do.

That building relationships with our mentees is crucial to mentoring.”

With questions about this year’s Mentor Trainings, please contact Christina O’Neal, PhD, Maine DOE Educator Excellence Coordinator, at christina.l.oneal@maine.gov.

Register for the Maine DOE 2025 Annual Summit on August 5 and 6; Fees Waived for Identified Schools

Registration is now open for the 2025 Maine Department of Education (DOE) Annual Summit, which will be held on August 5 and 6 at Thomas College. The two-day event, which costs $250 per person, includes breakfast, lunch, and access to nearly 100 sessions from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

The Maine DOE is pleased to announce that registration fees will be waived for identified schools for up to $2,500 (the equivalent of 10 staff members) per school. Identified schools are those that have been identified as part of Maine’s Model of School Supports (MMSS), including:

TSI-Targeted School Improvement
ATSI-Additional Targeted School Improvement
CSI-Comprehensive School Improvement

Keynote speakers include Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin and 2025 Maine Teacher of the Year Becky Hallowell, a teacher at Wiscasset Elementary School.

This year’s Summit theme, Measure What Matters: The Expanding View of Educational Excellence in Maine, is emphasized through a variety of sessions on early childhood education, student behavior (including a session on The Regulated Classroom), social emotional learning, interdisciplinary instruction, youth engagement, special education and inclusivity, extended learning opportunities, outdoor learning and climate education, school safety, mental health literacy, emotional intelligence, literacy, math, technology in the classroom, and so much more!

Over the course of the two-day event, educators can earn up to 10 contact hours for their State of Maine educator and/or administrator credential renewal before the 2025-2026 school year. Additionally, the Educational Trip Leader Permit Course, a special training certification, will be offered during the event. This course is required for any educator taking students on field trips involving water.

The Summit also features several information tables, including a booth where the Maine DOE Certification Team will be available both days to provide support and answer questions.

A full list of sessions is expected to be available at the end of June, when Summit participants can begin to customize their personal agenda.

The 2025 Maine DOE Annual Summit is a great place to connect with educational colleagues across Maine, share ideas, and get the high-quality professional learning, tools, and resources needed before the 2025-2026 school year!

Registration Information

The event cost is $250 per participant. Again, registration fees will be waived for identified schools for up to $2,500 (the equivalent of 10 staff members) per school.

If you believe you may work at an identified school and would like to attend the Maine DOE Annual Summit, work with your school administration to confirm your school is identified and coordinate ticket purchasing for the (up to) 10 waived tickets per school.

Once again, this year, the Maine DOE is utilizing Bizzabo, an all-in-one event platform, to support registration and attendance. Through Bizzabo, participants will be able to register for the Summit, create and access their personalized schedule and registration information, and receive access to real-time conference and scheduling updates.

Reserve your tickets here now!(Please note: The event website has a separate “MMSS” ticket for school administrators from identified schools who are bulk registering waived tickets.) After you reserve your ticket(s), you will be provided with one registration number per ticket. To access individual registrations, download the Bizzabo app (Bizzabo in Apple Store | Bizzabo on Google Play) and log in with your email and registration number to access the event.

Lodging Information

2025 Maine DOE Annual Summit attendees are responsible for travel and accommodation during the Summit. The Maine DOE has secured two possible options for accommodation on-site and within a short proximity to the venue:

Thomas College rooms: Lodging and accommodation are available on campus, managed directly by Thomas College. An air-conditioned room on campus costs $45 per night. Reservation information is available here.
Hampton Inn by Hilton: Accommodation is also available at attendee cost at the Hampton Inn by Hilton. The room rate is $189 per night. Reservation information is available here.

For further information or questions about the Summit, please contact Teri Peaslee at teri.peaslee@maine.gov.

Webinar: Nature as Canvas – Ephemeral Art and Outdoor Learning

Join Joshua Chard, Maine Department of Education (DOE) Arts Integration Teacher Leader Fellow, for an engaging 45-minute webinar on how nature-based and ephemeral art can ignite creativity, deepen content learning, and strengthen students’ connection to place.

Chard will be joined by special guest Becky Hallowell, 2025 Maine Teacher of the Year, who brings a deep commitment to outdoor, place-based education. Together, they’ll share real classroom examples, practical strategies, and easy-to-implement ideas for using natural materials to support cross-curricular learning—from science and math to writing and social-emotional learning.

This session is ideal for educators seeking to bring learning outdoors and create meaningful connections between art, the environment, and student voice.

Date: June 5, 2025
Time: 3:15-4 p.m.

No preregistration is required. Join the webinar here.

For further questions, please reach out to Maine DOE Arts Integration Teacher Leader Fellow Joshua Chard at joshua.chard@maine.gov.

Applications Open for Leading Early Learning Fellowship: A Professional Learning Series for Elementary School Administrators

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is pleased to announce that applications are now open for the fifth cohort of the Leading Early Learning Fellowship, which will launch during the 2025-2026 school year. Applications will be accepted through July 14, 2025.

As more Maine elementary schools expand their preschool offerings and implement whole student approaches across the pre-K through grade 3 span, elementary administrators have expressed a need for professional learning tailored to early learning leadership. In response, the Maine DOE, in collaboration with two statewide early childhood organizations—the Maine Roads to Quality Professional Development Network and the Maine Association for the Education of Young Children—created the Leading Early Learning Fellowship, a dynamic professional learning series designed to meet these needs and support leadership development. Since its launch in 2021, the Fellowship has served four cohorts of elementary school leaders.

“Participating in the series has helped me to look at the decisions we make about our instructional programming and school community through the lens of early learning and what is developmentally appropriate for our youngest learners,” a participant from Cohort One said.

The Fellowship offers rich opportunities for participants to deepen their understanding of early learning pedagogy and best practices for supporting students and educators across pre-K through grade 3. The experience includes a blend of asynchronous learning modules, facilitated online professional learning communities, and in-person gatherings.

“I really enjoyed the variety of materials and activities in which we were engaged—videos, utilizing the observation and reflection tools, and the readings. Also, it was a great group of people to interact with, both online and in-person,” a participant from Cohort Three said.

To learn more, please review the informational guide, which includes full program details and the application link. The 2025-2026 cohort will include up to 30 participants. Applications will be accepted through July 14, 2025. Once capacity is reached, a waiting list will be created.

For additional information, please contact Maine DOE Director of Early Learning Lee Anne Larsen at leeann.larsen@maine.gov.

Maine DOE Affirms Commitment to Language and Culture: Promoting Multilingual and Multicultural Learning Across Schools

(Pictured: Ayesha Hall, Maine DOE Director of Strategic Partnerships, with Fred Ravan, President of Educators for a Multilingual Maine [EMME].)

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is proud to have successfully concluded its Multilingual/Multicultural Connections Webinar Series, a five-part virtual professional learning experience designed to expand access to language learning, cultural inclusion, and international collaboration in Maine schools.

This work reflects an ongoing commitment by the Maine DOE to promote multilingual and multicultural learning as critical components of student success. Through this series, the Maine DOE provided a platform for educators, school leaders, and international partners to come together, share strategies, and build community around a shared vision for more inclusive, globally-connected classrooms.

Each session explored timely and essential topics—including how to integrate Indigenous and critical languages, how to make the most of international Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), and how to use tools like the Seal of Biliteracy and the Multilingual Learner Dashboard to expand language learning pathways.

“This wasn’t just a webinar series—it was an invitation to join an important conversation about inclusion in Maine schools,” Ayesha Hall, Maine DOE Director of Strategic Partnerships, said. “Educators are already doing the work. Our job is to make sure they’re supported with access to partnerships, resources, and opportunities that reflect the needs of learners in our state today.”

As the series wrapped up on May 5, 2025, educators heard directly from district teams that have already begun integrating global partnerships and multilingual learning into their school communities—affirming all that is possible when language and culture are viewed as assets.

To continue supporting this work, the Maine DOE has updated its Global Partners Network webpage, where educators, district leaders, and partners can:

Revisit the webinar series and explore featured programs.
Connect with Maine DOE-supported international partnerships.

You may explore the Global Partners Network here. For more information or for inquiries regarding partnerships with the Maine DOE, please contact
Ayesha Hall, Maine DOE Director of Strategic Partnerships, at Ayesha.Hall@maine.gov.

Deepen Your MTSS Expertise This Summer with New Asynchronous Mini-Course Series

Are you ready to grow your Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) knowledge and practice? This summer, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Office of Teaching and Learning is excited to offer a three-part, fully asynchronous MTSS Mini-Course Series. Each 28-day course builds on the last—complete Course 1 to unlock Course 2, and finish Course 2 to gain access to Course 3.

MTSS Mini-Course Series Overview

Course	Release Date	Close Date	Prerequisite	Focus
Course 1: MTSS Foundations	June 15	July 13	None	Core MTSS principles and Maine policy context
Course 2: MTSS Leadership Practices and Teaming Structures	July 15	August 12	Course 1	Leadership roles and teaming practices
Course 3: MTSS and Special Education – A Crosswalk Course	August 15	September 12	Course 2	Connections between MTSS and special education

How It Works

Register for Course 1 by June 12 at midnight using this link.
Course 1 opens on June 15. Complete all modules and the final activity by July 13.
Course 2 unlocks for those who completed Course 1 on July 15. Complete by August 12.
Course 3 unlocks for those who completed Course 2 on August 15. Complete by September 12.
All courses close exactly 28 days after opening. No late enrollments or extensions will be available.

Why Participate?

Stackable Learning: Master each MTSS component before moving to the next.
Flexible and Asynchronous: Engage with readings, videos, and discussions at your own pace.
Maine-Focused: Learn practical strategies aligned with Maine DOE guidance and equity goals.
Professional Recognition: Earn a digital badge for each course. Complete all three to receive a Summer MTSS Series certificate.

Earn Contact Hours

Receive one contact hour per module (up to four per course; 12 total).
Earn up to 10 additional hours for attending the optional weekly course office hours.

Stay Connected

Join Office Hours: Drop in every Thursday at 9 a.m. for collaborative MTSS discussion and support.
Plan Ahead: Block out 30 minutes twice a week to stay on track.

Let’s make this summer the season that you transform your MTSS knowledge and practice. For questions, please contact Andrea Logan, Maine DOE MTSS Specialist, at andrea.logan@maine.gov.

Registration Open for In-Person Summer Data Training at Locations Statewide

Mark your calendars! Registration for the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Summer Data Training is now open.

Trainings are scheduled at various locations throughout the state in July and August. This year’s training will focus on reporting system updates. The workshop-style structure of this training will allow staff members from school administrative units (SAUs) the opportunity to work within the Connect system alongside the Maine DOE Data Team.

Dates and Locations:

July 29 – Caribou
July 30 – Orono
July 31 – Machias
August 12 – Augusta
August 13 – Biddeford

Please use this link to register, andbe sure to select a location to receive updates about your specific training. The Maine DOE is looking forward to this opportunity to meet with SAUs. If you have any questions about this year’s Summer Data Training, please contact Alexandra Cookson at Alexandra.Cookson@maine.gov or call 207-446-3897.

Maine DOE Launches Statewide Professional Learning Days to Expand Equity and Support Capacity

In an effort to better support Maine educators, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Office of Teaching and Learning and Office of Innovation are launching a new statewide professional learning structure for the 2025-2026 school year. By coordinating statewide learning days and offering support where it’s most needed, the Maine DOE hopes to empower school administrative units (SAUs), lighten local workloads, and help all Maine educators to feel more connected, supported, and equipped to meet the needs of their students.

As part of this offering, there will be three full days of free professional development workshops across the 2025-2026 school year. These sessions are intentionally aligned with the professional learning days already built into many school calendars, providing an easy way for SAUs and schools to incorporate these opportunities into their existing plans.

All workshops will be held in-person at three University of Maine System campuses—the University of Maine at Orono, the University of Maine at Farmington, and the University of Southern Maine—and will also be offered live online through a hybrid format. To ensure maximum flexibility, sessions will be recorded and available asynchronously. Contact hours will be awarded for participation in sessions.

Key benefits of this structure include:

Equity of Access: Educators across all regions and school types can access consistent, high-quality professional development, regardless of geography or resources.
Improved Efficiency: The Maine DOE-developed sessions reduce planning burdens on individual SAUs, while providing timely, relevant content aligned with statewide priorities.
Coherence and Quality: Topics are directly connected to Maine Learning Results and shaped by feedback from Maine educators.

Workshop offerings span a wide range of educator needs, including Wabanaki Studies, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics), literacy, Universal Design for Learning, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), numeracy, inclusive family engagement, and more. All sessions are grounded in research and designed to deliver practical, classroom-ready tools for educators, from pre-K through grade 12.

The full schedule and session descriptions are now available here. Registration details will be released soon. For more information, please contact Beth Lambert, Maine DOE Chief Teaching and Learning Officer, at beth.lambert@maine.gov.

Applications Open for 2025 Maine DOE Literacy and Numeracy Summer Institutes

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Office of Teaching and Learning invites educators across Maine to apply for the 2025 Literacy and Numeracy Summer Institutes. These three-day, in-person professional learning experiences will occur from July 14–16, 2025, at the College of the Atlantic (COA) in Bar Harbor. Applications will close on May 27.

Designed for public school teachers, instructional coaches, administrators, and specialists across all grade levels and content areas, these immersive and hands-on institutes will bring together educators committed to strengthening interdisciplinary approaches to literacy or numeracy. Each participant will engage in deep content learning, hands-on collaboration, and the design of practical, real-world instructional experiences.

Participants will engage with local learning environments, including community gardens, the iconic Beatrix Farrand Gardens, the Dorr Museum of Natural History, Allied Whale, COA’s greenhouses and learning labs, the intertidal zone, and the vibrant community of Bar Harbor. They will explore high-impact instructional practices, investigate ways to connect content to students’ lives and communities, and help advance a statewide effort to promote meaningful, integrated learning across Maine classrooms.

Expectations of Participants
Educators selected to participate in the institute will:

Attend the full three-day in-person experience.
Collaborate with fellow educators to deepen their understanding of evidence-informed interdisciplinary literacy or numeracy practices.
Create a high-quality learning task that reflects real-world application of literacy or numeracy concepts and meets the criteria to be made available on MOOSE (Maine Online Opportunities for Sustained Education).
Have the opportunity to pilot the task during the 2025–2026 school year, providing feedback and contributing to shared statewide resources.

Participants will receive a stipend of $400 for successfully completing and posting the learning task, with an additional stipend available for those who choose to pilot the task and submit classroom feedback and instructional resources.

Logistics and Support
The Maine DOE will provide lodging and meals for all participants, and mileage reimbursement is available for attendees traveling more than 50 miles one way.

Apply Now
Applications are open now and will close on Monday, May 27, at 5 p.m. All applicants will be notified by Monday, June 2. Space is limited, and the Maine DOE will work to ensure that selected participants represent a diverse range of grade levels, geographic regions, and content areas from across the state.

Please use this link to apply.

The 2025 Literacy and Numeracy Summer Institutes are funded through Title II/Title IV state reservation funds. For more information or with questions, please contact Maine DOE Chief of Teaching and Learning Officer Beth Lambert at beth.lambert@maine.gov.

Weekly Office Hours: Exploring Numeracy Across the Curriculum

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Interdisciplinary Instruction Team invites educators to join a new series of weekly virtual office hours, focused on exploring numeracy across content areas. Sessions will take place every Wednesday from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., beginning April 16, 2025, and running through June 4, 2025.

Each session will highlight a different topic that illustrates how numeracy and mathematical thinking can deepen learning across the curriculum (full schedule below). Whether you’re a classroom teacher, instructional coach, or curriculum leader, these office hours are designed to offer practical insights and spark interdisciplinary connections.

Session Topics:

April 16 – Data Visualization
April 30 – Climate Change
May 7 – Fast Fashion
May 14 – Food Waste
May 21 – Plastic Pollution
May 28 – Water Quality
June 4 – Numeracy Resources

To participate in these office hours, please register here.

The Interdisciplinary Instruction Team is part of the Maine DOE Office of Teaching and Learning. For further questions, please contact Maine DOE Interdisciplinary Instruction Specialist Michele Mailhot at Michele.R.Mailhot@maine.gov.