Maine Department of Education and University of Southern Maine Partner to Increase School Psychology Supports in Maine

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) and the University of Southern Maine (USM) Department of Educational and School Psychology announced a new partnership to increase the number of school psychologists within the state and expand school psychology services for Maine’s students and schools.

With support from the Maine Department of Education, the University of Southern Maine has created a new, full-time clinical faculty position to expand internship programs within the state and prepare larger numbers of credentialed school psychologists to provide effective and comprehensive school-based services. School psychologists are trained and prepared to help schools improve academic achievement, promote positive behavior and mental health, create safe and supportive school environments, strengthen family-school partnerships, improve schoolwide assessment and accountability practices, and advance equitable practices for diverse populations.

“School psychologists play such an important role in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of students and creating safe, welcoming, and supportive environments for our young people,” said Education Commissioner Pender Makin. “The pandemic greatly increased the need for these supports in our schools and we’re excited to partner with the University of Southern Maine to provide a pathway to increase the number of school psychologists in Maine schools as well as offering additional supports and resources to current school psychologists.”

Dr. Samantha Blair has been selected to serve in this new role as a Clinical Assistant Faculty in the Department of Educational and School Psychology at the University of Southern Maine.

“I am excited to be a part of this collaboration with the University of Southern Maine and the Department of Education because I am committed to the professional development of school psychologists and working with stakeholders throughout Maine to support the work in the field,” said Dr. Blair. “I am looking forward to continuing to learn about the needs throughout the state, and through collaborative efforts increasing the number of school psychologists and expanding their role to increase access to high-quality comprehensive services to students throughout Maine.”

Blair will collaborate with school psychologists and schools across the state to design, coordinate, and supervise field-based training experiences in school psychology. She will assist with the development of comprehensive practicum and internship programs, support priority initiatives within partnering schools, provide supervision to school psychology trainees, and offer professional development in clinical supervision for school psychologists.

“The recently announced partnership between the Maine Department of Education and the University of Southern Maine is exciting news for the field of education, particularly special education. School psychologists play an integral role in supporting the educational and social emotional needs of students with disabilities,” said Gay McDonald, Executive Director of Maine Administrators of Services for Children with Disabilities (MADSEC). “As active members of the student’s educational team and as trained individuals to conduct the required comprehensive evaluations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, school psychologists are greatly needed in our schools. This partnership shows the Department’s commitment to address the shortage of school psychologists across the state and to assist in meeting the individual needs of our students. Such a collaborative effort will have a high impact for Maine students, and we applaud the MDOE and USM on this partnership.”

MEDIA RELEASE: Maine Department of Education Announces $1.2 Million in Rethinking Responsive Education Ventures (RREV) Funding to Support Education Innovation

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) today awarded $1.2 million in Rethinking Responsive Education Ventures (RREV) funding to support education innovation in six School Administrative Units across Maine. These funds will be used to support projects focused on workforce development, environmental stewardship, outdoor education, a marine institute, and internship opportunities as well as supporting unique approaches to remote learning.

Awardees for this second round of RREV funding include East Grand School in Danforth, Belfast Area High School, Portland School Department, Telstar High School in Bethel, RSU 22 in Hampden, and RSU 25 in Bucksport.

“Education is changing in so many new and exciting ways, and we should be at the forefront, introducing our children to the great outdoors and offering them hands-on experiences outside the classroom that will spark new perspectives, engender new friendships, and deliver new skills,” said Governor Janet Mills. “Using these federal enrichment funds, creative Maine educators can get children outdoors this summer, exposing them to lived experiences that will get them ready for life and new careers.”

“Educators in Maine are constantly paving the way with their innovation and creativity, and RREV offers a way to supercharge these efforts,” said Education Commissioner Pender Makin. “We’re excited to invest in these educator-led projects to rethink teaching and learning in ways that deepen student engagement, expand beyond the traditional classroom, connect students with Maine’s bounty of natural resources, and allow them to explore career paths that fuel their passions.”

The Maine DOE was awarded $16.9 million from the U.S. Department of Education’s Rethink K-12 Education Models Funding. As one of 11 States to receive funding, Maine created RREV to support the work of visionary educators to develop innovative pilot programs around remote and outside of the classroom learning. RREV is flooding Maine with innovative practices, professional development, and pilot design classes. Courses in innovative design process are available through several of Maine’s public and private universities at no cost to Maine educators who wish to participate. In addition to the innovative pilot development classes, the Department is also offering asynchronous, innovative principles webinars which are available to all educators in self-paced, independent modules.

The first round of nine RREV pilots were announced last fall with an initial investment of more than $2 million to support projects including expanded outdoor learning, a makerspace, hiring an Outdoor Learning Coordinator, expanded internships, service learning, and work/study opportunities, and engaging remote learning pathways. MSAD 17, Brewer School Department, MSAD #28, RSU 89 Katahdin Schools, Mt Blue HS/ Foster Technology School, Harpswell Coastal Academy, Noble High School, MSAD 60, St. George Municipal School Unit, and School Union #76 were all part of the first round of pilots.

“At St. George School, we dare to dream big. For over 5 years, our school community has been working to bring the trades, technology, and innovation back to the heart of public education and allow all students, grades K-8, to engage in hands-on/minds-on projects,” said St. George MSU Superintendent Mike Felton, part of the first round of RREV pilots. “The RREV Program believes in the power of local schools and communities to shape their future and isn’t afraid when a small school dreams big. RREV’s support, assistance, and encouragement will help make our dream of a St. George K-8 Career Technical Education/Makerspace Building a reality and, in the process, stretch people’s imaginations as to what’s possible in rural education and economic development.”

For more information on how to get involved in RREV and to learn more about the pilots, visit https://www.maine.gov/doe/rrev.

New Pilots:

All RREV Pilots:

MEDIA RELEASE: Maine Department of Education Resources on Helping Young People Safely Navigate the Internet

During his State of the Union address this week, President Biden called for increased measures to ensure young people are protected on the internet and while using social media. The Maine Department of Education offers parents, educators, and students a number of free resources, by grade level, to help young people safely navigate the internet and avoid dangers that can impact their physical and mental health.

The Maine Department of Education’s comprehensive web-based social emotional learning resource SEL4ME embeds specific lessons in interest safety at every grade level. For example, the second grade module Be Fine Online helps students learn ways to stay safe when online, including the importance of never revealing their personal information; sixth graders have lesson like Be Aware What You Share in which they gain a deeper understanding of internet safety and social media and on cyberbullying; the eighth grade lesson User Beware: The Scary Side of the Internet helps students understand that not everything on the internet is safe, including how to spot online predators and the dangers of sexting; and in 11th grade, students have access to Cyber Bullying and Digital Citizenship which goes into the effects of online bullying and the virtual footprint that can follow them into the work place.

SEL4ME is free to all Maine schools, families, and community partners and offers more than 450 PreK-12th grade learning modules. Each grade level hosts lessons within the five key elements of social emotional learning (SEL): self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationships, and responsible decision making. Educators, families, and students can learn more and sign up here.

The Maine Department of Education’s Digital Learning Specialists, in partnership with the MLTI Ambassadors, also provide professional learning, resources, and support for digital citizenship, social media use, online safety, and cyber security. MLTI also partners with Common Sense Education to share digital citizenship and online safety resources with educators. Educators can also reach out to specialists directly to explore ways to integrate these skillsets into their instruction to help students stay safe online.

“The internet is a tremendous resource for students to explore and activate their passions, develop skills and knowledge, build connections, and expand their digital literacy, and Maine educators and schools are constantly integrating technology into teaching and learning in innovative ways,” said Education Commissioner Pender Makin. “We’re also committed to making sure students have the tools and resources they need to navigate the internet safely and avoid the very real dangers that President Biden outlined in his State of the Union speech that pose a threat to the physical and mental health of our young people. We encourage educators and families to take advantage of our free resources.”

MEDIA RELEASE: Education Commissioner Makin Visits Mid-Coast School of Technology to Celebrate Career and Technical Education Month, Highlight the Value of CTE Programs

In honor of Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month, Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin visited Mid-Coast School of Technology to highlight the importance of Career and Technical Education in providing high-quality career pathways, shine a light on the vast array of program offerings for students, and celebrate the powerful teaching and learning happening in CTE schools.

Enrollment in Maine CTE schools has increased by 9.4 percent between the 2018-2019 and 2021-2022 school years, with more than 9100 students now in Maine’s 27 CTE schools.

While at Mid-Coast, Commissioner Makin met with educators and students, visited several classes to see the wide range of programs offered at the school, and got hands on experience alongside students. She engaged with students and educators enrolled in programs focused on auto collision, bakery and pastry, welding, carpentry, design technology, marine technology, machine tool, outdoor leadership, EMT, certified nursing assistant, and small engines. Mid-Coast has seen its highest enrollment ever this school year and serves students from 21 towns. The school has 18 high school level programs plus adult education and college courses taught on site.

“It’s awe inspiring to experience the energy, engagement, and excitement of the students here at Mid-Coast and the passion these educators, who are leaders in their fields, bring to help enable student success both inside and well beyond the classroom,” said Education Commissioner Makin. “Everyone has a way to learn and everyone has a path to success and we want to make sure students and families know that Career and Technical Education is such a vital and vibrant pathway for young people. At schools like Mid-Coast, students use their hands and their minds to gain knowledge and skills in everything from technology and culinary arts to computer design and the skilled trades, while also learning how to collaborate with others, be self-directed, critically think, and find joy in what they do. And they can leave here, often with some level of certificate or credits that give them such a great head start in their careers or at college.”

In her meetings with students, many of them talked about how they had to break through the stigma that still exists around career and technical education and how they want more people to know about CTE as an option. They highlighted the opportunities they have to work toward real world goals, gain experience in their industries, have the safe space to make mistakes and learn from them, and learn life skills. Mid-Coast School of Technology Director Bobby Deetjen said that students “learn skills but also how to have confidence and become leaders.”

Photos from the visit are available upon request and will be featured on DOE social media.

Maine Teachers and School Staff Highlighted on News Center Maine as part of 2022 #LoveTeaching and #LoveSchoolStaff Campaign

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) and News Center Maine have partnered on a two-week campaign to highlight the amazing work of Maine teachers and school staff. This marks the second year in a row for the partnership, with News Center Maine airing video clips of people working in Maine schools, talking about where they work and why they love what they do.

Starting on Valentine’s Day, the first day of the national #LoveTeaching campaign, and running through February 27^th, the videos feature Maine’s education workforce in all regions of Maine working in the many different roles in Maine’s schools. Video messages from teachers will air on News Center Maine’s morning and evening news shows from February 14th – 20th and video messages from school staff videos will air the week of February 21st – 27th.

“Teachers and school staff do heroic work each and every day to teach, nurture, feed, transport, coach, and support our young people,” said Education Commissioner Pender Makin. “And they’ve overcome enormous challenges throughout the pandemic to provide the education and support students need. Teachers and school staff are our heroes and we’re thrilled to partner with News Center Maine so that teachers and school staff can talk about their schools, students, communities, and what drives their passion to work in our schools. And they can get some love from their communities in return.”

During the campaign, News Center Maine will also be soliciting videos from community members across Maine, inviting them to celebrate their local teachers and school staff members, thanking them for all their hard work. Students and their families, as well as fellow educators, are encouraged to give a video shout out to say, “Thank you!” and send along to News Center Maine. One can share a video by:

Using the Near ME tool of their mobile app
Texting them to 207-828-6622
Posting them on social media and using the hashtag # LoveTeaching or #LoveSchoolStaff

Be sure to watch News Center Maine, WCSH 6/WLBZ 2 now through February 27^th to see the faces of the amazing people working to educate young people in our state and hear from students and families who are sending in their messages of appreciation and love.

Videos will continue to be added here once they are highlighted on the air.

MEDIA RELEASE: Education Commissioner Pender Makin Applauds Governor Mills’ Directive to Expand Summer Outdoor Learning and Enrichment Opportunities for Maine Children

Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin issued the following statement following Governor Mills’ State of the State address in which she directed the Maine Department of Education to expand summer outdoor opportunities for Maine children:

“We enthusiastically accept Governor Mills’ challenge to expand summer outdoor learning and enrichment opportunities for Maine children. Our state has such an amazing bounty of natural resources for children to explore and learn from, and these experiences build a lifelong love of nature and adventure. We also know that getting outside and interacting with nature allows students to build teamwork and leadership skills, helps reduce stress and anxiety, and the new skills children learn in our vast outdoor classroom enable success inside the classroom as well.

“In response to this challenge, the Department will collaborate with natural resource organizations to provide an immersive and engaging educational experience for students from all over the state. We look forward to engaging with them and our schools to deliver Maine students new opportunities to reconnect and explore all that Maine has to offer and learn from.”

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MEDIA RELEASE: Mills Administration, MSSA Statements on COVID-19 School Health Protocols Discussion

The Maine Departments of Education and Health and Human Services and the Maine School Superintendent Association released the following statements on today’s meeting about COVID-19 school health protocols:

“As the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved, our meetings with the Department of Education and Maine school superintendents provide a valuable opportunity to discuss how to help local communities make decisions that support the best educational experience possible for Maine children,” said Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew and Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Nirav D. Shah. “ As our COVID-19 trends show positive signs, this meeting was a collaborative and productive discussion and we will continue to evaluate public health recommendations for schools, including testing and masking, that will help keep students safely in Maine classrooms.”

“The Maine School Superintendent Association and our members appreciate the ongoing conversations with Maine CDC,” said Maine School Superintendent Association Executive Director Eileen King. “We hope that our concerns and experiences will help to guide a plan forward that will safely reduce the need for mitigation strategies against COVID-19 in schools.”

“Today’s conversation was an excellent opportunity to continue building understanding between the community health experts and school leaders who are tasked with providing safe, in-person learning,” said Commissioner of Education Pender Makin. “We are immensely proud of the incredible leadership our school superintendents continue to demonstrate in the midst of an ongoing pandemic, and for their perspectives. We are also grateful for the continued guidance and partnership with Maine CDC as they help our schools adjust to evolving conditions and recommendations.”

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MEDIA RELEASE: Maine Department of Education and Educate Maine Launch Guest School Staff Member Campaign

The Maine Department of Education and Educate Maine have partnered to launch a Guest School Staff Member campaign with a challenge to businesses, leaders, and citizens to help fill the needs in our schools. Guest School Staff Members can serve a variety of roles in schools, filling in for or supporting bus drivers, playground monitors, food service workers, teachers, and support staff.

As part of the effort, the Department of Education unveiled a new Guest School Staff website to streamline the application process into nine easy steps and the Department will automatically reimburse applicants for the $15 application and $55 fingerprinting fees. For those employers who grant volunteer days to their employees, encouraging those staff to sign up to be a Guest School Staff Member for a day or two can make a real difference. Two days times 50 employees equals 100 days of support that helps keep students in school and engaged in learning.

“This is a call to action because our schools need you to serve as a guest school staff member,” said Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin. “Over the last few weeks, I’ve been in schools working as a substitute in classrooms, joining cafeteria staff to serve fresh and nutritious meals, helping with lunch duty and clean up, and filling in wherever necessary. There are so many ways you can fill the needs in our schools, and it’s been such a joy to experience the amazing work happening across all parts of our schools and to be with amazing students and school staff.”

Maine’s schools have been safely open for business, ensuring that students have access whenever possible to high quality, in-person learning. But the statewide surge of COVID-19 has increased school staffing shortages, and many schools have had to make emergency and disruptive pivots to remote learning, simply because they do not have enough adults to ensure that schools can operate safely and effectively. Guest School Staff Members can help fill these gaps and ensure schools remain open to serve our students.

“Recently, at an Educate Maine Board meeting, Heather Whitaker, 2020 Maine Teacher of the Year, talked about the lack of substitute teachers in the Gorham School district and across the state and the impact this shortage is having on students, teachers and parents. Our Board decided that if ever there was a time for business and education to work together, this is it,” said Clif Greim, Educate Maine Board Chair and Maine State Chamber Board Chair. “This ‘call to action’ is an opportunity for us to work with our education partners to alleviate some of the burden by having employers urge employees to serve as substitute teachers in their local schools.”

“While this may not be a long-term solution, it will help ease some of the stress and strain on the educators in our schools and we appreciate the Department of Education’s efforts,” said Maine Education Association President Grace Leavitt.

“You can make a real difference and be a hero by supporting our schools and students,” said Makin. “You can choose which districts you want to support, in many instances when and where you want to work, and it won’t cost you anything but your time, which will be well spent with our amazing young people. I promise you’ll be inspired by the energy and miracles that fill our schools each and every day.”

“Superintendents have been doing everything possible to make sure classrooms have teachers and schools have what they need to educate our students, but we simply need more people to support our schools, staff, and students,” said Eileen King, Maine School Superintendent Association Executive Director. “We welcome this creative effort to create an easy process for people interested in substituting to connect with their districts, apply, and work towards supporting our students. We need you, so apply today!”

“Our school principals continue to be tasked with patching together staffing plans and covering vacancies, trying to keep students safely learning in classrooms, despite the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 on school staff availability,” said Holly Blair, Executive Director of Maine Principals’ Association. “The efforts of Maine DOE and Educate Maine to raise awareness to the need and ease the process for substitute school staff is greatly appreciated, and we join in their call to business and community members to consider become guest school staff heroes.”

For additional details and to become a Guest School Staff Member visit: www.maine.gov/doe/substitute or download this one-pager.

MEDIA RELEASE: Application Process Open for Student Position on Maine State Board of Education

Student voice is critically important to the Maine State Board of Education, and they are seeking applications for the newest student member to join the Board. Applications are being accepted February 1, 2022 – March 1, 2022.

The Maine State Board of Education has two nonvoting student members who join the Board as high school juniors and serve for two years, one enrolled in a school in Maine’s First Congressional District; the other enrolled in a school in the Second Congressional District. At all times, the State Board has one high school junior and one senior as members, with staggered appointment.

Applications are currently being accepted from students who attend school in the Second Congressional District (includes Androscoggin, Aroostook, Franklin, Hancock, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, Waldo, Washington counties, and part of Kennebec County) and are currently a high school sophomore. Application materials are available on the State Board of Education web page. The Board has also emailed and mailed application materials to all Second Congressional District high school principals and school counselors. Completed applications should be mailed to:

Mary Becker, Maine State Board of Education
23 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0023

After applications close on March 1, 2022, they will be reviewed according to the process described in Maine Education and School Statutes, Title 20-A, Chapter 5, State Board of Education. Semifinalists will be interviewed in March 2022, after which three finalists will be chosen. The names and application materials of the finalists will be sent to the Governor’s office for final selection. The selected student will be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Maine State Senate.

This is an extraordinary opportunity for Maine students to practice civic engagement while serving as both a representative of Maine students and an active education leader in our state.

For further information please visit the Maine State Board of Education web page or contact Mary Becker, Board Assistant, at 624-6616 or via email at Mary.Becker@maine.gov.

MEDIA RELEASE: Education Commissioner Pender Makin Serves Lunch, Helps Teachers and School Staff at Windham High School

Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin spent the day at Windham High School, helping educators and school staff and elevating the need for additional substitutes and volunteers in Maine schools. Makin served lunch to students, visited an art class, met with educators and administrators, and spent time with teachers and students in the Katahdin Program, which provides alternative education programming for students.

“I’m so in awe of what is happening in our schools. We’re here today to shine a light on the amazing work being done by the educators, school staff, and students in our public schools and to call attention to the need for communities to support schools by volunteering and substituting,” said Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin.

When asked why people should substitute, Makin replied, “You get to make your own hours, you have the opportunity to be with the most magnificent young people, and you get to learn so much. Education is a symbiotic process—you can’t help but grow your own brain while you’re helping children learn.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated staff shortages and created a greater need for substitutes and volunteers across the state. Last month, Makin helped fill teacher and staff shortages at Readfield Elementary School. While at Readfield, Makin helped students with their math skills, worked with 1st grade students to create glossaries for books they were working on, helped students in the Readiness Skills Program, and served on lunch duty.

Photos from the day will be posted on the Maine Department of Education’s Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts.