Category: Media Releases

MEDIA ADVISORY: Maine DOE to Announce the 2021 Maine County Teachers of the Year in Live Virtual Announcement on May 12 at 2pm 

What: 16 Maine teachers will be announced and honored as part of the Maine Department of Education’s Maine Teacher of the Year Program, which includes annual County Teachers of the Year awards and honors.

Who: 16 Maine teachers, representing each county in Maine; Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin; Educate Maine Executive Director Jason Judd; State Board of Education Peter Geiger; and 2021 Maine Teacher of the Year Cindy Soule.

Where: The announcement will take place on a virtual platform and be streamed live on the Maine Department of Education’s YouTube Channel at: https://youtu.be/pmqxe5LL6zk. A recording of the video will be available at this link after the announcement.

When: Wednesday, May 12, 2021 from 2:00pm – 3:30pm

Background Information:
As part of the Maine Teacher of the Year Program, hundreds of teachers across Maine are nominated by a member of their school community. Through a rigorous application process, one teacher from each county is selected as the County Teacher of the Year by a panel of teachers, principals, and business community members within the county.

After being named, Maine County Teachers of the Year serve as ambassadors for teachers, students, and quality education state-wide throughout the year. The Maine County Teachers of the Year are available to make presentations to local and regional organizations. Throughout the summer, they will continue to participate in an intensive Maine State Teacher of the Year selection process.

The Maine Department of Education’s Teacher of the Year Program is administered through a collaborative partnership with Educate Maine. To learn more about the Teacher of the Year Program visit: https://www.mainetoy.org/

For more information contact Rachel Paling (Maine DOE) at rachel.paling@maine.gov or Dolly Sullivan (Educate Maine) at dolly@educatemaine.org.

MEDIA RELEASE: Commissioner Makin Thanks Education Workforce for Teacher Appreciation Week

Today Commissioner Makin released a special video acknowledging the courage, selflessness, and dedication, especially over the past year, of educators and school staff across Maine. Her message was created in recognition of  National Teacher Appreciation Week,

“Unlike in many states across the nation, Maine schools opened their doors to students at the beginning of the school year and have continued to provide high quality education through multiple modalities thanks to the hard work, courage, resilience, and creativity of Maine teachers.”  

The Maine Department of Education has been celebrating Maine’s education workforce all week through a number of activities:

  • Gorham High School Senior and Maine’s 2021 Poetry Out Loud State Champion, Emily Paruk released an original poem capturing the magnitude of impact educators have on students
  • Maine DOE staff are sharing shout-outs to Maine educators on our social media pages, Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #Thanks4TeachingME and #TeacherAppreciationWeek.
  • Maine’s 2020 County Teachers of the Year have shared an important message welcoming pre-service educators to their team!

Check it out on our Teacher Appreciation Week Website for ideas to celebrate all school staff this week and find discounts and deals from companies who offer educator discounts during Teacher Appreciation Week and some who provide discounts year-round.

MEDIA RELEASE: Maine Celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week; 2021 Maine Poetry Out Loud Champion Releases Original Poem for Teachers

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is excited to celebrate Maine’s outstanding educators this week, May 3 – 7, 2021 and we have already begun celebrating our rockstar educators and school staff!

“Honoring our educator workforce is always important, but given the heroic effort of our schools this year to meet the needs of learners during the pandemic, teacher appreciation has moved to a whole new level of gratitude,” said Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin.

We are hoping to make certain that all of the 50,000+ Mainers who work in our schools, making sure that the nutritional, educational, and social/emotional needs of students are met, know they are appreciated for everything that they do.

Along with all of the creative and generous local “Teacher Appreciation Week” efforts happening in schools all over Maine this week, the Maine DOE is excited to share our gratitude in multiple ways throughout the week:

An Original Poem Dedicated to Maine Teachers:
Gorham High School Senior and Maine’s 2021 Poetry Out Loud State Champion, Emily Paruk shares an original poem capturing the magnitude of impact educators have on students. Grab your tissues, it’s an amazing poem and performance!

Special Thanks from DOE Staff:
We have already begun posting shout-outs to Maine educators from our staff on our social media pages, Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #Thanks4TeachingME and #TeacherAppreciationWeek. We invite everyone to join us by posting your own shout-out to a Maine educator or staff member currently working in a school or retired, using the same hashtags. Tag us on social media if you want us to share it too!

  • Facebook: @MaineDepartmentofEducation1
  • Twitter: @mdoenews

A Message to Pre-Service Educators:
Maine’s 2020 County Teachers of the Year have shared an important message welcoming pre-service educators to their team! Congratulations to the Class of 2021; thank you for choosing this profession!

Ideas to Celebrate:
For ideas on how to celebrate, take it from some of the experts who are organizing efforts all over Maine! We have compiled a list of ideas that communities throughout Maine are doing for their educators/school staff members. Check it out on our Teacher Appreciation Week Website.

Deals and Discounts:
As a special treat for our educators this week, Maine DOE compiled a list of discounts and deals from companies who offer educator discounts during Teacher Appreciation Week and some who provide discounts year-round.  This year, local Maine businesses have also provided generous offers to the educator workforce. Check out the list on our Teacher Appreciation Week Website. Local businesses that want to have an offer listed can fill out our form.

In the spirit of elevating and celebrating our workforce throughout the year, the Maine DOE in partnership with Educate Maine will be announcing the 2021 County Teachers of the Year in a live virtual announcement on May 12th on Maine DOE’s YouTube Channel. More information will be available soon!

For more information about Teacher Appreciation Week, visit our Teacher Appreciation Week Website.

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MEDIA RELEASE: 2020 Maine County Teachers of the Year Release Special Message to Pre-Service Teachers 

As we head into National Teacher Appreciation Week this week and as college students across Maine celebrate their education accomplishments with graduations and plans for the future, the 2020 Maine County Teachers of the Year (CTOY) have created a very special message for those completing teacher-preparation programs and transitioning into their very first teaching job.

“We, the 2020 County Teachers of the Year, strongly feel that the current teacher shortage and the plethora of reasons that people are leaving our profession is a very serious issue and concern in our state. We collectively believe as teacher leaders, it is our duty to promote the success of our profession. In an attempt to address our concerns, it became our goal to support, encourage, and endorse the committed students/pre-service teachers in our teacher preparation programs across the state. Pre-service teachers, new teachers, and veteran teachers could all use a positive reminder that teaching is joyous and collaborative. Together we lift each other up and celebrate our triumphs! This video message was created to promote the profession, have a little fun and welcome valuable new team members to this amazing career, and our team!

Professional baseball player and hall of famer, Babe Ruth once said, ‘The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.’”

Maine County Teachers of the Year are nominated by a member of their community and selected through a selection process each year as part of the Maine Teacher of the Year Program. They serve as ambassadors for teachers, students, and quality education state-wide through speaking engagements and collaborative work with education stakeholders and decision makers throughout Maine.

The Maine Department of Education’s Teacher of the Year Program is administered through a collaborative partnership with Educate Maine. To learn more about the Teacher of the Year program visit: https://www.mainetoy.org/

MEDIA ADVISORY: School Nutrition Teams to Compete in 2021 Farm to School Cook-off Finals Competition

The Maine Department of Education Child Nutrition Team is hosting the 6th annual Farm to School finals competition in which a panel of judges including a chef, school nutrition director, and farmer will score dishes made by school nutrition teams based on presentation, taste, creativity, and feasibility to be used in a school breakfast or lunch program. Other criteria will include food safety and time management. In the competition, local “challenge” ingredients will be incorporated into the meals, including eggs donated from Weston’s Meat and Poultry in Gardiner, and parsnips donated from Goranson Farm in Dresden.

Who: RSU 12 (which includes the town of Whitefield) and South Portland

When: May 5, 2021 at 1:00pm

Where:
Child Nutrition Culinary Classroom
90 Blossom Lane, Deering Building, 1st Floor, Augusta, ME 04333

Detailed Agenda: 2021 Culinary Classroom final cook-off agenda

Members of the media are welcome to attend the final cook-off in-person but need to confirm prior to the day of the event. For more information and to confirm coverage, contact: Kelli Deveaux at kelli.deveaux@maine.gov.

The event will also be live streamed and recorded on the Maine DOE’s YouTube Channel. View the Cook-off here on May 5th at 1pm. 

Background Information: Maine DOE kicked off their 6th annual Farm to School Cook-off this spring; however, it took on a different form. Cook-off teams representing four school districts from Maine participated in a virtual cook-off event where voting took place and determined the top two teams who advance to the finals round. The teams, consisting of a student and school nutrition professional, created tasty and nutritious breakfast and lunch meals that showcased Maine grown ingredients and followed recipe guidelines of the competition. This criteria included producing meals that meet the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) meal pattern and include at least three local ingredients and one USDA food.

The team that wins the over-all competition will be awarded a plaque and have the opportunity to be spokespeople and participate on the judging panel for the cook off in School Year 2022.  Recipes used in the cook-off will later be shared with all schools in a Maine farm to school cook-book.

 

 

MEDIA RELEASE: Seven Maine Seniors Named U.S. Presidential Scholar Semifinalists

U.S. Department of Education has named seven Maine students as semifinalists in the 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. The national program recognizes seniors across the country as being among our nation’s most distinguished graduating seniors.

“I am incredibly proud of the continued academic accomplishments of Maine students through the inevitable disruptions over the past year,” said Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin. “I applaud these talented students on their well-deserved recognition and wish them the very best as they transition into the next exciting chapter of their lives.”

The semifinalist scholars are chosen on the basis of their accomplishments in many areas including academic and artistic success, career and technical fields, leadership, and involvement in school and the community.  They represent excellence in education and are among the most accomplished youth in our country.

From nearly 3.6 million graduating high school seniors from across the country, over 6,500 students were identified as candidates in this program. 625 semifinalists were selected, 7 of whom are from Maine.

Maine U.S. Presidential Scholar Semifinalists:

Harshini K. Chaganti
Scarborough High School

Devon Michael Hunter
John Bapst Memorial High School

Pedro Santiago Little-Siebold
Ellsworth High School

**Culiandra Rose Nero
Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School

Swetha Palaniappan
Cape Elizabeth High School

Wade F. Wahlig
Falmouth High School

Aislynn K Worden
Sanford High School

** Semifinalist for U.S. Presidential Scholar in Career and Technical Education

The semifinalists form the pool from which the 2020 U.S. Presidential Scholars will be chosen in May. Visit http://www.ed.gov/psp for the complete list of semifinalists across the country.

MEDIA RELEASE: Nine Additional Maine Educators Join Maine Kids Rock Initiative for 2021-2022 School Year

The Maine Kids Rock Initiative, a statewide program that offers professional training to teachers as well as grants for instruments and equipment to schools with identified needs, enters its fifth year (2021-2022) with the addition of the following educators to its roster:

  • Lanissa Nadeau (Brewer Community School)
  • Neil James (Geiger Elementary/Lewiston Middle School)
  • Bridget Kazukiewicz (King Middle School, Portland)
  • Joshua Lund (Benton Elementary School)
  • Michelle Biddlecom (Winthrop Grade School)
  • Brittany Elwell (Carmel Elementary/Suzanne Smith Elementary/Caravel Middle Schools)
  • Thomas Stott (Beech Hill School, Otis)
  • Oren Robinson (Palermo Consolidated, Windsor Elementary Schools)
  • Nadine Baker (Rose M. Gaffney/Machias Memorial High School)

These teachers join the ranks of nearly 70 additional teachers across Maine who utilize the Modern Band approach to music education with nearly 1,500 students at all grade levels.

“My administrators and I are very excited to bring music into the 21st century for our students,” said Joshua Lund, general music educator. “At Benton Elementary, we are planning to integrate MKR into the general music class experience as well as starting new co-curricular ensembles. The training, resources, and equipment provided through Maine Kids Rock are sure to help transform what music can be for the students in my school!”

The Maine Kids Rock initiative continues as a partnership between the Maine Department of Education and the national non-profit organization Little Kids Rock.

“We’re thrilled to continue to grow Maine Kids Rock, bring more music education to Maine, and reach even more kids by using the music they know and love,” said Miranda Altman, Senior Director of Program Operations for Little Kids Rock. “We are incredibly grateful to the teachers of this initiative as we enter our fifth year. Welcome to the nine teachers that are newly joining this program!”

Throughout the year these teachers will receive free professional development opportunities, and their schools will receive a set of classroom “rock band”-style instruments for students to use as they explore music education through a modern music lens.  Learning opportunities for students go beyond just learning to play a guitar or drums; they also explore songwriting, the development of interpersonal skills, and boost self-confidence as performers.

For more information about the Maine Kids Rock Initiative through the Maine Department of Education, please contact Visual and Performing Arts Content Specialist Jason Anderson.

MEDIA RELEASE: Maine School Teams Advance in 2021 Farm to School Cook-off

Votes were cast and here are the results! Congratulations to South Portland (Kaler Kooks) and RSU 12 (Whitefield Wildcats) who will be advancing to the finals round of the 2021 Maine Farm to School Cook-off. The finals competition will be held on May 5th at the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Child Nutrition Culinary Classroom in Augusta.

The Maine Farm to School Cook-off is a statewide culinary competition for teams of school nutrition professionals and students to promote local foods in school meals. The 6th annual competition is organized by the Maine DOE’s Child Nutrition Team.

A big thank you to the four teams below who participated in the virtual event. For more information and to view each team’s videos please visit: https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/nutrition/programs/localfoods/cookoffvoting.

MEDIA RELEASE: Governor Mills Proclaims April 2021 as National Poetry Month

Governor Janet T. Mills has proclaimed April 2021 National Poetry Month in the State of Maine, marking the importance of poetry in education and the everyday lives of our citizens.

“National Poetry Month brings us together as readers and writers, whether at home, in classrooms, bookstores, or libraries throughout our nation,” said Governor Janet T. Mills as part of the official proclamation. “Poetry illuminates hope in our darkest hours, gives voice to our struggles, brings inspiration to our triumphs, and is a gift of expression that transcends our personal experience to unite us in words.”

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) joins Governor Mills and our partners throughout the state this month by promoting and participating in activities that support schools in using poetry as a tool and a topic for instruction.

“Poetry is often taught as a stand-alone unit of study, yet the power of poetry is in its versatility by virtue of form and precision, and could be included in every unit of study all year long,” said Morgan Dunton, Maine DOE English Language Arts Specialist. “Regular engagement with poems, long or short, contemporary or historical, provides an opportunity to better understand complex texts.”

With a theme of “Normalize Poetry in Your Classroom” the Maine DOE has collaborated on poetry themed events and opportunities in April including:

How We Do It: Inspiring Students to Write and Publish 
The Telling Room hosted a conversation with educators about their experience supporting and encouraging educators to write stories and poems. They discussed their recent collection of youth poems called, “A New Land” and share resources you can use in your classroom.  Download the collection here. Learn more and access their educator toolkit.

Spend an evening with Maine Poet Gary Lawless 
Hosted by the Maine Council of English Language Arts. Lawless is a poet who has authored 21 collections of poems. He is also the co-owner of Gulf of Maine Books, a book editor, and publisher. Thursday, April 8th, 7pm: Click here to register.

Normalize Poetry: Teach Poetry in Every Unit 
Many of us teach a poetry unit each year, but that is just not enough. Poetry is a fabulous tool for teaching the fine art of language use in every instructional unit. Maine DOE ELA Specialist Morgan Dunton will demonstrate methods of teaching grammar, usage, mechanics, and appreciation of the poetic form to enhance reading, speaking, and writing skills. Thursday, April 15th, 3:30 pm. Click here to register.

In concluding the official proclamation, Governor Mills writes, “I urge all Maine citizens to celebrate the creativity of poets and the indelible marks their words leave upon the pages of our shared humanity by reading and writing poetry.”

Find additional information, events, and resources to celebrate and appreciate the beauty of poetry all month on the Maine DOE Website. For further questions about poetry in curriculum or the Department’s efforts for poetry month, please contact Maine DOE English Language Arts (ELA) Specialist Morgan Dunton at morgan.dunton@maine.gov.

MEDIA RELEASE: Mills Administration Updates COVID-19 School Health Advisory System

All counties remain green

AUGUSTA — The Mills Administration today released an update to its color-coded Health Advisory System that classifies counties’ relative risk of COVID-19 transmission to assist schools as they continue with their plans to deliver instruction and support students safely.

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) continue to review evidence that indicates lower transmission of COVID-19 in schools compared to the general population. Over the last 30 days, the rate of new cases for school staff or students is 30 per 10,000, about 25 percent lower than a new case rate of 41 per 10,000 for the general population. This continues to demonstrate that in-person learning in schools that follow public health precautions can be conducted safely, without increased transmission of COVID-19, and supports schools’ adherence to the six requirements for returning to in-person instruction, regardless of their county’s designation.

DHHS and Maine CDC assessed COVID-19 data and trends by county and all counties remain green. The two-week new case rate has remained steady, and the positivity rates for all counties are below 5 percent. Since the March 12 update, Piscataquis County has been closely monitored. Over the past two weeks both the new case rate and positivity rate have dropped in Piscataquis County and are now consistent with other counties.

These designations are provided for the consideration of school administrative units in their decisions to deliver instruction.

The county-level assessments are based on both quantitative and qualitative data, including but not limited to recent case rates, positivity rates, and syndromic data (e.g., symptoms of influenza or COVID-19). Those data are publicly posted every week on the Maine CDC website. DHHS and Maine CDC also consider qualitative factors, such as the presence of outbreaks that may potentially affect school-age children. The qualitative and quantitative considerations and data used by the CDC in determining community transmission risk levels for schools can be located here: How County Risk Levels for Maine Schools are Determined

The Health Advisory System categorizations are defined as follows:

  • GREEN: Categorization as “green” suggests that the county has a relatively low risk of COVID-19 spread and that schools may consider in-person instruction, as long as they are able to implement the required health and safety measures. Schools in a “green” county may need to use hybrid instruction models if there is insufficient capacity or other factors (facilities, staffing, geography/transportation, etc.) that may prevent full implementation of the health and safety requirements.
  • YELLOW: Categorization as “yellow” suggests that that the county has an elevated risk of COVID-19 spread and that schools may consider additional precautions and/or hybrid instructional models to reduce the number of people in schools and classrooms at any one time.
  • RED: Categorization as “red” suggests that the county has a high risk of COVID-19 spread and that in-person instruction is not advisable.

The next update will be provided on April 9, 2021. Updating this advisory on a two-week basis aligns with the incubation period for COVID-19 and allows for greater stability in the trend data for small counties.

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