Notifying the DOE on Changes to School Configurations

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is asking that School Administrative Units (SAUs) who anticipate changes to school configurations for school year 2022-2023 to notify the DOE by May 1, 2022, or within 3 days of a School Board’s final approval of the change. The Superintendent of the SAU can email MEDMS.Helpdesk@maine.gov to notify the Maine Department of Education of the circumstances that may warrant a new school ID.

Reasons to notify the DOE include, but are not limited to:

Lack of need school closure
Change in grade configuration
Split of school
Merging of schools
New Schools

When emailing, please include the school(s) that displaced students will attend in the next school year, if applicable. The Data Reporting Coordinator and the Education Data Manager will analyze the data and documentation, and coordinate with the Superintendent of the SAU on next steps and if new school ID(s) will need to be created.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Helpdesk at MEDMS.Helpdesk@Maine.gov or 207-624-6896.

Experiential Maine! – Summer Coastal Ecology Collaborative 

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) will soon be releasing a Request for Applications (RFA) from community organizations that provide (or plan to provide) high quality, coastal ecology education and experiences for students in grades 6-12 as part of Experiential Maine! – a statewide initiative to increase access to hands on, outdoor education for all students in Maine.

This exciting initiative will help increase student access to experiential learning along the Maine coast during Summer 2022. Fund awards must be used to expand student capacity in existing program opportunities or to design and implement an entirely new program during summer 2022. These will be two separate applications (one to expand existing programs, one to design and implement a program that did not previously exist). The Maine DOE will prioritize applications that prioritize access for students from low-income families and students with infrequent access to the coast based on geographic location.

Here is a link to the Intent to Apply form which must be completed by April 21, 2022 at 5:00pm in order for your organization to be eligible for funding.

For questions, please contact Page Nichols, Maine DOE Innovation Officer at page.nichols@maine.gov

Messalonskee High School Principal Paula Callan Named 2023 Maine’s NASSP Principal of the Year

The Maine Principals’ Association (MPA) announced recently that Paula Callan, Principal at Messalonskee High School in Oakland, was named Maine’s NASSP (National Association of Secondary School Principals) Principal of the Year for 2023. Ms. Callan was named at a recent all-school assembly at Messalonski High School, and she will be honored by the MPA at their annual awards banquet on April 28, 2022.

According to a release from MPA, Ms. Callan received the award for her continued commitment, collaboration, and student centered focus and her dedication to creating a welcoming environment at for all students. According to one Messalonskee student, “Ms. Callan always does the best for students and sees the best in everyone.”

In announcing Ms. Callan’s selection as 2023 Maine’s NASSP Principal of the Year, MPA Executive Director of the Professional Division, Dr. Holly Blair noted, “Principal Callan is an exceptional administrator at the local, state, and national levels. She clearly advocates for all educators and is completely committed to providing the best educational experience for all. When I think of someone who holds the title of ‘Principal of the Year’, I cannot think of a better person to represent the State of Maine.”

In addition to being named “Maine’s NASSP Principal of the Year,” in 2015, she was also named, “Maine’s NASSP Assistant Principal of the Year.” Paula Callan has served on the MPA Board of Directors since 2017 and has been the President of the Association for the past two years.

Ms. Callan received her Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Maine, Farmington, in 1984 and then graduated in 1993 with a Masters of Education from the University of Maine, Orono.

Ms. Callan started her educational career as a special education teacher at the Farrington and Lincoln Elementary Schools in Augusta after which she was a special education teacher at Cony High School until 1994. From there she moved into administration when she became the Assistant Headmaster of Lincoln Academy where she stayed for two years. In 1996, Ms. Callan returned to Cony High School as the Assistant Principal. After 4 years in this role, she became the Assistant Principal of Morse High School in Bath. In 2002, Ms. Callan became the Assistant Principal of Messalonskee High School in Oakland until she moved into the role as principal in 2016 where she has remained ever since.

She is a member of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and the Maine Principals’ Association (MPA).

The Maine Principals’ Association is a professional association representing Maine’s K-12 principals, assistant principals, and career and technology center directors. The Association dates to 1921 and focuses its work on promoting the principalship, supporting principals as educational leaders, and promoting and administering interscholastic activities in grades 9-12.

Developing Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs) K-12

Don’t miss your chance to register for next week’s emergency operations plan (EOP) development training brought to you by the Maine School Safety Center and the Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center.

Download the detailed flyer here (PDF)

When: Tuesday, April 12, 2022 Time: 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET
Cost: NO CHARGE
Register here (Registration for this event closes on Friday, April 8, 2022, at 5:00 p.m.)

With this training, an expert team will provide an overview of the recommended six-step planning process to create a high-quality school EOP, which includes the following:

Step 1: Forming a Collaborative Planning Team
Step 2: Understanding the Situation
Step 3: Determining Goals and Objectives
Step 4: Plan Development
Step 5: Plan Preparation, Review, and Approval
Step 6: Plan Implementation and Maintenance

A Robot for All Seasons (and Classrooms)

April 2nd – 10th is National Robotics Week, a time to focus attention on this exciting, interdisciplinary component of computer science. In Maine public schools, robotics comes to life in a variety of ways. From our high school students participating in robotic competitions, down to the youngest elementary student programming robots to follow a sequence, robotics is a grassroots effort that can be found in many schools, some of whom will be spotlighted throughout this week. National Robotics Week, dating back to 2009, has a simple mission – “to inspire students in robotics and STEM-related fields and to share the excitement of robotics with audiences of all ages.”

An Ozobot being used at Nesrene Griffin’s Pokemon-themed station during a Family Coding Night at Connors Elementary School in Lewiston.

There are as many types of robots as there are holidays on the calendar and creative teachers have found a variety of ways to incorporate them into their classrooms. Among the most popular robots in middle and elementary schools are the Edison, Botley, and Wonder Workshop’s trio of Dot, Dash, and Cue. These robots each have their own unique appeal and functionality. When selecting which robot(s) to introduce to the classroom, an educator considers both its purpose and its potential. Introducing middle level students to robotics can seem daunting, especially if the educator is new to robotics themselves.

Many Maine educators have found creative ways to roll out a robot to students that gives everyone an opportunity to learn. Often it is part of a special event, perhaps even during National Robotics Week! A simple task can allow for collaboration and creative thinking as students troubleshoot through challenges with the robot. For the educator, it allows them to observe this process and the inevitable student engagement that follows. Consider these two examples from two Maine schools.

At Lincolnville Elementary School, teacher, Val Bemis, had her students design track layouts for Ozobots. Since it was October, students used Halloween themes to their track designs such as a haunted house or a trick-or-treating route. Students used “a lot of problem solving, persistence and patience in getting the robots to their final destinations,” Bemis said. “The students enjoyed it and had some celebrations when things went as planned or close to it!” Once students successfully coded their robots to their goal they were rewarded with a “sweet reward.” This project was an extension of the 10 levels of online coding challenges in ShapeTracer 2 from Ozoblockly.com.

Several of the student-designed Santa sleighs.

Another example of a thematic rollout comes from Hodgdon Middle School in southern Aroostook County. In the days leading up to the December break, students engaged in an engineering design challenge under the direction of science teacher, Sara McQuarrie. The students were tasked with creating a sleigh for Santa Claus that was pulled around by a Sphero robot (under a plastic cup). Sara provided each team with “Engineering Elves” and supplies. The constructed sleighs had to meet different criteria such as have enough room for Santa’s toys. Students learned how to calculate speed so they could predict who’s sleigh would be the fastest. They then tested out their predictions in several heats. Students enjoyed brainstorming why one sleigh was faster than another and critiquing their own designs. Finally, they ran their sleighs through a maze, which allowed them to test their coding skills with the Sphero. The activity was one of several choices that students had in the days prior to the winter break.

To learn more about opportunities for Robotics in Maine schools, check out Robotics Institute of Maine (RIM). For information about computer science in Maine schools, please check out the Maine Department of Education’s Computer Science page. If you have a robotics success story at your school, email jonathan.m.graham@maine.gov.

Week of the Young Child: Family Friday

Every year, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) hosts Week of the Young Child. This year the celebration will occur from April 2nd through April 8th. Members of the Early Learning Team at the Department of Education are sharing a video each day highlighting early childhood educators across Maine enhancing high-quality experiences for young children ages birth through eight. Each day’s video is focusing on NAEYC’s theme of the day. Today is Family Friday!

Today’s video highlighting music in early childhood settings can be found here:

The resources linked within the video are below:

You can find the daily videos and resources posted on our Early Childhood Professional Learning and Resources page here.

Thank you to those who have contributed to the videos and photos. We enjoy highlighting your work and sharing your commitment to young children with our colleagues throughout Maine.

Throughout the week, be sure to share additional photos and ideas using #WOYC2022 and #MEWOYC2022.

Any questions regarding the Week of the Young Child can be directed to our Early Childhood Specialist at Nicole.Madore@maine.gov.

Commissioner Makin Visits Oxford Elementary in Celebration of the Week of the Young Child

As part of the Maine Department of Education’s celebration of the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s Week of the Young Child, Commissioner Pender Makin visited pre-k and kindergarten classrooms at Oxford Elementary School.

The Week of the Young Child provides an opportunity to shine a light on the importance of early learning and to focus attention on the needs of young children, their teachers, families, and communities.

During Makin’s visit, Pre-K students were exploring concepts related to shadows and reflections in centers they could self-select, which included activities such as testing how light can pass through materials, experimenting with materials to see which produce reflections and which do not, and creating pieces of artwork using materials with reflective properties.

In Kindergarten classrooms, children were engaged in a unit of study focused on construction in which they were reading and discussing books related to the topic, exploring engineering concepts through hands-on activities, and working as a classroom community to design a building project that could benefit their community. In one Kindergarten class, students were designing a hotel for homeless families that included a dog park.

Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms in the Oxford Hills School System utilize whole student, interdisciplinary instructional programs that the Maine DOE, in collaboration with Maine educators, have adapted for Maine using work originally developed by the Boston Public School System. Both instructional programs are content rich (aligned to Maine’s learning standards) and are designed around opportunity for structured play.

Oxford Elementary’s Literacy Coach, Kim Desjardins pointed out, “When we ask adults what they remember from their Kindergarten experience, most will reply they remember ‘playing’ with blocks or ‘playing’ in the kitchen. The word play is a powerful word that has been lost in our Kindergarten curriculum for many years. Young children are born to play and interact with each other. K For ME encourages students to inquire about the world, participate in deep conversations to problem solve and work with others to develop social skills. Our students love to come to school and learn!”

The Pre-K for ME and K for ME programs are open source and are used in a growing number of Maine schools, including Oxford Hills where Kindergarten teachers were part of a 2-year pilot that helped inform adaptation of the program for use by other Maine schools.

Oxford Elementary Principal, Tiffany Karnes, shared, “It is such a joy to go into a Kindergarten or Pre-K classroom and hear the conversations students are having with each other as they engage in their center work. Whether it is in the dramatic play area or the block area, students are using their imaginations and incorporating the vocabulary they have learned. They are building wolf dens when they are learning about animal habitats or dressing up as characters from a book that they have heard during read-aloud and acting out their story. The level of oral language and increase in vocabulary that we are seeing far exceeds anything we have seen in the past.

Principal Karnes elaborated, “The K for ME curriculum has been a game-changer for our kindergarten students and teachers. Prior to implementing K for ME, our kindergarten students were struggling with behaviors and were not making the academic progress we wanted. Students were coming from a play-based Pre-K for ME classroom into a traditional kindergarten classroom and the seat time, the lack of structured play and other academic demands were very stressful for both students and teachers. Once we started to implement K for ME, we saw increased engagement, improved language development, and higher academic achievement. Students and teachers were happier, and parents commented on how impressed they were with all that their children were learning.”

For more information about the Maine Department of Education’s early learning efforts, including Pre-K for ME and K for ME, contact Lee Anne Larsen, Early Learning Team Coordinator at leeann.larsen@maine.gov.

“Plus, Robots Are Cool” – Robotics and Computer Science in the Pre-K Classroom

Pictured: A student retells a story from the PreK for ME instructional program. Sequencing and retelling the events of the story supports literacy skill development while working to program the bot, edit the code, and reprogramming the bot.

If someone went to observe robots being used in a Pre-K classroom, they would likely see a pair of students working together, either in decided roles or in turns, programming the robot to complete a specific task. Students actively engage as they lean in to push buttons and watch intently as the robot moves around a mat. They are not sitting back and passively watching a screen. “Students will tell me ‘the Bee-Bot isn’t doing what I told it to.’ This is when they learn that the robots don’t have brains and will only do what you tell it to,” says Audra Leland, a Pre-K teacher at the Eddington School. “We work through frustration and learn perseverance.”

Audra was a second-grade teacher at the Enfield Station School when she began using a Bee-Bot that she acquired from the Perloff Family Foundation. She continued to use it with kindergarteners and first graders and created new mats that aligned with the different age levels and classroom content. Some examples of content she used on the mats are: the alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes, nursey rhymes, classmates’ names, and a Thanksgiving Day game called “Now and Then.” When she changed schools and shifted to Pre-K, Audra continued with Bee-Bots in her classroom and added Coding Critters.

Melissa Brown, a Pre-K teacher at the Line Elementary School in Newfield, received two robots, the Bee-Bot and the Sphero-mini, through he Maine Department of Education’s Pre-K for ME curriculum pilot.

“After reading The Snowy Day from the PreK for ME instructional program, children design a sequence of steps to make tracks on paper and then with the Sphero. Creating a collaborative painting with Sphero not only fosters community within the overall classroom culture but also engages the students in the process of algorithmic thinking, computational processes, and debugging to find and fix errors within the program.” – Melissa Brown

The technology components of the Pre-K for ME curriculum were developed by Dr. Donna Karno of the University of Maine at Farmington, who has long been advocating for technology integration in early childhood education. “Less than 50 percent of early education teachers are currently using technology in their classrooms, in part because of the stigma associated with screen time and children, and in part because of their discomfort and lack of knowledge with setting programs up,” says Dr. Karno. All three educators acknowledge that incorporating these robots and computer science align with much of the skill-building that happens in the early elementary classroom.

Audra Leland’s strategy for starting is to do “unplugged activities” that do not involve any electronics at all. “We start by moving our bodies, following directions. Once they understand that every movement is told and that is what they must do, we take out the Bee-Bots.” This sort of approach to initiating students to computer science is common at the elementary and even middle level. The robots have their value as learning tools, but “the excitement and joy the children show when I take out [the robots] is one reason that I continue to integrate the tools in our learning,” according to Melissa Brown.

While both Pre-K teachers recognize their peers’ unfamiliarity with computer science concepts, they are quick to point out the overlap that exists. Melissa says, “for example, children in our Pre-K classrooms are recognizing and creating patterns with manipulatives, sequencing the events of a story in their literacy work, or sharing social problems and working together to find solutions. Robots simply add another dimension to this work.”

Public Pre-K Expansion Distinguished Educator Opportunity

As part of Maine’s Jobs and Recovery Plan (MJRP), the Maine Department of Education (DOE) was awarded $10 million in American Rescue Plan funding to support the expansion of public pre-k opportunities in Maine. To assist with the provision of technical assistance and professional learning for the new and expanding pre-k programs being funding through this opportunity, the Maine Department of Education is seeking a Distinguished Educator to be part of its Early Learning Team. Under the Distinguished Educator program, the Maine DOE contracts with a public school system to borrow an educator for a designated period, in this case the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years. Following service in the program, the Distinguished Educator returns to their sending school system.

Maine educators who meet the qualifications described below are strongly encouraged to consider applying for this opportunity. Distinguished educators share their expertise with the Maine DOE and other Maine educators while also growing as professionals through a range of new and exciting experiences. The application period for this position will remain open until April 27. Interested applicants should submit a letter of interest and resume to Lee Anne Larsen, Early Learning Team Coordinator (leeann.larsen@maine.gov). Candidates selected for interviews will be notified by May 2.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MLTI Launches – Space2Connect! – Student Conference Registration Closing Soon!

Registration is closing on April 8th for 19th Annual MLTI Student Conference, which will be held virtually on Thursday, May 26, 2022, from 8:30am-2:00pm, and will be open to all MLTI 7th and 8th grade students. If you are an MLTI school, you don’t want to miss out on this exciting and innovative day that is planned for MLTI 7&8^th grade students!

Conference Sessions

The MLTI student conference will offer a variety of creative and interactive sessions for students. View short trailers of some of the conference sessions below, then head to our student conference website for the full list of sessions and conference details.

Session Style

We have redesigned the conference to be classroom-based. Workshop leaders will teach your class new skills, provide time for students to practice these new skills, and then support them as they create something new with what they have learned. This new design will allow students to work together as they explore new resources and applications, create with new digital mediums, and collaborate to complete tasks. For more information on our new conference model please watch our video!

This virtual conference will be hosted on Zoom. The sessions will be 90 minutes, with the morning session running from 9:30am-11:00am, and the afternoon session running from 12:00pm-1:30pm. All necessary materials will be provided to schools before the conference so students will have them to create with during the conference.

Registration Information

Registration for the 2022 MLTI virtual student conference will close on April 8, 2022. Please select a lead teacher from your MLTI school to fill out the online registration form. We will be asking for lead teacher contact information, the school information as well as a physical shipping address so we can deliver or ship conference materials directly to the attending school. We will also need the total number of students attending in each grade, and the totals for shirt sizes. We ask that schools complete the registration form by April 8, 2022. For questions regarding registration please reach out to Brandi Cota at Brandi.M.Cota@Maine.Gov.

Important Dates