Category: Newsroom Articles

REMINDER: Public Pre-K Technical Assistance Sessions Available April – July, Register Now

As a reminder, members of the Early Learning Team will be providing an opportunity for new and expanding Pre-K programs to come together to learn and discuss the components of high-quality programming.

These sessions will be offered virtually on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month, April through July 2022, from 3:30-4:30pm. You may register once and have access to all sessions. Each session will be recorded and links to the recordings will be shared.

Once your registration is confirmed, you will receive an email with a link to a document that highlights resources and links related to each session topic. This should be used as a guide during the sessions.

Please feel free to share the registration link with others in your school system who may be interested.

The sessions are scheduled as follows:

  • April 11, 2022: Pre-K Application in Accordance with Ch. 124 and the Pre-K Guidebook Review & Reflect
  • April 25, 2022: Community Needs/Recruitment/Enrollment/Transitions
  • May 9, 2022: Partnering with Community Providers exploring MOUs & Child Care licensing
  • May 23, 2022: CDS Relationships/Coordination/Screening
  • June 13, 2022: Curriculum and Assessment Choices
  • June 27, 2022: High-Quality Classroom Environments & Materials
  • July 11, 2022: Early Childhood Development Teacher Training and MELDS
  • July 25, 2022: Family Engagement Strategies

For questions and clarifications please contact the Early Childhood Specialist, nicole.madore@maine.gov

Launch of Online Training from the Children’s Safety Partnership

With Child Abuse Prevention Month coming up in April, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) is helping to spread the word about a new way to access the Children’s Safety Partnership (CSP) training, “Understanding and Responding to Child Sexual Abuse”.

The pandemic has changed everyone’s ability to gather and train together in-person. Recognizing that all school personnel are required to take the one-hour training, “Understanding and Responding to Child Sexual Abuse” every four years, the Children’s Safety Partnership, a program of the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault, has developed a completely online version of “Understanding and Responding to Child Sexual Abuse”.

The preference for this training is still that it be in-person, if possible.  However, the hope is that this online course version will provide opportunities for school personnel who may not otherwise have access to the training to be able to complete it and to be in compliance.

The training and all supplemental materials are available on the Children’s Safety Partnership website for all educators who have previously taken the training of trainers with the CSP.  Access is intended to be a support for those responsible for delivering and/or ensuring the training is completed.  Those who have not completed a training of trainers but would like to access the materials can reach out to their local sexual assault support center prevention educators to learn more. This course was designed using the Teachable platform.  It provides a road map of the content, while also offering the option to start and stop whenever is convenient for the participant.

If training facilitators have questions when delivering or monitoring the training, they should contact their local sexual assault support center prevention educators!

Register Now for April 5th Math4ME Interest Session

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Office of Special Services, in collaboration with the Maine Math and Science Alliance (MMSA), is pleased to announce a new Math4ME cohort for the 2022-2023 school year.

Math4ME is designed to increase access to mathematics for all learners through teacher professional development. This year, participants will register as a team – an administrator, general educator, special educator, and an education technician, for hands on, in-person learning and remote, synchronous, interactive sessions.  For a glimpse into this math learning opportunity, please view the Math4ME informational video found here:

To learn even more about the program, please attend the Math4ME information session on April 5th from 3:30- 4:15 pm.

Please register in advance for this meeting and to receive the Zoom link.

 

Maine’s 2022 Presidential Awards State Finalists for Grades K-6 Mathematics and Science Teachers (PAEMST)

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is pleased to announce five Maine educators who have been recommended to national selection committees for the 2022 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) program for grades K-6.

PAEMST is the nation’s highest honor for teachers of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM, including computer science). Nominees complete a rigorous application process that allows them to demonstrate deep content knowledge and their ability to adapt to a broad range of learners and teaching environments. Maine applicants were reviewed by mathematics and science selection committees comprised of previous Maine PAEMST awardees and content area experts. Our state-level finalists will be honored at state ceremonies as soon as COVID-19 protocols allow.

Up to three state-level finalists for each content area are forwarded to a panel of distinguished mathematicians, scientists, and educators at the national level who will assess the applications before recommending nominees to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Teachers are selected based on their distinction in the classroom and dedication to improving STEM education. The teachers chosen to be Presidential Awardees will be notified by the White House, honored at various ceremonies in Washington, D.C., and will receive $10,000 from the National Science Foundation.

Join us in congratulating the 2022 PAEMST State Finalists and wishing them luck in the national selection process.

In the mathematics category, two applicants were selected as state finalists:

  • Katelyinne Green, Ella Lewis School, Steuben
  • Danielle Pelletier, CK Burns School, Saco

In the science category, three applicants were selected as state finalists:

  • Katie Coppens, Falmouth Middle School, Falmouth
  • Holly Trottier, CK Burns School, Saco
  • Jen Wright, Great Salt Bay Community School, Damariscotta

Nominations will open in the fall of 2022 for the 2023 PAEMST Awards. This round of awards will honor mathematics, science, and engineering (STEM, including computer science) teachers working in grades 7-12. Consider a great teacher you know for nomination this fall or nominate yourself! Learn more about the award and how to nominate a teacher here.

Webinar: Understanding the Role of Information Technology Specialists in Supporting School Safety Before, During, and After an Emergency

The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Safe and Supportive Schools and its Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center will host a Webinar on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. This Webinar will highlight the role of information technology (IT) specialists in supporting school safety efforts at the local and state levels.

The objectives of this 60-minute Webinar are to:

  • Highlight the role of IT specialists in supporting school safety efforts at the local and state levels.
  • Demonstrate the importance of developing a collaborative planning team to support emergency operations plan development, as outlined in Step 1 of the six-step planning process detailed in the Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans.
  • Discuss the role that IT specialists play in supporting the National Preparedness System mission areas — prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery — as well as their role in the before, during, and after phases of a potential emergency.
  • Share resources to assist IT specialists in collaborating with and supporting school safety efforts at the local and state levels.

Register on the REMS TA Center Website to participate in the Webinar

Presenters:

U.S. Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy Office, Privacy Technical Assistance Center (PTAC)

  • Ross Lemke, PTAC Director
  • Mike Tassey, Data Security Advisor

Rialto Unified School District

  • Alex Rodriguez, Emergency Operations Specialist

REMS TA Center

  • Candace Ferguson, Training & Technical Assistance Senior Research Associate

Questions About the Event?

Contact the REMS TA Center Help Desk at 1-855-781-REMS [7367] or info@remstacenter.org from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.

Can’t make the live event? This Webinar will be archived on the REMS TA Center Website within 7 business days.

Foreign Language Association of Maine Announces Recognition Awards

As part of its work to promote and improve the teaching and study of languages and cultures of the world, the Foreign Language Association of Maine (FLAME) recognizes Maine educators and students annually for their outstanding work in a number of areas including student recognition, leadership, lifetime achievement, and their two teacher of the year awards, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Teacher of the Year and FLAME Teacher of the Year. They recently announced their 2022 award recipients.

FLAME Student Recognition Award

Sam Conner Self is a talented senior at Bangor High School, currently enrolled in AP Spanish: Language & Culture. However, they also study ASL at Bangor High School and German at the University of Maine at Orono. Their academic pursuits after school include Spanish Honor Society, Spanish Club, Math Team, Theater, Civil Rights Club and Young Democrats. Beyond these extracurricular activities, Sam has shown leadership in their roles as: Social Media Director of Students for Gender Equality, Co-president of Q+ Club, and co-organizer of the Maine Youth Power Voter Education Campaign at BHS.

They intend to study psychology with a minor in at least one language in college and envision creating a community center that provides counseling and other services from multilingual psychologists rather than solely relying on interpreters.

Richard Williamson Leadership Award

This award is given to a teacher, administrator, student, or community member for outstanding results in promoting the study of modern and classical languages in their community or region.

Skip Crosby has been a dedicated Spanish teacher in Maine for 29 years at the high school level, with nine years at the college level. His excellence in teaching has been recognized over the years, but especially in 2014 and 2015, as Androscoggin County Teacher of the Year and FLAME World Language Teacher of the Year.

Skip is well known for his dedication to supporting his teaching peers in a variety of ways. He is a true leader by welcoming other teachers and graduate students into his classroom without hesitation. Most significantly, he has coordinated the TCI Maine Conference since 2006. This “Teaching with Comprehensible Input” conference provides meaningful and accessible professional development to teachers across New England by inviting nationally and internationally recognized experts on TPRS and CI.

Sister Solange Bernier Lifetime Achievement Award

This award was named after a well-loved and well respected French teacher, whose career spanned more than six decades. It recognizes the career-long accomplishments of those who are approaching retirement and who have demonstrated excellence in teaching and leadership throughout their careers as modern and classical language teachers.

Susan Dana of Cape Elizabeth Middle School is this year’s recipient. She is a National Board Certified Spanish Teacher who has been a language educator for 39 years, 30 of which have been in Cape Elizabeth. In the late 1990s she started the Foreign Language in Elementary School (FLES) program in Cape Elizabeth. In 1996 she was the FLAME teacher of the year, and she has been the recipient of numerous grants and scholarships, including a Fulbright Teacher Exchange to Uruguay in 2013. Susan has led service trips through Safe Passage in Guatemala with Cape Elizabeth High School students, and has engaged her students in many social justice projects and endeavors. Her students have participated in events such as Global Collaboration week, Journey North, and connecting with Peace Corps Volunteers. She also helped her students develop community and global connections with projects such as bookmarks for the public library, decorated grocery bags for the supermarket, valentines for hospital patients, pen pals, the Peace Corps’ World Wise School Program, video exchanges with Spanish speaking students, and a “New Mainers: Hear our Story” Program.

English Speakers for Other Languages (ESOL) Teacher of the Year

Farrah Giroux of Westbrook School Department was selected based on her demonstration of leadership in the field of ESOL, both on the board of Northern New England TESOL, serving terms as treasurer, vice president, and president, and locally in her community at Westbrook Middle School where she holds the position of Instructional Leader for the ELL Team. Farrah is a champion for educational equity, promoting an asset-based orientation, high expectations, and equitable opportunities for students learning English. Farrah skillfully leverages the WIDA English Language Development standards to bring principles of equity into practice for herself and the colleagues she supports.

FLAME Teacher of the Year

Each year at its annual conference, the Foreign Language Association of Maine (FLAME) recognizes those who have achieved outstanding results in teaching modern or classical languages.

This year’s recipient is Deb Backman from Cony High School. Deb is not only a fantastic language teacher, but an asset to her school community. Deb has served on the League of Innovative Schools Leadership Team, her District Curriculum Mapping Leadership Team, and was a class advisor for many years. At the state level, Deb has served multiple times as President of the Maine Chapter of American Association of Teachers of German (AATG), Webmaster and Treasurer. Since 2015 she has organized the annual Maine AATG Awards Tea at the Blaine House which recognizes German language students’ achievements, including on the National German Exam. Deb also helps organize an annual student immersion day (Sprachfest), in conjunction with German faculty at Colby College and co-organized several annual week-long K-16 Deutsche Woche in Bar Harbor immersion seminars for educators from the entire US.

She has served on the most recent Steering Committee for the review of the Maine State Learning Results for World Languages and currently serves on the Maine DOE World Language Advisory Council. As a result of Deb’s hard work, Cony High School is one of 13 German Government-designated US PASCH partner schools and serves as a beacon for other German programs. Her students have studied food waste with German entrepreneurs who started a zero packaging store in Berlin, worked with a German technology company who taught students to program mini-computers, and with a German singer/songwriter to write and produce an original song.

To learn more about FLAME’s awards visit their website. For further information, reach out to FLAME.

MLTI 2.0 Summer Professional Development Opportunity – In Person at Nokomis June 27-29th

Combine creative thinking with the right equipment and you can build opportunities that go beyond traditional education. In this FREE professional development event, Kern Kelley guides educators through the process of developing classroom environments that use teamwork, technology design, prototyping, and production. Teachers leave the program with $2,000 kits with everything from power tools, 3D printers, robotics, and virtual workspaces.

This opportunity is offered in person at Nokomis Regional High in Newport on June 27th – 29th from 8:30am to 1:00pm.

The professional development experience includes:

  • A free ‘STEAM Roller’ cart of equipment valued over $2,000.
  • Training for integrating this equipment into your classroom.
  • Being part of the statewide SLAM community of students and educators.
  • Available travel and lodging grants.

Space is very limited. For more information and to apply, please visit www.MLTI.me.

Download the flyer

Important Notice: Quarter 3 (Q3) Truancy, Behavior, Attendance and Bullying Data Review Due Date Approaches; Webinar Available

The review period for Quarter 3 (Q3), which includes truancy, behavior, attendance, and bullying, opens April 1st and review and submission is required by April 15th. While certification is not required until the final, Quarter 4 (Q4) report, review and submission is necessary for Q3.  For students to potentially receive Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) benefits, it is especially important for attendance data to be uploaded, reviewed, and submitted for all quarters through Q3 by April 15.

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Data Team will be holding a webinar on April 7th at 10am on this topic. To join the webinar, simply select this “Join Live” link at the time of the webinar.

If you have difficulties navigating to Synergy or NEO, please call the Helpdesk at 624-6896 or email medms.helpdesk@maine.gov.

MLTI Announces the Student Winner of the 2022 T-Shirt Design Competition 

Introducing the winner of the MLTI t-shirt design contest, Penny Graham, a 7th grade student at Waterville Junior High School! The 2022 MLTI t-shirt design competition was open to all MLTI 7th and 8th grade students to submit their talented digital designs.

Penny

Penny’s design was chosen by a panel of judges and will be printed on t-shirts and worn by all the Maine MLTI students and educators across the state on Thursday May 26, 2022, who attend the MLTI Virtual Student Conference!  Penny will also be featured on an upcoming MLTI SLAM Show to share the process she went through to digitally create her design.

Registration for the 2022 MLTI Virtual Student Conference is open to all 7th and 8th grade students. The conference takes place on Thursday May 26, 2022 and you can register here!

For more information, reach out to MLIT Project Manager Brandi Cota at Brandi.M.Cota@Maine.Gov.

MLTI Launching New End of Year Expo to Celebrate Educators!

End of Year Expo InfographicMLTI is launching an End of Year Expo event to celebrate educators! The End of Year Expo is a chance for MLTI educators to share the awesome work that they do to support the use of technology in teaching and learning.

Are you or someone you know an MLTI educator using technology in cool and exciting ways? Submit an entry to the expo and join us to share these achievements at our exhibition. All entries will have the opportunity to present at the expo. The expo will be open and free for all to attend. Exhibiters will be treated to a luncheon and an awards ceremony after the exhibition.

The MLTI End of Year Expo is featuring six categories of recognition. To learn more about these categories, check out this infographic (also featured to the right).

Do you know an MLTI educator or group of educators who should be sharing the awesome work that they are doing? Submit an entry!

For more information about the MLTI End of Year Expo, check out our website.