Apply for the Maine Seal of Biliteracy

Maine students are multilingual! The Maine Seal of Biliteracy is an award that celebrates the linguistic diversity and language-learning accomplishments of graduating students across the state. Students can earn the Seal of Biliteracy by demonstrating a high degree of skill in English and at least one other language.

See the website for details about eligibility criteria, language assessment options, and the online application: https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/content/world-language/biliteracy

Applications are due by 5/15/22*. If you have any questions, please contact April Perkins at april.perkins@maine.gov.

*Students whose AP or IB exam scores are not available by May 15th can apply through 7/15/22.

Carrabec Community School P.E. Class Individualizes Learning Through New Heart Rate Monitors

Physical Education at Carrabec Community School looks more colorful as students’ wrists glow with a mix of blue, yellow, and red. The glow comes from the new heart rate monitors that students are using as part of Heidi Day’s Physical Education class. The monitors use colors to indicate students’ heart rates as they play and learn through Physical Education.

“The goal in this process is to make the learning personal and relevant to each individual. This system should help the students make the connection between the perceived rate of exertion and their heart’s ability to adjust to the intensity they are putting forth,” said Heidi.

Students have learned the drill. They come to class, get their assigned heart rate monitors, log them in by holding them on a scanner attached to Heidi’s computer, and keep an eye on the color. As students exercise, their heart rate data is saved on the monitor. Once the class is over, students put their monitors back on the scanner to upload their heart rate data. An e-mail is sent to them and their parent/guardian with the amount of time they spend in blue, resting heart rate, yellow, target heart rate, and red, max heart rate. Students then use a spreadsheet on their laptops to record the number of minutes in each category.

“Students will set appropriate personal goals and work weekly to achieve those standards. The spreadsheet allows tracking that averages the time the student has spent in the resting, target, and max heart rate zones. This process becomes a means of self-assessment for my students, making their experience in physical education personal and success achievable,” Heidi explained.

The heart rate monitors are working well, and students are excited by what color their monitor is, but Heidi has worked hard for that excitement. Last year Heidi attempted to integrate the monitors, but found the process overwhelming.

Heidi explained, “I love technology. However, I am limited in my skill set as well as my patience when trying to implement something new. I feel like it takes me three times longer than it should, and I get so frustrated I tend to avoid the trouble altogether.” But through perseverance and help from the MLTI 2.0 ambassador program, Heidi has found success.

“Honestly, without [the Ambassador’s] help, I don’t believe I would have been able to implement this addition to my class. He has been there to troubleshoot through the challenges, making changes and adjustments as necessary, allowing me to still focus on my students. Ask for help!  I’m so glad I did!  I am excited to have this new process in place, but I know with all the daily tasks I have to complete, there would be little chance of me learning it all on my own and implementing it without support!”

This story was written and coordinated by MLTI Ambassador Erik Wade as part of the Maine Schools Sharing the Success Campaign. To learn more, or to submit a story or an idea for a story, email rachel.paling@maine.gov.

New Professional Learning Series: Welcome to Public School ~ Building High-Quality Kindergarten Transitions

The Maine Department of Education’s Early Learning Team, in conjunction with the Governor’s Children’s Cabinet and the Office of Child and Family Services, is pleased to announce a new professional learning opportunity: Welcome to Public School – Building High-Quality Transitions to Kindergarten. Recognizing the significant milestone that transition to kindergarten is for children and families, this series explores strategies for positively engaging children, families, caregivers, educators, and community providers in the process, including ideas for building transition teams and plans. School administrators and educators who support this critical period in children’s lives are encouraged to register for the series, preferably as teams to learn together. This 4-part series will be held over Zoom, on the dates listed below:

Module 1: An Overview of Kindergarten Transitions, March 10th, 3:30-4:30
Module 2: Student and Family Engagement: Thursday, March 17th, 3:30 -4:30
Module 3: Engaging with Your Community: Thursday, March 24th, 3:30-4:30
Module 4: Being School Ready-Building Transition Teams and Plans: Thursday, March 31st, 3:30-4:30

Please register for this 4-part series through this link. Participants are encouraged to participate in teams inclusive of those who support and partner in leading kindergarten transition planning and activities within their communities. This can include, but is not limited to, School Administrative Unit administration, teaching staff, community preschool and childcare providers, and parents/caregivers

In conjunction with this learning series, the Kindergarten Transition webpages have been enhanced. These pages contain valuable resources for both parents & caregivers and educators & providers. The professional learning modules featured in this series will be available through this website and will include a facilitator guide to support use of the module content.

For more information, please contact Marcy Whitcomb, Early Childhood Program Monitor at marcy.r.whitcomb@maine.gov.

Maine DOE Welcomes Health Care Professionals Serving on School Public Health Response Team

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) has welcomed a team of health care professionals as part of the Maine Department of Education School Public Health Response Team. The School Public Health Response Team has been in the making since the start of the school year and serves as the point of contact that schools reach out to for the most current information and resources related to COVID-19. The newer members of the School Public Health Response Team join School Nurse Consultant, Emily Poland and School Public Health Response Coordinator, Nancy Dube who have been coordinating COVID-19 health response efforts between the Maine Department of Education and the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Maine schools during the pandemic.

Each region has been assigned a School Public Health Liaison from the team whose primary goal is to assist schools in the region with all coordination, planning, questions, and collaboration related to COVID-19. More specifically the School Public Health Liaisons will serve as a resource for pooled testing questions, including registration, and support, BinaxNOW testing follow-up testing procedures, and connecting with health partners to set up COVID-19 vaccine clinics for age appropriate students and staff. In addition, the liaison can work with school staff through positive COVID-19 case questions.

Sandra (Sandy) Lauzier
School Public Health Regional Liaison

Sandy has lived in Saco most of her life. She has been a Registered Nurse (RN) for 49 years and recently retired after 38 years serving as a school nurse where she was a school district team leader and advocated tirelessly for a better student to nurse ratio. Outside of work, family time is the most important to Sandy. She enjoys a tradition of family dinner night every week with her kids and grandchildren. She also likes to spend time with her husband walking and biking and visiting their favorite places.

Martha Israel, MEd RN NBCSN
School Public Health Regional Liaison

Martha began her school nursing career in 1988 at Student Health Services at the University of Southern Maine (USM). She moved to Vermont in 1995 and worked as a school nurse for 24 years. Martha has also worked part time as a psychiatric nurse since 1986 when she worked at AMHI. She recently moved back to Maine to be closer to family. In her free time she is working on restoring the gardens in her new home and spending as much time as she can exploring the coastal coves with her dog Greta.

Johanna Peterson, BSN
School Public Health Specialist

Johanna lives in the Belfast area and is happy to be starting her new role on the Maine Department of Education’s School Public Health Team! She joined the Department after doing school close contact tracing last year. In the past she has worked in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), as a school nurse, and in healthcare information technology. In her spare time, she keeps busy on her mini farm and chasing her children around for their various activities.

Cristie Barone
School Public Health Specialist

Originally from Florida, Cristie has also lived in New York and Massachusetts but considers New Gloucester, Maine her home. She has worked as a school nurse for most of her career and feels very privileged to be working with the School Public Health Response Team at the Maine Department of Education. Cristie enjoys playing the piano and talking with friends. Her first choice for any free time is to spend it with family, whether it is participating in water and outdoor activities, playing cards, going out to eat, riding the motorcycle with her husband, or watching a movie.

Elaine Ouellette
School Public Health Regional Liaison

Elaine is from Van Buren in Aroostook County and has lived in that area most of her life. She is now a snow bird and lives in Summerfield, Florida in the winter, enjoying the warm Florida sunshine during Maine’s cold winter months. Before taking this position, Elaine was retired after serving as a School Nurse for nearly 25 years in Van Buren and working part time as a physician assistant for a local medical provider.  She has worked in the Emergency Room, Operating Room, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and on the Medical/ Surgical Floor in her local hospitals, and worked in a local Family Practice Office seeing patients for nearly 20 years. In her spare time, she is a quilter and a crafter and enjoys gardening, baking, cardmaking, oil and acrylic painting, and scrapbooking.

Susan Accardi, RN
School Public Health Regional Liaison

Susan is a retired school nurse having worked for the Windham Raymond School Department for 25 plus years. She has lived in Raymond for 40 years, raised her two children there, and now her grandson is attending Raymond Elementary school as well. Up until taking the position with the Maine Department of Education she served the school as a substitute nurse. Susan is grateful to join this incredible team of nurses to help fellow school nurses who are out in the field doing incredible work.

Beckie Geagan
School Public Health Regional Liaison

Beckie been a nurse for many years, serving most recently as a member of the Maine DOE Contact Tracing Team, and prior to that as the School Nurse at MCI (Maine Central Institute) in Pittsfield for 18 years. A native of New York City, Beckie has lived in Maine for 24 years (thanks to her husband Frank, who is a Mainer through and through) and prides herself on having two beautiful and amazing states she can call home. Beckie is so glad to be able to help the school nurses of Maine as they work ceaselessly to take care of school children, schools, and families.

Debra St. Amand
School Public Health Administrative Assistant

Debra was born and raised in Maine, calling Windsor her home for the past 30 plus years. She has provided administrative assistance and support to organizations in Augusta and surrounding areas, with the most recent being the State of Maine’s Department of Public Safety. Debra is looking forward to supporting this amazing team of nurses. In her spare time, she enjoys outdoor activities and spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren.

Nancy J. Cooley, FNP-BC, MSN
School Public Health Specialist

Nancy lives in Vassalboro with her husband and four dogs. She has a master’s in parent child health nursing and nursing education. Nancy spent many years on the faculty of the nursing education program at the University of Maine at Augusta and as the director of the program. She is a Family Nurse practitioner and has worked in family practice, which she continues on a per diem basis. Her nursing career also included home health nursing, school nursing, and participating on medical trips to the Dominican Republic. She came to the DOE as a contract tracer last year, moved to the CDC as a Covid Investigator, and has returned to the DOE to be part of the School Public Health Response Team. She is glad to work with this team and support the nurses in our schools. She enjoys quilting, knitting, hiking, and kayaking, as well as spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren.

Fleur Vining, BSN/RN
School Public Health Regional Liaison

Fleur was born and raised in Maine, and also spent many years in Northwestern Connecticut, before returning to Maine. She has worked as a school nurse for most of her career. She joined the Maine DOE contact tracing team in the fall of 2020, before assuming her role of regional liaison. Fleur enjoys spending time at her lake house with her husband and two wonderful children.

Lori Huot, BSN
School Public Health Regional Liaison

Lori was born in Maine and though she traveled with her husband, they both found that Maine is where they want to be, with family. Lori’s 14 years of nursing experience has been diverse, ranging from surgical nursing, ambulatory care, and hematology/oncology. For the last 6 years she has been in her most prized role, school nursing. Lori is excited to join the team, hoping to bring some aid and relief to the nurses working tirelessly for our communities. In her free time, she adores being a dedicated hockey mom for her two boys, practicing art, and spending time with family at the cottage on the lake.

Neeburbunn Lewis, RN/MSN
School Public Health Regional Liaison

Neeburbunn was born and raised in Maine. Prior to nursing, Neeburbunn earned her BS and MSN in Kinesiology. She spent several years working as a Wellness Coach, Personal Trainer and Group Exercise instructor. She spent many years as a specialized Pilates instructor. Her interest in science and health guided her into nursing and she has many years of experience as a cardiac nurse. She started out with cardiac rehab, then worked on a Cardiac/Telemetry unit and then became a Specialty RN in Electrophysiology. She enjoys educating patients and working on individual care plans that include exercise, diet, and health goals. Neeburbunn is engaged in an active lifestyle with her family. She enjoys all outside activities!

Lorimer (Elsa) Hemingway, RN
School Public Health Regional Liaison

Originally from Newton, Massachusetts, Elsa moved to Maine in 1999, attending New England Baptist School of Nursing and Emmanuel College and graduated with a BSN. She has been a nurse for 31 years with experience in pediatrics, geriatrics, plastic surgery, and phone triage nursing. Elsa really enjoys being part of an amazing team of nurses that are able to help other nurses, schools, staff, and everyone involved maneuver through this pandemic and be a support system for others.

Horatio Alger Scholarship Now Open for Student Applications

The Horatio Alger Association awards college scholarships to students who have significant financial need and have exhibited integrity and perseverance in overcoming personal adversity. The scholarships are given to deserving students each year and range in award value from $10,000 to $25,000.

This year the Association is shifting the focus of their National and State Scholarship Programs to make the awards to high school juniors, with the goal of supporting students at an earlier age and providing them a path to achieve their dream of a college/university education. High school seniors are encouraged to apply, as well, for the specialized awards which can be found under the “Target Scholarships” tab on their scholarship website.

To apply for the Horatio Alger Scholarship Programs, the following items must be completed by March 15:

An online application at scholars.horatioalger.org
One Support Form completed online through the application process. This must be completed by an adult over the age of 21 who is not related to the applicant and who is aware of the adversities mentioned in the application. This form must be filled out online. Faxes, emails, or letters will not be accepted.
Online Certification Form. A login will be emailed to the applicant’s counselor.
High school transcript. Applicants should upload a transcript through the application. Transcripts must be submitted online and must include completed grades for the Fall 2021 semester.
Income Verification. A copy of the first page of the applicant’s parent(s) federal tax return (1040, 1040A, 1040 EZ or 1099 SSA-Social Security form) or tax transcript (request a tax transcript here www.irs.gov/Individuals/Order-a-Transcript) from 2019 is needed in order to verify income stated on the application. If an applicant’s parents were not required to file a tax return, include statement copies of any government benefits, such as Public Assistance or Disability payment documents. Income verifications may be uploaded online or sent by mail. Applicants of divorced or legally separated parents need to submit tax forms from both parents. No emails or faxes accepted.

For more information and questions, visit https://scholars.horatioalger.org/ or contact the Horatio Alger Association at (844) 422-4200,

Extension of ACCESS for ELLs and Alternate ACCESS for ELLs Assessment Administration Window

Recognizing the ongoing challenges the COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose for Maine School Administrative Units (SAUs), schools, students, and families, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) and our Assessment Team would like to ensure that the maximum flexibility possible is provided to support educators and students.

As such, the ACCESS for ELLs and Alternate ACCESS for ELLs assessment window, due to close on Friday, March 4th, 2022, will be extended a further two weeks and will now close on Friday, March 18th, 2022.

ACCESS materials will be due to be shipped back to Data Recognition Corporation (DRC) with a pickup date no later than Monday, March 21st, 2022.

This extension will have a downstream effect on the receipt of data and reports; however, all data/reports will be available to Maine SAUs prior to the end of the school year. For the specific impact to dates, please see the table below.

ACCESS For ELLs and Alternate ACCESS for ELLs MAINE STATE ASSESSMENT WINDOW DATES 2021-2022*
Testing Specifics		Start Date	End Date
Pre-Assessment	WIDA AMS Assessment Setup Available for Assessment Sessions	Tue 11/30/21	Fri 3/18/22
During Assessment	Assessment Window	Mon 1/10/22	Fri 3/18/22
During Assessment	Additional Test Material Ordering Window in WIDA AMS	Wed 12/15/21	Fri 3/11/22
Post-Assessment	Deadline for Shipping Completed Assessment Materials to DRC	Mon 3/21/22	Mon 3/21/22
	Pre-Reporting Data Validation – Data File to SEA	Fri 4/8/22	Fri 4/8/22
	Pre-Reporting Data Validation – DRC Receives Data File from SEA	Tue 4/19/22	Tue 4/19/22
	Reports and Data Files Available – Online in WIDA AMS	Mon 5/9/22	Mon 5/9/22
	Data Posted to WIDA AMS	Mon 5/9/22	Mon 5/9/22
	Reports Available in Districts – Printed (On)	Wed 5/25/22	Wed 5/25/22
*Updated 2/1/22

We hope the additional time allotted will provide some level of reprieve from the multitude of demands you are facing, as well as ensuring that all Maine English learners have the equitable opportunity to participate in these assessments. Thank you to Maine’s EL Educators and Administrators for their continued dedication to multilingual students and their families.

For further information or questions, please reach out Jodi Bossio-Smith, MAine DOE Coordinator of Alternate and WIDA Assessments at jodi.bossio-smith@maine.gov.

Deadline Approaching to Submit School Lead Sampling

The following message comes from Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Drinking Water Program.

The deadline for submitting schools’ lead water samples is May 31, 2022.

Maine schools should be working with their local water professionals or using the provided training materials to identify water sampling locations, collect water samples, coordinate with A&L Laboratory, report results, and follow up with plans/procedures/actions based on the sampling results. If you haven’t done so already, your school should begin this process immediately. Instructions and training videos can be found online at https://leadtestingmaineschools.com/.

Testing for lead follows a very specific process. Carefully read the instructions before taking your first sample. Each step must be followed carefully and in the correct order.

Instructions and training videos can be found online at https://leadtestingmaineschools.com/.
If you have any questions or wish to order sample bottles, call A&L Lab at (207) 784-5354 or email them at lead@granitestateanalytical.com.
Samples that are improperly taken or submitted will not be analyzed; this will be considered a failure to monitor, at which point the school will be out of compliance with State law.

For assistance or to order your sample bottles, contact A&L Lab Phone at (207) 784-5354 or email lead@granitestateanalytical.com.

Physical Educators Asked to Complete Interest Form for ‘Assessment in Adapted Physical Education’ Course Through UMaine

The University of Maine has given tentative approval to offer a graduate-level course, Assessment in Adapted Physical Education. The course would train physical educators within the context of adapted physical education. It would focus on assessment tools and be offered via a distance learning modality.

This is an exciting opportunity, but responses to the interest survey are needed ASAP! The survey will be used to determine if there is sufficient interest to offer the course and when it should be offered (online). Those interested in the course can fill it out here: APE Interest Survey.

For more information contact: Shannan Fotter, shannan.fotter@maine.edu (University of Maine School of Kinesiology, Physical Education & Athletic Training) or Jean Zimmerman, jean.zimmerman@maine.gov (Maine Department of Education Physical Education Specialist).

Resources for African American History Month

February marks African American History Month and the Maine Department of Education has collected resources to help educators integrate African American history into the curriculum, not only this month but on a regular basis.

Resources to Support African American History Month:

Teaching the complete history of African Americans
Teaching Tolerance
African American History Month: Digital Resources to Support Representation in Teaching and Learning – In 1990, Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop wrote an article entitled “Windows, mirrors and sliding doors” that provided a powerful analogy for the role that children’s books play in a child’s early development. This message extends beyond books to all media sources. To listen to Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop talking about the meaning behind the article, check out this video. To access digital resources that focus on the representation of African Americans in teaching and learning, check out this infographic.
African American History Month: Influential Science and Technology Leaders – From capturing the very first satellite images from space to contributing to the creation of Global Positioning Systems (GPS), African Americans have been leaders in technology advancement throughout history. To learn more, check out this article.
African American History Month: Influential Computer Science Leaders – From co-creating IBM’s first personal computer to laying the foundation for modern video games, web design, animation, and graphics, African Americans have been leaders in computer science throughout history. Check out this infographic to learn more.
African American History Month: Digital Resources to Support Inclusive Teaching Practices – In the article Black History Month: Teaching the Complete History from Learning for Justice, the author Coshandra Dillard explores how to “go beyond trauma and struggle to examine the liberation, civic engagement, creativity and intersecting identities of Black people during Black History Month”. Educators can do this by using inclusive teaching practices and ensuring that they are using strategies to teach in culturally responsive ways. Check out this infographic to explore resources for inclusive teaching practices.
Learning for Justice
Resources on the Maine DOE Website for African American and Ethnic Studies
Immigrant Learning Center: Black History Month: Seven Famous Black Immigrants
EDSITEment! – Guide to Black History Month Teaching Resources, African American History Month lesson plans, and 2015 blog post.
Smithsonian – Black History Teaching Resources and Learning Lab Collections about the Civil Rights Movement
The Newseum– Hundreds of free online historical newspapers, videos and lesson plans that draw connections to civil rights struggles.
ReadWorks– Level readings that support Black History Month.
iCivics – The Nashville Sit-Ins(DBQuest), Jim Crow, and the Road to Civil Rights and MORE
KidCitizen – Rosa Parks: A Proud Daughter(K-2)
Facing History and Ourselves – Eyes on the Prize(documentary series w/ teacher guide)
The National Museum of African American History and Culture has a collection of resources for Celebrating Black History Month.
Time magazine published an article called “How Black Lives Matter Is Changing What Students Learn During Black History Month.”
Facing History and Ourselves has a Black History Month Resource Collection.
Share My Lesson has a robust collection of Black History Month lesson plans and resources.
We Are Teachers printed an article titled “33 Black History Month activities for February and Beyond.”
Scholastic provides 13 ways to celebrate Back History Monthwith ideas for 3rd-12th grade classrooms.
NCSS – Black History Month Resources
The following organizations have resources dedicated to teaching about African American History:
- NEA
- Teaching History.org
- PBS Newshour Extra
- ADL
- Colonial Williamsburg
- Bill of Rights Institute
- Facing History and Ourselves
Teaching Activities for African American Studies Zinn Education Project – A coordinated effort of Teaching for Change and Rethinking Schools
The Do’s and Don’ts of Teaching Black History (Teaching Tolerance) – How do you ensure that students get the most out of black history and Black History Month?
Education World Teacher Resources – Celebrate Black History month with education that works.
Scholastic Black History Month – Teaching Resources
20 Pertinent Classroom Resources for Black History Month (PBS Newshour)
Smithsonian’s History Explorer – Black History Month
Edutopia – Teaching Black History in Culturally Responsive Ways

Maine Related Resources for African American History:

The Atlantic Black Box Project – Atlantic Black Box has launched a public history project that relies on an “enlightened crowd-sourcing” model.
Maine Calling: Maine’s Role in the Slave Trade
Black History in Maine: The Stories and Contributions of Maine’s Black Individuals and Communities
Abyssinian Meeting House – This short article gives a brief introduction to an important local landmark.
Portland Freedom Trail – If you are located near Portland or have the ability to take a field trip, you can take students on a walking tour of the Portland Freedom Trail.
Slavery and Maine (Grades 6-12 Primary Source Set)
Library of New England Immigration – resources in immigration to Maine

Malaga Island:

Explore Malaga Island (Maine State Museum)
Othered: Displaced From Malaga – Educators from the University of Southern Maine along with others have compiled a collection of research and essays that contributed to this resource that tells the history of the people of Malaga Island.
Malaga Island: A Story Best Left Untold
Malaga Island/Maine Coast Heritage Trust – Malaga Island was once home to a mixed-race fishing community forcibly removed by the state in 1912. Now a public preserve and important Maine historical site, we encourage all to learn the story of Malaga and those who called the island home.
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy – Check out this review of a young adult historical novel by Gary D. Schmidt about two children and the events related to Malaga Island.

African American Studies:

Teaching Hard History: American Slavery – Most students leave high school without an adequate understanding of the role slavery played in the development of the United States—or how its legacies still influence us today. In an effort to remedy this, Teaching Tolerance developed a comprehensive guide for teaching and learning this critical topic at all grade levels.
Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture
Facing History and Ourselves (Race in U.S. History Resources)
African American Perspectives: Materials Selected from the Library of Congress Rare Book Collection
Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture
The River Road African American Museum
The National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum
On This Day in Racial Injustice by the Equal Justice Initiative – The Equal Justice Initiative designed A History of Racial Injustice as a set of tools for learning more about people and events in American history that are critically important but not well known.
The Google Arts and Culture Institute – resources, collections, stories, and items related to African American history and culture that are part of the Google Arts and Culture Institute collections.
EDSITEment! Lesson Plans – The National Endowment for the Humanities has a website called EDSITEment! that you can search for lesson plans and so many additional resources. Here is what they have for lessons related to African American history and culture.
Common Sense Education: Best African American History Apps and Websites
Smithsonian Learning Lab: African American History
EVERFI’s 306: African American History Digital Curriculum

Civil Rights Movement:

Selma: The Bridge to the Ballot – This film tells the story of a courageous group of students and teachers who, along with other activists, fought a nonviolent battle to win voting rights for African Americans in the South.
Selma March 55th Anniversary in 2020 (Teaching Tolerance) – 2020 marks the 55th anniversary of the Selma-to-Montgomery march for voting rights.
Beyond the Bus – Beyond the Bus, a special publication of the Teaching the Movement initiative, brings together key elements from several resources Teaching Tolerance has developed to help educators recognize and fill instructional gaps when teaching about the civil rights movement.
Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Movement 1954-1985 – Individuals, groups and nations have responded to injustice throughout history.
Choices in Little Rock – Choices in Little Rock is a teaching unit that focuses on efforts to desegregate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957—efforts that resulted in a crisis that historian Taylor Branch once described as “the most severe test of the Constitution since the Civil War.”.
Civil Rights Historical Investigations – In this resource students trace the development of the civil rights movement in the United States from the 1950s to the 1970s.
Library of Congress: Civil Rights History Project
Library of Congress: Rosa Parks Papers – The Library of Congress offers classroom materials to help teachers effectively use primary sources from the Library’s vast digital collections in their teaching about Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights movement.
Created Equal – The NEH Created Equal project uses the power of documentary films to encourage public conversations about the changing meanings of freedom and equality in America.
PBS Learning Media: Civil Rights – In 1954, the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Brown v. Board of Education declared segregated schools unconstitutional and sparked a decade of groundbreaking civil rights activism and legislation.
Selma Online – This website by the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University is a free, online teaching platform that seeks to transform how the civil rights movement is taught in middle and high schools across the country.
The Road to Civil Rights (a lesson plan from iCivics)
National Civil Rights Museum
Five Essential Practices from Teaching the Civil Rights Movement
Race and Civil Rights in the Nation – The Nation has put together a five-part Journey Through History on Race and Civil Rights:
- Part I, From the Memphis riots of 1866 to the first anti-lynching conference, in New York City, in 1919.
- Part II, From the “Red Summer” of racial violence in Chicago, in 1919, to Rosa Parks’s bus protest, in 1955.
- Part III, From the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957 to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1968.
- Part IV, From the ban on segregation in housing, in 1968, to freedom for Nelson Mandela, in 1990.
- Part V, From the LA riots of 1992 to the release of Selma, in 2015.
Students “Sit” for Civil Rights – On February 1, 1960, four African American college students challenged racial segregation by sitting down at a “whites only” counter lunch counter in Greensboro, N.C. Politely asking for service, their request was refused. When asked to leave, they remained in their seats. Their sit-in inspired others to engage in nonviolent protests, which drew attention to the inequalities in civil rights at the time. Learn more about these sit-ins and books to use with your students.
Social Justice Books – a Teaching for Change Project
Curated Booklists – Teaching for change has carefully selected the best multicultural and social justice books for children, young adults, and teachers on more than 70 topics. Reviews and selections on the booklists come from the See What We See coalition and are generated at Teaching for Change.

Elementary Booklist African American History

Africville By Shauntay Grant and Eva Campbell (Illustrator)
Beautiful Shades of Brown: The Art of Laura Wheeler Waring By Nancy Churnin and Felicia Marshall (Illustrator)
Before She Was Harriet By Lesa Cline Ransome, James E. Ransome
Buzzing with Questions By Janice N. Harrington
Carter Reads the Newspaper By Deborah Hopkinson, Don Tate (Illustrator)
Child of the Civil Rights Movement By Paula Young Shelton, Raúl Colón (Illustrator)
Circle Unbroken: A Story of a Basket and Its People By Margot Theis Raven, E. B. Lewis (Illustrator)
Down on James Street By Nicole McCandless and Byron Gramby (Illustrator)
Dream Builder: The Story of Architect Philip Freelon By Kelly Starling Lyons
Ellen’s Broom By Kelly Starling Lyons
The Escape of Robert Smalls By Jehan Jones-Radgowski
Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table By Jacqueline Briggs Martin, Eric-Shabazz Larkin (Illustrator), Will Allen (Afterword by)
Freedom’s School By Lesa Cline-Ransome, James E. Ransome (Illustrator)
Going Down Home with Daddy By Kelly Starling Lyons
The Great Migration: Journey to the North By Eloise Greenfield, Jan Spivey Gilchrist (Illustrator)
Harlem’s Little Blackbird By Renee Watson, Christian Robinson (Illustrator)
Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat By Nikki Giovanni, Alicia Vergel De Dios (Illustrator), Damian Ward (Illustrator)
A History of Me By Adrea Theodore and Erin Robinson (Illustrator)
It Jes’ Happened By Don Tate, R. Gregory Christie (Illustrator)
Little Melba and Her Big Trombone By Katheryn Russell-Brown
Love to Langston By Tony Medina, R. Gregory Christie
Maritcha: A Nineteenth-Century American Girl By Tonya Bolden
Me and Momma and Big John By Mara Rockliff, William Low (Illustrator)
Milo’s Museum By Zetta Elliott
My Story, My Dance By Lesa Cline Ransome, James Ransome
New Shoes By Susan Lynn Meyer
No Mirrors in My Nana’s House By Ysaye M. Barnwell, Synthia Saint James (Illustrator)
The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read By Rita Lorraine Hubbard and Oge Mora (Illustrator)
Opal’s Greenwood Oasis By Quraysh Ali Lansana, Najah-Amatullah Hylton and Skip Hill (Illustrator)
Opening the Road: Victor Hugo Green and His Green Book By Keila V. Dawson and Alleanna Harris (Illustrator)
Papa’s Free Day Party By Marilyn Nelson and Wayne Anthony Still (Illustrator)
A Ride to Remember By Sharon Langley and Amy Nathan
Sing a Song: How “Lift Every Voice and Sing” Inspired Generations By Kelly Starling Lyons
Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down By Andrea Davis Pinkney, Brian Pinkney (Illustrator)
Someday Is Now: Clara Luper and the 1958 Oklahoma City Sit-ins By Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, Jade Johnson (Illustrator)
So Tall Within: Sojourner Truth’s Long Walk Toward Freedom By Gary Schmidt, Daniel Mintor (Illustrator)
Sprouting Wings: The True Story of James Herman Banning, the First African American Pilot to Fly Across the United States By Louisa Jaggar, Shari Becker, and Floyd Cooper (Illustrator)
Steamboat School By Deborah Hopkinson
Sugar Hill: Harlem’s Historic Neighborhood By Carole Boston Weatherford, R. Gregory Christie (Illustrator)
Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt By Deborah Hopkinson
Take a Picture of Me, James Van Der Zee! By Andrea Loney, Keith Mallett (Illustrator)
Tea Cakes for Tosh By Kelly Starling Lyons
This Is the Rope: A Story from the Great Migration By Jacqueline Woodson
Thurgood By Jonah Winter, Bryan Collier
Uncle Jed’s Barbershop By Margaree King Mitchell
When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop By Laban Carrick Hill, Theodore Taylor (Illustrator)
William Still and His Freedom Stories: The Father of the Underground Railroad By Don Tate
Zora Hurston and the Chinaberry Tree By William Miller, Cornelius Van Wright
Ruby Bridges Goes to School – My True Story by Ruby Bridges
Sojourner Truth’s Step-Stomp Stride By Andrea Davis Pinkney Illustrator Brian Pinkney
Great Black Heroes: Five Brilliant Scientists By Lynda Jones Illustrator Ron Garnett
Great Black Heroes: Five Notable Inventors By Wade Hudson Illustrator Ron Garnett
Five Brave Explorers By Wade Hudson Illustrator Ron Garnett
Henry’s Freedom Box By Ellen Levine Illustrator Kadir Nelson
28 Days: Moments in Black History that Changed the World By Charles R. Smith, Jr. Illustrator Shane W. Evans
Granddaddy’s Gift By Margaree King Mitchell Illustrator Larry Johnson
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind By William Kamkwamba , Bryan Mealer Illustrator Elizabeth Zunon
Amistad By Patricia C. McKissack Illustrator Sanna Stanley
Gordon Parks By Carole Boston Weatherford Illustrator Jamey Christoph
Delivering Justice: W.W. Law and the Fight for Civil Rights By James Haskins Illustrator Benny Andrews
Talkin’ About Bessie By Nikki Grimes Illustrator E. B. Lewis
Rosa By Nikki Giovanni Illustrator Bryan Collier
Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince And His Orchestra By Andrea Davis Pinkney Illustrator Brian Pinkney
Champion By Jim Haskins Illustrator Eric Velasquez
Martin Rising: Requiem for a King By Andrea Davis Pinkney & Brian Pinkney Illustrator Andrea & Brian Pinkney
Lessons and Resourced for Teaching about Black History Month

Update to Teacher Shortage Areas

The U.S. Department of Education annually designates teacher shortage areas for the purposes of deferment of loan repayments or reductions of teaching obligation. The Maine Department of Education recently requested input regarding designated teacher shortage areas for federal reporting and would like to thank all those who submitted information during the comment period. The comments related to teacher shortage enabled the Maine DOE to add several teaching endorsements to the U.S. DOE proposal. The following are K-12 teacher shortage areas for the 2022-2023 school year:

General Elementary (K-8) (020)
Early Childhood (Pre-K) (081)
Teacher of Students with Disabilities (Pre-K) (282)
Teacher of Students with Disabilities (K-8) (282)
Teacher of Students with Disabilities (7-12) (282)
Blind/Visually Impaired (K-12) (291)
Deaf/Hearing Impaired (K-12) (292)
English/Language Arts (7-12) (100)
Mathematics (7-12) (300)
Middle Level Science (5-8) (340)
Adapted Physical Education (K-12) (512)
Theater (K-12) (625)
Industrial Arts / Technology (K-12) (700)

The benefits to student financial aid recipients, such as loan cancellations, are indicated in the following regulatory provisions:

34 CFR 682.210(b)(5)(ii), (b)(7), (q), and (s) enable a borrower who had no outstanding Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program loan on July 1, 1987, but who had an outstanding FFEL Program loan on July 1, 1993, to qualify for deferment of loan repayment under the Stafford Loan Program anytime within the life of the borrower’s loan(s) for up to three years of service as a full-time teacher in a private elementary or secondary school in a teacher shortage area designated by the Department, and as certified by the chief administrative officer of the particular school in which the borrower is teaching;
34 CFR 674.53(c) enables Federal Perkins Loan borrowers who are full-time teachers of mathematics, science, foreign languages, bilingual education, or any other field of expertise where the State educational agency determined there is a shortage of qualified teachers to qualify for cancellation of up to 100 percent of the outstanding balance on the borrower’s Federal Perkins loans; and
34 CFR 686.12(d) enables grant recipients to fulfill their teaching obligation under the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program (regarding the requirement to serve at least four academic years, within eight years of graduation) by teaching in a “high-need field,” which includes academic disciplines/subject areas identified as teacher shortage areas at the time the grant recipient begins teaching in that field.

Stafford Loan and Supplemental Loans for Students (SLS) borrowers who have questions concerning their loans, including the teacher shortage area deferment, can contact the Federal Student Aid Hotline at 1-800-4FED-AID.

Federal Perkins Loan borrowers should contact the school where they received the loan.