New UMaine Special Education Leadership Certificate Available this Fall

The University of Maine College of Education and Human Development and UMaineOnline will begin offering a new graduate certificate in Special Education Leadership this fall.

The Maine Department of Education lists Teacher of Students with Disabilities among the state’s teacher shortage areas. The new graduate certificate is designed to address an accompanying shortage of special education administrators. There are currently 242 special education directors in the state of Maine — one for every 127 students with a disability. The 12-credit graduate certificate in special education leadership can lead to Maine DOE certification as an assistant administrator of special education.

“This certificate is a response to feedback from PreK–12 professionals in Maine and beyond about the immediate need to support the growing number of students with disabilities and who are at risk,” says Sarah Howorth, assistant professor and coordinator of the graduate program in special education in the UMaine College of Education and Human Development. “Assistant administrators serve an important function in local districts, helping directors provide legally mandated access to a free and appropriate education for all students.”

Assistant administrators contribute to overseeing all facets of a school district’s special education department, including programs, services, personnel and budget.

The four courses in the graduate certificate are Law and Policy Affecting Individuals with Disabilities, School Law for Administrators, Organizational Behavior in Education, and an Internship in Special Education Administration. The program objectives are based on guidelines from the Council for Special Education Administrators (CASE). Students can pursue the certificate as a stand-alone program, or as part of coursework toward an Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree.

Applications for the Special Education Leadership: Assistant Special Education Director graduate certificate are being accepted through Aug. 15 for students interested in starting the program in the fall 2021 semester. For students interested in starting in summer 2022, the application deadline is April 15, 2022. More information is available on the UMaineOnline website.

For more information, contact Howorth at sarah.howorth@maine.edu.

Student Summer Opportunity: O’Connor CIVICS Challenge!

Sandra Day O’Connor Institute For American Democracy presents the summer O’Connor Civics Challenge!, a civics video competition which is open now through Thursday, July 15, 2021 and open to all students entering 6th through 9th grade in Fall 2021.

The Challenge is to create the most amazing, exciting, and informative 3 minute video on CIVICS!

Choose a topic and watch a brief tutorial video:
- Justice Sandra Day O’Connor
- Checks & Balances
- Legislative Branch
- Executive Branch
- Judicial Branch
- Citizenship: Rights & Responsibilities
Create a video up to 3 minutes long
Winners in each grade will be awarded Apple products
Four Winners in the Justice Sandra Day O’Connor category will also be awarded Apple prizes.

WHY TAKE THE CHALLENGE? For so many reasons! You can show off your video skills to the world, learn more about how government works and impacts our lives, and have an opportunity to win fantastic Apple products!

Here is a PDF flyer!

The 2nd Annual O’Connor Civics Challenge is now open! Video submissions will be accepted now through July 15!

Learn More Here

Questions? Contact: Heather Schader Vice President, Programs & Administration hschader@OConnorInstitute.org | (602) 730-3300 x8

STEM and Social Studies Virtual Study Tours to Germany this Summer

The Transatlantic Outreach Program (TOP) is hosting STEM and Social Studies virtual study tours to Germany this summer:

STEM Virtual Study Tour: June 8 – July 1, 2021
Social Studies Virtual Study Tour: July 6 – July 29, 2021

On each 4-week virtual tour, participants can immerse themselves in current topics relevant for both Germany and the U.S./Canada, meet experts and educators from across the Atlantic, and connect with other North American educators, including TOP Alumni.

Learn about a variety of topics relevant to both contemporary Germany and the U.S./Canada.
Engage in exchange and dialogue with German educators and experts.
Discover and be trained on digital teaching tools to use in the classroom.
Create a lesson plan or project on contemporary Germany to use during the upcoming school year.
Build connections with other educators across the U.S., Canada, and Germany.

All meetings will be held in English and can be attended live on Zoom or viewed as a recording at a later time.

Participants can join the tours casually, as time permits, or register to take the virtual study tour as a professional development course for graduate credits.

Learn More & Register.

Go straight to Registration.

York Middle School French Teacher a Regional Finalist for National NECTFL Teacher of the Year Award

Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (NECTFL) recently announced the finalists for its 2021 Teacher of the Year competition. Among the 8 finalists is Stephanie Carbonneau, York Middle School French teacher and the Foreign Language Association of Maine (FLAME) 2020 World Language Teacher of the Year.

Stephanie Carbonneau has been teaching at York Middle School since 2004. She started teaching in 1997 and taught for 7 years in Massachusetts before returning home to Maine to continue her teaching career closer to where she grew up. She is known for her “Glow and Grow” approach to language learning in a mostly deskless environment that focuses on interactive communicative lessons, using authentic resources. Stephanie is co-creator of a Manie Musicale, now serving 2,000 schools both in the states and internationally. She has also been a regular guest on the podcast “Inspired Proficiency” and believes collegiality makes teachers strong and students stronger. The highlight of her year is the annual student trip to Québec City and witnessing her students take language risks. Carbonneau’s students regularly medal at the state and national level on the Grand Concours, the National French Exam administered by the American Association of French Teachers.

Her passion for becoming a French teacher came from her Québecois family roots. Her mother spoke French through her childhood and when her grandmother passed away, so did the family’s desire to continue speaking French at home. Yet looking back, the aspiring ballerina knew that French was a part of her and her family’s identity that she didn’t want to let die.

My freshman year of college I had a French professor who was really hard and he told me during office hours that I would never get above a C in his class because my French was weak and I should probably not sign up for any more courses. That made me mad! I set out to prove him wrong. Because I struggled as a language learner, I knew I could be a sympathetic teacher. I never ever wanted any student to feel badly about learning a language. I also fell in love with the language, the culture, the people as well as the identity I have as a French speaker. I believe those qualities surpass being an expert at the language itself.

In my class students begin to realize that language learning helps individuals recognize the value of each person in such a diverse world and asks them to contribute to a better one. Speaking another language makes us better humans. It provides an opportunity to “glow” and “grow.” Much like the feedback I provide my students, language learning provides us a purpose beyond ourselves and highlights the similarities, differences and injustices that exist in the world. It truly is important to me that these young Mainers can speak French better and can use it for a good purpose such as welcoming new French speaking Mainers and the thousands of French Canadian tourists that visit our state. THIS is the true value of learning a language to me: Finding our voice for social justice, through language and creating a welcoming community. There is a whole world that exists outside our small Maine town and the country we live in. I want my students to be able to say “I am a Mainer, an American, but I am also part of the world-wide Francophone community. I am a French speaker.”

The NECTFL regional finalists were recognized on April 26, 2021 at the annual awards ceremony. The event highlighted the exemplary practice of all regional winners as innovative practitioners whose work has inspired students and communities.

The NECTFL region encompasses 13 states from Maine to Virginia and Washington, D.C.. Each state language organization goes through a rigorous selection process to choose its best representative of excellence in world language teaching. Dr. Ashley Warren was selected as the NECTFL 2021 Teacher of the Year and will go on to represent the organization at the national language teacher of the year competition at the ACTFL Convention in November.

I am proud to have represented my state language association that far! The whole process was very introspective, reflective, and humbling. I grew so much as an educator and met a wonderful cohort of other language colleagues from the region I can now call friends. Most importantly, my students will reap the benefits of my reflections.

For more information about NECTFL, please visit their website: www.nectfl.org.

Maine DOE Hosts COVID-19 Vaccine Information Sessions with Maine Physicians, Infectious Disease Experts

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) has been hosting information sessions with Maine physicians who are experts on COVID-19 vaccines and infectious diseases to help educate school populations about the COVID-19 vaccines available to school aged youth.

The most recent session was held Tuesday, May 18th with Jennifer Jubulis, MD, a Pediatric Infectious Disease Physician at Maine Medical Center and Kyle Massey, PharmD, BCIDP, an Infectious Disease Pharmacist at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center.

The previous two COVID-19 Vaccine Information sessions are available at:

With school districts across Maine now in the midst of scheduling and hosting COVID-19 clinics for students that are eligible for the vaccine, the above information sessions can be helpful in answering questions that school staff and communities may have about the health and safety of students taking the vaccine.

The Department extends a enormous thank you to school districts that have been able to arrange clinics so far. For school and district staff seeking further information about COVID-19 vaccines or hosting a clinic please contact Maine DOE School Nurse Consultant Emily Poland at emily.poland@maine.gov.

Oxford Hills Technology School Honors Culiandra Nero as CTE Student of the Year

Oxford Hills Technology School is pleased to announce that Culiandra Nero has been named the 2020/2021 CTE Student of the Year.

Culiandra is a third year Graphic Design student whose artistic curiosity leads her to explore a wide range of mediums. Culiandra has won numerous awards at the state and national level for design and was named a Candidate for Presidential Scholar in Career & Technical Education. Academically, Culiandra has maintained high honors throughout high school and is her class Salutatorian.

Culiandra is very involved in her school and community as an active member of Key Club, Math Team, and Tennis. She has also been engaged in SkillsUSA, National Honor Society, and National Technical Honor Society. Culiandra has volunteered for the children’s program at the local public library, at a local elementary school, for the Pink Feather Foundation, and for such events as May Day Play Day and a Haunted Walk.

Culiandra is already designing her personal branding and creating a digital storefront for her design work. We are excited to see what she achieves in the future as she plans to attend a four year college for studio and visual art.

After graduation she plans to attend a 4 year college for Studio Art/Visual Art with a future focus on animation.

Learn more about Oxford Hills Technology School by visiting their website, learn more about the Career and Technical Education Sites in Maine by visiting the MACTE website to see a listing by location. To learn more about Career and Technical Education, watch this short video:

Northern Penobscot Tech Region III Names Katahdin Javner as CTE Student of the Year

Northern Penobscot Tech Region III is pleased to present Katahdin Javner as its 2020-2021 Career and Technical Education Student of the Year.

During the last two years, Katahdin has had the opportunity to enroll in two programs per year at NPT Region III. He has successfully completed two years of Construction Technology, and one year each of Information Technology and Automotive Technology.

In addition to Katahdin’s excellent attendance and outstanding academic performance, he sets an example of work ethic, dedication and accountability that is unmatched at Region III. Faculty, staff and students all consider Katahdin to be a leader and a positive influence in our school.

Not only does Katahdin set a great example with his academic and hands-on work at Region III, he is also the President of SkillsUSA for the State of Maine. In his role as President, he has exercised his leadership skills both locally and statewide. For example, Katahdin was instrumental in laying the groundwork for a long-term commitment by Region III to participate in SkillsUSA in a much more meaningful way by working to establish a local SkillsUSA chapter at Region III.

Learn more about Northern Penobscot Tech Region III by visiting their website, learn more about the Career and Technical Education Sites in Maine by visiting the MACTE website to see a listing by location. To learn more about Career and Technical Education, watch this short video:

Van Buren Regional Technology Center Honors Alexis Violette as CTE Student of the Year

Mrs. Amy White, Career and Technical Education (CTE) Director from Van Buren Regional Technology Center, is pleased to announced the selection of Alexis Violette as the Student of the Year for the 2020-2021 School Year.

Alexis is a student in the Machine Tool and Business programs at our school. Alexis has excellent attendance and is described by her teachers as an intelligent and exemplary student. She is not afraid to work outside her comfort zone, which is evident in her Machine Tool class.

Her Machine Tool teacher says “I strongly feel that no matter what task or skillset that I ask Alexis to attempt she will do so with such a tenacity that there is no doubt in my mind that she will complete it.”

Alexis works with extreme precision and does not hesitate to jump right into the task assigned in class and is always willing to lend a hand to her teachers or other students, often without even being asked. Alexis is known as one of the hardest working and most pleasant students in our center.

Congratulations, Alexis Violette! We are very proud of you!

Learn more about Van Buren Regional Technology Center by visiting their website, learn more about the Career and Technical Education Sites in Maine by visiting the MACTE website to see a listing by location. To learn more about Career and Technical Education, watch this short video:

Get to Know the Maine DOE Team: Meet Michele Mailhot

Maine DOE team member Michele Mailhot is being highlighted this week as part of the Get to Know the Maine DOE Team Campaign. Learn a little more about Michele in the question and answer below.

What are your roles with DOE?

I am the Penquis Regional Representative and Secondary Mathematics Specialist on the Secondary Education Integrated Instruction (SEII) Team which is part of the Standards and Instructional Support (SIS) Team in the Office of Learning Systems.

What do you like best about your job?

I love the variety of work I am able to engage in here at DOE which includes offering professional learning, technical support, and teacher leader development. I work closely with classroom teachers, administrators, superintendents, and various other stakeholders involving mathematics education. I also collaborate across multiple teams at DOE providing assistance with the state assessment, supporting identified schools, and identifying connections with Career and Technical Education (CTE). I enjoy honoring excellent mathematics teachers by co-coordinating the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching program for Maine.

How or why did you decide on this career?

I knew by the time I was in middle school myself that I wanted to be a mathematics teacher. Math has opened so many doors for me, including opportunities to work with NASA, that I wanted to share this with others so doors could open for them as well! So when the opportunity came to work at the state level, I knew it was time to leave the classroom and reach a larger audience and share all the great things the mathematics can do.

What do you like to do outside of work for fun?

I enjoy spending my time visiting with my kids and grandkids, as well as working in my gardens!

Mid-Maine Technical Center Names Paige Dudley CTE Student of the Year

Paige Dudley has been enrolled in the Outdoor Leadershttps://sites.google.com/mmtc.me/mmtchip program for the past 2 years. In that time, Paige has taken on new challenges and stepped outside of her comfort zone with increasing confidence and skill. Paige is a role model for others, taking the lead on applied projects, supporting her peers, and being prepared for class each day. Paige seamlessly applies lessons learned in the classroom to her work in the field.

Paige was at her best while spearheading our effort to develop guiding resources for the local community. Paige created a trail guide for a defunct trail system and a Fishery & Wildlife guide for the Messalonskee Stream. Due to Paige’s efforts, many people, including staff and students of area middle schools, are able to enjoy Maine’s outdoors while learning important lessons about our environment.

Paige has been recognized for her outstanding achievement by being inducted into the National Honor Society and National Technical Honor Society. Outside of school, Paige volunteers for the Maine Children’s Cancer Program, Home for Little Wanderers, as well as supporting events in her own hometown.

Paige will attend the University of Maine in the Fall to pursue a career as a Wildlife Biologist.

Learn more about Mid-Maine Technical Center by visiting their website, learn more about the Career and Technical Education Sites in Maine by visiting the MACTE website to see a listing by location. To learn more about Career and Technical Education, watch this short video: