The Maine Department of Education invites school districts to nominate graduating high school seniors for the U. S. Presidential Scholars Program. Each district may nominate one senior who is a U.S. citizen or legal permanent U.S. resident and has demonstrated excellence in a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program and one senior who had scored exceptionally well on either the College Board’s SAT or the ACT of the American College Testing Program. Application materials will be sent directly to superintendents and CTE directors by Wednesday, October 28. Applications are due to the Maine DOE by Friday, November 13.
Students chosen as U.S. Presidential Scholars receive an expense-paid trip to Washington, D. C. in June, and are presented the U.S. Presidential Scholars medallion at a ceremony sponsored by the White House, in commemoration of their achievements. During their visit to Washington, scholars have access to important national and international figures, including government officials, educators, authors, musicians, scientists and other accomplished people.
Tracy Williamson, music educator at Gorham Middle School, has been selected as 1-of-25 semifinalists for the GRAMMY Association’s Music Educator of the Year. A total of 25 music teachers from 24 cities across 16 states, have been announced as semifinalists, selected from more than 1,989 initial nominations submitted from all 50 states
The Music Educator Award recognizes current educators who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools. The recipient will be recognized during GRAMMY Week 2021.
The award is open to current U.S. music teachers, and anyone can nominate a teacher — students, parents, friends, colleagues, community members, school deans, and administrators.
Each year, one recipient is selected from 10 finalists and recognized for their remarkable impact on students’ lives. They will receive a $10,000 honorarium and matching grant for their school’s music program. The nine additional finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium and matching grants. The remaining fifteen semifinalists will receive a $500 honorarium with matching school grants.
The matching grants provided to the schools are made possible by the generosity and support of the GRAMMY Museum’s Education Champion Ford Motor Company Fund. In addition, the American Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, NAMM Foundation, and National Education Association support this program through outreach to their constituencies.
The finalists will be announced in December, and nominations for the 2022 Music Educator Award are now open. To nominate a music educator, or to find more information, please visit www.grammymusicteacher.com.
Do you have National Board Certified Teachers on your staff? Awesome! We are sending along a reminder to those fortunate superintendents, or directors of a publicly-supported secondary school or CTE region, with eligible staff who have attained National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification prior to July 1, 2020. Please let us know so we can provide you with their legislatively allocated salary supplement.
In order to qualify for the salary supplement, eligible staff must be currently employed by a Maine public school, or by a publicly-supported secondary school or CTE region in Maine. Eligible position titles include classroom teacher, special education teacher, literacy specialist, long-term substitute teacher, library media specialist, guidance counselor, and teacher leaders with certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, or its successor organization.
Salary Supplement amount: Despite enacting language regarding a $5,000 supplement for those teaching in a school with a Free and Reduced Lunch Rate (FRLR) 50% and higher, no additional funds were appropriated to provide full funding for that, or full funding of the $3,000 for those under the 50% FRLR; therefore, both supplements will need to be prorated. Estimated* prorated amounts:
Teaching in a school with a Free and Reduced Lunch rate 50% and higher: $3,350
Teaching in a school with a Free and Reduced Lunch rate below 50%: $2,022
*Please note these are estimated amounts. Final salary supplement totals will depend on the number of qualifying teachers in each category. We expect to have that information published on our web site the week of Dec. 7. The submission form and further information is available on our National Board Certification Salary Supplement web page: https://www.maine.gov/doe/educators/cert/nationalstandards/salary
AUGUSTA — The Mills Administration today released an update to its color-coded Health Advisory System that classifies counties’ relative risk of COVID-19 transmission by color and that is provided to assist schools as they continue with their plans to deliver instruction and support students safely this fall. The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) assessed the data and trends for the counties. Based on this assessment, York County will be moved from yellow to green. All other counties remain green.
The move was made as York County demonstrates improved metrics, including a falling case rate per 10,000 of 4.67 and a lower positivity rate of 0.9 percent. Maine DHHS and CDC continue to closely monitor Androscoggin County, along with Kennebec and Somerset Counties.
The Health Advisory System categorizations are defined as follows:
RED: Categorization as “red” suggests that the county has a high risk of COVID-19 spread and that in-person instruction is not advisable.
YELLOW: Categorization as “yellow” suggests that that the county has an elevated risk of COVID-19 spread and that schools may consider additional precautions and/or hybrid instructional models as a way to reduce the number of people in schools and classrooms at any one time.
GREEN: Categorization as “green” suggests that the county has a relatively low risk of COVID-19 spread and that schools may consider in-person instruction, as long as they are able to implement the required health and safety measures. Schools in a “green” county may need to use hybrid instruction models if there is insufficient capacity or other factors (facilities, staffing, geography/transportation, etc.) that may prevent full implementation of the health and safety requirements.
The county-level assessments are based on both quantitative and qualitative data, including but not limited to recent case rates, positivity rates, and syndromic data (e.g., symptoms of influenza or COVID-19). Those data are publicly posted every week on the Maine CDC website. DHHS and Maine CDC also consider qualitative factors, such as the presence of outbreaks that may potentially affect school-age children.
The Health Advisory System reflects ongoing analysis of evolving data and serves as one piece of information that school and district leaders can use to make decisions about how to deliver education this fall. The qualitative and quantitative considerations and data used by the CDC in determining community transmission risk levels for schools can be located here: How County Risk Levels for Maine Schools are Determined
The Health Advisory System can be found on the Maine DOE website in Part I of the Framework for Reopening Schools and Returning to In-Person Classroom Instruction: https://www.maine.gov/doe/framework/part-I.
The next update is scheduled for Friday, October 23, 2020.
Open to Maine high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors, this free, virtual Future Teachers Academy will be held on Oct. 20, 1:00 – 3:00 pm and Oct. 21, 2:00 – 4:00 pm. The event is for students who are interested in exploring the field of education.
During the academy, students will have the opportunity to imagine themselves as a future educator as they: design a game idea for a future classroom, problem-solve challenges, and collaborate with peers throughout the state.
Any students who are interested in creativity, leadership, and making a positive difference in the world through education are encouraged to attend the academy. The Future Teachers Academy is a collaboration between Thomas College, The Maine State Teachers of the Year program, and the Maine Department of Education. #TeachMaine #LoveTeaching
Are you opening a new Pre-K program or expanding an existing program in FY22? – Maine Department of Education will provide funding for FY22 for new or expanded Pre-K programs!
If your SAU is opening or expanding a Pre-K program in the 2021-2022 school year, you are eligible to receive funding on your FY22 ED279 for children you enroll in these new or expanding Pre-K programs in 2021. This means you will receive the funding for enrollment in the same year that you enroll the Pre-K children, without a year delay.
Beginning in FY19, the Essential Programs and Services (EPS) funding formula added an allocation for Pre-K programs’ estimate student count. The Pre-K program estimate count allocation is intended to provide funding for Pre-K programming in advance of actual student enrollment, helping to offset the upfront costs associated with expanding or starting Pre-K programs. This Pre-K program allocation was first authorized into law on July 1, 2018 to begin in FY19 and continue indefinitely.
If you are expanding and would like to receive an FY22 estimate Pre-K allocation, please notify the Maine DOE by completing the FY22 Estimate Pre-K Count Data Form before October 30, 2020. There are 3 questions to be answered:
Choose your SAU from a list
Do you have an existing Pre-K program (FY21)? – Yes/No
Provide your SAU’s Pre-K Estimated Increase Count (new slots available in new or expanding program)
SAUs completing the form must also complete the Pre-K Program Application with DOE’s Early Childhood Team by April 30, 2021 and obtain program approval.
The FY22 Estimate Pre-K Count Data Collection form is meant to capture the FY22 estimate for new and expanding Pre-K program enrollment. The estimate student count data, in addition to the current (FY21) enrollment in an existing Pre-K program, will be used to provide funding on the FY22 ED279. SAUs’ Pre-K total enrollment number, as reported and verified October 1, 2021, should match the combined existing and estimated increase total that was used to calculate funds in the ED279. After October 1, 2021 an audit adjustment, based on actual enrollment reported in NEO on October 1, 2021, will be made to the Pre-K allocation assigned on the FY22 ED279. Please note that this may increase or decrease funding.
This information has been provided by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, & Forestry.
IAQ and IPM strategies for Microbial Pests
October is bringing predictably cooler temperatures, which means we’ll all be spending more time indoors. Indoor air quality (IAQ) is well known to affect human health and academic performance, but the pandemic has brought renewed attention. Now is a good time to take a second look at both ventilation systems and cleaning/disinfecting protocols to make sure all processes are working optimally and that staff have completed the necessary training.
Ventilation and Filtration
Our understanding of coronavirus has evolved in the past ten months, and we now know that people can become infected merely by sharing air, especially in close quarters. While wearing masks, installing barriers, reducing occupancy, and holding classrooms outdoors are good strategies, schools are also implementing additional ventilation and air filtration processes to reduce risk of disease transmission while also improving overall indoor air quality. Ventilation and filtration of indoor air may be at least as important, if not more so, than surface disinfection for reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission1,2. And, with increased use of cleaning and disinfectant products, it is especially important to ensure that indoor spaces are adequately ventilated.
The simplest way to increase ventilation is to open screened windows and doors for cross-ventilation of indoor spaces, if doing so does not compromise safety or interfere with normal operation of ventilation systems. This is less ideal as temperatures drop, but may offer a temporary way to improve IAQ (and reduce risk of coronavirus transmission) in buses and some classrooms.
Environmental engineers also recommend increasing settings on mechanical ventilation systems to six to nine fresh air exchanges per hour, if possible. When more people are in a space, the air exchange rate should be at the higher settings. The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) provides detailed checklists and comprehensive guidance on ventilation and filtration to help schools slow transmission of viruses and improve indoor air quality via HVAC systems in ‘Reopening of Schools and Universities’. Consult with your HVAC specialist before making any changes to operation of your HVAC system.
Selecting the right cleaning and disinfecting products and using them correctly is critical to the health and safety of the people in your care—including your own staff. Some products may pose unnecessary health risks, may be ineffective against coronavirus, and/or are not permitted for use in Maine schools. Avoid learning after the purchase, that the sales rep was misinformed about Maine’s regulations or was making false claims.
Before purchasing any products, obtain and read both the product label and Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and verify that the products under consideration are permitted for use and will be appropriate for the intended purpose. For disinfectants and sanitizers, the product label has instructions on how and where to use the product, what PPE may be required, the required contact time, and more. You must read and follow the label! Disinfectant labels are legal documents that clearly state, “It is a violation of Federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling.” The SDS has additional chemical safety information but lacks the critical information found only on the product label. Obtain the product label from your distributor or contact the Maine Board of Pesticides Control.
Because many disinfecting and sanitizing products share similar trade names, refer to the product’s unique identifier—the EPA Registration Number (EPA Reg. No.) found on the label. Keep a copy of both the product’s label and the SDS in your school’s pest activity logbook, along with a written record of were, why, how and by whom, these sanitizing or disinfectant pesticides are used in your schools.
Using Electrostatic or Other Powered Sprayers? Governor Mills issued Executive Order 7 FY20/21, temporarily suspending some pesticide applicator licensing requirements, thus permitting the unlicensed use of powered sprayers for routine disinfection by qualified staff. To qualify for this temporary exemption personnel must complete School Disinfectant Applicator Training and the associated on-line exam to receive a certificate.
Non-school employees, including contracted cleaning services and bus drivers are not included in this license exemption and must have a full Commercial Pesticide Applicator’s license for powered disinfectant application. All other pesticide applications on school properties, powered or not, also require a Commercial Pesticide Applicators license. Contact the Maine Board of Pesticides Control for more information.
All School IPM Coordinators must complete the Initial Training Module and the Comprehensive IPM Training one time.
The next Comprehensive IPM Training will be offered via webinar Friday October 30, 8:00-11:00 AM. REGISTER NOW. Note: This webinar will be recorded and available for on-demand viewing later.
Initial IPM Training, provides an overview of Maine’s School IPM requirements (always available on-demand).
After completion of these two trainings, you must also earn one hour of IPM continuing education/year. Credit can be earned by viewing webinars, presentations and videos related to school IPM such as the webinars listed below.
Additional Training Opportunities
October 20, 2020, 1:00-2:30 PM ET. Cleaning up after Rodent Infestations. Register Now.
October 22, 2020, 1:00-2:30 PM ET. New Tools to Assess and Address IAQ Health and Safety. Register Now.
A group of Nokomis High School students known as the “Tech Sherpas” have been around the state, nation, and globe presenting to groups of students, teachers, and experts about the technology they are using in school and beyond.
Led by Kern Kelley, a long-time teacher at Nokomis High School and district-wide tech integrator, the Tech Sherpas are all part of Mr. Kelley’s and Mr. Brown’s Broadcasting classes which maintain a school TV station, live stream school events, create video tutorials, and dabblein a host of other cool things like robotics, 3D printing, drones, and more.
Kern Kelley with student presenters in Porterville, California
A presenter and tech professional development expert himself, Mr. Kelley moonlights as a speaker on a global level, something he has always incorporated with his students and career as an educator. What started out as taking students along to take part in his presentations has evolved into students presenting around the world.
Starting in 2012 on a train ride back from the New York Google Offices at a presentation with Mr. Kelley, the students came up with the idea of taking their skillset on the road more formally and the Tech Sherpas were born. Since then they have grown both in size and knowledge with every passing year and every advance in technology. Pre-COVID-19, the Tech Sherpas had traveled to places like Japan, Ottawa, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, and Chicago presenting to large audiences on topics like Google Slides, Google Meets, Google Classroom, and Flipgrid among others.
Kern Kelley presenting with Kris Redman Jared Gay and Chandler Cossar at the New York Google Offices in 2012
After the pandemic forced schools to adapt in the way that education is provided, Mr. Kelley and the Tech Sherpas didn’t miss a beat. What was once in-person presentations all over the world has now become a busy job of booking virtual meetings and presentations to keep up with the ever-changing needs of educators, students, people of all walks of life who need to learn, keep up with, and use technology in their everyday lives.
Nokomis High School Senior Rachel Wilcox has been a Tech Sherpa since she set foot in the Nokomis Warrior Broadcasting class her freshman year. Now a senior and finishing her final year of high school during a pandemic, Rachel is the project manager working behind the scenes to coordinate the Tech Sherpas’ virtual presentations.
Rachel Wilcox and Britney Bubar presenting at ISTE in Chicago
“I like it,” said Rachel in a virtual interview. “I want to go to college for business management, so this is a good step in that direction,” she added. Rachel is in charge of organizing the Tech Sherpas into groups in terms of their readiness to present with the technology they feel most comfortable teaching others. She also works with outside organizations to schedule the presentations, lines up the students to present, coordinates the practice sessions, and participates in the actual event by doing a pre-event tech check, and helping to host the meeting. During the event, Rachel is usually working with a moderator who watches the meeting chat during the presentation, in addition to the presenters.
One of their most recent endeavors was a student-led presentation at the Virtual End of Summer Fest for the Google Waterloo Engineers. It was an opportunity for Google engineers to see creative uses of their tools by ‘real’ people. The topic was using Google Slides to Create Animations, like this one. The Tech Sherpas worked with EdTechTeam Canada for the event which featured the skills of Tech Sherpa, Kaiden Kelley who also happens to be Mr. Kelley’s son.
Kaiden Kelley presenting to Google Engineers
“When presenting, I’m there to share my skills with the teachers,” Kaiden said of his experiences presenting with the Tech Sherpas. In the event with Google engineers, he shared the skills, tips, and tricks that he learned from using Google Slides on various projects over the years. Be began working with the tool in 2012 and has experienced a myriad of changes and upgrades from Google that he has been able to navigate and use in his everyday work.
A pro at presenting, Kaiden said he doesn’t get nervous anymore during presentations and that the most memorable part of the presentation to Google was seeing everyone “come in” to the virtual meeting from all over the world. The successful presentation has led to further talks with Google Canada about more presentations by the Tech Sherpas.
“We are in a world now that everybody has experienced video conferencing,” said Mr. Kelley. “We will never again live in a world where that has not happened.” Mr. Kelley hopes to give his students as much experience as possible doing video conferencing knowing that when they graduate from high school they will need to be ready with skill sets that allow them to compete for jobs and post-secondary opportunities all over the country, and potentially enabling them to work and learn from right here in Maine.
While Mr. Kelley is excited about the incredible opportunities his students have experienced during the pandemic, he is quick to explain that using video conferencing is not necessarily better education for students, “it is a tool that we can use to keep providing opportunities for kids.”
Austin Taylor and Brittney Bubar presenting at the Hawaii Island TechEd Conference
Other ongoing projects of the team include helping Mr. Kelley on professional learning opportunities for teachers in Maine. One is an opportunity for educators in any part of the State to explore distance learning tools for students and teachers with the help of the United Technologies Center Adult Education and the Tech Sherpas (Learn more about this opportunity here).
Another is a similar “adopt a teacher” project at Nokomis where the students help resident educators with any technology needs they may be having as they navigate hybrid and remote teaching this year. It not only helps boost technology opportunities for students at Nokomis, but also bolsters relationship building, presenting, and teaching skills for the students. Their hope is to expand on these efforts to expand these types of opportunities for students and teachers state-wide
Maine DOE Team member Karen Kusiak is being highlighted this week as part of the Get to Know the Maine DOE Team Campaign. Learn a little more about Karen in this question and answer.
What are your roles with DOE?
During, before, and after the Legislative session I support the policy team with analyses of bills that relate to education. I follow hearings, testimony, amendments, work sessions, voting in the chambers of the Legislature, and the Governor’s actions on bills. In all seasons, I organize responses for, or respond to, formal inquiries about education that are submitted to the Governor’s Office or that come from members of the Legislature. During pandemic times, I have been working on a team to review and coordinate school districts’ applications for federal relief through ESSER and through the second round of funding in the state’s Coronavirus Relief Fund.
What do you like best about your job?
I learn something new about at least one federal or state law, rule, policy, practice – or a nuance of law, rule, policy, or practice – practically every day.
How or why did you decide on this career?
Education found me over 40 years ago; I didn’t think I wanted to be a teacher. However, after I stumbled into a Title One aide position (before Maine used the term “Ed Tech”) I quickly became a certified teacher (via alternate route) then special educator, special education administrator, and teacher educator who prepared future teachers to be critically aware of practices and policies that marginalized some students or undermined public schools and the practice of education. I was and continue to be particularly dismayed about neoliberal education policies of the last decade or more, and worked to change them. I’m delighted today to be part of a team that is focusing on education equity from inside government.
What do you like to do outside of work for fun?
I enjoy independent cinema, cooking, travel (when I can…), reading, time with my two daughter who moved “away,” and keeping up with the news. This summer and fall I have made a point to find new places to put my kayak in the water and new Maine Trails to walk. Before the pandemic, I enjoyed rowing Cornish pilot gigs in Belfast Harbor.
Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin and Deputy Commissioner Dan Chuhta will host a virtual briefing for legislators on Thursday, October 15, 2020 from 11 am – 12 pm.
Maine school leaders have successfully welcomed back students from Kittery to Madawaska while facing multiple challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers and school staff are working tirelessly to provide education and support services to children statewide. Commissioner Makin will provide an update on the ongoing work occurring in schools, recent initiatives that the department has undertaken as part of our continued provision of resources and support for students and educators, and answer questions.
The update will occur for one hour and can be viewed live via YouTube.
Maine DOE Newsroom 