Get to know the DOE Team: Meet Pam Ford-Taylor

What are your roles with DOE?

I am the DOE School Enrollment Specialist for K-12. This includes approving public and private schools, managing home instruction, coordinating Commissioner waivers and Superintendent agreement appeals, and conducting policy and analysis work related to student enrollment and eligibility.

What do you like best about your job?

Everything! I was a university system employee for years (I loved that too). It’s great to be part of the executive branch of government where we get to share the privilege of shaping education for all of our children and youth. I also appreciate so much all of the excellent, dedicated and collaborative colleagues in the Department.

How or why did you decide on this career?

I’ll answer by sharing a favorite statute, from § 5001-A(7): “Compulsory education is essential to the preservation of the rights and liberties of the people and the continued prosperity of our society and our nation. Maintaining regular student attendance is necessary to achieve the goal of an educated citizenry.”

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

Hike the woods and fields with my cattle dog, Nancy; spend time with my husband and children camping (or doing anything); global travel; read; cook. I have a first grandchild too, very sweet!

WIDA Early Years Online Learning Modules (to Support Multilingual Children) Available at No Cost to Teachers and Administrators

The Maine Department of Education would like to remind Maine’s early care and education community that they are able to access to the WIDA Early Years online learning modules. These modules focus on supporting young multilingual children, ages 2.5 to 5.5 years and are available at no cost to teachers and administrators. Multilingual children, commonly referred to as dual language learners, are children who are developing more than one language.

Each self-paced, interactive module provides opportunities for reflection and offers suggestions for applying content to local practice. The following modules are available:

Dual Language Learners and their Families
WIDA Early English Language Development Standards Framework
Dual Language Learners with Disabilities
Scaffolding Language Learning
Promising Practices

A description of each module, frequently asked questions, and instructions for creating a user account and registering for the modules can be found in the documents listed below:

Access the modules: WIDA Early Years online modules (visit and create your user account)

If you are a program leader, administrator, trainer, or coach, we hope you will utilize these modules as a resource to support the professional learning needs of those serving multilingual children. The modules can be used in staff development sessions and/or shared with individual educators or teams of educators, such as professional learning communities.

Contact hours are available upon completion of a module. To receive a contact hours certificate, please download the certificate of completion generated by the WIDA Early Years online system and email it to april.perkins@maine.gov.

Additionally, the Department has purchased a set of WIDA Early Years Promising Practices Implementation Kits to assist districts in refining their programs for young multilingual children. These kits serve as a program self-evaluation tool, highlighting several evidence-based, highly effective strategies for supporting children’s development of multiple languages. Several districts with a significant number of dual language learners will receive these kits. A district that does not receive its own kit may request to borrow one from the Maine Department of Education.

WIDA Early Years resources have been provided to Maine educators through Title III, CDS, Head Start and public pre-k funds.

If you have any questions about these resources, or to request to borrow a WIDA Early Years Promising Practices Implementation Kit, please contact Maine DOE Director of ESOL/Bilingual Programs & Title III April Perkins at april.perkins@maine.gov or (207)624-6627.

ECTA’s Executive Summary of CDS Regional Stakeholder Meetings

In October of 2019, at the request of Maine Department of Education (MDOE), technical assistance personnel from the IDEA Early Child Technical Assistance Center (ECTA) facilitated seven regional stakeholder groups to gain additional understanding of SAUs’ perspectives on the proposed transition of the transfer of responsibility for special education services for children, ages 3 to 5, to the public schools. ECTA’s Executive Summary of those meetings provides regional and statewide detail regarding both the opportunities and challenges that the proposed transition presents.

By design and necessity, the size of the regional groups was limited and primarily consisted of SAU representatives. However, MDOE and CDS acknowledge that the input of stakeholders, other than SAU representatives who participated in the regional meetings, is exceptionally valuable in developing a comprehensive understanding of complex variables that must be considered.

The Executive Summary can be found at https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/cds/laws. Interested parties are encouraged to email their input to CDSStateDirector@maine.gov using “Stakeholder Feedback” as the subject line. A synthesis of input received will be posted to this site prior to the January Legislative session, and will be provided to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs for their consideration.

CDS Seeks Public Input on the Revised Part C System of Payments Policy

Child Development Services (CDS) seeking public input on its recently revised System of Payments policy for Part C services. The revised policy reflects the feedback that CDS received from stakeholders and the State Interagency Coordinating Council regarding the implementation of a family fee for receipt of Part C services for families who meet income guidelines. That feedback overwhelmingly expressed concern that the use of a family fee would decrease the number of families accessing Part C services, necessitate the addition of at least one position to the State Office team, require increased expenditures in postage and for the tracking of payments, and that the revenue generated from a family fee would be minimal and fail to justify the anticipated challenges and costs. The revised policy can be found at https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/cds . Feedback will be accepted until January 31, 2020 and can be submitted to CDSStateDirector@maine.gov, using“SoP input” the subject line.

MaineCare Seed adjustments to be made, review Q1-20 reports by January 15, 2020

The recovery of Q1-20 MaineCare Seed will occur in the January 2020 subsidy payment, and the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) is asking School Administrative Units (SAUs) to review their reports by January 15, 2020 to ensure accurate adjustments to subsidy. SAU staff must review student by student claims on both the public and private MaineCare reports for Q1-20 by January 15, 2020.

To access the MaineCare Seed reports, please follow the instructions below.

Log into NEO using the link below

https://neo.maine.gov/DOE/neo/Dashboard

Anyone who currently has Special Education Director permissions to the Special Education module will automatically have permissions to access MaineCare reports.

As in the past, if a new staff member needs permission to access this module, a request from the Superintendent to the Maine DOE helpdesk will be necessary. The helpdesk contact information is medms.helpdesk@maine.gov or 207-624-6896.

Click on the Student Data tab
Click on the Student Report tab
Select MaineCare in the Reporting Area drop-down
Choose the quarterly Seed report and the report type (private/public)
Click view report button
Once the report appears on the screen, choose the export button.

You may export the reports to Excel, but please be aware that there may be multiple worksheet tabs within the workbook. Save the file to your computer.

If you disagree that a particular student or time period should be on the report, please provide the reason that you disagree, along with the following, to Denise.towers@maine.gov.

Identify the type of report (public or private) and the quarter in which the claims are located.
State Student ID
Service provided dates (From and To)
Total amount of Seed being disputed

Summer services: Students must be enrolled for the time period they are receiving educational services. This means that students that are receiving extended school year services in district, or extended school year services in an out of district placement, must have a primary enrollment for that time period in order for the MDOE to have the most accurate enrollment data to determine SAU responsibility for MaineCare Seed.

For more information or technical assistance related to MaineCare Seed, please contact Denise.towers@maine.gov.

Free eWorkshops to Assist with Teaching Students who are English Learners

Educators in Maine now have the opportunity to participate in six, self-paced, on-demand eWorkshops developed by WIDA, a trusted name in the field of multilingual learner education and assessment. WIDA eWorkshops cover a range of topics intended for a variety of audiences, from K-12 classroom teachers, to ESL specialists, to district and school administrators. All eWorkshops are free and available when and where it is convenient to you!

The following eWorkshops are available in the eLearning Center of the WIDA Secure Portal:

Using the WIDA Writing Rubric
Leading for Equity: Classroom Walkthrough
Classroom Educators: Engaging Newcomer Multilingual Learners
Language for Learning in Mathematics
Doing and Talking STEM
Foundational Concepts for K-12 Educators

To access the eLearning Center, you will need a WIDA Secure Portal account. Contact WIDA customer service at help@wida.us or 1-866-276-7735 to set up your account. If you have any questions about this notice, please contact April Perkins at april.perkins@maine.gov or (207)624-6627.

Keep Kids Moving, Keep Kids Learning!

During these cold winter days of cabin fever in the classroom, we want to support educators with resources to keep kids moving and engaged. Evidence suggests a positive impact of physical activity on academic achievement and in reducing behavioral challenges. Active recess time, physical education classes, and utilizing action-based learning strategies in the classroom can all be part of the regular school day.

We share the following as a resource.

Programs to explore

Healthy Kids Healthy Futures: Staff can learn about the benefits and best practices of physical activity in child care and early education (including pre-school) settings. Physical activity habits learned in early childhood can last a lifetime.

Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program: This guide is for schools and school districts to develop, implement, and evaluate comprehensive physical activity programs. School-age youth should participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day, and schools have a significant role to play in helping students achieve this recommendation. This guide will help schools identify how to establish more active school environments.

Let’s Go: Let’s Go! is a childhood obesity prevention program found across Maine and in Mt. Washington Valley, New Hampshire. These programs use evidence-based strategies to increase healthy eating and physical activity among children from birth to 18. The foundation for change is the 5-2-1-0 healthy habits message, developed in Maine and recognized nationally.

Explore Physical Activity: School staff can learn about the five components of a comprehensive school physical activity program and how this new national model can support a culture of physical activity at your school.

I Can Do It (ICDI): The “I Can Do It” program is a strategic physical activity program for students with disabilities in the K-12 school setting designed to provide access, equity, and facilitate and encourage opportunities for students with disabilities to be physically active for 60 minutes a day.

Specific Class Motor Break Ideas

Classroom Exercise Breaks for Elementary Students: Classroom exercise break suggestions for elementary school classrooms.

Reading: Literacy and movement suggestions to engage middle school students in acquiring knowledge. The suggestions require minimal materials and teacher preparation.

Scholastic Teachers: Suggestions for combining both exercise and movement in early childhood classrooms across the content areas.

Math: quick physical activity games: Movement suggestions to engage students while improving number sense.

Physical Activity Math Games: A list of possibilities for supporting kinesthetic learners during mathematics instruction.

Classrooms in Motion : A review resource hub for teachers committed to infusing movement into their instructional plans.

For more information or to share ideas, contact Jean Zimmerman, Health and Physical Ed. Consultant, at Jean.zimmerman@maine.gov or 207-624-6687.

CTE Programs- Input Request!

In an effort to enhance Maine’s high quality Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, the Department of Education is seeking your input.

The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1984 was recently reauthorized as the Carl D. Perkins Strengthening Career and Technical Education (CTE) for the 21st Century (Perkins V) Act of 2018. Since the reauthorization, the CTE Team at the Department has met with stakeholders to develop the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) Maine State Plan.

Maine’s state plan is now available for public comment for the next thirty (30) days, with public comment closing on Monday January 20, 2020. The Maine Perkins V state plan is located on the Department’s CTE webpages. Feedback should be provided through the available survey. Recommendations and comments will be reviewed and posted on the CTE webpage. Input may also be provided, in person or in writing, during a public hearing for the Perkins V State Plan scheduled for January 9, 2020, 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm at Burton M. Cross State Office Building, 111 Sewall Street, Augusta, Room 103 A and B. For additional information, please contact Dwight A. Littlefield at dwight.a.littlefield@maine.gov

China Primary School Second Graders do Pumpkin Decomposition Project

Submitted by Keith Morin, Assistant Superintendent of Schools and Chief Academic Officer for Regional School Unit No. 18.

In preparation for China Primary School’s second grade’s spring Earth Science studies, earlier this fall we researched where our trash goes and prepped a project we will be digging up on Earth Day! We hollowed out a pumpkin, filled the pumpkin with our snack time trash, and then buried our pumpkin behind our school!

Our second graders placed seeds, nuts, plastic wrappers, juice boxes, apples, carrots, and
goldfish into the pumpkin! We made predictions as to which items would break down between now and April – and which snack items would not! We are so excited to dig up our pumpkin in the spring and make our observations!

Belgrade Central School Celebrates 2nd Annual Young Reader’s Week

Submitted by Keith Morin, Assistant Superintendent of Schools and Chief Academic Officer for Regional School Unit No. 18.

Founded by Pizza Hut and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress in 1989, National Young Readers Week has been an annual event held at Belgrade Central School during the second week of November to raise awareness around the importance of reading. This is Belgrade Central’s second year of using this week to spread the love of reading around our school community.

Each teacher scheduled events to take place throughout the week that would highlight reading, and we participated in some school-wide events too. On Thursday, November 14th grades K-2 and grades 3-5 each held a “Read-In” event where they all gathered together in the gym to “get cozy and read” for a period of time. Blankets were spread out everywhere, kids were snuggled up with their friends and favorite books, and we all read together! Mrs. “Bacon” brought along her special friend “Mrs. SunnysideUp” to join in on the fun!!

On Friday, November 15th, the whole school participated in a Book Parade, allowing students to dress up as their favorite book characters, carry their favorite books, and spread the love of books up and down our hallways.

Other events and things you could see around the school were bookmark projects, decorated doors, guest readers in classrooms, math literacy (students finding math concepts in picture books), and whole day “read ins” feeding off our school-wide events.

This was a great way to bring the school together around the love of books!