Help Maine Celebrate Maine Forest Products Week, Oct. 20-26

The Maine Forest Products Council, through the State of Maine, has issued a proclamation celebrating Maine Forest Products Week Oct. 20-26 (in conjunction with National Forest Products Week).

Schools and educators are encouraged to consider teaching a lesson or creating a display, event or other activities to highlight one of Maine’s oldest industries. Perhaps you might partner with local forest-related businesses or organizations, such as your historical society.

The goals of this celebration are to showcase Maine’s rebounding forest products industry — with about $700 million in investments over the past few years — and to showcase forest-related businesses and jobs (more than 30,000) in every county in the state.

Sarah Medina of Seven Islands, which manages forest land for the Pingree family whose holdings date back to 1820, has written a column that explains more about Maine Forest Products Week and about activities that occur in other states with active forest products industries. The Maine Forest Products Council is also planning to set up a web page with a calendar of Maine events, be on the lookout for that.

Here are some reports that might be helpful:

For more information, resources, or help, please contact Roberta Scruggs, Communications Director, Maine Forest Products Council.

Career and Education Development Standards Review- Writing Team

The Department of Education is performing a review of the Maine Learning Results for Career and Education Development and has openings on its writing team. The purpose of the writing team is to revise the current standards, based on guidance provided from a steering committee. For more information about the standards review process, check the new Maine DOE standards revision website.

The team will serve as a representative sample of Maine K-12 teachers and school counselors actively working across geographic locations in Maine. While all interested educators are encouraged to participate, those who work in K-8 grades or have experience explicitly teaching Maine’s Guiding Principles are highly encouraged to apply. Also, to help ensure that the geographic diversity of our state is represented, those who teach in the following counties: Hancock, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Piscataquis, or Sagadahoc are strongly encouraged to apply.

We are hoping as many of the writing team members as possible will be able to participate on Sept. 11th and/or 12th so we may have rich conversations from a variety of perspectives across Maine. These dialogues will inform and set the direction for any remaining work on Sept. 17, 25, 26. We understand the challenges when school is in session, and are grateful for any amount of days writing team members are able to participate at our meetings in Augusta.

Participants will receive contact hours for time worked, be reimbursed for travel costs, and be provided continental breakfast and lunch for participants of in-person meetings.

If you are interested in participating, please complete this short survey by 4:00 pm Tuesday, September 10^th to be considered. For more information, contact Maine DOE Career and Education Development Specialist, Diana Doiron at 207-624-6823 or diana.doiron@maine.gov

Franklin County Adult Education Educator Recognized as Outstanding District Educator

Information submitted by Michael Burd, Franklin County Adult Education Technology Instructor/Integrator.

Long-time Adult Education Educator Maggie Scholl was recognized recently at an event that took place within her district.

Maggie is described as patient with a calm demeanor and the tenacity to make sure that each and every one of her students learns. She is known for maintaining positive communication with students, has a caring approach to education and a genuine interest in students.

Pleasant and collaborative with her colleagues, she contributes to the team both professionally and personally. One of her former students and a current colleague had this to say about Maggie, “I am the teacher that I am today because of great role models and this educator is definitely one of the larger role models of education for me.”

Maggie is a graduate of the University of Maine at Farmington where she later worked as a tutor in a program that helped veterans obtain a G.E.D. and improve their skills to go on to college. After a short stint working locally as a teacher, she left teaching to raise her children. Years later, she returned to the classroom when she accepted a position working for the Franklin County Adult Education Program in RSU 9 doing the same work she had enjoyed so much in the past. She has been teaching adult education there for more than 20 years.

Pre-K for ME: Open-Source Curriculum

Maine DOE is proud to announce the release of Prek for ME, an open-source curriculum for preschoolers. Developed in response to public prek teachers looking for an evidence-based, whole child, content integrated curriculum that is low cost, Prek for ME builds on the Boston Public Schools preschool curriculum and contains a comprehensive program, including outdoor learning and technology activities appropriate for young children.

This is only one of many curriculum options from which school districts can choose as Maine DOE does not dictate curriculum.

Prek for ME can be found at: https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/earlychildhood/PreK4ME. Educators should read the guidance documents included with the curriculum materials to support successful implementation of the curriculum.

For more information contact Nicole Madore at nicole.madore@maine.gov.

Maine High School Students Can Still Apply for Early College Courses

The University of Maine System released the following message yesterday regarding applications for early college courses:

Maine students and their families still have one week to explore and apply for Early College courses at all of Maine’s Public Universities using the ExploreEC Portal. The portal is new for the fall semester and classes start September 3rd. UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy welcomed students and their families to Orono today for an Early College Orientation and urged everyone to share the news that students throughout the state still have to apply now for fall Early College courses.

Apply Now with New ExploreEC Portal: The University of Maine System launched the ExploreEC portal to allow high school students to explore and apply for Early College courses at all seven campuses with one streamlined application. Students from 120 Maine high schools and homeschooled students have already used the ExploreEC portal to register for classes this fall and over 300 school counselors have received training and access to support students with the online application process. Students still have a week to explore and apply at: ExploreEC.maine.edu

Earn $3,000 in Free College Credits with Early College Career Exploration Certificates: High school students can now explore and begin preparing for careers with immediate opportunities in the Maine workforce. The Early College Career Exploration Certificates guide high school students as they learn about majors and career options. Upon completion, students earn a designation on their university transcript. The college credits they earn can save their families approximately $3,000 in tuition costs. Visit https://academics.maine.edu/early-college/pathways/ to learn more about the Early College Career Exploration Certificates being offered.

Read the entire media release from the University of Maine System here or visit: http://www.maine.edu/thousands-heading-back-school-early-college/

Media Release: Maine DOE Releases Thank You Video to Educators with the Help of Special Friends

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) released a Back to School Thank You video just in time for the many teacher in-service days that are taking place all over the state this week, prior to Maine schools welcoming students back into the classroom for the 2019-2020 school year.

View the video: Video can be viewed here or at https://www.maine.gov/doe/thankyou, where you can also find an MP4 available for download, in addition to a closed-captioned version of the video.

The video opens with a message from Maine DOE Commissioner Pender Makin, accompanied by a slide show of images taken in Maine schools all over the state. Commissioner Makin’s message is followed by a montage of thank you messages from Maine students, Maine’s congressional delegation including Senator Susan Collins, Senator Angus King, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, and Congressman Jared Golden, along with Governor Janet Mills, comedian Tim Sample, author Stephen King, Red Claws Mascot Crusher, Olympian Joan Benoit-Samuelson and Maine DOE staff, all saying thank you to all the dedicated professionals who work in, and on behalf of, Maine schools. We hope all of Maine will take a moment to thank our school employees, and remind them how valued and appreciated they are, as they embark on yet another year of positively impacting the lives of Maine students.

For more information, please contact Maine DOE Director of Communications Kelli Deveaux at (207) 624-6747 or at kelli.deveaux@maine.gov.

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Get to Know the DOE Team: Meet Stephanie Clark

Maine DOE team member Stephanie Clark is being highlighted this week as the part of a Get to Know the DOE Team campaign! Learn a little more about Stephanie in the brief question and answer below.

What are your roles with DOE?

I am the fiscal compliance associate with School Finance and Compliance. I am responsible for collecting and reviewing the financial audits from the School Administrative Units as well as the municipal schools and towns, I am also responsible for the Special Education tuition financial reports and I conduct the audits for the school construction projects once the project is complete and closed.

What do you like best about your job?

I like the fact that I can help the districts with staying in compliance with what statute requires of them. It is so rewarding to start with a person that is confused or doesn’t understand something work with them and explain why and how to help them complete the job they are trying to accomplish.

How or why did you decide on this career?

I have worked for the State of Maine for over 13 years and in that time I have worked in a few different agencies, I am happy to say that I am enjoying the Department of Education and the work that we do here the most.

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

I have two dogs, Sadie, a Yorkshire terrier and Remy, a toy poodle named after the color announcer Jerry Remy of the Red Sox, with whom I like to cuddle and watch TV with. Along with my dogs I like to spend time traveling with my husband Glen around and outside of the State. I also enjoy spending time with my church family.

Regional Conversations Regarding Serving Children with Disabilities from Birth to 5 Years of Age

As most of you are aware, L.D. 1715, “An Act to Reorganize the Provision of Services for Children with Disabilities from Birth to 5 Years of Age” has been carried over to the next Legislative session. This bill proposes the transition of responsibility for special education services for preschool-age children from Child Development Services to the public schools.

The Department recognizes that there are many questions and issues involved with the proposed transition, and that they may vary significantly by region. Because of this, and in preparation for the Committee for Education and Cultural Affairs’ continued consideration of L.D. 1715, the Department of Education feels that it is critical to receive input from regional stakeholders. We have established regional stakeholder meetings, based on the established Superintendent Regions.

Each of these regional stakeholder meetings will include all Superintendents and Directors of Special Education who are available to attend, and the department will be inviting representatives who meet the following criteria:

A designee of the Commissioner of Education
A representative of a Special Purpose Preschool who is contracted with CDS to provide services
An individual who, as a sole proprietor, is contacted with CDS to provide services
A representative of a Head Start agency or program
An early childhood teacher from a public 4-year old program that includes eligible children
A principal of a public elementary school that includes eligible children in its public 4-year-old program
A representative of a statewide association of speech, language and hearing therapists
A representative of a statewide association of occupational therapists
A representative of a statewide association of physical therapists
A parent of a child with a disability between 3 and 5 years of age who is currently receiving services from CDS
A representative of a childcare program

Due to the limited space available, additional representatives from the above list may be accommodated depending on the response received from Superintendents and Directors of Special Education.

Regional Stakeholder meetings are scheduled for the following dates and locations. All meetings will be from 10:00 to 3:00:

Midcoast
September 16^th at the Senator Inn, Augusta

Western
September 16^th at the Senator Inn, Augusta

Kennebec
September 17^th at the Senator Inn, Augusta

Washington and Hancock
September 17^th at the Black Bear Lodge, Orono

Penquis
September 18^th at Jeff’s Catering, Brewer

Aroostook
September 18^that Caribou Inn and Convention Center, Caribou

Cumberland and York
September 19^th at the Westbrook Armory, Westbrook

Please respond to Jonathan.Madden@maine.gov with your availability to attend as soon as possible.

Thank you and we look forward to hearing your valuable input.

Back to School Backpack for Administrators!

As the students and staff arrive with their new, back to school items, we want to make sure that our administrators have what they need for a great new year, too! The Department of Education has created a special “Back t o School Backpack” for building and district leaders. In it, you will find resources that will help you with the climate, culture, inclusiveness and wellness of your schools and students, and a number of documents and ideas to consider for the new school year. We encourage you to look through, and let us know how we can help you and your schools throughout the year! Please be sure to sign up for our weekly updates, follow us on Facebook or Twitter, check out our expanding professional development offerings, send good news to us, and encourage your staff to join the content specific listservs by contacting the content specialist.

Grab your backpack, and have a great school year!

Maine Care Billing, What We Know

A number of schools have contacted us to ask for an update on the requirement that IEPs list Maine Care paid, medically necessary services for children with disabilities. Because the requirements for billing for Maine Care exceed what is required and typically included on the IEP, we will need to work with DHHS to find a mutually acceptable solution. Please see our website (bottom right of page- recently changed forms) for our updated IEP form. We are in contact with DHHS and the Maine Care School Liaison to assist in providing details to our colleagues in the field. At this time, we do not anticipate any further clarification or decisions until October, when we will be pursuing a discussion with federal contacts at the annual National Alliance for Medicaid and Education conference. We are advocating for a simplification of the process and documentation, and a narrowing of requirements.

We will keep you informed as we pursue information and answers, appreciate your patience, and welcome your feedback. For more information, please contact Jan Breton at janice.breton@maine.gov.