Category: Newsroom Articles

Using Genealogy to Teach Inclusive History Workshops

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) has opened registration for the second year of the American Ancestors genealogical inquiry workshop for grade 4-8 teachers and administrators.  This program trains teachers to use inquiry-based lessons incorporating authentic methodologies professional genealogists use.  Lessons guide students through conducting family history research, thinking like a historian, honing their research skills using primary sources, and exploring case studies of important local and national people.  Go beyond family trees and help students make real-world personal connections to history.  In addition to the genealogy inquiry curriculum, there will be a focus on providing resources to support African American studies.

Two one-day workshops are available with an optional virtual professional learning community throughout the 2024-2025 school year.

  • Option 1: August 5th – in-person or virtual (no cost)
  • Option 2: August 6th – in-person at the Educators Summit (Educators Summit registration required)

To learn more and register, click this link. https://www.maine.gov/doe/learning/II/genealogy

For more information about this program, please get in touch with Jaime Beal, Maine DOE Interdisciplinary Instruction Specialist, at jaime.beal@maine.gov

Exciting Early Childhood Summer Summit Opportunity

Are you interested in exploring critical issues impacting early care and education? Are you wondering how you could work more collaboratively within your community to connect early childhood partners (e.g., childcare, schools, community-based organizations, etc.)? Are you eager to connect with other early childhood educators and consider ways of strengthening the early care and education mixed-delivery system in your community?

Consider attending the Early Childhood Summer Summit on Thursday, July 11, 2024, at Keeley’s Banquet Center, 178 Warren Avenue, Portland, Maine.  The summit will run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  Lunch will be provided. Attending is no cost, and up to 60 individuals can be accommodated.  CEUs will be made available to anyone attending the summit.

The goals of the Early Childhood Summit include:

  • To improve alignment and transitions for children and families, foster community-level coordination and collaboration across the mixed-delivery early care and education system, which includes childcare programs, Head Start, and elementary schools.
  • Strengthen understanding of evidence-based practices that are critical to leverage across the birth-grade 3 span to promote whole child development.
  • Supporting community-based planning and implementation efforts through mini-grants and ongoing technical assistance support.

What will the summit structure be like? 

The summit is funded through Maine’s Preschool Development Renewal Grant. It is jointly sponsored by the Maine Department of Education and the Office of Child and Family Services in Maine’s Department of Human Services.  Individuals may register to attend independently but are encouraged to come with a colleague interested in building community collaborations. The summit’s content will include various keynote addresses and workshop sessions connected to the goals outlined previously.  Topics will include promoting inclusionary practices, addressing challenging behaviors, promoting play as a foundational learning strategy, and promoting smooth transitions from early childhood education programs into public schools for children and families.  Time will also be provided for attendees to work with each other and presenters to develop plans for building collaborative early childhood community teams.

What are the next steps for attendees after attending the Early Childhood Summer Summit?

Individual 2024 Early Childhood Summer Summit attendees will be encouraged to build a community team during the 2024-25 school year. They will be given preference for attending the 2025 ECE Summer Summit.  Teams that attend the 2025 summit will receive $800 mini-grants to implement action plans.  Details about team building will be shared at the summit.

To apply: Complete the application by June 14, 2024. Each individual who plans to attend should complete the registration form. A field is included in the application to note if you plan to attend with a colleague so that we can group you at the summit.

For additional information, please contact Renee Reilly, Maine DOE PDG Manager, at Renee.A.Reilly@maine.gov or Andrea Faurot, OCFS PDG Manager, at Andrea.Faurot@maine.gov.

State Reporting Summer Training

Mark your calendars! Registration for the Data Summer Training is currently open! Trainings are scheduled at varying locations across the state from July 29th to August 1st and August 12th to August 15th. This year’s training will focus on reporting resource updates, guidance for data reporting best practices, and assistance with student enrollment. We look forward to providing this opportunity to meet with school administrative units to network and collaborate.

Dates and Locations:

  • July 29th – Presque Isle
  • July 30th – Old Town
  • July 31st – Perry
  • August 1st – Farmington
  • August 12th – Union
  • August 13th – Auburn
  • August 14th – Buxton
  • August 15th – Remote

Register Here!

Please Save a Seat for a specific location after initial registration is complete.

Registration will close on Friday, July 26th. If you have any questions about this year’s Summer Training, please get in touch with Alexandra.Cookson@maine.gov or call 207-446-3897

U.S. CDC Guidance for Preventing the Spread of Infections in Schools

United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC) recently released a press release highlighting Guidance for Preventing Spread of Infections in Schools to Keep Children Healthy and Learning. The full guidance, Preventing Spread of Infections in K-12 Schools, has been provided for consideration in the 2024 – 2025 school year on preventing the spread of infections in schools. US CDC is now providing this guidance to ensure it can be part of back-to-school preparations as plans for the new school year in the fall are being formulated.

The evidence-based strategies included in this guidance include:

When staff or children become ill, there are additional strategies to slow the spread of infectious disease that schools can implement, including:

  • Have staff and students stay home when they are sick. The guidance makes clear what specific symptoms necessitate staying home.
  • When applicable, use personal protective equipment (PPE) for school staff caring for sick children.
  • Hand washing, respiratory etiquette, cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting remain important.

The new guidance recommends updating school emergency operation plans, including infectious disease sections, and establishing and maintaining key partnerships with health departments, local medical systems, and other community health providers. It also complements the recently released CDC Respiratory Virus Guidance. These documents intend to support schools in developing and implementing evidence-based action plans to maintain healthy and safe school environments.

Additional Resources:

Maine CDC has additional free resources on infectious disease prevention that schools can order or download. For more information about airborne and direct-contact diseases, visit the Maine CDC website.

Maine DOE Announces 9th Annual Read to Ride Summer Reading Challenge

(Pictured: Valerie, a student at Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary, Brunswick School Department.)

Summer vacation is a welcome break from the daily school routine for children and parents alike, but the summer months can be detrimental to students’ learning if young minds are not kept active. Summer learning loss is a well-documented phenomenon, particularly for reading achievement.  Students can lose up to three months of reading progress during the summer if they don’t keep reading.  Combined across a child’s PK-8 school career, this can result in 1-2 years of lost reading progress.

Fortunately, the summer slide can be prevented or greatly reduced when students continue to read regularly. By encouraging children to read from a variety of resources for fun and to explore topics of interest, they continue to practice applying the skills they have learned, build their vocabulary, and widen their knowledge of the world. Reading to and with parents is equally beneficial for students who are not yet reading independently or just beginning to read.

Again, this year, the Maine Department of Education is collaborating with the Freemasons of Maine to sponsor the Read to Ride Summer Reading Challenge for students in grades PK-8. The Maine Freemasons have generously agreed to continue supporting the Read to Ride Challenge. In 2023, 36 students were awarded bikes and helmets; it is hoped that this number will grow even higher during the summer of 2024.

Louie from Laura E. Richards School
Clementine from Nobleboro Central School

Any school with students in the PK-8 grade span may register to participate. Participating schools will collect documentation from students who have completed the challenge. They will hold school-level drawings to select two students whose names will be entered into the state-level drawing held in October.  Schools are encouraged to participate in this challenge, coordinate it with any other summer reading challenges/programs they offer, and consider soliciting local-level prizes for students who complete the challenge.  Additional details, supporting documents, and a registration link are on the Maine Department of Education Read to Ride landing page.

Questions may be directed to Dee Saucier, danielle.m.saucier@maine.gov.

Preschool Maine Early Learning and Development Standards Update Released

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the Maine Roads to Quality Professional Development Network (MRTQ PDN), are thrilled to announce the release of the updated Preschool-Maine Early Learning and Development Standards (P MELDS).

Formally known as Maine’s Early Learning and Development Standard (MELDS, 2015), this new version aligns the Infant Toddler Maine Early Learning and Development Standards (IT MELDS) and Maine Learning Results, K-12 learning standards, with Maine’s early learning and development standards for 3–5-year-olds.  The updating process involved over 130 Maine professionals from across multiple sectors of the early childhood field.

Additionally, the Maine Department of Education and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services have established a landing page for information related to Maine’s early learning and development standards which explains the relationship between the MELDS (Infant Toddler and Preschool) and Maine’s Learning Results K-12. Please visit Maine’s Early Learning and Development Standards website or the Office of Child and Family Services website and click the “Maine Early Learning and Development Standards (MELDS)” link under provider resources.

In another exciting update, the Maine Department of Education and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the Maine Roads to Quality Professional Development Network (MRTQ PDN), will offer professional learning on the Maine Early Learning and Development Standards as an on-demand training beginning this summer (2024).

Digital versions of Infant Toddler MELDS, Preschool MELDS, and Maine Learning Results are available now on the websites referenced above.  Stay tuned for information on how to access a physical copy of the P MELDS.

For more information, please contact the Early Childhood Specialist at the Department of Education, Nicole.Madore@maine.gov, or the Family and Community Engagement Program Manager at the Department of Health and Human Services, Megan.Swanson@maine.gov.

Seeking Teacher Leadership Fellows to support Multilingual Learners

As part of our work to elevate the expertise of the Maine education field, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) is looking to hire Maine English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) educators in the following areas: elementary newcomer programming, including SLIFE, secondary newcomer programming, including SLIFE, and Multilingual Learners with disabilities.

These educators will be provided a stipend through this program to:

  • Enhance and revise content on the Maine DOE website related to their focus area;
  • Provide Maine educators technical assistance regarding classroom-specific best practices in their focus area;
  • Provide a monthly, 1-hour long professional learning opportunity for Maine educators. The professional learning will be based on requested needs from the field and will be offered virtually, synchronously, and archived for asynchronous access;
  • Form a community of practice that will be co-facilitated by the TLF and ESOL State Specialist to build and/or enhance systems and structures of collaboration among stakeholders specific to the emerging trends and needs in the field. The COP will meet monthly to build collective efficacy through common reads, expert guests, and actionable, differentiated planning.

The Fellows will be selected from Maine’s field of exceptional educators through a competitive process. Applicants must demonstrate that they have experience as classroom educators (all levels welcome to apply), have demonstrated innovative approaches in their classroom, have knowledge and experience in the focus area, and have been involved in learning communities throughout Maine.

Since the fellowship is in addition to their regular teaching job, fellows will work remotely and outside their contracted school hours.

Fellows will begin work as soon as suitable candidates are found. Work will begin in the 2024-25 school year (August – August) for 12 months. Fellows will be expected to work up to 20 hours/month for a stipend of up to $2,000/month.

Click here to apply. Applications close on June 21st, 2024.

For more information or questions, please contact Beth Lambert, Maine DOE Chief Teaching and Learning Officer, at beth.lambert@maine.gov.

Save the Date: 2024 Maine DOE Annual Summit Scheduled for August 6-8

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is excited to announce that its Annual Summit is scheduled for August 6th through 8th at Augusta Civic Center. This year’s theme is Supporting the Whole Student & Community.

The event features keynote speakers Pender Makin, Maine Education Commissioner; Jared Cooney Horvath, a Neuroscientist and Educator; Kim Strobel, a motivational speaker and Happiness Coach; and Catherine Ann Wilson, the founder of Stop Trafficking US, along with over 150 presentations and professional learning opportunities for everyone working in Maine’s school communities.

Build your knowledge base on a host of topics related to education and school safety, connect with colleagues, and get the high-quality professional learning, tools, and resources you need from the 2024 Maine DOE Annual Summit.

Registration is expected to open in early June! While we are busy preparing an exciting agenda and activities for this event, find updated information and more to come on the Maine DOE Annual Summit event page.

Maine DOE Update – May 24, 2024

From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

Due Dates & Resources for Quarter End-of-Year Reports

Four end-of-year reports require certification in June and July. These reports aggregate data from the entire school year’s reporting timeframe. |  More

| Visit the DC&R Reporting Calendar |

News & Updates

Governor Mills Announces Major Expansion of Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative

Governor Janet Mills today announced a significant expansion of her Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative that will provide thousands of middle and high school students with access to free outdoor learning and career exploration programs this summer and fall. |  More

Maine DOE Seeking Participants for the Title I Committee of Practitioners

We are still looking to recruit career and technical educators, school board members, and parents for the Title I Committee of Practitioners. Virtual meetings will be conducted on an ‘as needed’ basis (most likely three times per year). |  More

Celebrating & Welcoming Our Military Families at School

Since 1999, May has been recognized as Military Appreciation Month after former Senator John McCain proposed this during the legislative session. Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger first designated April as the “Month of the Military Child,” acknowledging the significant role military-connected students play in our communities. In 2011, the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension Military Youth and Family Program started the “Purple Up! for Military Kids” to encourage communities to support military children for their strength and sacrifice. |  More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

#TeachWithTech Grant Makes 3D Printing Accessible and Ecological at MDIRSS/AOS #91

The Mount Desert Island Regional School System’s (MDIRSS/AOS #91) Filabot Full Recycling initiative is creating new opportunities and ways of engaging in innovative educational practices in environmentally and economically conscious ways that foster interdisciplinary collaboration, improve engagement, increase student motivation, promote the growth in critical thinking skills, and stimulate thinking about ecologically sustainable practices in a high-tech world. |  More

Virtual Reality Enhances Cultural Learning in Cony High School’s German Class

Deb Backman’s German 3 class at Cony High School in Augusta is leading the way in educational technology by integrating virtual reality (VR) into their curriculum, thanks to the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) TeachWithTech grant. |  More

Brewer School District’s Renita Ward-Downer Named 2024 Curriculum Leader of the Year

The Maine Curriculum Leaders Association (MCLA) is thrilled to announce Renita Ward-Downer as the 2024 Curriculum Leader of the Year! MCLA is a state-wide collaborative that focuses on high-quality learning and teaching for all Maine students. MCLA promotes equity and meaningful learning through research, information dissemination, advocacy, networking, and professional learning. |  More

| Submit your Maine School Success Story |

Professional Development, Training, and Events

| Visit the Professional Development Calendar |

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities:

View current Maine Department of Education employment opportunities here

Maine DOE Seeking Participants for the Title I Committee of Practitioners

Title I of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires each state educational agency that receives Title I funds to create a State Committee of Practitioners to advise the State in its responsibilities under the Title I program. The purpose of this committee is to review any state rules and regulations relating to Title I and provide recommendations concerning processes and procedures related its implementation.

Committee members we are still looking to recruit:

  • Career and technical educators
  • School board members
  • Parents

The committee’s meetings will be conducted on an ‘as needed’ basis via Zoom (most likely three times per year). The term of membership commences July 1, 2024, and expires June 30, 2026. For those looking for more information on the Title I Committee of Practitioners, please see the FAQ.

Those interested in serving on Maine DOE’s Title I Committee of Practitioners Committee should fill out this form by Friday, June 7th, 2024. Questions can be sent to Rita Pello, at rita.pello@maine.gov.