The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is seeking dynamic, creative, and collaborative science and social studies educators to design and deliver professional development on the updated standards.
We are looking for Maine educators including, but not limited to, teachers, curriculum leaders, and administrators with a strong background and understanding of the revised science and/or social studies standards. These cohorts of educators will work with Maine DOE content area experts as well as community partners to support their work.
Work will begin in March 2024 and run through February 2025. We will work to design, create, and deliver high-impact asynchronous, live/virtual, and live/in-person professional development. Selected educators will meet with their design teams once a month and be expected to complete work between meetings. We are looking for 40 educators to work with us. Educators will earn stipends of $900 to create professional learning and selected teacher-leaders can earn an additional $300 to take on a leadership role in the design teams. Interested educators should submit an application via this form. Please submit your application by March 6th, 2024. Selected applicants will be notified by March 15th, 2024.
For more information about this opportunity, please contact Beth Lambert, Maine DOE Chief Teaching and Learning Officer, beth.lamber@maine.gov.
The Civil Rights Team at Eliot Elementary School has been working hard to make their school a better place to be. The Civil Rights Team is made up of 21 grade three students who engage their school community to think and talk about race and skin color, national origin and ancestry, religion, disabilities, gender, and orientation (in an age-appropriate manner).
“Our team works to make our school a safe and accepting place for all of our students,” said Civil Rights Team Advisor Marissa Armitage. The Civil Rights Team Project is a statewide initiative coordinated by the State of Maine Office of the Attorney General.
Grade 3 students have been spreading the message of acceptance and standing up for what’s right. They’ve been thinking about important issues, hosting important conversations, and changing the climate of the school to be more inclusive.
To combat bias-based harassment, the Civil Rights Team recently hosted an assembly for the Great Kindness Challenge, a weeklong national campaign in January where students in schools across the U.S. are challenged to complete as many acts of kindness as possible using a customizable checklist. Armitage says the Civil Rights Team was outstanding at modeling citizenship during their week of kindness this year.
“The Great Kindness Challenge is just one example of [the Civil Rights Team] initiative,” said Armitage. “I’m really proud of the way our students have shown up as leaders. They set the tone for the rest of the school,” she added.
Armitage tells us that the Civil Rights Team has many more plans for schoolwide initiatives throughout the year.
The Maine County and State Teachers of the Year Association (MCSTOYA), in partnership with the Maine Council of English Language Arts (MCELA), has announced the winners of the second annual Student Writing Contest that showcased the outstanding talent of students and the incredible impact of teachers in Maine.
“The Student Writing Contest aims to lift students’ voices in recognizing teachers’ impact on their lives in ways both small and large,” MCSTOYA and MCELA said in a joint statement. “In only our second year, the submissions exceeded our expectations. We are touched by the stories of caring and supportive teachers from across our state and from every grade span.”
After careful consideration, the judges have selected the following students as the winners:
PK-2
1st Place: Giles Urwin, Grade 2, The Center for Teaching and Learning, Edgecomb
2nd Place: Avery Barnett, Grade 2, Elm Street School, Mechanic Falls
Honorable Mentions:
Po Salko, Grade 1, Kate Furbish Elementary School, Brunswick
Brenden Onyon, Kindergarten, Poland Community School
Anais Hernas, Grade 2, Daniel W. Merritt School, Addison
Grades 3-5
First Place: Adeline Inman, Grade 5, The Center for Teaching and Learning, Edgecomb
Second Place: Abisag H. Castillo Marrero, Grade 4, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Brunswick
Honorable Mentions:
Arthur Douglas, Grade 5, Oxford Elementary School
Josie Mains, Grade 5, Oxford Elementary School
Grades 6-8
First Place: Isla A. Litton, Grade 8, Cape Elizabeth Middle School
Second Place: Arianna Brooks, Grade 8, Bruce M Whittier Middle School, Poland
Honorable Mentions:
Ruby Glenn, Grade 7, Coastal Christian School, Waldoboro
Zabina Zimmermann, Grade 8, Cape Elizabeth Middle School
Grades 9-12
First Place: Jocelyn Davis, Grade 9, Oak Hill High School, Wales
Second Place: Sebastian Milstein-Jones, Grade 9, Casco Bay High School, Portland
Honorable Mentions:
Shukri Ibrahim, Grade 9, Casco Bay High School, Portland
Nataly Fitzpatrick, Grade 12, Nokomis Regional High School, Newport
“We are incredibly proud of all the students who participated. Teaching can be so incredibly hard, and on really tough days, you can start to question yourself and whether or not you make a difference. But how can you not be uplifted by the words of these students,” said Heather Webster, Co-chair of the Writing Contest Committee.
Our youngest writers in grades PK-5 share:
“He shows us things in little steps…”
“[she] makes me feel safe/by knowing me so well.”
“She changed my life, made me think smarter…”
Students in grades 6-12 echo these thoughts in more complexity:
“She makes you feel seen in a room jammed with people.”
“He pushed me to my limits…every day he was in class he taught me a new life lesson.”
“[She] saved me, my spark, and life and she has continued to help me guide myself…to become the person I am today and dream to be.”
And of course, the sentiment that shines through every submission is “all I want to say is, truly, thank you.”
The winners will receive Amazon Gift Cards in the amounts of $125.00, $60.00, and $30.00, and their work will be featured on the MCELA website.
MCSTOYA and MCELA extend their gratitude to the judges for their time and dedication in evaluating the entries. Additionally, we thank all the participating schools, teachers, and students for contributing to the success of this contest.
Math4ME is a free, three-year, whole-school project designed to support all educators (classroom teachers, special educators, ed techs, and interventionists) to strengthen math proficiency for all learners with a specific focus on increased math proficiency for students with math IEP goals. The project will focus on building positive math school communities and classrooms, mathematical content and pedagogical skills, supporting inclusionary practices, increased family engagement, and formative assessment including the Early Mathematics Diagnostic Interview (EMDI).
For more details about the Math4ME project check out the informational video.
We are accepting applications for the 2024-2025 cohort until April 5, 2024. Math4ME Application
Join the Maine Department of Education for in-person Spring 2024 regional conversations for McKinney-Vento liaisons and organizations. During these meetings, participants will:
Hear updates on federal, state, and local policies and resources for students and families who are homeless or have unstable
Learn how to increase your school and district’s capacity to support
Hear strategies to address human trafficking impacting Maine students and families from Hailey Virusso and Celine Guedj, Preble Street.
Brainstorm solution-oriented strategies affecting youth in your school and
Network with colleagues from other schools and organizations in your
Dates and times for schools and organizations in your region!
Androscoggin, Franklin, & Oxford Counties
University of Southern Maine-Lewiston Auburn – 51 Westminster St, Lewiston
Tuesday, March 12 – 9:00 – 11:30 am
Aroostook County
ME Department of Labor – 66 Spruce Street, Presque Isle
Thursday, March 21 – 9:00 -11:30 am
Mid Coast, Kennebec & Somerset Counties
Burton M. Cross Office Building – 111 Sewall Street, Augusta – Room 103 A&B
Thursday, April 25 – 9:00 -11:30 am
Penobscot & Piscataquis Counties
Wings for Children and Families, 900 Hammond St, #915, Bangor
Wednesday, March 20 – 8:05 – 10:30 am
Washington & Hancock Counties
Maine DHHS Regional Office – 38 Prescott Drive, Machias
Wednesday, March 20 – 1:00 – 3:30 pm
Washington & Hancock Counties
Maine DHHS Regional Office – 38 Prescott Drive, Machias
Wednesday, March 20 – 1:00 – 3:30 pm
York & Cumberland Counties
People’s Choice Credit Union – 23 Industrial Park Road, Saco
Tuesday, April 30 – 9:30 am -12:00 pm
No cost to participants ~ Registration is required. Click here to register here for the regional meeting you want to attend!
For More Information Contact: Signe Lynch, Interim McKinney-Vento State Coordinator at signe.lynch@maine.gov or Susan Lieberman, ARP Homeless Children and Youth Consultant at susan.lieberman88@gmail.com.
ARP funds received from the USDOE support the implementation of this project. The project has an award totaling $795,000 dollars of which 100% is federally funded and directly attributed to project implementation. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by the USDOE or the U.S. Government.
The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is accepting applications from school administrative units (SAUs) and Education in the Unorganized Territory (EUTs) whose school boards designate an existing school or establish a new school as a community school. The Commissioner may provide state funding to the SAU in which community schools are located pursuant to section 15689, subsection 25.
To learn more about Community Schools and this opportunity, interested applicants are encouraged to view this recorded Community Schools Information Session by accessing the link here: https://youtu.be/YYIXcgeRqv0. Additional information about Community Schools can be found on the Maine Department of Education’s Office of School and Student Supports’Community Schools webpage.
All questions about the Community School RFA should be submitted to the Community School Grant Coordinator identified on the Grant RFPs and RFAs webpage.
Additional questions regarding this announcement should be directed to Julie Smyth, Director of Office of School and Student Supports at Julie.A.Smyth@maine.gov.
The National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) has opened nominations for the 2024 Outstanding Biology Teacher Award! Every year, the Outstanding Biology Teacher Award (OBTA) program attempts to recognize an outstanding biology educator (grades 7-12 only) in each of the 50 states; Washington, DC; Puerto Rico, Canada; and overseas territories.
Candidates for this award do not have to be National Association of Biology Teachers members, but they must have at least three years of public, private, or parochial school teaching experience. A major portion of the nominee’s career must have been devoted to teaching biology/life science, and candidates are judged on their teaching ability and experience, cooperativeness in the school and community, and student-teacher relationships.
Outstanding Biology Teacher Award recipients are special guests of Carolina Biology Supply Company at the Honors Luncheon held at the National Association of Biology Teachers Professional Development Conference, receive gift certificates from Carolina Biological Supply Company, resources from other sponsors, award certificates, and complimentary one-year membership from the National Association of Biology Teachers.
For more information about the Outstanding Biology Teacher Award, please contact Ken Vencile, Maine Outstanding Biology Teacher Award Director at ken.vencile@fivetowns.net.
(Pictured: Emily Worcester a senior at United Technology Center [UTC] in Bangor.)
The Hall of Flags was abuzz Wednesday morning as representatives from across the state came to Maine’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month Kick Off at the State House. Students, instructors, and directors from 15 of Maine’s 27 CTE centers came with everything from canapes to holographic 3D fans, proudly sharing legislators and government officials the advanced skills CTE students are learning.
Biotechnology Tool from Foster Career and Technical Center
When you think of vocational learning, you might picture what Hancock County Technical Center director Bill Tracy describes as “hard trades” such as welding or mechanics. However, the CTE students of today are starting down a wide array of career paths, from graphic design to criminal justice.
“We’re really trying to give kids a broad breadth of what they can do at a CTE enter,” explained Tracy, “I don’t want them to think it’s just hard trades. Even though the hard trades are really important, there are so many different things they can do.”
Chris Davis, the assistant director of Farmington’s Foster CTE Center, was excited to share what his students are learning in Foster’s biotechnology program.
“They’re learning how to isolate a virus, DNA splicing, and genetic engineering,” he said. “Students working with biotechnology are looking at the biomedical field or forensics. It really increases their ability to work in a lab.”
Many CTE instructors and directors see their work as a building block for Maine’s economy. Matt Peterman of Sanford Regional Technical Center explained, “Maine CTEs are important because we are trying to build the Maine economy, and we’re trying to develop young employees to replace an aging workforce.”
As an extension of this effort, CTE curriculums support their local economies. For example, Oxford Hills Tech School offers a popular hospitality and tourism program, which they are expanding to include outdoor recreation to prepare students to work in the growing ski and ride industry of Oxford County.
Instructor Jeremy Bourque of Somerset Creative Tech Center hopes to see his students prosper and return to Maine. “Our county has a pretty high poverty rate, so we’re pretty proud of the work we’ve done changing these kids’ lives, helping them go to school, find a really good job, and then come back to Somerset County to help the county grow and change,” he said.
Another positive change happening at CTE schools across the country is an uptake in young women working in trades. Maine is no exception regarding this trend. In fact, every instructor and director at the kick off reported an increase in “non-traditional students.”
“We’re trying to break some stereotypes,” Peterman explained. “Traditional roles don’t exist anymore. Anyone can do the job.”
Instructors have seen this trend most notably in welding programs, which continue to be one of the most popular CTE offerings in the state. Jorja Brown, a junior at the Somerset Career and Technical Center, came to the CTE Kick Off to share her experience as a young woman in welding. “I am the best in my class,” she declared, noting that “it’s really cool to experience a very male dominated trade.”
United Technology Center (UTC) senior Emily Worcester was also present, representing young women in mechanics. Worcester is a part of UTC’s small engines program, and loving every second of it. “My experience has been absolutely amazing,” said Worcester. “It’s a chance to expand my knowledge. I could expand my knowledge into a future career, or I could take this knowledge and do my own personal thing. It’s a good choice to have.”
Canapes made by the Capitol Area Technology Center (CATC) Culinary Team.
Having this kind of hands-on, real-world education is precisely what keeps many CTE students in school. Matthew Hamilton, the Student Services Coordinator at Bath Tech, came to CTE after working as a dean of students. As a dean, Hamilton saw many students who struggled in a traditional school setting. Hamilton shared that those same students now excel in their CTE programs. They are “coming to school early, they’re coming to school on a regular basis, and they’re jazzed up about learning.”
Students like those Hamilton described were the most excited to share their CTE experiences at the kick off. “I was going to drop out in December of my junior year,” remembers Brett Bretton, a senior in the Culinary Program at Capitol Area Technical Center. “But my guidance counselor suggested the culinary program for me, and now, instead of dropping out, I’m going to college for this.”
CTEs aren’t only keeping kids in school but giving them an early advantage for their post-graduate lives. “People think vocation or technology centers are for students that are not college bound, whereas we’re the total opposite. We catapult students so that they can go to college and go to college with a head start,” commented Michael Bouthilette of Biddeford Regional Technology.
Kaylie Trembly of Lewiston Regional Technical Center (LRTC) chose to enter the EMT program after speaking to past graduates. “The people I talked to who went through LRTC are doing really well,” said Trembly, “it helped them determine where they wanted to go.”
CTE programs work with post-secondary institutions across the state, like Southern Maine Community College, University of Maine Farmington, and trade schools like the Aveda Institute. However, these partnerships go beyond traditional higher education, partnering directly with local employers to place students in the field. At Region 9 School of Applied Technology, CNA students split their time between Rumford Hospital and local nursing homes. Meanwhile, in Ellsworth, students can intern with Jackson Laboratories.
“We know we’re small, we’re rural, but I’m definitely passionate about this work,” said Brenda Gammon, the director and superintendent of Region 9, “I’ll do anything I can to give students the best opportunities.”
Kaylie (EMT Program) and Ava (CNA Program) from Lewiston Regional Technical Institute (LRTC).
The Read to ME Challenge Promotes Literacy by Encouraging Adults to Read to Children for At Least 15 Minutes, Challenge Others
Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin kicked off Maine’s Read to ME Challenge today by reading Manolo & the Unicorn to second graders at Jameson Elementary School in Old Orchard Beach. The students enthusiastically responded to Makin’s call for them to join the Read to ME challenge themselves and read to an adult or younger child in their lives. They also discussed their favorite books and who the students plan to read to.
The Read to ME Challenge encourages adults to read to children for 15 minutes, capture that moment via a photo or a video, and then post it to social media and challenge others to do the same using the hashtag #ReadtoME. This is the ninth year that the Maine Department of Education (DOE) is collaborating with community organizations and schools on this month-long public awareness campaign to promote the importance of literacy for all of Maine’s students, regardless of age. The DOE will highlight Read to ME Challenge events throughout February through Read Across America Day.
“This is about sharing the love and joy of reading. When you’re able to read together, it creates shared human experiences that transcend everything else that is happening in our electronic world. When you hear the words, and those words create the colors and the shapes in your mind, you can create a whole different world and it’s a very magical and beautiful thing for kids. Reading just 15 minutes a day can help create a lifelong habit for children,” said Commissioner Makin.
The simple act of reading aloud to a child 15 minutes a day for five years results in 27,375 minutes of language exposure, which can put children on the path to high literacy achievement and helps them build knowledge and vocabulary. Research demonstrates a number of benefits to reading to children, from birth through their childhoods and even teenage years, including modeling reading as an enjoyable lifelong activity, stimulating brain development, reducing stress and anxiety, building knowledge of the world, and helping develop the skills necessary to succeed in their lives.
The Maine DOE recently launched $10 million in literacy grants for schools to build the capacity of year-long, core literacy instruction for all students and support core literacy instructional components based on the science of reading, including phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
Schools and community organizations can find a toolkit and resources on the Department of Education website and the Department will be sharing videos, photos, and updates from the challenge all month long on social media. Participants in the challenge are reminded to use the hashtag #ReadtoME and to tag the Maine DOE at @MaineDepartmentofEducation1 on Facebook, and @mainedepted on Instagram.
The Maine Department of Education, in collaboration with Career and Technical Education (CTE) schools throughout Maine, is celebrating CTE month this February by highlighting some of the amazing women who have found their path in life through career and technical education. We hope their stories inspire you the way they have inspired us.
As a junior in high school, Madison Jackson had no idea what she wanted to do when she graduated.
“I was worried about it because everyone else already knew,” remembers Jackson as she one day decided to check out the list of class options at her local Career and Technical Education (CTE) center, Capital Area Tech Center (CATC) in Augusta.
Initially, Jackson wanted to be a Game Warden but remembers seeing computer technology on the list of pathways at CATC and thinking, “Oh, that’s like video games, that will be fine,” she recalled. “That’s not what it turned into at all,” she added.
As a 2023 graduate from Cony High School, Madison Jackson grew up around technology, but she never dreamed it would one day be her job.
“We had the old Windows 7 and I loved playing games on that,” she said. “I remember getting a new iPad and I thought it was the most glorious thing.”
Jackson was mesmerized by people who could build computers but when she first got started, she felt like she was picking up the hardware side of things slower than her all-male classmates. Eventually, she realized her true passion was software, cybersecurity, and networking. From there, her abilities and talent have grown into an exciting career path.
For Jackson, going to school at CATC was very different from traditional high school. It felt like she finally had a choice in the classes she took every day and for that reason, she looked forward to the school day. “We had stuff to get done, but we had the freedom to get it done, in our own time,” remembers Jackson as she explained how much better the learning environment was for her at CATC.
Jackson said one of the things she is most proud of during her time at CATC was making her original CTE teacher, Michael Fraser, proud.
“I didn’t know who he was, we started a bond, and we became buddies,” said Jackson. “He was really proud of me for succeeding to [Skills USA] nationals. I didn’t make it far, but it was just seeing him hug me and be proud of me and everything I do, even if I didn’t turn out on top. Of course, I’m proud of myself, but he was always there for the students.”
Fraser said he is proud of everything Jackson has accomplished, but that they are her accomplishments.
“I am just her biggest fan,” said Fraser. “I remember specifically the day she was hooked, it was the first time she placed on that SkillsUSA stage, at the state conference, a confidence switch flipped in her that diminished any of her doubts about success in cybersecurity. From that point on, there was no stopping her,” he added.
Jackson said that being the only girl in her classroom both years was another major factor in propelling her to succeed in computer technology.
“It gave me initiative, not to be better, but that if I can do this it will be amazing,” she said.
This year Jackson is enrolled in the Cybersecurity-Digital Forensics program at Central Maine Community College (CMCC). While she is currently working on completing her 2nd semester in college, she also has a job working in her school’s IT department. She says she is still one of just a few women in all her courses, but she is looking forward to seeing change in the coming years.
“I earned a semester’s worth of college credits at CATC,” she added. “I don’t think a lot of kids know that they are actual credit.” Jackson’s teacher showed her how to take advantage of dual enrollment at UMA and because of that, she will be able to graduate early from CMCC.
“Students are presented with many opportunities here at the technical center and Madison Jackson was the student to take advantage of everything she could,” said Fraser. “Seeing her continued growth in this industry is what makes my job worthwhile, knowing she found her career interest is what we strive for with all of our students.”
Jackson has big plans to continue pursuing her education right in central Maine before jumping into the workforce. “I hope to go to UMA [the University of Maine at Augusta] and get my bachelor’s and master’s degrees,” she said. Meanwhile, she is doubling down by applying for internships as well.
Jackson has the following advice for other high school students, especially young women, who may be thinking about enrolling in a CTE course.
“Take a chance on any single class. I’ve seen girls in firefighting, welding, and construction,” she said. Jackson shared that the key to finding a sense of belonging is trying to find someone to connect with. “It’s easy to be by yourself as the only girl. Find a connection. I still have friends from my classes. I just took a chance.”
Maine DOE Newsroom 