Category: News & Views

Book Study – Finding Your Blind Spots: 8 Guiding Principles for Overcoming Implicit Bias in Teaching

Join the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Office of School and Student Supports (O3S) as they read and reflect on Finding Your Blind Spots: 8 Guiding Principles for Overcoming Implicit Bias in Teaching, by Hedreich Nichols. Members of the Maine DOE introduced this book study to participants at the Educator’s Summit in early August, and have also introduced participants to the author! The O3S first heard Nichols’ work on Jennifer Gonzalez’s podcast: Uncovering Your Implicit Biases: An Exercise for Teachers | Cult of Pedagogy.

Hedreich Nichols is an educator, writer, and passionate advocate who is sharing her lived experiences with readers and participants of this book study so that we can be reflective practitioners and can truly understand bias. You can also find her work and conversations but searching #Smallbites on Twitter. Check out the author’s website to learn more about the book.

This opportunity is open to all Maine educational personnel.  Sessions are being held on Thursdays – either at 3:00 pm or 7:00 pm.  Participants are welcome to join for both or just one session! January 26, 2023 is our first offering, and we will be reflecting on chapters 1-3.

Register here and choose your time preference.

Future sessions are scheduled on February 9, 2023 and February 16, 2023. CEUs are offered for participation (8 hours). For any questions about this opportunity, please contact Maine DOE Family Engagement and Cultural Responsive Specialist Melanie Junkins at melanie.junkins@maine.gov.

Seeking Educators to Pilot MOOSE Platform; Info Session 1/18/23

Do you want to explore and implement innovative curriculum this spring? Are you interested in expanding your impact outside your classroom/school? The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is currently looking for dynamic, creative, and collaborative educators to pilot MOOSE modules and would love to have your class participate! 

Now in its third year, Maine’s Online Opportunities for Sustained Education (MOOSE) platform continues to grow. Last year, we added PreK-12 Learning Progressions to our already robust bank of MOOSE modules – created by Maine teachers for Maine students. These modules center on interdisciplinary, project-based learning experiences that are accessible, inclusive, and available for free online. 

Feedback on the modules themselves and their usability is vitally important as we are constantly improving existing modules and applying lessons learned to new creation. We are looking for Maine educators interested in using an existing MOOSE module in their classroom with five (5) or more students and providing feedback about the experience. You get to decide the module(s) you want to pilot based on what works best for you and your students this spring. Stipends will be provided for up to two modules ($500 each) that you have piloted and provided feedback on. All required elements must be completed by June 30th, 2023. 

If you are interested in applying but still have questions, the MOOSE team will be holding a Q&A session via Zoom on Wednesday, January 18th, 2023 from 3 – 4 pm. Registration for the Q&A session can be found here. The session will be recorded and sent to anyone who registers even if they aren’t able to make it in person. Questions can be submitted ahead of time to be answered in the session.

For more information, please contact Jaime Halbmaier Stuart. Jaime.halbmaier-stuart@maine.gov 

If you are ready to apply applications can be found here. Applications are due by January 27th, 2023. 

Third Round of Grant Funds Available to Support the Expansion of Public Pre-Ks 

As part of the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan, Governor Mills allocated $10 million of the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds appropriated for Maine for public pre-k infrastructure to increase the number of 4-year-olds enrolled in public pre-k across the state. For 2022-24 school years, 28 School Administrative Units (SAUs) were awarded funding to expand or start new Pre-K programs.

The Maine DOE is excited to add an additional round of public pre-k expansion funding for school year 2023-24.

Currently, public Pre-K in Maine is not universally available for all 4-year-olds. While the cognitive and social-emotional benefits of high-quality pre-k are well documented, there are a variety of factors that contribute to the ability of SAUs to offer public pre-k and the extent to which they can enroll all eligible 4-year-olds from interested families. This funding will help expand pre-k opportunities across Maine.

Maine SAUs interested in starting or expanding public pre-k are encouraged to apply for funding through the Pre-K Expansion Request for Applications (RFA). SAUs will be able to use the funding, in combination with Essential Programs and Services allocations, to start new pre-k programs, add additional pre-k classrooms to already existing programming, and/or expand existing programs from part-day/part-week to full-day/full-week programs. Funding may also support public pre-k programming through partnerships between SAUs and community providers.

A timeline for the RFA process is provided below.

  • January 5, 2023–RFA released
  • January 20, 2023—RFA submission deadline

All questions about the Pre-K Expansion RFA should be submitted to the Pre-K Expansion Grant Coordinator identified on the Grant RFPs and RFAs webpage.

Additional questions regarding this announcement should be directed to:
Pre-K RFA Coordinator, jane.kirsling@maine.gov.

Expansion and Revisions to Computer Science Integration (CSI) Initiative

In an effort to be responsive to the feedback we’re receiving about the Computer Science Integration (CSI) Initiative, the Maine Department of Education has redesigned the CSI Initiative to better meet the needs of Maine’s education field. Please find the new design and expectations below. We hope that this will help to alleviate concerns that folks had in participation. 

In this new design, we’ve shortened the duration of our first cohort to January 2023-September 2023 and we’re offering two tiers of engagement:

  • CSI Educators can engage in Tier 1 only or;
  • CSI Educators can engage in Tier 1 and Tier 2 (CSI Educators who engage in Tier 2 must engage in Tier 1) 

Tier 1

In Tier 1, educators will engage in CSI PD and work to create “Artifacts” (model lessons, support resources, coaching models, etc.) for their school and to share statewide. Educators will be provided a stipend of $1,500 to engage in computer science integration PD and work with educators within their school to contribute to a repository of computer science integration artifacts that will be available to educators statewide. 

Tier 1 will engage educators in Maine DOE provided CSI PD; work will be virtual/remote and meetings will occur outside of school time; Tier 1 PD will consist of virtual meetings and asynchronous activities and discussions. 

By September, Tier 1 CSI educators will feel confident in their understanding of computer science integration and will have successfully worked with other educators in their school to integrate computer science into existing lessons and class time. CSI educators will contribute to a repository of computer science integration artifacts that will be available to educators statewide. 

Tier 2

In Tier 2, CSI educators will engage in the Maine DOE’s CSI Summer Institute and CS Showcase. Educators will be provided a stipend of $1,000 and travel expenses, to attend the CSI Summer Institute and present at the Computer Science Showcase. These are in-person events that will take place during the summer of 2023, dates and locations TBD. 

Tier 2 will consist of a multi-day summer institute and the CS Showcase. Educators will engage in a multi-day institute where they network, collaborate, and work together to grow computer science across the state and in their own schools. These educators will also take part in the CS Showcase, showing off some of the awesome work they’ve done throughout the past few months of CSI. 

Expansion of the CSI Initiative

Additionally, we’re excited to announce that we’re able to expand this opportunity beyond one educator per school! This will allow schools who have more than one educator interested in this initiative to take part! 

To nominate an educator to be a part of this exciting opportunity, please complete this brief form. 

If you have already completed a nomination, there is no need to resubmit. We will be contacting all nominees that have already been submitted to provide next steps before the end of the day on Friday, January 6th. 

If you have questions or would like more information, please reach out to Maine DOE’s Computer Science Specialist, Emma-Marie Banks, at emma-marie.banks@maine.gov 

Winter/Spring Social Emotional Learning Implementation Office Hours and Professional Learning Opportunities

Please join Maine Department of Education (DOE) Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Specialist Sarah Norsworthy for the following SEL Implementation Professional Learning Opportunities being offered this winter and spring. Professional learning about SEL Implementation will occur in 4 strands, read & discuss, thinking routines, picture books and EdTech.

  • Weekly Open Office Hours: Tuesdays from 10:00-11:00 AM – Drop in with questions, comments, or for connection. Offered virtually – Pre-Register here Via Zoom Link
  • Weekly Interactive Professional Learning Opportunities: Thursdays from 1:30 – 2:30 PM – Offered Virtually – Pre-Register here Via Zoom Link. Each session will start with 20 minutes of focused learning followed by a conversation on classroom application. More info is available on the SEL Implementation Webpage. Upcoming sessions include:
    • 1/5/23 – Using Pear Deck To Build Belonging/Social Awareness
    • 1/12/23 – Picture Book Spotlight: Learning About Ourselves & Others. My Name Is An Address – A pronunciation guide is linked here. We will explore this book and talk about extending it within classrooms. Bring a copy – if you can.
    • 1/19/23 – Thinking Routine Spotlight: Developing Belonging, Social Awareness & Curiosity
    • 1/26/23 – Book Group: The Social Emotional Learning Playbook Module 1. Join ready to discuss module 1. Educators are encouraged to join with colleagues to continue the conversation within your schools.

Join the SEL Listserv for regular updates, and bookmark the SEL Implementation Webpage – resources and information are being regularly added.

For more information contact Sarah CB Norsworthy, Maine DOE SEL Implementation Specialist at sarah.norsworthy@maine.gov.

2023 Maine School Winter Wellness Summit: Prioritize Your S.E.L.F.

Prioritize Your S.E.L.F. – Sleep. Eat. Laugh. Fitness. “Be the best you, so you can be your best for your school.”

Join your colleagues from across the State to refill your wellness toolbox! This is a professional (and personal) learning event that will feature outstanding keynote speakers and engaging health promotion and wellness sessions. There will also be opportunities to learn about state programs and local school district wellness teams, successful wellness strategies, resources, and programs to can help build an action plan for healthier staff, students, school community, and learning environments.

When: Friday, January 27th from 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. (Snow date February 3rd)
Where: The Samoset Resort, Rockport, ME
Who: School and community individuals and teams of 2 or more interested in schoolsite health promotion and wellness
Cost: Early registration extended to January 6 from December 30 – $60/person. Regular registration after January 6 – $75/person. Late registration after January 20 – $90/person; Registration closes January 24. Morning Refreshments and lunch included in registration. Contact hours will be available. *If you will be paying by purchase order please contact susan.berry@maine.gov before you register. Now available: Scholarships to support access to the 2023 Winter Wellness Summit. Visit the website for details: Employee & Student Wellness Professional Learning

Our theme is focused on the importance of healthy habits and how they are interconnected. All areas of health will be addressed, (physical, mental, emotional, social, etc.) with knowledge and skills/strategies shared to enhance daily health practice. The content will support all within a school community promoting overall health and wellness.

Keynote Speakers:

Nancy H. Rothstein
Nancy H. Rothstein

The opening keynote speaker, Nancy H. Rothstein, aka The Sleep Ambassador®, is a globally known sleep expert on a quest to raise awareness, educate and provide strategies to optimize sleep for all. Sleep is integral to health, performance, productivity, safety, and well-being. This is a challenge for many so expanding our understanding of the impact of sleep, or not enough sleep, on our health is vital to our performance and well-being. Nancy’s goal is to empower people to enhance their sleep so they can live at their best.

Larry Weaver
Larry Weaver

The closing keynote, Larry Weaver, is a comedian and motivational speaker who delivers a one-of-a-kind, interactive, and uplifting message. He will illustrate keys to a positive attitude that are crucial to success and… simply having more fun at work! Larry will leave you laughing, learning, and better equipped to become more positive in your personal and professional life.

The goal of the Maine School Winter Wellness Summit is to inspire and empower participants to take care of one’s health and create healthier, more positive, and safer schools for all school personnel and students by engaging in health promotion and improving personal health and well-being and enhancing academic achievement.  In addition to the keynote presentations, this year’s agenda includes time to network with colleagues and professionals from across the state who value and practice health promotion and wellness, engaging and educational workshops on personal wellness practices and programs to support positive school environments, and support for worksite wellness program planning.

For more information visit the Maine DOE Employee and Student Wellness Website.  Contact susan.berry@maine.gov if you have any questions and please plan now to join us for the 2023 Winter Wellness Summit!

MEDIA RELEASE: Help Honor Maine Teachers – Nominations Open for Maine Teacher of the Year Program

The Teacher of the Year Journey starts with your nomination. Nominate someone from your town, county, or region today at mainetoy.org/nominate.

MAINE – Nominations are now open for the 2023 County Teachers of the Year and 2024 State Teacher of the Year. Members of the public are encouraged to nominate educators who demonstrate a commitment to excellence and who inspire the achievement of all students.

“Maine’s Teacher of the Year Program is unique,” said Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin. “In addition to much-deserved recognition of the incredible educators in Maine classrooms, it is also a year-long journey that gives educators from each county in Maine a platform to share their passions and knowledge. This program is a growing network of dedicated and caring education colleagues from across our State and nation, so please take a few minutes and nominate someone today.”

Nominations can be made through a nomination form on the Maine Teacher of the Year Website now through 5:00 pm on Feb. 5, 2023. Nominations will be accepted from students, parents, caregivers, community members, school administrators, colleagues, college faculty members, and associations/organizations (self-nominations, and nominations from family members are not accepted).

To be considered for the County and Maine Teacher of the Year award, a person must:

  • Hold the appropriate professional certification for their teaching position;
  • Be a full-time, certified, in good standing, PK-12 teacher in a state-accredited public school, including a career and technical education and adult education center, a public charter school, or a publicly supported secondary school (a private school that enrolls 60 percent or more publicly funded students, sometimes referred to as “town academies”);
  • Be actively teaching students at least fifty percent of the workday at the time of nomination and during their year of recognition.
  • Maintain their teaching position and remain in the County for which they are selected throughout the year of recognition.
  • Have a minimum of five years of teaching – three of which are in Maine.

Maine’s County and State Teachers of the Year serve as advocates for teachers, students, and public education in Maine. They serve as advisors to the Department of Education and state-level education stakeholders across Maine.  Additionally, County and State Teachers of the Year join a cohort of teacher leaders that actively work together for the betterment of education in Maine. They also receive on-going professional learning and participate in many state and county leadership opportunities.

The 2023 County Teachers of the Year will be announced in May. The 2024 Maine Teacher of the Year will be selected from the 16 county honorees. Through a selection process designed for educators by educators, the field will be narrowed to semi-finalists and then state finalists before the Maine Teacher of the Year is announced by Maine’s Education Commissioner at a school assembly in the fall. Each year, State and County Teachers of the Year are honored at the annual Teacher of the Year Gala also held in the fall.

On behalf of, and in partnership with Maine Department of Education, the Maine Teacher of the Year program is administered by Educate Maine, a business-led organization whose mission is to champion college, career readiness, and increased education attainment. Funding is provided by Bangor Savings Bank, Dead River Co., Geiger, Hannaford, the Maine Lottery, the Silvernail Family, and Unum, with support from the State Board of Education and the Maine State and County Teacher of the Year Association.

“We are proud to administer the Maine Teacher of the Year program in collaboration with the Maine Department of Education,” said Dr. Jason Judd, Educate Maine Executive Director.  “Now more than ever, we need to recognize the excellence within our educator workforce, amplify the voices of classroom teachers, and elevate the teaching profession in Maine. The 2023 County Teachers of the Year will be the tenth cohort to engage in this reflective and rigorous process and join the growing network of teacher leaders teaching, learning, and leading in Maine.”

The Maine Teacher of the Year program is committed to a nomination and selection process that ensures people of all backgrounds are represented.  Educate Maine and the Maine Department of Education champion that commitment by encouraging the nomination of educators from all culturally diverse experiences and backgrounds.

Through the generous support of Maine businesses, there is no cost to the local district when the Teacher of the Year is out of the classroom on their official duties, which includes representing educators state-wide and nationally through safely distanced in-person and virtual events that highlight the important work of Maine schools, communities, and educators.

For more information about the Maine Teacher of the Year program, visit the Maine Teacher of the Year website. Help us promote the Teacher of the Year Program by using the promotional materials on our website!  Our goal is to expand and diversify our nomination pool!

Media Contact: Dolly Sullivan, Educate Maine at dolly@educatemaine.org

Help Me Grow Maine – A Free Resource to Connect Children and Families to Services

We are excited to share the launch of Help Me Grow Maine, a resource developed by Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services. This is a free, easy-to-access resource that connects children up to 8 years of age and their families, as well as pregnant people, with information and services related to child development and other family needs. Please share this resource with your school support staff, families, and school communities.

More about ‘Help Me Grow, Helping Families in Maine’

The earliest years of a child’s life present great opportunities to promote positive outcomes that will set a trajectory for the rest of their lives. Resources and services to address the needs of families with young children must work together as a coordinated system to have the greatest possible impact in this critical developmental time frame.

Throughout the state of Maine, there is an existing grid of resources to help provide for the development and well-being of Maine’s children. This grid works as designed for some families; they easily connect and receive a consistent supply of what is needed to support them. For many other families, though, connecting with the grid is a challenge. They can’t readily plug in, and if they do connect, they experience an inconsistent flow of resources, for a variety of reasons. Those reasons could include confusing eligibility requirements, difficulty reaching or hearing back from a resource after trying to connect, siloed programs with limited knowledge of each other, and many others. These challenges and more can prevent families from connecting with the supports they and their children need to be healthy in every way.

Help Me Grow Maine exists to strengthen this resource grid. This is accomplished by connecting families to providers, and providers to other providers, in ways that improve success in access. Help Me Grow’s Resource Specialists support families all over the state, and importantly, also report to stakeholders and policymakers the ongoing needs in our communities. Our central access point is a way for all families of children birth to eight, as well as pregnant people, to reach out and be linked with information, resources, and referrals to the already-existing services that are part of the grid here in Maine. We are a low-barrier resource, requiring no formal referral from a professional, no financial or diagnostic criteria, and no paperwork to complete to begin the process.

Reasons to reach out to Help Me Grow include:

  • You are working with a family that needs additional supports, but you are unsure what they are eligible for/where to refer them.
  • A family needs support in getting successfully through the process to connect with a program or resources (CDS, Targeted Case Management, Early Care and Education settings, etc.).
  • You would like to speak as a professional with a resource specialist about what resources are available for a family you are working with, or about resources in your area in general.
  • You would like a child to receive a developmental and/or social-emotional screening.

Help Me Grow is now available statewide. Support through Help Me Grow can be accessed by both families and providers by calling 207-624-7969 or via our online referral portal found here: Help Me Grow Maine Online Referral. Families can also access support via our partnership with 211 Maine; when calling 211, Option 5 will transfer callers to a Resource Specialist from Help Me Grow, and 211 specialists also collaborate to provide “warm transfers” of callers to Help Me Grow when appropriate.

For more information or to complete a developmental screening, please visit our website. You can also reach out to Melinda Corey, Help Me Grow Outreach Specialist, to learn more (207-441-1553, call or text; melinda.corey@maine.gov).

Deer Isle Stonington High School Students Pitch in to Improve Elementary Outdoor Classroom

School Union 76 was awarded funding for a Rethinking Responsive Education Ventures (RREV) pilot project last year to create outdoor learning spaces for students across the district. With those funds, the district has created an ADA-accessible boardwalk with an adjacent ADA Outdoor Classroom that is part of a nature trail, both are designed to be inclusive for all students to be able to engage, connect, and explore and significantly boost their student learning proficiencies across all subjects – and even the students are pitching in to make improvements to the new spaces.

As part of regular maintenance to the district grounds, many saplings were taken down this past summer in the process of maintaining the campus driveway and the well. One of the teachers wisely set them aside, rather than sending them to the local dump. After agreeing to build the railing, Deer Isle Stonington High School students taking a course named Construction I class measured and planned their project. Then, they stripped the bark from the aspen, maple, and beech trees and cut the pieces to the correct length to assemble a beautiful railing for the new Outdoor Classroom. Visitors can see by their handiwork that they considered spacing and the shape of the branches as they installed the branches.

In addition to this upgrade, 7th graders have also stepped in to help. After hearing of the desire from the kindergarten classes for immediate seating, they rolled stumps leftover from prom into the space.

“The end result is stunning!” Remarked Science Teacher Mickie Flores. “Students and staff at both the elementary and high school are enjoying the space as a place to be outdoors and a place to learn,” she added.

RREV is an initiative of the Maine Department of Education, funded by the Education Stabilization Funds through the US Department of Education’s Rethink K-12 Education Models, that bolsters Maine educators’ innovative efforts to support their students with agile, effective, and resilient learning experiences that improve learning outcomes for all students.  

Martin Mackey, the former RREV Project Director who tragically passed away in April of 2022, embodied the RREV spirit: to think and act boldly to meet the needs of students. His passion was to “change lives.” As such, he challenged each and every RREV participant to do just that as they designed pilot ideas that would ultimately have a lasting systemic impact on students.  After 18 months of leading RREV, Martin’s passion had been passed on to over 200 educators who had participated in innovation professional development. From those educators, over 40 Pilot ideas were brought to fruition and have received over $8 million in RREV awards. Through their pilot ideas, these educators have pledged to commit themselves to innovation. 

The Maine DOE encourages all schools and districts across the State of Maine to learn more about these innovative educators and their RREV pilots through the RREV website and the online RREV collaborative platform known as EnGiNE. It is through EnGiNE that we all hope to continue the Martin Momentum to change students’ lives through innovative and responsive educational programs. 

Winter Virtual Events Hosted by the National Center for Community Schools

The National Center for Community Schools is hosting the following virtual events this winter. For more information about these events email them at nccs@childrensaidnyc.org.

Webinar: Essential Resources for Driving Community Schools Forward
Thursday, January 12, 2023, 3-4 PM ET | Virtual | Free

The Community Schools Forward task force, convened by four national partners —the Center for Universal Education at Brookings, the Children’s Aid National Center for Community Schools, the Coalition for Community Schools, and the Learning Policy Institute—brought together national and local community school practitioners and advocates to identify and create field-informed resources to align, build, and scale evidence-based, effective, and sustainable community schools.

On January 12, join a webinar to launch the Community Schools Forward task force’s essential community school resources. The webinar will delve into the process of creating the essential resources and underscore their most important aspects. Following a keynote conversation and a framing presentation, a moderated panel discussion of experts—including NCCS Director Abe Fernández—will share their perspectives on what makes this a unique moment for the education field and how the work of the task force can advance community schools. – Register here

Community Schools 101 – January 5 | Virtual | Free

While a growing number of school districts across the country are adapting and scaling the strategy, there are still leaders, practitioners, and partners that have questions about what it means to be a community school and how to get started. This free virtual session, led by the NCCS team, will provide an introduction to the foundational elements of the community school strategy and how it can work for your school community. Register here

Community School Coordinator Boot Camp – January 31 – February 3 | Virtual

A professional learning opportunity exclusively for community school coordinators. Coordinators will learn foundational skills, develop an action plan, and build a network of peers. Check out our Agenda at a Glance and register today! Register here

Community School Supervisor Boot Camp – February 10 | Virtual

A half-day professional learning opportunity for those who supervise community school coordinators. Attendees will learn about coordinators and how to support them, strategies to navigate and build relationships across a school system, and collaborative practices to successfully develop the community school strategy. – SAVE THE DATE!