Maine DOE Seeks Public Comment on School Improvement Grant Eligibility Waiver

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is seeking public comment on a waiver request related to the federal School Improvement Grant (SIG) program. Through this eligibility waiver request, the Maine DOE intends to further support Maine schools during a period of exceptional challenges due to COVID-19.

Pursuant to Sections 8401 (b) and 8401(d)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and Section 421(b) of the General Provisions Act, the Maine DOE is seeking approval from the U.S. Department of Education to:

Waive the eligibility requirements for SIG funds; and
Extend the period of availability of SIG funds until September 30, 2022.

If granted, this eligibility waiver request would give the Maine DOE authority to support a greater number of schools with their continuous school improvement efforts through the end of summer. To have the largest possible impact, the Maine DOE plans to utilize the remaining $812,951.51 in SIG funds to provide a Summer Leadership Academy designed to help educators address the academic and non-academic needs of students impacted by COVID-19. School Administrative Units (SAUs) may, however, seek individual school-level allocations instead. SAUs must contact the Maine DOE by March 11, 2022 if they do not agree with these remaining SIG funds being used on their behalf to implement a Summer Leadership Academy. Preliminary school-level funding amounts have been posted to the Maine DOE website.

Please note that any eligible SAU electing to receive individual school allocation(s) must utilize funding specifically to administer independent programming at each school within the SAU. In addition, Section 1003(a) of ESSA requires that each school that receive funds directly must:

Submit an online funding application to the Department, outlining how the school anticipates utilizing the allocated SIG funds to support continuous improvement efforts;
Obligate all allocated SIG funds on or before September 30, 2022; and
Liquidate (invoice) all allocated SIG funds on or before September 30, 2022.

As part of the statutory requirements for seeking this eligibility waiver, the Maine DOE must solicit and respond to public comment on its waiver request as well as provide evidence of the available comment period. This 15-day public comment period shall begin on February 25, 2022 and conclude on March 11, 2022. A copy of the full waiver is available here.

Questions related to this announcement as well as public comments on the waiver request may be sent to Travis Doughty at travis.w.doughty@maine.gov.

Educator Spotlight: Aspiring World Languages Educator Attends 2022 NECTFL Conference on National Scholarship

The Maine Department of Education congratulates Nadine Bravo, an aspiring world languages teacher, for being selected as this year’s recipient of the Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (NECTFL) Future Language Educator Scholarship. The scholarship provided funding for Bravo to attend the 2022 NECTFL Conference which took place in New York. Nadine was selected to receive this scholarship among a pool of applicants nation-wide due to her promise as an aspiring world languages educator.

As a multicultural and multilingual individual born and raised in Halle, East Germany, Bravo has spent time in Lithuania, Russia, the United States, and Chile, even surviving the Chilean earthquake of 2010 while she lived here. With much world experience, plus a BA in FLL (Russian, German, Spanish, English), some master’s-level coursework, and 20 years of experience tutoring German and English under her belt, Bravo dreamed about pursuing a graduate degree as a world languages teacher with a certificate to teach English as another language.

“It has always been rewarding watching students learn and grow with the languages,” said Bravo. “However, I had never obtained proper teacher certification, which limited my employment opportunities. The onset of the pandemic and an injury on the job were the catalyst to get the process of graduate school rolling.”

Bravo is now in her first year of graduate school and has had opportunities to tutor German in the linguistics department at the University of Southern Maine, which has helped confirm that she made the right decision about returning to graduate school.

Bravo attributes the opportunity to fill out an application for the NECTFL Future Language Educator Scholarship to her mentor teacher, Sarah Collins at Gorham Middle School, who pointed her toward a Language Educators newsletter put together by Maine Department of Education’s Interdisciplinary Instruction & ESOL/Bilingual Programs Specialist April Perkins. A link to the upcoming conference was available in a newsletter and Bravo took the opportunity to apply.

“When I came across the conference program, I felt so inspired and wanted to attend all the workshops and lectures offered regarding my target languages,” said Bravo. “I am currently in a tight financial situation and try to take advantage of any sort of financial support while furthering my education,” she added.

With three different types of scholarships available for the conference, the application process was demanding and complex but not impossible, says Bravo. Her application package included various elements such as letters of recommendation, a list of relevant organization affiliations, testing scores, a statement, methods assignments, and transcripts, among other things.

“I decided to go overboard and shared everything that could have been relevant,” said Bravo. “One of the most rewarding items I received after my first observation in my internship placement was a stack of student notes with feedback. It does not get any better than receiving genuine feedback from your students and learning about your strengths and weaknesses,” she added.

The conference took place earlier this month, bringing opportunities and experience for Bravo to pursue her dream of working as a world languages teacher in Maine.

“It is important not only to learn the language and grammar, but also to be exposed to different cultures, customs, and traditions, said Bravo, who has a goal of teaching students in Spanish and German. “Learning a world language is the gate to other cultures. I want to be that gate, facilitating my students’ access to an additional way of life,” she added.

Bravo expresses her gratitude to all the people who have paved the road for her return to graduate school, including graduate advisor, Mike Katz, and other supportive faculty at USM including her two professors, Dr. Mindy Butler and Dr. Alec Lapidus, who employ her as their graduate research assistant.

Currently, Bravo has accepted a long-term substitute teacher position in the Gray-New Gloucester Middle School. She is hopeful about her future career as a world languages teacher.

To sign up for the Language Educators Newsletter, click here or reach out to April Perkins at april.perkins@maine.gov.

PWS Cleaning Crew: A Story of Inspiration and True Collaboration During a Difficult Time

Upon their return from winter break, the teachers and students of Philip W. Sugg (PWS) Middle School in Lisbon learned that their night custodian was going to be out for an extended period of time, along with two other night custodians at the district’s elementary school, who were also going to be out. This left the district with a skeletal crew that was struggling just to keep up with their regular cleaning schedules.

“I’m very well aware that middle schoolers are perhaps the most misunderstood humans on the planet,” said Nicole Sautter PWS 7^th grade teacher and 2020 Androscoggin County Teacher of the Year. “I knew this could very well be an opportunity for them that would not only allow others to see who they truly are, but also provide them a much-needed purpose in their life that would bring them a sense of power in a tumultuous time – and that is how the PWS Cleaning Crew came to be.”

Since early January, PWS Middle schoolers have stepped up and volunteered their time after school to keep the building clean: trash removal, recycling, vacuuming, sweeping classrooms and hallways while some staff clean bathrooms and refill toiletries, among other things.

Here is their story:

“The COVID-19 pandemic has created many unanticipated challenges for the Lisbon students and staff over the last two years,” said Richard Green, Lisbon School Department Superintendent. “It has been my observation that the students and staff within the Lisbon School Department have always faced and addressed these challenges with a real determination and effort that is unlike anything that I have ever seen. The effort from the Philip W. Sugg Middle School (PWS) students and staff to help coordinate the cleaning efforts within their school as a result of staffing shortages, is a perfect example of this dedication.”

Sautter adds that it’s refreshing to see middle schoolers excited about making a difference. They’re internally motivated and have shown a solid understanding of what it means to be an involved citizen.

“I’m so grateful for these kids. There’s no way we could cover this school without their help,” said Mike Powell, Lisbon Schools Department Custodian/Bus Driver/Maintenance.

“On behalf of the Lisbon School Department, I would like to commend and thank all of the PWS students and staff who have gone above and beyond to help keep their school clean and safe during these unprecedented times,” added Superintendent Green.

EPS High-Cost Out-of-District Report (EF-S-214) Open for Reporting on March 1; The Deadline is April 15

The EF-S-214, also known as the EPS High-Cost Out-of-District Report will be open for data entry to Maine public schools on March 1 in the Maine Department of Education’s NEO Portal.

School districts should sign into the report as early as possible to allow time for data entry as well as the two-step submission process. The Department must approve the report by April 15 to allow time to make possible EPS adjustments.

Adjustments to the Special Education High-Cost Out-of-District allocation will be based on costs exceeding:

$19,176 for placements in Regional Special Education Programs;
$28,764 for placements in other school administrative units; and
$38,352 for placements in private schools.

Below are a few important things to note about the EF-S-214 report:

School districts will need to project the tuition cost for the full fiscal year.
This report is required for all publicly funded school districts, including districts that do not meet the High-Cost Out-of-District tuition threshold, these districts must login and submit “no students to report.”

The report can be located by logging into NEO at: https://neo.maine.gov/DOE/NEO/Accounts/Account/Login

Navigate to→ Special Education → Forms → EFS-214

Questions about the report should be directed to Stephanie Clark, Fiscal Compliance Associate for the Maine Department of Education at Stephanie.clark@maine.gov or 207-624-6807.

Philip Rossetti Named a National Assistant Principal of the Year Finalist

The Maine Principals’ Association (MPA) announced that Maine Assistant Principal of the Year, Philip Rossetti, Assistant Principal of Windham High School, is a Finalist for the National Assistant Principal of the Year. He will be honored by the MPA at its annual awards banquet at their Spring Conference on April 29th at the Samoset Resort in Rockport.

The announcement highlighted Rossetti’s belief that people make mistakes, but it’s what they do after that defines who they are. He’s used this principle to transform how Windham High School manages student behavior, focusing on restorative justice to hold students accountable and repair the harm they caused their school community. This restorative approach has improved school safety and reshaped school culture, fostering stronger relationships between students and turning mistakes into opportunities to learn.

Reflecting on Rossetti’s selection as a 2022 NASSP Assistant Principal of the Year Finalist, MPA Executive Director Dr. Holly Blair noted, “It is exciting that Mr. Rossetti has been recognized by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) as a finalist for the National Assistant Principal of the Year. This is the first time that Maine has had a finalist in the program. Mr. Rossetti is an exceptional Assistant Principal and very much deserving of this honor. We are very proud of him.”

Rossetti started his educational career as a social studies teacher at Windham High School in 1996. In 2015, Mr. Rossetti became the Assistant Principal of South Portland High School before returning to Windham High School 2016 where he continues to serve as Assistant Principal. He is a member of the Maine Principals’ Association (MPA) and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Commissioner Judy Camuso Participates in Read to ME Challenge

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Commissioner Judy Camuso recently took part in the Read to ME Challenge by reading Poppy by the author Avi to Mrs. Perkins’ fourth grade class at Canal Elementary School. Following the reading, Camuso and the students learned about and dissected owl pellets.

Maine’s Read to ME Challenge is a month-long campaign every February to promote the importance of literacy for all of Maine’s students, regardless of age. In its seventh year, the campaign sponsored by the Maine Department of Education encourages adults to read to children for 15 minutes, capture that moment via a photo or a video, post it to social media using the hashtag #ReadtoME, and challenge others to do the same.

There’s still plenty of time to join the Read to ME Challenge and February break is the perfect opportunity to grab one of your favorite stories and read to a child in your life.

Schools, families, and community organizations can find a Read to ME toolkit and resources on the Department of Education website and the Department continues to share videos, photos, and updates from the Challenge all month long on social media.

Molly Ockett School 3rd Graders Study Maine Forests in Outdoor Classroom

Brian Cushing, a 3rd grade teacher at Molly Ockett School in MSAD 72 was looking to do something different with his students this past fall after a year of working indoors through the pandemic.

Inspired by a “Forests of Maine Teacher Study Tour” he took in the summer of 2021 at the Maine Outdoor Center on Millinocket Lake near Mt. Katahdin, Cushing created a lesson for his 3rd graders that gave them the opportunity to study Maine forests.

“Our field experiences [on the Forests of Maine Teacher Study Tour] were what inspired me most to have my students get outside and learn about forestry,” said Cushing. “Our teacher field experiences took us from harvesting and processing the harvest to retail operations.”

In a 10-session study that integrated reading, writing, technology, science, and geography components, Cushing collaborated with Tin Mountain Conservation to create something really special for this students. He worked with Tin Mountain to co-teach lessons on tree identification, internal structure/components of trees and how to tell how old a tree is when cut down by counting rings on tree cookies.

Cushing decided to use their local school site in Fryeburg, which is located on several acres of mixed woods on one side, for a place to set up their outdoor classroom.

“Students enjoyed having an outdoor classroom,” said Cushing. “Being indoors so much of the day during this pandemic can be monotonous, and even though protocols are in place for outdoor classrooms, it was a change, the air was fresh, and they were learning about a new topic.”

In addition to learning about tree science, the students also studied animal habitat, and what mammals live in the Maine woods. They kept science journals for their weekly lessons, the majority of which were outside at their school site. They also worked in teams of two or three and used their laptops to research selected Maine mammals such as black bear, moose, snowshoe hare, flying squirrels, and bobcat, and then created visuals to present their findings to their classmates, as experts on their chosen mammal.

“They were so enthusiastic to research and write about their mammal, and then to present to the class,” said Cushing. “This was the first time any of them had been able to do any kind of team work since the pandemic hit.”

As part of the collaboration with Tin Mountain, students also had the opportunity to assemble a Maine moose skeleton in class, as part of a traveling museum that came to their classroom. Students also got see a Maine black bear skin, a taxidermied pileated woodpecker, and a saw-whet owl.

“The best part for me was seeing how integration really makes sense to students,” Cushing reflected.

To learn more about Tin Mount Conservation visit their website. To learn more about Mr. Cushing’s study on Maine forests, reach out to him at brian.cushing@msad72.org.

Public Meeting Notice for LD 313 Work Force Group on Career and Technical Education

On Wednesday, February 23, 2022 from 8:00 to 10:00 am, the Work Force Group for LD 313 will hold its next meeting hosted by the Department of Education.

LD 313 was passed in the 130th legislature and is focused on several topics regarding Career and Technical Education. If you would like to join as an attendee and listen to the discussion, you can use the following link at the time of the meeting.

Work Force Group for LD 313 02/23/22 Meeting link: https://mainestate.zoom.us/j/85970382498

If you have any comments on the discussion, you can send an email to cte.doe@maine.gov .

Maine $1,000 Pre-Service Teacher of the Year Award & FREE Conference

Applications are open for the Educators Rising Preservice teacher award which helps a future teacher get a jumpstart on setting up their classroom. The award of $1,000 will be presented to a senior at a teacher prep program in Maine and the award will be judged by Maine County and State Teachers of the Year.

Award applications can be submitted here. (DEADLINE: March 18th, 2022)

The winner will be announced at the Maine Pre-Service Teacher Conference on April 1.

This free conference is for aspiring teachers (high school seniors and pre-service teachers) and will be held April 1, 2022 in person at Thomas College. Virtual programming will be available as well via Zoom.

Presenters include principals and award-winning teachers of the year, and will cover topics pre-service teachers and other aspiring educators have expressed interest in, such as classroom management, getting a job, and the first year in the classroom. All in-person participants will be eligible for gift card door prizes throughout the day.

Conference Informational flyer.

Pre-Service Teacher of the Year Award flyer

Please email Dr. Rybakova at rybakovae@thomas.edu if you have any questions.

Webinar: Student Daily Attendance Reporting Process and Requirements

The Maine Department of Education Data Team is pleased to announce that Student Daily Attendance data reporting is now fully functional in Synergy and NEO. We are holding a webinar to cover the new student daily attendance reporting process and requirements on February 28^th, 2022 at 10AM. To participate please follow the Join Live link at the time of the webinar.

Please see our following Student Daily Attendance guidance documents:

Synergy

NEO Student Reports

NEO Student Daily Attendance Reports Instructional Video