Category: News & Views

2021-2022 NEO Maine Schools and Public School Approval to Open May 15th, Due June 30th.

It is the time of year again for each school administrative unit (SAU) to submit the annual approval report for the unit, certifying progress on the Comprehensive Education Plan. This is in accordance with 20-A M.R.S. Chapter 206 and Maine Department of Education (DOE) Rule Chapter 125, which requires information to maintain continued approval status for the (SAU) and all schools within it.

Public SAUs and schools complete the annual public school approval process in the NEO information system, verifying required information in the NEO Maine Schools and Public School Approval module.

Please note that if a district is expecting to have a new school, to close a school,  or to have a substantial reconfiguration of grades in a school or schools, please contact the Helpdesk at MEDMS.Helpdesk@maine.gov or 207-614-6896.

Maine Schools and Public School Approval NEO Module Directions

Maine Schools and Public School Approval opens May 15, 2021 with a due date of June 30, 2021. The Maine Schools portion is to inform the DOE of school and district contact information, changes in grade spans, and other school-related information. As a preliminary step, the superintendent or chief administrator of the school must first be entered into the NEO Staff Module. Access to NEO staff can be obtained by submitting a Access Request Form to the DOE Data Helpdesk.

To begin: Log in to the NEO information system. Click on Maine Schools. If you do not see this option on your menu, and are a superintendent, technical coordinator, or administrative assistant, please contact the Helpdesk at MEDMS.Helpdesk@maine.gov or 207-614-6896.

Filling out the Maine Schools and Public School Approval Module: All fields with the exception of Administrative Office Fax are required. PO Boxes will not be accepted in the “Physical Address” box. Mailing address is needed only if different from physical address. The Cost Center information references the three-digit code that the business office uses in the public financial system to assign building level costs (may require two codes).

Next, carefully mark all SAU level approval questions with a response, and if the response is “No, or partially No,” a comment must be entered. Additionally, mark to answer the school level approval question for each school listed.

As you move down the module/form, ensure that the SAU- and school-level section question is checked for each section: “Please confirm that the above section has been reviewed…”

At the bottom, date, sign and submit the form.

*An important item to remember is that NEO information may be saved when partially finished to complete at a later time. While completing the approval process, the page should be saved often, as there is a relatively short time-out period.

For questions related to the NEO information system or access, please contact the DOE Data Helpdesk at MEDMS.Helpdesk@maine.gov or 207-624-6896

For questions or comments related to school approval, please contact Pamela Ford-Taylor, DOE School Enrollment Specialist at 207-624-6617 or Pamela.Ford-Taylor@maine.gov .

2021 Diesel Emissions Reduction Grants Available for Tribal and Insular Area Government Agencies

United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Transportation and Air Quality is soliciting applications for projects that achieve significant reductions in diesel emissions. Eligible entities include tribal governments (or intertribal consortia) and Alaska Native villages, and insular area government agencies, which have jurisdiction over transportation or air quality.A total of approximately $4.5 million will be made available to tribal governments (or intertribal consortia) and Alaska Native villages, and approximately $500,000 will be made available to insular area governments.Eligible diesel vehicles, engines and equipment may include buses.

EPA’s ten regional offices will manage the awards. The number and size of cooperative agreements made under this announcement, and the amounts for the two categories identified above, are subject to the availability of funds, the quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations.

Please visit https://www.epa.gov/dera/tribal for questions and answers and additional details about the following information sessions:

Funding Opportunity Information Sessions
Wednesday, May 12, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. (ET)
Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. (ET)
Thursday, May 20, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. (ET)

For more information view: 2021 Dera Tribal Insular Area Grants (PDF)(86 pp, 2 MB) or contact the EPA to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.

Seeking School Employees and Educators to Host WAVES Virtual Communities for Maine Teens

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is seeking hosts for virtual communities for Maine teens as an important part of a Maine DOE initiative, WAVES (Wilderness Activities and Virtual Engagement for Students). The WAVES Virtual Communities are housed on the WAVES website and are open to all Maine teens. The purpose of a WAVES Virtual Community is to provide an opportunity for teens across Maine to connect safely and socially around a shared affinity, as a way to deliver on the vision “every week every Maine teen safely engages socially with a community of peers.”

Do you miss the students who would linger after school to talk and with whom you shared favorite poems or books? Or the group of students who would always spend lunchtime in your classroom to share and compare their latest fishing feats? Please consider hosting a WAVES Virtual Community and supporting those connections outside of the classroom and across Maine that we know are so meaningful to us all, and so important for our teens!

Virtual Community host applicants are encouraged to be creative and consider their own interests, teens’ interests, and their own experiences around how teens connect with adults and to each other when creating a WAVES Virtual Community. Examples of Virtual Communities below are only provided to support creative thinking, and not to hinder or restrict it:

  • Creative Writing*
  • Gaming Club*
  • Music Appreciation- let’s share and talk about our favorite music!*
  • Mental Health Awareness Group*
  • Poetry Club
  • Citizen Science or Environmental Advocacy group
  • Theater group
  • Empowered Youth: Let’s be a change agents together

As a Virtual Community Host, you’ll be expected to host regular virtual meetings (at least monthly) outside of traditional school hours, engage in ongoing communication with the WAVES Project Director, and meet other expectations to protect the safety of all Virtual Community members. Please see the FAQ for prospective hosts for additional information.

We are committed to supporting our hosts and making sure WAVES Virtual Communities are safe and inclusive. To this end, WAVES will provide a $150 stipend/month for Virtual Community hosts and be responsive to your Virtual Community’s needs and feedback.

If you’re interested in hosting a Virtual Community, please submit the Virtual Community Host application:

Virtual Community Host application

You will hear back shortly so we may work collaboratively to start your WAVES Virtual Community and invite teens to join!

Please contact Project Director Sarah Woog (sarah.woog@maine.gov) with questions or feedback. Thank you for all you do for Maine youth!

Maine Organizations Launch New “Teach ME Outside” Website for Educators

A collaborative effort between three Maine organizations called “Teach ME Outside” has recently launched a new website to provide support for Maine educators and community members interested in environmental and outdoor learning for all Maine youth. The site contains educational resources, upcoming training opportunities, and data from across the state. Also featured on the website is the brand new Maine Environmental Education and Outdoor Learning Resource Directory, a dynamic and searchable map and tool that parents, educators, and community members can use to discover and connect with environmental and outdoor learning partners in their area. The website also has an interactive data dashboard which provides the opportunity to ask your own questions related to data from the 2019 Maine Community-based Environmental Learning (CBEL) Census.

Upcoming events hosted by Teach ME Outside include the Annual Maine Environmental Education Research Symposium Speaker Series. Every Tuesday in May will feature an expert in environmental education who will highlight cutting edge national research. Speakers include:

  • Louise Chawla, University of CO Boulder: Environmental Education + Nature-Based Learning = Healthy and Engaged Students
  • C. Busch, NC State University: Why Do We Think What We Think About Climate Change
  • Bruce Young, North American Association for Environmental Education: Practitioners Guide to Assess Connection To Nature
  • Tallie Segel, EE of New Mexico: Addressing Diversity and Inclusion in Environmental Education

Visit the Teach ME Outside website at https://teachmeoutside.org to register for the above events and discover new ways to support environmental learning in your community!

The goal of Teach ME Outside is to support and work in partnership with Maine communities to ensure that all Maine youth have access to powerful, hands-on environmental learning opportunities. This initiative builds on the collaborative work of many different organizations and individuals over the past decade and is led today by a partnership between the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance (MMSA), Maine Environmental Education Association (MEEA), and Nature Based Education Consortium (NBEC). This project is made possible with support from the Pisces Foundation and the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation.

About the Organizations

The Maine Math & Science Alliance is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that finds inspiring new ways to get people excited about science, technology, engineering and math today, so that our youth can become the innovators, problem solvers, and workforce of tomorrow. Visit mmsa.org

The Maine Environmental Education Association enhances and amplifies the efforts of individuals and organizations building environmental awareness, appreciation, understanding, and action in Maine. We work towards building an environmentally literate Maine where powerful learning experiences connect individuals to the state’s landscapes. Visit meeassociation.org

The Nature-Based Education Consortium is a growing multi-sector network of organizations focused on building support for and equitable access to outdoor learning opportunities for all Maine youth. We believe that all Maine youth deserve the opportunity to learn outside in ways that connect them to their community and the natural world.

For more information, contact Alex Brasili at 207-230-4617 or email at abrasili@mmsa.org

MEDIA RELEASE: Seven Maine Seniors Named U.S. Presidential Scholar Semifinalists

U.S. Department of Education has named seven Maine students as semifinalists in the 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. The national program recognizes seniors across the country as being among our nation’s most distinguished graduating seniors.

“I am incredibly proud of the continued academic accomplishments of Maine students through the inevitable disruptions over the past year,” said Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin. “I applaud these talented students on their well-deserved recognition and wish them the very best as they transition into the next exciting chapter of their lives.”

The semifinalist scholars are chosen on the basis of their accomplishments in many areas including academic and artistic success, career and technical fields, leadership, and involvement in school and the community.  They represent excellence in education and are among the most accomplished youth in our country.

From nearly 3.6 million graduating high school seniors from across the country, over 6,500 students were identified as candidates in this program. 625 semifinalists were selected, 7 of whom are from Maine.

Maine U.S. Presidential Scholar Semifinalists:

Harshini K. Chaganti
Scarborough High School

Devon Michael Hunter
John Bapst Memorial High School

Pedro Santiago Little-Siebold
Ellsworth High School

**Culiandra Rose Nero
Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School

Swetha Palaniappan
Cape Elizabeth High School

Wade F. Wahlig
Falmouth High School

Aislynn K Worden
Sanford High School

** Semifinalist for U.S. Presidential Scholar in Career and Technical Education

The semifinalists form the pool from which the 2020 U.S. Presidential Scholars will be chosen in May. Visit http://www.ed.gov/psp for the complete list of semifinalists across the country.

PRIORITY NOTICE: IMPORTANT Survey Required To Implement Maine’s Approved Pandemic EBT Plan

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved the State of Maine’s Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) plan. The Maine Department of Education (Maine DOE) has partnered with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and supports the approved plan. This is an important step toward ensuring that all Maine children have access to nourishment, and that no child goes hungry.

P-EBT is part of a comprehensive USDA response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible children and adolescents will receive EBT cards with emergency funding to purchase food. These benefits are for children in all remote or hybrid schedules who would typically receive free or reduced-price meals during the school day.

In order to accurately provide benefits to students, Maine DOE is requiring all school administrative units (SAUs) who operate the USDA National School Lunch Program to complete a survey.

This survey must be completed online by May 10, 2021.  To assist SAUs in gathering information needed, a preview of the survey can be found here.

SAUs’ participation in this survey will assist in ensuring Maine children and adolescents who qualify can receive the benefits to which they are entitled. Those who qualify may retroactively receive up to $1,193.50 in pandemic food assistance benefits for the current school year.  Participation in this survey is vitally important to ensure eligible children and adolescents receive the assistance to which they are entitled.

For questions regarding the Department of Education’s role in P-EBT, contact Adriane Ackroyd, Maine Department of Education Child Nutrition at 207-592-1722  adriane.ackroyd@maine.gov.

For questions about the survey, contact Charlotte Ellis, Education Data Manager, Maine Department of Education, 207-624-6696, charlotte.ellis@maine.gov.

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In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits.  Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.  Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: https://www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-a-program-discrimination-complaint, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

(1)     mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
(2)      fax: (202) 690-7442; or
(3)      email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

The Maine Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, religion, ancestry or national origin.

Complaints of discrimination must be filed at the office of the Maine Human Rights Commission, 51 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333-0051. If you wish to file a discrimination complaint electronically, visit the Human Rights Commission website at https://www.maine.gov/mhrc/file/instructions and complete an intake questionnaire. Maine is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Priority Notice: Seeking Public Comment to Waive Requirements Related to Accountability and Public Reporting.   

In a US Department of Education (USDOE)  Dear Colleague letter to state chiefs on February 22nd, 2021, USDOE provided guidance and invited states to apply for waivers granting significant flexibility in the areas of accountability and reporting for the 2020-2021 school year. Following this guidance and flexibility, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) is requesting accountability and reporting waivers pursuant to §8401(b) from requirements within the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015). USDOE requires state educational agencies, when seeking waivers from statutory or regulatory requirements, to solicit and respond to public comment on the request and provide evidence of the available comment period. This 14-day public comment period will be available from April 27, 2021- May 10, 2021.  

A full copy of the waiver request can be located on the Maine DOE’s ESSA webpage.  In summary, the Maine Department of Education will be requesting waivers from the following requirements:  

  • Accountability and school identification requirements in ESEA sections 1111(c)(4) and 1111(d)(2)(C)-(D): the requirements that a State measure progress toward long-term goals and measurements of interim progress; meaningfully differentiate, on an annual basis, all public schools, including by adjusting the Academic Achievement indicator based on a participation rate below 95 percent; and identify schools for comprehensive, targeted, and additional targeted support and improvement based on data from the 2020- 2021 school year. 
  • Report card provisions related to accountability in ESEA section 1111(h) based on data from the 2020-2021 school year. These include: 
  • Section 1111(h)(1)(C)(i)(I)-(IV) and (VI) (Accountability system description, other than the list of comprehensive, targeted, and additional targeted support and improvement schools).
  • Section 1111(h)(1)(C)(iii)(I) (Other Academic indicator results for schools that are not high schools). 
  • Section 1111(h)(1)(C)(v) (School Quality or Student Success indicator results). 
  • Section 1111(h)(1)(C)(vi) (Progress toward meeting long-terms goals and measurements of interim progress). 
  • Section 1111(h)(2)(C) with respect, at the local educational agency (LEA) and school levels, to all waived requirements in section 1111(h)(1)(C). 

Public Comment may be submitted to: ESSA.DOE@maine.gov. Additional questions can be directed to Janette Kirk, Chief of Learning Systems.  

Seeking Outdoor Education Success Stories for WAVES

We at the Maine Department of Education know schools, educators and organizations have been working collaboratively to get students safely learning outdoors. As part of the WAVES (Wilderness Activities and Virtual Engagement for Students), we would like to collect and feature all the innovative practices and projects you been up to outdoors with youth!

Please submit this form so WAVES may learn about the wonderful things going on in YOUR school to get youth outside to connect with nature and/or your community. We are eager to highlight your work on our WAVES website and through the Maine Department of Education Newsroom as part of the Maine schools sharing success campaign!

The Maine Schools Sharing Success Campaign is an avenue for Maine schools to celebrate successes and share innovative ideas, practices, and models that can be adapted and easily implemented by other Maine schools. Stories are not an endorsement of specific materials, services, or practices and are not intended to promote learning programs that are of cost to students, families or schools.

For further information about WAVES visit our website or contact Sarah Woog, Maine DOE WAVES Director at sarah.woog@maine.gov. As a reminder, the Maine DOE is always accepting good news stories and ideas on all education related topics, those can be sent to Rachel Paling at rachel.paling@maine.gov.

 

Registration Closing Soon for Maine C3 Virtual Career Fair – Register Your School NOW

The Maine Community Coordinators Collaborative (Maine C3) in partnership with ACTEM and Educate Maine are offering a statewide virtual career fair from May 17-21, 2021 for all Maine students in grades 9-12. During the ME Virtual Career Fair, numerous thirty-minute sessions will be offered on the secure, online conference platform Hopin. Each session will be moderated by a school-based education professional and feature a live speaker followed by a question and answer period. Students will not be on video during the sessions and can ask questions via a monitored live chat. Sessions will run during the school day and into the evening.

The registration deadline is April 30, 2021. Schools are reminded and encouraged to register as soon as possible since the deadline is approaching:

Don’t miss this opportunity! There are currently about 100 businesses confirmed and they are all very excited to talk to Maine students!

For more information about the virtual career fair or to contact a Maine C3 Planning Team member, go to the  ME Virtual Career Fair website.

 

 

Get to Know the Maine DOE Team: Meet Joe Haney

Maine DOE Team member Joe Haney is being highlighted this week as part of the Get to Know the Maine DOE Team Campaign, learn a little more about Joe in the question and answer below.

What are your roles with DOE?

I am a member of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) team. My role is to assist CTE Directors with new program applications, program standards, and assessments.

What do you like best about your job?

I credit Career and Technical Education for teaching me skills that have lasted a lifetime. I feel fortunate to be able to give back and support programs that have such a positive impact on so many students.

How or why did you decide on this career?

It was a very logical choice based on my past experiences….I have been a plumber, Camp Director, a JMG Specialist, a contractor and an Assistant Principal.  All my past experiences align well with my position with CTE.

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

My wife, Sherrye and I recently became empty nesters and are looking forward to my dream to live on a boat….during the warm months anyway. We like to travel, explore new waters along the beautiful coast of Maine, and spend time with family. I also enjoy fishing, hunting, being out in nature and remodeling kitchens and bathrooms.