Category: News & Views

Get to know the DOE Team: Meet Dwight Littlefield

Maine DOE Team member Dwight Littlefield is being highlighted this week in the Get to know the Maine DOE Team Campaign. Learn a little more about Dwight in the question and answer below.

What are your roles with DOE?

I am the State Director for Career and Technical Education (CTE).

What do you like best about your job?

It’s rewarding to know that we are providing students in CTE with skills that will help them for a lifetime. Many of the students will take those skills and go on to very successful careers where they will be contributing members of their communities. It’s nice to know that you are having an impact on the next generation.

How or why did you decide on this career?

It was a passing comment that my industrial arts teacher from high school, Bill Freudenberger, made to me at basketball camp the summer after I graduated from high school. I was off to UMFK to major in criminal justice with a goal of being a Maine State Trooper. He walked by me one day after running a drill together and he said, “Have you ever thought about being a teacher?” Of course, I immediately responded, “No, not interested.” However, as I went off to college and began to work with young people through coaching and volunteering, I really enjoyed the interactions I was having. It was always such a rewarding experience every time I spoke with students. I then began to think about all the incredible teachers that I had at Hartland Consolidated School, Hartland Jr. High and Nokomis Regional High and I realized that I, too, could have that same impact. Therefore, I transferred to UMPI and changed my major to Health Education. My journey in education started in 1990 and has taken me to some great places and it continues to do so today.

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

Traveling and spending time with my family. My wife, Kristie, and I have had the privilege of following our daughters,  Autumn and Addison, as they pursue their passions — Autumn to Boston College where she plays field hockey and Addison to Lawrence University Conservatory of Music where she is an aspiring opera singer.

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

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is seeking school employees and educators to host Virtual Communities for Maine teens as an important part of a new Maine DOE initiative, WAVES. The Virtual Communities will help deliver on the vision “every week every Maine teen safely engages socially with a community of peers,” be housed on the WAVES website and will be 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.

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 virtual community. Examples of Virtual Communities below are only provided to support creative thinking, and not to hinder or restrict other ideas:

  • Poetry Club
  • Citizen Science group
  • Knitting Circle (hosts may request materials to be sent to participants)
  • Use any of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife resources to host a Scavenger Hunt or Sound Mapping community, for example.
  • Theater group
  • Environmental Activism community
  • Yoga and Mindfulness
  • Film Society

As a Virtual Community Host, you’ll be expected to host regular virtual meetings (at least monthly) outside of traditional school hours, support ongoing communication among the virtual community, 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 our virtual communities are safe and inclusive. To this end, WAVES will provide a $150 stipend/month for Virtual Community hosts, provide access to a zoom account for virtual meetings, 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 and you’ll hear back shortly so we may work collaboratively to start your 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!

How to use Sara Alert™ COVID-19 Monitoring System Safely and Effectively

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) contact tracing team uses Sara Alert (844) 957-2721 to monitor students and staff in PK-12 schools who have been in close contact to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Sara Alert is a public health system that supports the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to monitor for symptoms amongst the school population.

In an effort to ensure that Maine schools and their communities have all of the information they need to use Sara Alert™ safety and to ensure their personal information is safe while enrolled in Sara Alert™. Please disperse these helpful informational flyers to school communities statewide:

For more information email sarasupport@aimsplatform.com or visit www.saraalert.org.

Seeking Nominations for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Teacher of the Year Award

The Maine Department of Education and the Foreign Language Association of Maine (FLAME) are now accepting nominations for the 2021 English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Teacher of the Year! Submit nominations by February 12th, 2021 through this online form.

This is the first time this award will be offered, co-sponsored by these two organizations. The award will be presented at the FLAME Conference, which is to be held virtually this year on March 12th and 13th.

The winner of the ESOL Teacher of the Year award will be recognized for excellence in leadership, advocacy, teaching methods, and family & community engagement.

If you have any questions, contact April Perkins, World Languages & ESOL Specialist at april.perkins@maine.gov.

Oak Hill High School Honors Student Nominated for The Congress of Future Medical Leaders

Kyleigh Hyde, a Junior at Oak Hill High School of Wales has been nominated to be a Delegate to the Congress of Future Medical Leaders. The Congress is an honors-only program for high school students who want to become physicians or go into medical research fields and aims to honor, inspire, motivate and direct the top students in the country interested in these careers, to stay true to their dream and, after the event, to provide a path, plan and resources to help them reach their goal.

Kyleigh’s nomination was signed by Dr. Mario Capecchi, winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine and the Science Director of the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists to represent Maine based on her academic achievement, leadership potential and determination to serve humanity in the field of medicine.

Kyleigh is slated to join students from across the country for a two day event in March to hear Nobel Laureates and National Medal of Science Winners talk about leading medical research; be given advice from Ivy League and top medical school deans on what to expect in medical school; witness stories told by patients who are living medical miracles; be inspired by fellow teen medical science prodigies; and learn about cutting-edge advances and the future in medicine and medical technology.

Some of the services and programs the Academy offers are online social networks through which future doctors and medical scientists can communicate; opportunities for students to be guided and mentored by physicians and medical students; and communications for parents and students on college acceptance and finances, skills acquisition, internships, career guidance and much more.

The National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists was founded to identify prospective medical talent at the earliest possible age and help them acquire the necessary experience and skills to take them to the doorstep of this vital career by offering free services and programs to students who want to become physicians or go into medical science.. For more information visit http://www.FutureDocs.com or call 617-307-7425.

Maine Educators use French Music Competition to Increase Student Engagement, Cultural Knowledge, and French Skills

In its 6th year, “Manie Musicale” has spread nationally and internationally with 950 schools from 47 states and six countries (and counting) participating to select the best French song and music video of the year.

“Manie Musicale” is a yearly competition of songs modeled after the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament in the U.S. Students fill out brackets to try to predict which of sixteen songs will win the “championship.” Once the tournament starts, students vote for their favorite songs in daily matchups to see who wins. Songs include a variety of contemporary Francophone artists from around the world. “Manie Musicale” was inspired by a Spanish version that came first – Señor Ashby’s “Locura de Marzo.”

Stephanie Carbonneau, a middle school French teacher in York and Michelle Fournier, a middle school teacher in Falmouth, started with just their two schools in 2017. Once they realized there was not a national-level competition like this for French, they collaborated to bring one to life, at least on the state level. Carbonneau and Fournier presented at FLAME the following year and opened it up to other schools.

“Manie Musicale” has really exploded in the last 2-3 years especially with the help of Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. A website was also created by Carbonneau and Fournier to assist the voting process as well as to house resources to bring “Manie Musicale” to life in their classrooms. Teachers from around the country now collaborate in the Facebook group with over 1000 members and online to create activities to support using the songs in class as a linguistic and cultural teaching tool.

Students in Carbonneau and Fournier’s classes are encouraged to submit song nominations, but they also consult colleagues in the American Association for Teachers of French (AATF) and social media groups for input. Carbonneau and Fournier carefully screen song lyrics and videos for age- and school-appropriateness, with a focus on promote diversity, inclusion, and tolerance. Last year they partnered with FluentKey, an educational media company out of California, who created interactive quizzes and games based on the “Manie Musicale” video playlist to add even more fun and competition to the event. This year they added a logo designed by a fan and fellow French teacher who uses “Manie Musicale” in her own classes.

There are many teachers who do “Manie Musicale” on their own, but the impact made by this duo and the collaborative following is music to many students’ and teachers’ ears.

 

 

 

There is Still Time to Nominate Maine Educators for Teacher of the Year Awards!

Nominations are now open for the 2021 County Teachers of the Year and 2022 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.

Nominations can be made through the Maine Teacher of the Year Website and will be open through 5:00 pm on Feb. 5, 2021. Nominations will be accepted from students, parents, school administrators, colleagues, college faculty members, and associations (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 position
  • Be employed by a Maine public school
  • Be actively teaching students at least 50% of full-time at the time of nomination and during the year of recognition
  • Have been teaching for a minimum of five years – three of which are in Maine
  • Remain teaching in the County for which they are selected during year of recognition

The 2021 County Teachers of the Year serve as advocates for teachers, students, and the efforts underway in Maine’s public schools to prepare students for success in college, career and civic life. They serve as advisors to the Department of Education and state-level education stakeholders across Maine.  Additionally, the County Teachers of the Year join a of cohort of teacher leaders that actively work together for the betterment of education in Maine. County Teachers of the Year receive on-going professional learning and participate in many state and county leadership opportunities. The 2021 County Teacher of the Year cohort will be recognized in a special announcement in May and the Teacher of the Year Gala in the fall.

The 2022 Maine Teacher of the Year will be selected from the 16 county honorees. The field will be narrowed to eight semi-finalists, and then three state finalists before the Maine Teacher of the Year is announced by Maine’s Education Commissioner at a school assembly 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 Teacher of the Year Association.

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.

#MatteringForMaineYouth – Community Forums to be Held Statewide

During this time of opportunity and challenge, together we must create a springboard for community driven change for Maine youth. Across Maine, too many youth are isolated. The rate of youth anxiety, depression and feelings of loneliness in Maine have reached crisis levels.

In the 2019 Maine Integrated Youth Survey almost 50% of youth feel they do not matter to their community. While a child may feel connected within their family or school, how can we create a culture in Maine where youth feel they matter in community?

Connectedness refers to a sense of being cared for, supported, and belonging, and can be centered on feeling connected to school, home, with other important people or organizations. Mattering and social connectedness are protective factors that reduce the likelihood of poor mental health and other risks such as suicide and substance use. A strong sense of mattering in the community helps provide a sense of connectedness with lasting effects on their health and well-being.

Thank you in advance for Joining the Conversation!

REGISTER FOR A VIRTUAL COMMUNITY FORUM
Facilitated by Carole Martin

January-March of 2021, The Maine Resilience Building Network-MRBN- is hosting facilitated Community Conversations to Cultivate Mattering for Maine Youth. Virtual Forums are schedule in all 9 Public Health Districts across every Maine County. Participation is Free to Attend. Together we will listen, learn and share. All community members are encouraged to attend.
Your voice matters.

If you cannot attend your health district/county zoom event, please attend another event. There are two evening events available. Please join the Community Conversations to learn how you can build positive connections for Maine Youth.

Join the Community Conversation.

For more information contact Maine Resilience Building Network at info@maineresilience.org or visit www.maineresiliece.org.

MEDIA RELEASE: School Psychologists Recognized for Outstanding Service in Maine

The Maine Association of School Psychologists (MASP) recently announced that Lisa Backman from Windham Raymond School District is the 2020 Maine School Psychologist of the Year. This award acknowledges a member of MASP who demonstrates excellence in school psychology practice, and leadership in the profession.

“Beyond the role of evaluators, school psychologists fill a crucial role in school communities providing consultation and collaboration in intervention systems and supporting school staff through professional development and technical assistance,” Erin Frazier, Maine Department of Education Director of Special Services. “These individuals are critical to SAUs efforts to provide a continuum of services to all children.”

Mrs. Backman has been providing psychological services to the Windham-Raymond School District, RSU #14 for the past 20 years, and as an adjunct professor at St. Joseph’s College. She is a trusted professional within her school community among students, staff, and families. Lisa’s building principal stated that he believes they are “fortunate to have her calm demeanor, as well as her extensive knowledge of research-based practices and Special Education law to help make the IEP process one that aligns with our mission.” In fact, he shared that he “often encourages teachers to talk with Lisa when struggling to meet the unique needs of learners. Teachers appreciate this support and report being able to implement effective practices from her feedback.”

Elizabeth (Lisa) Howe of Gorham Public Schools received the Lifetime Achievement Award for her devotion through years of service to her local school district as well as to the profession at the state level. On top of her superb work at the district level, Lisa has volunteered many hours of her time over the years in numerous positions with MASP. These have included participation at the committee level as well as serving as Secretary for MASP. Lisa has been a very diligent and collaborative contributor.

Jill Adams, Executive Director of the Maine Administrators of Services for Children with Disabilities (MADSEC) received an Outstanding Advocate for School Psychologists 2020 honor for her her tireless work for the students of Maine.

Erin Frazier, Maine DOE Director of Special Services also received an Outstanding Advocate for School Psychologists 2020 awarded for her ongoing championing for the field of School Psychology while navigating the challenges brought throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Maine Department of Education recognizes there is a critical shortage of school psychologists in the state that is long standing,” noted Frazier. “These positions are critical to fulfill child find responsibilities and support effective programming for students.”

Howe
Lisa Backman
Windham/Raymond School District
2020 Maine School
Psychologist of the Year		 Lisa Howe
Gorham Public Schools
Lifetime Achievement Award
Jill Adams
Executive Director
Maine Administrators of Services for Children with Disabilities (MADSEC)
2020 Outstanding Advocate
for School Psychologists		 Erin Frazier
Director of Special Services
Maine Department of Education
2020 Outstanding Advocate
for School Psychologists

Priority Notice: IDEA Eligibility Extended Until Age 22

The Maine Department of Education has concluded that terminating eligibility to a free, appropriate public education at the end of the school year in which a student turns 20 pursuant to 20-A M.R.S. § 5201(1) years is inconsistent with the IDEA as interpreted by the First Circuit in K.L. v. Rhode Island Board of Education, 907 F.3d 639 (2018).  It is certain that the First Circuit would draw the same conclusions if Maine’s statutes were challenged.

In 2018, The First Circuit Court in K.L. v. Rhode Island Board of Education concluded that students are entitled to FAPE until age 22. The decision requires ongoing eligibility for entitlements created by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for special education students who have not yet been conferred a diploma and have not yet obtained the age of 22 years old.  According to this decision, special education and related services under the IDEA must remain available until the student’s 22nd birthday.

Effective immediately, Maine will implement the “federal standard” and provide FAPE to eligible students until their 22nd birthday. The Administrative Letter for this directive can be viewed, here.

All school administrative units must notify adult students who would have previously “aged out” of special education on June 30, 2021 of their right to receive a free, appropriate, public education until either they receive a regular high school diploma or their 22nd birthday, whichever comes first.

The Department will be providing technical assistance around FAPE beyond age 20.  For more information, contact Erin Frazier, State Director of Special Education Birth to 22, at erin.frazier@maine.gov.