Due Process Procedure Update

The Office of Special Services would like to inform school districts and parents that the Due Process Office has a new email address specific to special education due process issues. Requests for Mediations, State Complaint Investigations, and Requests for Hearings should be submitted to dueprocess.DOE@maine.gov and mailed to

The Office of Special Services, Due Process
Maine DOE, 23 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0023.

Please submit any new requests to this email address. The telephone number for information about due process procedures remains 624-6644. For further questions, please contact Ann Belanger, Deputy Director, Office of Special Services, her email is Ann.Belanger@maine.gov.

National School Counseling Week 2019 – School Counselors: Providing Lessons for Life

natl school counsel week February 4 – 8, 2019 is National School Counseling Week, please celebrate your school counselor(s)!

The American School Counselor Association has ideas for activities that will bring attention to the great work that your school counselor does to support students. Check out the ASCA website for ideas.

On February 7 from 2:00-4:00 in the Hall of Flags, Maine’s School Counselors will be recognized. Nicole Hatch, President, Maine School Counselor Association, and Kelly O’Brien, 2017-18 Maine School Counselor of the Year, will be amongst the speakers to share what Maine’s school counselors do to help and support all Maine students. All are welcome.

For more information about the role of the school counselor, you may contact Sarah Adkins, Student Assistance Coordinator at sarah.adkins@maine.gov or 207-624-6685

Certification Processing Times & Reminders

A huge thank you to the education field for their patience and understanding as the DOE has continued to implement enhancements to the new online certification system and enhance information found on the certification webpage.

Processing Times

Additionally, the DOE is now taking steps to provide additional manpower to the certification team in the upcoming weeks. Processing time has been reduced from 12 weeks to 7 weeks (currently) for all complete applications and the intent is to continue to minimize processing time. Our goal is to reduce processing times to a 3-week turnaround time by the end of February.

Renewal Reminders

Ed Tech renewals that expire on February 1, 2019 will need to be done through the online certification system (Maine Education Information System portal). If educators have not yet created their online account, please do so. Step by step instructions on how to create an account and apply for renewal can be found here.

Teachers (and Ed Techs if applicable) will appear on the renewal verification list 6 months prior to their expiration date. Once you verify they have completed renewal requirements, teachers are welcome to complete their online renewal. If a teacher renews early, the new certificate will not begin until the current one expires.

Only renewal applications are being submitted through the MEIS system. For new certificates, new endorsements, or certificates that have lapsed, paper applications need to be mailed to or dropped off at the certification office.

Further information is available on the Maine DOE Certification webpage, or in the Maine DOE Newsroom. For specific questions about certification status contact the Certification Office at 207-624-6603.

Upcoming Integrated Pest Management (IMP) Workshops

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry’s Maine School IPM Program has announced the Winter/Spring 2019 workshop schedule. Are you new to IPM? Or want a refresher on Maine’s school IPM requirements? Need IPM Continuing Education credits? Does your custodial and maintenance staff need training on how to keep pests out and deal with them when they arrive? Register and attend one of the workshops below.

Date	Time	Program
Feb 20, 2019	8:00am-11:00am	Comprehensive IPM Workshop. Gardiner Area High School. Register Here.
Feb 21, 2019	9am-noon	Comprehensive IPM Workshop. Lincoln Academy Register Here.
Apr 16, 2019	9am-noon	Comprehensive IPM Workshop. Rangeley Lake Regional HS. Register Here.
Apr 17, 2019	9am-noon	Comprehensive IPM Workshop. Noble HS, North Berwick. Register Here.
Apr 18, 2019	9am-noon	Comprehensive IPM Workshop. Elm Street School, East Machias. Register Here.
May 14, 2019	8am-11am	Comprehensive IPM Workshop. Glenburn School. Glenburn. Register Here.
May 15, 2019	10am-1pm	Comprehensive IPM Workshop. Region Two Technical School. Houlton. Register Here.
May 16, 2019	8am-11am	Comprehensive IPM Workshop. VanBuren Schools. Van Buren. Register Here.

Questions? Contact Kathy Murray at kathy.murray@maine.gov or 287-7616.

Professional Learning Opportunity: Using Assessment to Strengthen Instruction

The Maine Department of Education is pleased to announce the next installment of its Balanced Assessment series: Using Assessment to Strengthen Instruction for high school grades. Participants will explore SAT data and methods to compare local data to determine instructional priorities. The workshops will be at USM, UMO, and UMPI. There is no cost for these events.

For more information and to register, go to: Assessment Literacy: Grades 9-12.

For further questions, contact Morgan Dunton, English Language Arts Specialist, grades 6-12 for the Maine DOe at (207) 624-6625 or morgan.dunton@maine.gov.

MEDIA ADVISORY: Maine DOE to Kick-off Read to ME Challenge on February 4th at Young School in Saco

WHAT: To kick off the 4^th annual Read to ME Challenge, Maine Department of Education’s Acting Commissioner A. Pender Makin will read to students at the Young School in Saco. She will follow up her reading by issuing a challenge to others to participate in the 2019 Read to ME Challenge campaign. This simple but powerful campaign challenges adults to read to children for 15 minutes, and to capture that moment via a photo or a video and then post it on social media and challenge others to do the same. The Read to ME Challenge will run for the month of February leading up to Read Across America Day on March 2, 2019.

WHEN: Monday, February 4, 2019 at 9:00 am

WHERE:
Young School
75 Tasker St., Saco, Maine 04072
Media are asked to check in at the main office upon arrival to sign in, get a badge, and directions to the event.

WHO: Students in Kindergarten through 2^nd Grade (ages 5 – 8 years old), their teachers, school and district administrators, and Acting Commissioner A. Pender Makin.

For more information please contact Maine Department of Education’s Director of Communications Rachel Paling at Rachel.paling@maine.gov or (207) 624-6747.

PRIORITY NOTICE: Update Regarding the Release if the ED 279 Subsidy Printouts

The Maine Department of Education has been working as quickly and efficiently as possible to calculate and prepare the ED 279 Subsidy Printouts as we know that school districts rely on this information to set their local budget.

The Department is pleased to report that the technology issues that were identified earlier on in the process have been completely cleared up. The only remaining element needed to complete the printouts is the General Purpose Aid (GPA) amount. That amount will come from the Governor’s budget which is scheduled for release on February 8th.

Once we receive this amount, we will be able to load it into the formula to complete the process. The anticipated release of the ED 279 Subsidy Printouts is February 15, 2019 at the very latest. We sincerely hope to complete them even sooner.

Further information will be available as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.

MEDIA RELEASE: Maine DOE Seeks Community Partners to Help Feed Hungry Children This Summer

With the assistance of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Maine public schools have long offered a nutritious breakfast and lunch meal program to thousands of income eligible children in Maine during the school year. To extend this program, Maine Department of Education Child Nutrition (Maine DOE) is seeking organizations who would like to participate in the federally funded Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), which provides children healthy meals when school is not in session.

“Hunger doesn’t take a summer vacation. More than 46% of Maine’s public school students qualify for free and reduced price meals,” said Maine Department of Education Acting Commissioner A. Pender Makin. “The Maine DOE is pleased to once again partner with community organizations to provide meals for kids this summer.”

In 2018, 123 sponsors participated in the program, serving meals at 450 sites throughout the state. Although the number of sponsors continues to grow in Maine, there is still a long way to go towards feeding all eligible children during the summer. Community partners are working to maximize the number of sponsors utilizing the availability of funds under the SFSP.

SFSP may be offered statewide in areas or at sites where more than 50 percent of the children are eligible for free or reduced meal benefits under the National School Lunch Program or census track data supports the need. Organizations that provide services in rural communities or near migrant farm workers and tribal populations are urged to participate. Eligible sponsoring organizations include schools, nonprofit residential summer camps, government agencies, and tax-exempt organizations including faith-based organizations.

Maine DOE encourages any eligible organization to consider providing this much-needed service to Maine children. The agency will begin accepting applications to participate in February. Approved sponsors will be reimbursed for eligible meals served to children during the long summer break.

Interested organizations should begin planning now for a successful summer. Potential sponsors are required to attend training sessions. For a complete schedule of trainings, please visit https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/nutrition/resources/calendar. Maine DOE is available to attend meetings or consult by phone and email to answer questions regarding summer meals.

For more information about the Maine DOE’s Summer Food Service Program, contact adriane.ackroyd@maine.gov, call 624-6726 or visit https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/nutrition/programs/sfsp.

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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 ere they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, heard 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 discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at 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.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

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.

To file a complaint of discrimination, write Maine Human Rights Commission, 51 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333-0051. Maine is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Maine DOE Awards McKinney-Vento Sub-grants for the Education of Homeless Students

Maine DOE is pleased to announce that the following school districts will be receiving 2019 grants to support the needs of homeless children and youth: Augusta SD, Bangor SD, Biddeford SD, Lewiston SD, Portland PS, RSU 57, RSU 60, and Westbrook SD. These funds augment other local and federal funds that districts have allocated for homeless education and can be used for activities that include instructional services, transportation, parent and staff training, support and referral services, and emergency assistance.

Grants are for a one year period, and the DOE will issue a new call for proposals in 2020 for funding that may be renewable for up to three years. If you have questions about homeless education or the McKinney Vento Sub-grant program, contact Gayle Erdheim, gayle.erdheim@maine.gov or (207) 624-6637.

Maine FFA Helps Good Shepherd Food Bank to Address Hunger Issues in Maine

Group photo of Region 4’s afternoon class students and Narraguagus students with Maine FFA student State Officers in Hampden.

On January 16-17, 2019, high school student State FFA Officers of FFA (formerly known as “Future Farmers of America”), worked with nearly 30 FFA student volunteers and their teachers from Sanford Regional Technical Center, Region 4 United Technologies Center (Bangor) and Narraguagus High School to assist at Good Shepherd Food Bank facilities in Auburn and Hampden.

Good Shepherd, the largest distributor of food assistance in the state, addresses food insecurity in Maine, which affects 1 in 5 children. FFA has traditionally been involved in food, landscaping and agricultural literacy community service activities at the local and state levels, and Good Shepherd Food Bank depends on the assistance of volunteers such as those from the FFA. Membership in the FFA consists of middle and high school students who are enrolled in courses related to agriculture and natural resources. Sanford Regional Technical Center FFA students are enrolled in environmental landscaping and horticulture programs taught by Katie Hoagland. At Region 4, Bangor-area FFA student members are enrolled in the horticulture program with teacher Jeff Beswick, while Narraguagus High School FFA students, accompanied by teacher David Rinkle, come from both the marine trades “Skippers” program, as well as those working with the Food Justice League.

Group photo of Region 4’s morning class students and Narraguagus students with Maine FFA student State Officers in Hampden.

The Maine FFA Association is supported by the Career & Technical Education division of the Maine Department of Education and the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry, as well as by additional sponsors, and travel and other costs associated with assisting Good Shepherd were supported by a “State Day of Service” grant from the National FFA Organization. Through this grant, an additional supported event included conducting a service/leadership workshop in Presque Isle for nearly 100 Aroostook County FFA members. The National FFA grant is also supporting the donation of two industrial grade scales and ramps for the Hampden and Auburn Good Shepherd facilities that will facilitate processing food donations and shipments transported by tractor trailers,

At the Good Shepherd Food Bank in Auburn, Sanford FFA students were involved in inspecting, sorting and boxing over 7,000 pounds of fresh produce and nearly 6,000 pounds of packaged foods. One Sanford student said “I can’t believe we made so many meals in such a short amount of time!” Student State FFA President, Graham Berry, noted “It’s great to be able to volunteer at Good Shepherd Food Bank. Anything that we can do to help feed those who go without makes the world that much better of a place than it was before.”

Narraguagus High School teacher David Rinkle (left) and Region 4 Horticulture teacher Jeff Beswick (right) help their students to inspect, sort and box donated food at Good Shepherd in Hampden.

In Hampden, FFA students from Region 4 and from Narraguagus helped Good Shepherd move into their newly renovated 40,000 square foot Hampden warehouse, now nearing completion. Students finished the day by helping to inspect, sort, and box donated food items. Maine FFA Vice President James Hotham commented that the Region 4 and Narraguagus helpers were a “really great group of students.” Narraguagus teacher David Rinkle noted that his students were not only happy to help out, but also found the information on Good Shepherd and food needs in Maine very educational. He commented “The food bank was enlightening for everyone and they really had a good time.”

According to Auburn Volunteer Coordinator, Bethany Tatro, Good Shepherd Food Bank “distributes 28 million pounds of food a year, or 25 million meals, to Mainers in need.” Despite the size of the Hampd

en and Auburn facilities, Good Shepherd Food Bank relies heavily on volunteer labor, such as that by the FFA group, to process food donations, and depends on private food donations and those by food retailers throughout the state.

Maine FFA State President, Graham Berry (second from right), Vice President James Hotham (left) with Sanford FFA teacher Katie Hoagland (right) and her FFA landscaping/horticulture classes.

The FFA Organization is one of the largest student leadership organizations in the United States, providing recognition, awards, travel opportunities, competitions and scholarships for over 650,000 high school and middle school students enrolled in courses related to agriculture and natural resources. Schools with green houses and school gardens for students grades 7-12 are among those eligible for membership. Not all FFA members are “farmers,” though many do come from agricultural families who recognize the many benefits and connections FFA membership bestows. In addition to providing organizational and leadership skills valuable to any profession, active involvement in FFA is often one of the first things looked for by agricultural organizations across the country when hiring new employees.

For more information, please contact State FFA Advisor, Doug Robertson, doug.robertson@maine.gov