Telepractitioner Qualification Requirements Proposal

It is the intent of the Maine Department of Education to propose requirements for telepractitioner qualifications in a future revision of Chapter 101 (MUSER). Until that revision is made, this message should serve as notice that in the interim, the Department will expect all telepractitioners to be (1) licensed in the state from which they are practicing if an out of state practitioner, (2) licensed in Maine, and (3) cleared through the Criminal History Record Check process (CHRC). Questions should be directed to Jan Breton, Maine DOE’s Director of Special Services, at janice.breton@maine.gov or 207-624-6676.

Maine DOE and Count ME In are continuing the conversation with fall 2016 regional meetings

Attendance matters! Upcoming regional meetings sponsored by Maine DOE and Count ME In will be held in Bangor on November 1, Lewiston on November 3, and Augusta on November 9. Attendees will hear schools share effective strategies as well as a presentation on trauma and pain-based behaviors. Sessions are free but registration is required. To learn more, visit www.countmeinmaine.org.

Attendance matters because early absences can affect later achievement, since students can miss some of the key building blocks for learning. Also, absences add up more quickly than people realize, given that just two days a month can mean 18 absences a year.

To register, send an email that includes your specific location choice to slieberman@countmeinmaine.org.

Admin Letter: Special Purpose Private School Tuition Rates

Administrative Letter Number: 5
Policy Code: BG/CH
To: Superintendents of Schools, Business Managers/Bookkeepers
From: William H. Beardsley, Deputy Commissioner
Date: October 24, 2016
Re: Special Purpose Private School Tuition Rates

Pursuant to 20-A M.R.S. §7302, the Maine Department of Education Special Services team has established rates for the 2017 state fiscal year.

Special purpose private schools shall only bill for education costs for those days when a child is in attendance.

These rates are retroactive to the beginning of the fiscal year. Rates were determined by analyzing expenditure report budgets submitted for the previous year for all special purpose private schools and represent the maximum amount each special purpose private school may charge per day. Please click here to view a PDF version of the current complete rate chart. If there are further questions or concerns regarding this matter, please contact: Edward Fournier, Coordinator of Finance and Data – Special Services, at edward.fournier@maine.gov or 624-6845 or Jonathan Braff, Coordinator for State Agency Clients, at jonathan.braff@maine.gov or 624-6671.

Important Notice: Technical issues delay due date for quarterly review

A revision has been made to quarterly report review dates, which include truancy, behavior, bullying, and aggregate daily attendance and aggregate daily membership (ADA/ADM).

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Annual School Bus Purchase Program opens November 1

The Maine Department of Education is accepting applications for new school buses through the annual School Bus Purchase Program. The application process opens Nov. 1 and closes Nov. 25.

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Vicki Kimball Named CTE Teacher of the Year

On Oct. 7, during a statewide learning conference at Lewiston Regional Technical Center, Vicki Kimball was named Maine’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Teacher of the Year. She accepted the award in front of nearly 500 colleagues.

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Proposed changes to Chapter 115, “Certification, Authorization and Approval of Education Personnel”

On April 6, 2016 the Maine Department of Education received a letter from the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education which reflected the impact of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B application. ESSA reactivated an IDEA statutory provision which requires that special education teachers be fully certified. The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is requiring that Maine amend the Chapter 115 regulations by June 30, 2017 to come into compliance with the reactivated IDEA statutory provision. As Department staff began to address the OSEP concerns it became evident that there were components of Chapter 115 that need to be revised for all educators. The State Board of Education voted unanimously at its Oct. 12 meeting to initiate the joint rulemaking process with the Department.

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Skowhegan Area Middle School Reading Interventionist named Maine’s 2017 Teacher of the Year

In a surprise assembly at MSAD 54’s Skowhegan Area Middle School (SAMS) on Thursday, Oct. 13, Maine State Board of Education Chair Martha Harris announced Tammy Ranger had been chosen from a field of 300 nominees as Maine’s 2017 Teacher of the Year.

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Major Capital School Construction application now available

Maine public schools invited to participate in new application cycle

Augusta – Maine public schools wishing to participate in the new application cycle for major capital construction projects can now download the application from the Maine Department of Education’s website.

The direct link to the application is: http://www.maine.gov/doe/facilities/documents/application2017-18.docx.

The application will be due to the Department by April 14, 2017.

A new application cycle enables Maine public schools to apply for state support in order to undertake a major renovation or addition project, or to build a new facility.

If a school applied during the last cycle in 2010-2011, they will need to reapply if they wish to be included in this application cycle.

The Department will review completed applications and create a “needs-based” initial priority list, to be followed by the creation of a final priority list and an approved projects list. The entire application and review process is expected to take about two years and is governed by Chapter 61 of Department of Education and State Board of Education joint rules.

Questions about the application should be directed to Scott Brown, Maine DOE’s Director of School Construction, at scott.brown@maine.gov. Questions and answers that are applicable to the process will be posted online at: http://www.maine.gov/doe/facilities/construction/ in an effort to provide all schools the same information.

Media inquiries should be directed to Jamie Logan, Maine DOE’s Communications Director, at jamie.e.logan@maine.gov or at 624-6747.

Maine DOE Update – October 13, 2016

From the Maine Department of Education

Blue Ribbon Commission To Meet Monday, October 17

Augusta – The next meeting of the Commission to Reform Public Education Funding and Improve Student Performance in Maine will be held on Monday, Oct. 17 at 9:00 a.m. at the Lewiston Regional Technical Center. The Lewiston Regional Technical Center is located at 156 East Avenue in Lewiston. A copy of the meeting agenda and documents relating to the Commission’s work will be posted here as they are made available.

Additionally, members of the public who wish to submit comments or ideas about public education issues for consideration by the Commission may do so here. Comments submitted through the website will be distributed to members of the Commission.

The Commission to Reform Public Education Funding and Improve Student Performance in Maine was created by LD 1641 which allocated an additional $15 million in education funding for local schools. Based on the Commission’s work, a report to the Governor and the Legislature will be submitted by Jan. 10, 2017 that includes findings and recommendations for action to reform public education funding and improve student performance in the state.

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