Category: Priority Notices

PRIORITY NOTICE: USDA Extends School Meal Flexibilities Through 2020/2021 School Year; Webinar Available 10/14 at 1pm 

The State of Maine has accepted 12 waiver extensions from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) allowing for continued flexibilities in the federal Summer Food Service Program/Seamless Summer Option (SFSP/SSO) programs through the 2020/2021 school year. Originally set to expire on December 31, 2020, the waiver extensions will allow schools and other local program operators to continue to leverage SFSP/SSO federal food service programs to provide no cost meals options to all children through June 30, 2021.    

The waiver extensions allow school nutrition teams across the state to continue partnering with community organizations, to prepare and package food, set up food delivery service with school transportation teams, and create community pick-up locations (among many other methods) to ensure families have safe options for receiving food during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“We are really pleased that USDA continues to extend these necessary waivers to assist school nutrition programs across Maine with the funding and options they need to feed Maine kids during the pandemic,” said Walter Beesley, Maine Department of Education (DOE) Director of Child Nutrition. “We continue to work closely with district and school leaders to ensure they have the resources and state-level support needed to continue their work.” 

The Maine DOE is hosting a Child Nutrition webinar tomorrow 10/14/2020 at 1:00pm. School and district leaders, and school nutrition staff can register to attend this webinar here. 

The first round of USDA waivers for school meal programming began in March of 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic when schools around the country switched to emergency remote learning. The waivers have been extended numerous times throughout the summer and again this fall, with the most recent extension coming in late last week, that allows the flexibilities to continue through the end of the current school year.  

The waivers include:  

  1. COVID-19 Response #59 – Nationwide waiver to allow SFSP and SSO operations through SY 2020-21 – extension  
  2. COVID-19 Response #60 – Nationwide waiver to extend area eligibility waivers – extension #3 
  3. COVID-19 Response #61 – Nationwide waiver to allow non-congregate feeding in SFSP/SSO – extension #5 
  4. COVID-19 Response #62 – Nationwide waiver to allow parents and guardian to pick up meals for children – extension #5  
  5. COVID-19 Response #63 – Nationwide waiver to allow meal pattern flexibility in SFSP/SSO – extension #8 
  6. COVID-19 Response #64 – Nationwide waiver to allow area eligibility for closed enrolled sites in SFSP/SSO – extension #2 
  7. COVID-19 Response #65 – Nationwide waiver to waive first week site visits in SFSP – extension #2 
  8. COVID 19 Response #66 – Nationwide waiver of meal service time restrictions in SFSP/SSO – extension #2 
  9. COVID 19 Response #67 – Nationwide waiver to allow OVS flexibilities in SFSP – extension #2  
  10. COVID 19 Response #68 – Nationwide waiver of area eligibility in the CACFP at risk afterschool care component – extension  
  11. COVID 19 Response #69 – Nationwide waiver to allow reimbursement for meals served prior to notification of preapproval and provide flexibility for preapproval visits in SFSP – extension  
  12. COVID 19 Response #70 – Nationwide waiver to allow meal pattern flexibility in the Child Nutrition Programs – extension #5 

 All Maine children 18 and younger can apply to have a breakfast and lunch at no charge through the school in their community. Families interested in applying can do so by contacting their local school to complete a meal benefit application. The data from this form also supports other opportunities for local schools/districts such as educational grants and additional state subsidy for educational purposes.  

Maine DOE’s Child Nutrition team continues to process SFSP applications on an ongoing basis.  View an interactive map of schools providing meals through SFSP. Districts interested in applying for the SFSP can do so by contacting the Maine DOE’s Child Nutrition Team.  

Priority Notice: Maine DOE seeks public comment on waiving requirement that 21st CCLC programs operate only during non-school hours

In response to the unprecedented obstacles schools, teachers, students, and their families are facing amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) has offered an additional waiver to state education agencies, pursuant to section 4201(b)(1)(A) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA).  Under Title IV, Part B of the ESEA, section 4201(b)(1)(A) requiring that 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) programs operate only during non-school hours or periods when school is not in session.  If granted, this waiver would allow 21st CCLC program providers in Maine to temporarily operate with greater flexibilities to better meet the needs to students and families during the 2020-2021 school year.

This waiver would grant the Maine Department of Education (DOE) temporary authority to permit its 21st CCLC programs to provide supplemental services when school is in session, but students are not receiving in-person instruction.  For example, it would be permitted that a teacher provides additional 21st CCLC-funded academic supports for a group of students during a remote learning day when those students are not otherwise engaged in facilitated instruction with their classroom teacher.

The Maine DOE continues to work diligently to support Maine’s schools and educational communities as the 2020-2021 school year begins.  Given the hybrid instructional approaches many schools have adopted this year, students may benefit from dedicated staff and enhanced resources to help with remote lessons, independent work, and other enrichment opportunities during the portion of the week when remote lessons learning is occurring.  It is for reasons such as these that the Maine DOE has chosen to pursue this waiver.

As part of the statutory requirements for seeking this 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 September 29, 2020 and conclude on October 14, 2020.

Comments may be submitted to: travis.w.doughty@maine.gov

PRIORITY NOTICE: Maine DOE Sponsored Social Emotional Learning Curriculum Resource Coming Soon for Maine Schools

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is committed to providing cutting edge resources so that the many benefits of Social Emotional Learning (SEL), for both students and adults, can be accessed by all Maine schools. SEL speaks to our Maine values, where schools and communities support all children in the development of a healthy sense of self, in learning lifelong skills to regulate and manage emotions, and the development of empathy while building healthy and positive relationships. On behalf of Commissioner Makin, we are proud to announce our very own Social Emotional Learning curriculum and resource, SEL4ME.

It is our hope that by offering this statewide, free, and readily available comprehensive SEL PreK-12th grade curriculum, that we will eliminate the financial burden for any Maine school district who wishes to embed SEL into their everyday instruction and school culture. The curriculum accommodates both in person and remote learning. Additionally, our DOE team will continue to develop this curriculum to include free training and professional learning for staff, as well as new modules that will support the use of SEL as a Trauma Informed, Primary Prevention within our schools. Through our statewide instruction, this curriculum can be a significant resource for all Maine students, regardless of age, race, gender, socio-economic status or religion, to recognize self-worth and feel connected and safe within a responsive and caring school community.

The Maine DOE has created a unique opportunity in partnering with Evolution Labs who, with input from Maine experts, has developed our best practice-aligned SEL library of more than 450 modules. These modules are not subject to ongoing license fees but are owned by the State, in perpetuity, ensuring this resource as a reliable foundation for SEL development for generations to come. While this scaffolded curriculum can enable a consistent content approach, within each lesson are built-in supports that include read aloud capabilities and translation into nearly 100 different languages- as well as educator guides and instructions.

We know that research into the use of SEL has long shown that schools who embed SEL into everyday instruction and school culture have a positive impact in the following areas:

  • Increased school safety
  • Reduction in bullying and violent behavior
  • Reduction in negative coping and disruptive classroom behavior
  • Increase in academic achievement
  • Student appreciation of self-worth
  • Healthy connections to others
  • Development of confidence, optimism
  • Development of self-compassion in the face of doubt and social challenges
  • Self-advocacy
  • Persistence and resiliency in the face of adversity
  • Responsivity to challenges and change
  • Embracing all cultures and the individuality of all humans
  • Solving conflicts and problem solving in a cooperative manner
  • Demonstrating genuine concern about the welfare of others

Maine has a proud history of promoting Social Emotional Learning in our schools. With some of our educators having used practices in classrooms for decades and districts investing in SEL trainings and programming, many Maine schools have experienced the benefits of providing SEL supports to students. In 2015, the Maine DOE adopted SEL for PreK education, and aligned Health and PE standards with a Social Emotional Learning framework. Now, In 2020, when the need for Social Emotional Supports are more significant than ever, the Maine DOE is excited to offer the SEL4ME curriculum as a way to share the benefits of SEL to all our students, and strengthen its impact as part of our academic success. This curriculum is not a requirement of Maine schools, but a means to supplement and support existing programs, as well as provide new programs with the resources to flourish.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to every educator and school support staff who dedicate their lives to the betterment of all Maine students. Thank you for always teaching from the heart and supporting our students.

PRIORITY NOTICE: Maine DOE Celebrates Extension of 9 USDA Waivers that Provide Maine Children with Better Access to Food

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) received confirmation on Monday, August 31st that 9 waivers from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be extended, allowing continued flexibility in the way that school districts and other non-profit, community organizations can offer meals to children 18 years of age or younger.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the Maine DOE, in partnership with Maine schools, has sought continued flexibility in federal school meal programs so that schools can continue to provide Maine children with easy access to food, even when they are not at school.

The 9 waivers all apply to the USDA Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), which was established as a way to ensure that low-income children continue to receive nutritious meals during the summer months, when school is not in session. Throughout the pandemic however, flexibility in this program, granted by the USDA, has allowed schools to provide meals to children while they are learning remotely.

Through the flexibility of the SFSP, school nutrition teams across the state have partnered with community organizations, prepared and packaged food, set up food delivery service with school transportation teams, and created community pick-up locations, among many other methods, to ensure families have safe options for receiving food. The 9 waivers will allow schools to continue providing meals with this same flexibility as the school year begins.  

The first round of waivers began in March of 2020 when COVID-19 started spreading throughout the United States, and schools switched to emergency remote learning. The waivers have been extended numerous times throughout the summer, with word of the most recent 9 happening early this week. 

The 9 waiver extensions, which apply to all 50 states and U.S. territories, became effective on Sept. 1, 2020 and will extent to Dec.31, 2020.  

  1. Nationwide Waiver to Allow Non-congregate Feeding in the Summer Food Service Program and the National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option – EXTENSION 4 (#54) 
  1. Nationwide Waiver to Allow Parents and Guardians to Pick Up Meals for Children – EXTENSION 4  (#55) 
  1. Nationwide Waiver to Allow Meal Pattern Flexibility in the Summer Food Service Program and the National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option – EXTENSION 7  (#53) 
  1. Nationwide Waiver of Meal Service Time Restrictions in the Summer Food Service Program – EXTENSION  (#50) 
  1. Nationwide Waiver to Allow Offer Versus Serve Flexibilities in the Summer Food Service Program – EXTENSION  (#51) 
  1. Nationwide Waiver to Waive First Week Site Visits in the Summer Food Service Program – EXTENSION  (#49) 
  1. Nationwide Waiver to Allow Area Eligibility for Closed Enrolled Sites in the Summer Food Service Program and the National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option – EXTENSION  (#48) 
  1. Nationwide Waiver to Allow Summer Food Service Program through December 2020 (#56) 
  1. Nationwide Waiver to Extend Area Eligibility Waivers – EXTENSION 2 (#52) 

Maine schools are excited about their ability to continue providing more meal flexibility to all children in their communities. The DOE Child Nutrition Team has been working with school nutrition teams and district leaders across the state to ensure they have the most updated guidance for school meal programs as the 2020/2021 school year begins. The team also continues to process SFSP applications on an ongoing basis.  View an interactive map of schools providing meals through SFSP. 

Districts interested in applying for the SFSP can do so by contacting the Maine DOE’s Child Nutrition Team. 

PRIORITY NOTICE: DOE Virtual Professional Learning Now Available Through Mid-June!

The Maine Department of Education has posted an updated and robust schedule of virtual professional learning, office hours and meetings through mid-June to support school and district staff with their professional learning needs as they conclude emergency teaching plans and prepare for the possible scenarios we will face in the 2020-2021 school year.

All of the sessions are available virtually, and most will be recorded for watching at another time. Please check the schedule in advance to allow time for pre-registration or the need to email the host to obtain meeting information.

Please note that the Department will be upgrading our calendar system over the summer to allow for more efficient event updating, viewing, sorting, and searching for events!

See the Professional Learning, Office Hours, and Meeting Schedule Through Mid-June Here 

You can also now check out recorded webinars in one convenient place that you can watch when you are available. The Department will also be working on organizing and upgrading the webinar library over the coming weeks to make it easier to search. Thank you for your patience!

PRIORITY NOTICE: Next Week’s Schedule of DOE Virtual Meetings

Virtual Meeting Schedule: May 26 – May 29, 2020

The Maine Department of Education continues to schedule virtual office hours and professional development with Department Specialists to support educators and administrators during extended remote learning. During these meetings, our specialists are available to provide support, professional learning opportunities, and guidance regarding distance learning and school supports, as well as to facilitate networking and resource sharing between educators.

It is advised to check the schedule in advance. Many of the virtual meetings now require pre-registration or the need to email the host to obtain meeting information, these measures help to prevent inappropriate interruptions.

Virtual Meeting Schedule »

PRIORITY NOTICE: Weekly Schedule of DOE Virtual Meetings; NEW Q&A for Admin Assistants

Virtual Meeting Schedule: May 18 – May 21, 2020

The Maine Department of Education continues to schedule virtual office hours and professional development with Department Specialists to support educators and administrators during extended remote learning. During these meetings, our specialists are available to provide support, professional learning opportunities, and guidance regarding distance learning and school supports, as well as to facilitate networking and resource sharing between educators.

It is advised to check the schedule in advance. Many of the virtual meetings now require pre-registration or the need to email the host to obtain meeting information, these measures help to prevent inappropriate interruptions.

Virtual Meeting Schedule:

The virtual meeting schedule for educators is updated on the Maine DOE website: See the schedule. Please note:

  • This week there will be no special education meetings on Monday, May 18th.
  • A Q&A meeting specifically for school administrative assistants has been added to the schedule this week on Thursday, May 21st at 9am.

See the professional learning schedule for Education Technicians here  – Ed Tech professional learning sessions are being recorded and available here after they are scheduled to take place.

PRIORITY NOTICE: Virtual Meeting Schedule: May 11 – May 15, 2020

The Maine Department of Education continues to schedule virtual office hours and professional development with Department Specialists to support educators and administrators during extended remote learning. During these meetings, our specialists are available to provide support, professional learning opportunities, and guidance regarding distance learning and school supports, as well as to facilitate networking and resource sharing between educators.

It is advised to check the schedule in advance. Many of the virtual meetings now require pre-registration or the need to email the host for a link and password, these measures help to prevent inappropriate interruptions.

Virtual Meeting Schedule:

PRIORITY NOTICE: Virtual Meeting Schedule for Next Week; PL for Ed Techs Now Available

Virtual Meeting Schedule May 4 – May 8, 2020

The Maine Department of Education continues to schedule virtual office hours with Department Specialists to support educators and administrators during extended remote learning. During these meetings, our specialists are available to provide support and guidance regarding distance learning and school supports, as well as to facilitate networking and resource sharing between educators.

***NEW – Professional Learning for Education Technicians: Through ongoing efforts to support the needs of Maine schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Maine Department of Education is responding to requests for professional learning for Education Technicians with a series of online opportunities, scheduled through the month of May and early June. Learn more here

Please note: many of the virtual meetings now require pre-registration and password protection to prevent  inappropriate interruptions, so be sure to check the schedule ahead of  time, and make sure  you can register or obtain a password ahead of the meetings you wish to attend.

Virtual Office Hours:

(Some meetings have a 100 person max capacity.)

The virtual meeting schedule for educators is regularly updated on the Maine DOE website: See the schedule

See the professional learning schedule for Education Technicians here!

PRIORITY NOTICE: Virtual Meeting Schedule – Friday 4/17

Virtual office hour schedule for Friday, April 17, 2020

The Maine Department of Education continues to schedule virtual office hours with Department Specialist to support educators and administrators during extended remote learning. During these meetings, our specialists will be available to provide support and guidance regarding distance learning and school supports, as well as to facilitate networking and resource sharing between educators.

As a reminder, virtual meeting schedules are regularly updated on this web page: https://www.maine.gov/doe/covid-19/contentmeetings. The Department will continue scheduling content specific office hours as needed.

Please note that Department staff hosting the virtual meetings have ramped up security measures to keep out participants that are attempting to join the meetings for reasons other than to participate in education related conversations – this includes password protecting meetings and in some cases requiring registration. Thank you for your patience!

Virtual Office Hours:

(Please note: some meetings have a 100 person max capacity.)

FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2020

FOCUS AREA SPECIALIST TIME MEETING INFO CONTACT INFO
Brain Centered Emotional Support Kellie Bailey/ Bear Shea 8:30 AM Join this session. bear.shea@maine.gov
Health Education and Physical Education Susan Berry, Jean Zimmerman and Dan Chuhta 9:00 AM Register susan.berry@maine.gov
Special Eduction: Weekly Wrap Up Special Ed Consultants 10:00 AM Register here roberta.lucas@maine.gov
SPPS/SAC Mary Adley 10:00 AM Contact meeting host for link and password tracey.whitlock@maine.gov
Alternative Education Heather Whitaker 12:00 PM Join this session. heather.whitaker@gorhamsschools.org
PK-12 Science Networking/Office Hours Shari Templeton 12:00 PM Contact meeting host for link and password shari.templeton@maine.gov
Mindfulness Session (catered to Visual Arts Educators, but all are welcome) Jason Anderson, Visual and Performing Arts Specialist (MDOE); Kellie Bailey, SEL Specialist (MDOE); Hannah Bailey, Visual Arts Educator 2:00 PM Register here jason.anderson@maine.gov
CED and Middle School CTE Networking Diana Doiron & Meg Harvey 2:00PM Contact meeting host for link and password diana.doiron@maine.gov & margaret.harvey@maine.gov
Maine Seal of Biliteracy Roundtable Lavinia Rogers 2:30 PM Register lavinia.m.rogers@maine.gov
Brain Centered Emotional Support Kellie Bailey/ Bear Shea 3:30 PM Join this session. bear.shea@maine.gov