The U.S. Department of Education today announced three Maine schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2019. The recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. The three schools are:
Cape Elizabeth High School, Cape Elizabeth Public Schools
Fruit Street School, Bangor School Department
Yarmouth High School, Yarmouth School Department
The National Blue Ribbon Schools award affirms the hard work of educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content.
Now in its 37th year, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed recognition on more than 9,000 schools. On November 14 and 15, the Secretary and the Department of Education will celebrate with 312 public and 50 non-public school honorees at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.
The Department recognizes all schools in one of two performance categories, based on all student scores, student subgroup scores and graduation rates:
Exemplary High Performing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.
Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students.
Up to 420 schools may be nominated each year. The Department invites National Blue Ribbon School nominations from the top education official in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education. Private schools are nominated by The Council for American Private Education (CAPE).
Medomak Valley High School Art Teacher Krisanne Baker was recently awarded awarded a Bow Seat Educator Innovation Award recently for her commitment to inspiring students to make a difference for oceans and watersheds by teaching students about ocean conservation issues and engage them in creative action. Below is a description of Krisanne’s work provided by Bow Seat:
For the past 12 years, Krisanne’s personal art practice has focused on water quality. Knowing that our lives depend on the health of the ocean, she began a conversation about climate change in her art classrooms and found that no other teachers were addressing the subject. Krisanne developed the “Gulf of Maine: Dare to Care” curriculum to teach students how to use art to make a difference, specifically in ocean advocacy. When she offered her Studio Arts class the choice to work on Bow Seat’s Ocean Awareness Contest for an entire quarter and then submit their work to the competition, the students voted unanimously to do so! They learned how to make accurate scientific illustrations of endangered Gulf of Maine marine animals, then created slumped recycled glass renditions of their creatures, which will be a part of a display traveling from the town hall to local libraries to elementary schools.
Submitted by Ryan McDonald, Summer Programs Director and Public Relations Coordinator at Maine School of Science and Mathematics.
Congratulations to 2016 MSSM graduate Gordon McCulloh who has just been named the 2019 United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) cadet of the year at the Air Force Association’s Air, Space, and Cyber Conference in Washington D.C.
Gordon is working on a double major in Astronautical Engineering and Applied Math with an Arabic language minor. His current 3.92 GPA ranks him academically 16 of 992 academy cadets.
Highlights of Gordon’s USAFA career thus far include four weeks studying Arabic in Morocco, a six week internship with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, research on hybrid rocket combustion, and securing a $19,000 Stamps Scholarship which he used to intern with Ad Astra Rocket Company and the Air Force Research Laboratory.
On Thursday, September 19, 2019 the Momentum Aroostook Awards Gala took place in Presque Isle. Established by Momentum Aroostook, the Aroostook Achievers awards recognize local professionals going above and beyond in their career.
Congratulations to three local educators who were honored in the category of education:
Deb Roark is the Executive Director of University Advancement and affairs at the University of Maine Presque Isle. She is an outstanding, goal oriented team leader. She strives to develop programs through the development of the MMG center to help students develop a professional demeanor and provides them with access to ongoing professional development.
Valerie Waldemarson is the director of the JMG program at Caribou High School. She received 5 nominations from her students. One student wrote “I would not be ready for the real world without her wisdom.” Her leadership and guidance in the development of Caribou High School’s JMG program has made her a highly regarded asset to the education of students in Aroostook County.
Ben Greenlaw has contributed to the development of strong student programs as the principal at Presque Isle High School. These include great dedication to students, training opportunities within the community and the County Bus Tour program for students to promote the area and build collaboration among students and the community. Ben has moved to the Assistant Superintendent role in Presque Isle and will be assuming the Superintendent position in January 2020 where he is certain to continue to develop students aspirations.
Greely High School Special Education, Education Technician Eliza Miller was honored recently at an award ceremony at MSAD 51 for being named Employee of the Year.
Recognized for her one-on-one work with students, her support for teachers, and her willingness to jump in and volunteer outside of the classroom, Eliza was praised by her colleagues during the ceremony.
“Without Eliza Miller, I could not serve my students as a teacher in the best ways I possibly can. Because she cares so much about the special ed students and pushes them to succeed to the best of their ability and shows this by collaborating, and sharing invaluable tools with staff (as well as students). Her years of experience and positivity leads the students to benefit hugely from her structured approach and optimism – which wears off on the students beyond the classroom.”
“She truly exemplifies the phrase, ‘going above and beyond,’ both in the world of education, and in her compassion and humanity in general.”
Educational technicians play a pivotal role in the classroom by providing supportive educational services for students in K-12 schools and instruction for children with disabilities. They specialize in individualized or small group guided instruction, assistance in special education and the regular classrooms, and also help manage student behavior. Education technicians are a critical part of each and every school in Maine and to our education system as a whole.
Being an education technician is an enjoyable, challenging, and rewarding profession that often-times blossoms into a life-long career as an educator. To learn more about how to become an education technician in Maine, please visit Maine DOE’s Certification web page where you will find links to information about requirements by ed tech level, how to complete the certification application process, fingerprinting, and how to check application status. For further information contact our certification team at 207-624-6603 or cert.doe@maine.gov.
Submitted by Tim Pearson, Physical Education/Health Teacher at Dedham School, part of AOS #47.
Dedham School is excited to announce it is a grant recipient for the 2019-2020 Specialized Foundation Riding for Focus school program.
Riding for Focus is a school-based program designed to provide schools with everything they need to get middle school students riding bikes, including a turnkey physical education curriculum, comprehensive teacher training, and a fleet of bike and safety equipment.
Riding for Focus provides a combination of cycling, fitness, and academic performance, all while instilling a lifelong passion for cycling for students who participate in the program.
Additionally, the program explores and tracks how cycling can positively affect student learning, health, and wellbeing with a focus for those with learning differences such as ADHD. Starting this fall, mountain biking will be a regular part of all middle school students curriculum.
Submitted by Cindy Carlisle, Student Data Specialist for Regional School Unit 22.
Hampden Academy in RSU 22 was named on ESPN Honor Roll for 2019 — a list of top 34 schools from across the country — as part of its Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools National Recognition Program.
A “Unified Champion School” is one that has demonstrated commitment to inclusion by meeting 10 national standards of excellence developed by a panel of leaders from Special Olympics and the education community.
The aim of Unified Champion Schools is to incorporate Special Olympics sports, leadership and related activities that empower the youth to be the agents of change in their communities. shifting the focus from the events to that of a whole school movement for inclusion. Special education and general education students — along with educators and administrators — are encouraged to work together to create supportive classrooms, schoolwide activities and opportunities for growth and success for all.
The Rx Abuse Leadership Initiative (RALI) of Maine hosted tours of a youth bedroom trailer in the parking lot at NAMI Maine (National Alliance on Metal Illness) today in Hallowell in an effort to raise awareness about the warning signs of opioid misuse in youths.
The youth bedroom trailer, created by Code 3 as a mobile awareness campaign, is staged as a typical teenager’s bedroom with tell-tale warning signs of opioid use arranged throughout the room. Tours of the trailer take participants through the bedroom pointing out a number of signs that the youth is misusing substances. The warning signs are often identifiable to veteran law enforcement but may not be as obvious to parents, guardians, or other adults.
The inside of the Trailer
Two bags that look like typical usable amounts of heroin.
Someone using substances may use a case such as a glasses case to hold drug paraphernalia.
Today’s tours hosted local law enforcement officers in addition to state government officials, members of the legislature, and local community members. The Trailer is scheduled to make another appearance today, details below, and plans for an appearance in Bangor are in the works:
Monday, September 9
3:00 pm-6:30 pm
Kennebunk Elementary School
177 Alewive Road
Kennebunk
RALI Maine is an alliance of organizations elevating programs that have a real impact on our state’s opioid crisis. They support a broad range of programs, including prevention, treatment and recovery services, facilitating the safe disposal of unused prescription medicines, and raising awareness of the warning signs of opioid misuse. For more information, including a list of local partners visit: https://www.rali-me.org/
The Maine Department of Education (DOE) recently launched a new leadership program called Maine’s Leadership Development Program (Maine LDP). The initiative aims to build and strengthen instructional leadership skills among Maine’s educational leaders at schools, districts, and across the state.
A group of 18 education leaders in Maine, including superintendents, assistant superintendents, curriculum and instructional leaders, regional education leaders, Maine DOE staff, and other school and district level staff are among the first cohort of candidates on track to become certified trainers and facilitators of future cohorts. The names, pictures, and biographies of the group of Fellows in the 1st cohort of the Maine LPD can be found here.
The Maine LDP is a partnership among the Maine DOE and its successful Transformation Leaders’ Network, along with the National Institute for School Leaders (NISL) and their nationally recognized Executive Development Program (EDP). NISL experts are delivering the Maine LDP curriculum and will provide additional training for Maine LDP facilitators. The cohort has already begun its trainings with a session about strategic thinking within systems, and high quality aligned instructional systems in classrooms, schools, and at the state level. The program is a full year commitment.
LDP Fellow Al Pfeiffer, Superintendent of Vassalboro School Department, had this to say about the training so far, “ Some of the richest, most robust and rewarding professional learning that I have experienced in recent memory. Powerful readings, case studies reinforced with video snapshots, and engaging conversations have left me eager for the next session and future sessions over the coming year.”
Paul Knowles,an educational leadership lecturer at the University of Maine and the UMaine Liaison to the Maine DOE for this initiative added that, “The University of Maine and the Educational Leadership Department are pleased to partner with the Department of Education for this important work. Personally, I am impressed with the caliber, diversity, passion, and commitment of the leaders participating in Maine’s Leadership Development Program.”
Maine’s LDP is delivered through a blended learning model and includes study, inquiry, and hands-on activities with practical applications that meet the rigorous expectations for today’s educational leaders. Some graduates from this cohort will deliver the Maine LDP curriculum to future cohorts regionally. The Department will be releasing an application for those interested in applying to be in the 2nd cohort of the LDP in March of 2020.
In her opening remarks to the York and Downeast convenings of Elevating and Celebrating Effective Teachers and Teaching (ECET2), Maine Education Association (MEA) president Grace Leavitt told those assembled, “teaching is not a profession you leave at the door when the bell rings, it is always on your mind.” For the teachers packed into the Pratt & Whitney Building at York County Community College on August 7, and the Science Building at the University of Maine at Machias on August 15, summertime professional learning was certainly alive and well!
This summer marked the fifth anniversary of ECET2 in Maine and the first summer of regional MaineECET2 convenings. Karen MacDonald and Jennifer Dorman (2014 & 2015 Maine Teachers of the Year) hosted the first ECET2 for 150 teachers at Colby College in August of 2015.
Karen MacDonald and Jennifer Dorman
MacDonald and Dorman wrote grants, sought sponsors, and spent countless hours (!!) handling the numerous logistics involved in planning and hosting a free, overnight conference for 150 Maine teachers. Why? They wanted to share the professional learning, leadership, and respect they experienced during their national Teacher of the Year travels with teachers here in Maine. They also wanted to highlight the role teacher leaders can play in our state. Dorman and MacDonald’s efforts were enthusiastically embraced by Maine teachers not only during that first summer, but in each subsequent year. As rave reviews of ECET2 spread, more teachers joined the planning process, including Diana Allen (Sanford Schools) as another co-chair, and the conference became so popular there was not only a waitlist for attendees, but the number of presentation proposals exceeded the available session slots! These factors led to ECET2 branching out to the regional convenings that took place this summer.
Why is ECET2 so popular? Let’s start with the title—this conference is all about celebrating effective teaching and teachers—and it is, from start to finish, put on by teachers for teachers. It was born out of a desire to provide a forum for exceptional teachers to learn from one another and to celebrate the teaching profession, and seeks to realize a teacher’s potential by ensuring each convening includes these six elements:
Nurtures trust among teachers
Focuses on each teacher’s potential for growth
Inspires both the intellect and the passion that drives teachers in their work
Provides time for collaboration and learning
Puts teachers in the lead
Recognizes teachers as talented professionals
Inspired from their own experiences at ECET2, Pamela Starkey (Marshwood Great Works School, 2016 Oxford County Teacher of the Year), and Devan Weber (Eliot Elementary School) co-chaired ECET2 York, and Marielle Edgecomb (Peninsula School, 2017 Hancock County Teacher of the Year) chaired ECET2 Downeast. Both convenings featured breakout sessions on best teaching practices in content areas, as well as sessions on social-emotional learning and mindfulness in the classroom. Teacher leadership and innovation were embedded throughout the gatherings. Keeping in mind the importance of collaboration, inspiration, and celebration, the convenings also included these components:
Cultivating the Calling:
These inspirational talks are given by teachers on why they chose to teach, or what inspires them to continue teaching. In York, Katie Toothaker, 2018 Androscoggin Teacher of the Year, told the audience, “each school year is a new beginning for you and your students.” Toothaker shared how her teachers demonstrated the ability of public educators to nurture self-worth in their students and the difference that made for her and how she pays that forward with her own students. Teresa Gaetjens, National Board Certified Teacher, shared the importance of growth mindset, contextualizing her topic around the passing of her young daughter. This heart-wrenching story underscored the importance of perseverance both in and out of the classroom. At ECET2 Downeast, Marielle Edgecomb shared the importance of professional learning –teacher to teacher—being brave enough to open our classroom doors and teaching practices for others to see, learn from, and celebrate. Marielle challenged educators to see their students and colleagues through “eyes of appreciation.”
Colleague Circles:
This is a dedicated time for teachers to collaborate on “problems of practice” and generate possible solutions. Topics this year included: teacher shortages, school improvement, mental and physical wellness, school safety, diversity, and culturally responsive teaching. In York, teachers recorded goals or action steps on a post card and gave them to the ECET2 organizers, with the understanding that they will receive them in the mail sometime this fall as a reminder/check-in on their summer work and goals.
Educator Shark Tank—a fabulous idea that was shared from another state’s ECET2!
Just like on TV—except the prize money, $1000 generously donated by the Maine Education Association, was awarded to two innovative education projects that will positively impact student learning. Educators at ECET2 Downeast submitted many compelling proposals to the Sharks, four of which made the final round. The four finalists had three minutes each to present their best “pitch” to the Sharks. After a lively round of presentations and lots of laugher, followed by clarifying questions from the Sharks, the two $500 cash awards went to the Rose Gaffney School for their proposal to use technology to increase community and collaboration, and the Brooklin School for their work on diversity and literacy. Congratulations to all who submitted proposals—the Sharks had a tough task choosing just two!
The verdict is in on the first summer of regional ECET2 convenings: resounding success! As with their central Maine ECET2 predecessors, the regional convenings provided a platform for optimistic and personal professional learning—and a true celebration of teachers and the teaching profession! As teachers were preparing to leave, many of their comments echoed Paula Bourque’s (Instructional Coach, NBCT, Augusta Schools) reflection of her ECET2 experience:
“Each of us left the conference feeling inspired, empowered, and connected. We are charged with going out and sharing what we experienced and learned with our colleagues and cultivating the calling of teacher leadership. We left with a stronger network to lean on and collaborate with as we navigate the challenges of teaching. We are dedicated to promoting teacher leadership, positive school culture, and the advocacy for what is best for our students.”
ECET2: A perfect way for educators to recharge in preparation for a new school year!
Maine DOE Newsroom 