Maine Association of School Libraries (MASL) to Host New Library Staff Affinity Session on 10/5

School librarians are leaving the profession, nationwide and in Maine. Yet we know the impact of school librarians on student learning and growth, particularly during the pandemic — and how a certified school librarian prepares students for their post-secondary success.

The Maine Association of School Libraries (MASL) is a professional community for all school library staff whose members access free, ongoing professional development, scholarship opportunities for continued learning, members-only resources, mentoring, and support. With a modest annual membership fee of $25, MASL connects, uplifts, and supports school library staff across our state.

MASL is hosting a “Newbie” Affinity Session on October 5th at 7:00 pm via Zoom, suitable for new hires in libraries, new school librarians or library ed techs, anyone who has transitioned from the classroom to a library, or a staff member who is juggling multiple roles (including a library assignment), or just anyone who still feels “new” at their job in a Maine school library!

“Send all the new school library folks our way,” says Iris Eichenlaub, chair of MASL’s Mentoring Committee, “as the lonely-onlies in our buildings (or district), connecting with the Maine school librarian professional community is how we keep more librarians in Maine schools.”

For more information or further questions, reach out to maslibraries@gmail.com.

13th Annual Maine PBIS Conference

Join us to celebrate, learn, and network with PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) leaders and implementers from across Maine and beyond to enhance the quality of life of students by promoting evidence-based and effective positive behavior supports to realize socially valid and equitable outcomes for people, families, schools, agencies, and communities.

Thursday, November 9, 2023
Augusta Civic Center
9:00 AM until 3:45 PM

Registration Cost:

General (individual)- $195
Group (groups of 3 or more attendees)- $165
Student (full-time undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in 6 credits per semester for at minimum 2 semesters per year)- $85
Lead Presenter (those accepted to present; only lead presenters are at no charge; co-presenters will be charged the individual rate)- $0

Keynote Speaker:

Lindsay Fallon, Ph.D., BCBA-D is an Associate Professor and Director of the School Psychology Ph.D. Program in the College of Education and Human Development at University of Massachusetts Boston. She is a former New York City special education teacher and special education faculty member. She is a licensed psychologist and a doctoral-level Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She has authored over 70 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters and has presented her work nearly 150 times at international, national and regional conferences. Her work focuses on multi-tiered systems of support, behavioral interventions, implementation science, as well as culturally responsive practice. She works extensively with school districts to design and implement positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) in and around Boston.

Register here.

Questions regarding the conference or proposal submissions may be directed to: Courtney Angelosante (courtney.angelosante@maine.edu) and Sarah Wilkinson (sarah.wilkinson@maine.edu)

Application Deadline Extended for ConCEPT Asynchronous Professional Learning Opportunity

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is piloting a program designed to support educators throughout the state with professional learning that is practical and flexible.

Conceptual Classroom and Educational Programs for Teachers (ConCEPT) is focused on providing professional learning to educators across Maine through asynchronous evidence-based modules, topic-driven office hours, asynchronous book studies, and customized support from the Maine DOE Interdisciplinary Instruction team. ConCEPT offers a menu of choices for educators to choose from that can be tailored to your team’s goals. ConCEPT is completely free to Maine educators. Contact hours and reimbursement for planning purposes outside the regular contracted day are available.

Set up a time to have a conversation by making a request through this link.

To learn more about ConCEPT, you can watch the prerecorded webinar below or visit the ConCEPT webpage.

You can also reach out to Kathy Bertini at Kathy.Bertini@maine.gov for further questions.

Professional Learning Community: Explore 2nd Grade for ME

Between 2018-2023, the Maine Department of Education has engaged in the development of interdisciplinary, open-source instructional programs for Pre-K, Kindergarten, and Grade 1. These programs, Pre-K for ME and K for ME, and 1st Grade for ME, are housed on the Maine DOE’s website. Many schools across the state have implemented these instructional programs and the Maine DOE is planning to extend its work related to interdisciplinary, open-source instructional programming into grade two during the 2024-25 school year by adapting the Boston Public Schools’ Focus on Second program to become 2nd Grade for ME.

For grade two teachers interested in exploring the Focus on Second instructional program that will serve as the foundation for Maine’s development of 2nd Grade for ME, a professional learning community (PLC) experience is being planned for the 2023-24 school year. There is no obligation to implement the program, but this PLC will provide time to learn about the program design, its components, and how the program connects to Pre-K for ME, K for ME, and 1st Grade for ME.

Teachers, instructional coaches, and administrators interested in this instructional program are encouraged to participate. Grade two teachers who participate may have the opportunity to pilot the program during the 2024-25 school year.

To preview the program, visit Focus on Second. An outline of the PLC series and a registration link is included below.

Professional Learning Community: Exploring 2nd Grade for ME

3:30-4:30 p.m.

Registration Link

Date	Topics/Component Focus
October 24th	Goals for the PLC, Structure of Focus on Second (2nd Grade for ME)
November 15th	Read Alouds, Routines, Vocabulary
January 16th	Play, Studios, Projects
February 27th	Science and Engineering, Math
March 26th	Phonics, Literacy Stations, Small Groups, Writing, Closing

If you have questions, please contact Lee Anne Larsen, Director of Early Learning, at Leeann.Larsen@maine.gov.

Maine Department of Education Releases Climate Education Professional Development Grant to Promote Climate Education in Maine Schools

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is excited to launch a new climate education professional development pilot grant opportunity to support the growth of climate education throughout the state and most especially in underserved communities. This grant initiative was designed out of LD 1902 which passed in the spring of 2022. This grant initiative is designed first and foremost to support teachers and schools. Climate change content and pedagogy can be challenging to approach for many different reasons. It can be a new area for teachers, a subject matter that is challenging to navigate in a school’s community, and an area of education where teachers and schools just don’t know where to get started.

This initiative asks that schools partner with a non-profit community-based organization because these organizations are integral to communities throughout Maine. They have created, sustained, and grown an incredible framework of outdoor and environmental education opportunities and programs that are tailored to their local regions traits and needs. This initiative will expand on their work to form new connections and expand partnerships between community organizations and schools. These partnerships will support teachers and schools to bring climate education to more of Maine’s students.

The RFA can be found here, and applications are due on November 3, 2023.

The RFA grant will be phase 1 of 2 initial phases the Maine DOE plans for this effort. Phase 1 will have an application window from early September to October 20th. Phase 1 professional development programs will be awarded for a term from mid-November through the end of August 2024. Phase 2 will build on the successes and learnings of phase one. Phase 2 will have an application window in the winter of 2024 and be designed for programs leading up to and during the school year of 2024-2025. These phases are designed for a wide variety of applicants and programs that might vary in style, content, age, duration, and breadth or depth.

Applicants should take the time to review the application and ask questions by September 29th (full instructions in the RFA). Just like the program itself, the application can be collaborative with community partners and other local education providers if desired. Applicants that hit priorities one and/or two and cannot connect with a partner or do not know where to start are still encouraged to apply. If the timeline for phase 1 is too tight for applying or the award window does not make sense for this year, phase 2 is a great option with additional time to plan and connect with a partner.

This program is overseen by Teddy Lyman, the Maine DOE’s new Climate Education Specialist. Teddy will coordinate this program including the application, awards, and deliverables. During the RFA application window, Teddy cannot communicate directly with anyone that might benefit from direct communication that is not publicly available.

Questions about the RFA should be emailed to Teddy at: Theodore.Lyman@maine.gov by 11:59 pm on September 29th, 2023. Questions and answers will be posted publicly at the link below. The Climate Education Specialist will also set and execute a wider range of climate education initiatives throughout the state. This will include working with grant recipients, stakeholders, and youth to design, encourage, and build the future of climate education around Maine.

For more information and updates, check out the DOE climate education webpage.

A copy of the RFA, as well as the Question & Answer Summary and all amendments related to the RFA, can be obtained at: https://www.maine.gov/dafs/bbm/procurementservices/vendors/grants.