Registration for Maine’s 2023 Statewide Early Childhood Education Conference is open!

This year’s Statewide Early Childhood Education Conference has an incredible lineup of keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities planned for October 27 & 28 in Portland. Keynote speakers will be Denisha Jones, Executive Director of Defending the Early Years, and Angela Hanscom, author and founder of TimberNook.

How to Register: 

Step 1: Go to maineaeyc.org/conference
Step 2: Click the BIG PINK BUTTON at the top of the page that says “REGISTER”
STEP 3: Follow the directions on the registration page

Each guest must register separately and will need to have a credit/debit card number to put into the form. Administrators will only be able to register their staff one at a time, and they must have their staff’s personal contact information (i.e. home address, home email, home phone, etc.). Alternatively, administrators can email the registration form to their employees and have them each register separately. Participants will select breakout sessions for the conference at a later date. 

If you would like to book a room to stay at the Holiday Inn where the conference is being held, click on this link. When you input the conference dates at the link, you will automatically be given the room discount for conference attendees. 

If you have any questions about the conference or registration, please contact MaineAEYC at conference@maineaeyc.org

Leading Early Learning—A Professional Learning Series for Elementary School Administrators

“Participating in the series has helped me to look at the decisions we make about our instructional programming and school community through the lens of early learning and what is developmentally appropriate for our youngest learners.” –Quote from Cohort 1 participant

As Maine elementary schools have added preschool programming and are promoting whole student approaches across the Pre-K -Grade 3 span, elementary principals have requested professional learning to support their work as educational leaders. The Maine Department of Education (DOE) and several Maine educational organizations (listed below) have collaborated to design an exciting professional learning series to address identified needs and support professional growth. The Leading Early Learning series has supported cohorts during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years. We are pleased to announce the third cohort for this series will launch during the 2023-24 school year.

The series will not only provide participants with opportunity to deepen their knowledge of early learning pedagogy and best practices related to supporting students and teachers across Pre-K-3, but it will also provide a professional learning network, opportunity to design a concept for an implementation project, and be supported through facilitated discussions. Participants will engage in a variety of modes of learning, from asynchronous modules to professional learning communities to attendance at a statewide early learning conference.

If this opportunity interests you, please review the details for the series in the informational guide. A link to apply for the series is included in the informational guide. The series will support up to 30 participants. Applications will be received through July 10, 2023. Once spaces are filled, a waiting list will be generated.

For additional information, please contact Lee Anne Larsen, Director of Early Learning at Maine DOE, leeann.larsen@maine.gov.

Leading Early Learning Partner Organizations

Maine Department of Education
Maine Roads to Quality Professional Development Network
Maine Association for the Education of Young Children
UMaine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies

Register for Second Annual Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) Conference

The Maine Department of Education is proud to partner with Jobs for Maine Grads (JMG) on the Second Annual Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) Conference. This is a 2-night, 3-day intensive designed to equip educators with the skills and facilitated planning time to build or expand quality ELO programming for Maine students. Come and go as needed.

August 14-16
University of Maine at Orono

Session Leaders from all over Maine and New Hampshire will focus on topics such as:

Maine DOE Listening Session
Supporting ESOL Students
ELOs & Special Education
Apprenticeships
Marketing Strategies
Strategies for Engaging School-Based Colleagues in the Administration of ELOs
Leveraging ELOs to Attain Industry-Recognized Credentials
Various Sessions on Community Partnerships
ELO Data & Building presentations for School Boards
Aligning ELOs to college credit
Administrators and ELO
School Counselors and ELO
Teachers and ELO
Establishing a Program
LMS session: What the LMS can do for you?
Designing a Group ELO
Skill-Builders and Scaffolding
Examples Sessions on Passion Projects, Core Credit ELOs
Statewide Capacity/Structure
Maine DOE: Recognizing Credit-Bearing ELOs
Mini-ELOs: Stackable Learning
Can We? Project
The ELO Approach: Redefining How We Think About Curriculum Delivery
Maine DOE: ELOs & The Whole Student Approach

Learn more and register here.

Download the flyer (PDF)

For more information and contacts visit: https://jmg.org/extended-learning-opportunities

Registration Opens June 5th for Maine’s 2023 Statewide Early Childhood Education Conference

Save the Date for Maine’s 2023 Statewide Early Childhood Education Conference! The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is proud to collaborate with the Maine Association for the Education of Young Children to provide this professional learning opportunity geared to educators working across the birth to grade 3 spans. This year’s conference has an incredible lineup of keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities planned for participants gathering in Portland on October 27 & 28. Keynote speakers will be Denisha Jones, Executive Director of Defending the Early Years, and Angela Hanscom, author, and founder of TimberNook. 

The call for proposals is currently open through May 31st at 5:30pm. Those interested in offering a breakout session can learn more and submit their ideas at https://maineaeyc.org/conference

A link to register will be available on Monday, June 5th

How to Register on June 5th: 

Step 1: Go to https://maineaeyc.org/conference
Step 2: Click the BIG PINK BUTTON at the top of the page that says “REGISTER”
STEP 3: Follow the directions on the registration page

We can’t wait to see you in October! If you have any questions about the conference or registration, please contact MaineAEYC at conference@maineaeyc.org.

Webinar: The Role of Special Educators in School Safety Efforts

The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Safe and Supportive Schools and its Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center will host a Webinar on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET. This Webinar will highlight the role of special educators in school safety, security, emergency management, and preparedness activities, including emergency operations plan (EOP) development.

The objectives of this 60-minute Webinar are to:

Demonstrate the importance of a collaborative planning team, as outlined in Step 1 of the six-step planning process detailed in the Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans.
Discuss the role that special educators play in implementing the National Preparedness System mission areas before, during, and after an emergency.
Reinforce how special educators can enhance EOP development and serve as key stewards in the behavioral threat assessments, continuity of operations, recovery, and more.
Share relevant resources to be used by special educators and core planning teams.

Register on the REMS TA Center Website to participate in the Webinar!

Presenters

Maryland Department of Health
- Dr. Toni Beckett, School Administrative Coordinator
REMS TA Center
- Janelle Hughes, Project Director

Questions

Contact the REMS TA Center Help Desk at 1-855-781-REMS [7367] or info@remstacenter.org from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday. Can’t make the live event? This Webinar will be archived on the REMS TA Center’s Website within 7 business days.

Webinar: Special Education Exit Report – June 6, 2023

Join the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Data Team and the Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education (OSSIE) for an interactive webinar about the special education exit report. The Join Live event link below will be active on the date and time of the webinar.

We will be joined by Brandi Giguere and Shawn Collier from the Maine DOE’s OSSIE team to review reporting requirements for this data set. The webinar will be recorded and posted to the Webinars and Presentations page on the Helpdesk Website. It may take a few days to get the recording posted, however, they will be available as soon as possible. If this webinar is canceled, there will be a notice posted on the Helpdesk Website at the top of the page.

Special Education Exit Report Webinar:

June 6th at 10:00 am
Join the Live event here on June 6th – no need to register in advance.

For questions about data reporting webinars please contact Alexandra.Cookson@maine.gov

Registration Opens June 1st for the 2023 Maine DOE Educator Summit!

The countdown is on for the start of the 2023 Educator Summit being held August 7-10 at the Augusta Civic Center. Registration will be open from June 1 – July 7! With 143 presentations being offered this year, now is the time to check out the sessions and pick out your favorites so that when registration opens you can be one of the first to register!

2023 Educator Summit Schedule and Sessions

The fee for the 2023 Educator Summit event is $95.00 payable upon registration via credit card (once registration opens on June 1st). As a reminder, the Maine Department of Education will reimburse school administrative units (SAUs) for travel and lodging for attendees once the SAU has reimbursed the participants.

Registration includes:

8 meals
6 contact hours per day attended
Access to 143 presentations
Keynote speakers: Maine’s 2023 Teacher of the Year, Matt Bernstein, Maine DOE Commissioner Pender Makin, and Dr. Shanna Peeples
Over 30 information tables set up throughout the Civic Center for you to visit during the Summit
Ample time to collaborate with other educators across Maine

Other special activities during the 2023 Educator Summit that we are excited to share with you are:

Job Fair and open office hours for people who want to become part of Maine’s education workforce: On Thursday, August 10th from 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm we will be hosting a modified job fair and open office hours for those interested in becoming part of Maine’s education workforce. Maine Department of Education’s State Education Representative, Diana Doiron, along with school representatives from across our great State, and Maine DOE’s Certification Team will be available to engage with anyone interested in school job openings or more information about starting the process of a background check or being certified. Help spread the word to anyone who is interested in becoming employed to work in Maine schools!
Why I Love My School Community Poster Contest: Everyone is invited to bring a fully laminated poster board to be hung in the Augusta Civic Center during the Summit. The theme of the Poster Contest is “Why I Love My School Community.” That wording should be highly visible on the poster and then we encourage you to let your creativity shine. Please place the contact person’s name and cell number on the back of the poster. We will announce the winner and award the prize to the top three during lunch on Thursday, August 10th, the last day of the Summit.
Transformational Leaders’ Network (TLN) Kick-off Event: The TLN is a leadership professional development specifically designed for Maine principals and school building leaders that will hold its kick-off event for the 2023/2024 school year alongside the Educator Summit event in August. The TLN alleviates the stress and isolation principals experience as they provide instructional leadership, engage in school improvement initiatives, and foster a collegial culture–among all the other things they do! TLN creates an intimate environment of like-minded practitioners (facilitators and participants) who build a community of support for sharing issues of practice, getting feedback and insight on how they are managing school improvement initiatives, and, most importantly, engaging in learning about themselves and their leadership. Please note that becoming part of the TLN (which includes an additional 9 meetings over the course of the 2023/2024 school year, both in-person and virtual, along with an array of resources, coaching, and networking) comes with an additional $200 cost beyond the $95.00 Educator Registration fee. To learn more about the TLN visit Maine DOE’s TLN Webpage.
2nd Annual Maine School Safety Summit – The Maine School Safety Center welcomes over 40 presenters offering sessions on safety-related topics. The second annual School Safety Summit will be held in conjunction with the Educator Summit on August 7-10, 2023. We welcome educators, administrators, school resource officers, all law enforcement working with schools and school personnel, school transportation providers, school nurses and counselors, school social workers, juvenile community corrections officers, local emergency management providers, first responders, and all stakeholders involved in school safety to participate. The Maine School Safety Center, Department of Corrections, and School Resource Officers Association are proud to present this high-quality, diverse training opportunity. Sessions being offered are listed on the Educator Summit website, but you must register through the Educator Summit process to ensure your spot at the various presentations being offered. Please note that the $95.00 registration fee for the 2023 Educator Summit covers the cost of attending all Maine Schools Safety Summit sessions.

For more information about the 2023 Educator Summit, contact Maine DOE Educator Summit Coordinator Teri Peaslee at teri.peaslee@maine.gov or visit the Maine Department of Education’s 2023 Educator Summit Website.

Webinar: End of Year Enrollment Exits – May 23, 2023

Join the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Data Team for an interactive webinar about exiting student enrollments at the end of the school year. No registration is required to join. The Join Live event link below will be active on the date and time of the webinar.

Maine DOE staff member Shawn Lagasse will also be joining the webinar to review the 3S1 Perkins Career & Technical Education (CTE) report as well.

The webinar will be recorded and posted to the Webinars and Presentations page on the Helpdesk Website. It may take a few days to get the recording posted, however, it will be available as soon as possible.

If this webinar is canceled, there will be a notice posted on the Helpdesk Website at the top of the page.

End-of-Year Enrollment Exits Webinar:

May 23 at 10:00 am
Join the Live event here on May 23rd

For questions about data reporting webinars please contact Alexandra.Cookson@maine.gov

Maine DOE Child Nutrition Team Hosts Training Opportunities for Child and Adult Food Program

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Child Nutrition Team recently hosted two Child and Adult Food Program training opportunities this spring in Augusta and Brewer.

Maine DOE staff members, Alissa Mank, and April Taylor provided CACFP Sponsors with information on program updates as well as hands-on refresher training on enrollments and Income Eligibility forms, meal patterns, identifying whole grain-rich items, ounce equivalents, posted menu requirements, cereal and yogurt sugar limits, and tracking their income and expenses.

To learn more about the Child and Adult Food Program visit this webpage. If you have questions regarding the Child and Adult Care Food Program, please contact a member of the Child Nutrition staff.

Reminder of Spring/Summer Book Study Opportunities: ‘Social Emotional Playbook,’ and ‘This Is Your Brain On Stereotypes’

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is offering Read Them Your Way book studies on two different titles this spring and summer.

The Social Emotional Playbook, written by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey and Dominque Smith is described by publisher Corwin as an “interactive playbook (which) provides the language, moves and evidence-based advice you need to nurture social and emotional learning in yourself, your students and your school.” The book is divided into six modules. This text is designed for educators.
This Is Your Brain On Stereotypes written by Tanya Lloyd Kyi and illustrated by Drew Shannon is described by publisher Kids Can Press as being, “an essential overview of the science behind stereotypes, from why our brains form them to how recognizing them can help us be less biased…This timely and hopeful book addresses the issues of discrimination, racism, sexism, ableism, and homophobia and offers concrete suggestions on how to make change. It uses scientific inquiry and loads of relatable and interesting examples to explore these uncomfortable topics in age-appropriate ways. Chapters, sidebars, and colorful illustrations break the text into manageable chunks. Besides the many ways this book could be used to inspire frank and in-depth discussions on the importance of addressing stereotypes and bias, it also links to many science and social studies curriculum topics. Backmatter includes an extensive list of sources, suggestions for further reading and an index.” This text is designed for educators and is recommended for students 11 and up.

Read Them Your Way

Choose to organize a professional community read. Maine DOE facilitation of a live, interactive, inquiry based discussion is available. Discussions of The Social Emotional Learning Playbook would be facilitated over six weeks, one week per module. Discussions of This Is Your Brain On Stereotypes would be facilitated over one session.
Read individually, at your own pace, and post your thinking on a shared jamboard with other education professionals across Maine. Comment on the thoughts of others w/ MDOE moderation.
Read on your own and join in a live discussion.
- One session LIVE, interactive, inquiry based discussions of The Social Emotional Learning Playbook will be hosted by the MDOE at 4pm on 6/1, 6/29, 7/20 & 8/17. Register here. Breakout groups will be by module, as engagement allows.
- One session LIVE, interactive, inquiry based discussions of This Is Your Brain On Stereotypes will occur at 4pm on 5/31, 6/28, 7/19 and 8/16. Register here. Breakout groups will be used depending on engagement.