Developing Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs) K-12 101 Train-the-Educator (TtE)

Learn important Federal guidance on school emergency management planning through a new 2.5 hour training on April 12. This Virtual Training by Request (VTBR) opportunity is being offered by the Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center, on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Supportive Schools (OSSS).

Each school day, our nation’s schools are entrusted to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for approximately 55 million elementary and secondary school students in public and nonpublic schools. In June 2013, the Obama Administration released the Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans (School Guide) which provides an overview of Federal guidance on school emergency management planning.

The School Guide, produced by the U.S. Departments of Education; Justice, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Homeland Security, led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency; and Health and Human Services, incorporates lessons learned from events, like the school shooting in Newtown and the tornadoes in Oklahoma, as well as years of emergency planning work by the Federal government, to present a recommended process, important content elements, and key considerations for school emergency operations plan (EOP) development.

In collaboration with their local government and community partners, schools can take steps to plan for these potential emergencies through the creation of a high-quality school EOP. With this training, an expert team will provide an overview of the recommended six-step planning process to create a high-quality school EOP, which includes the following:

Step 1: Forming a Collaborative Planning Team
Step 2: Understanding the Situation
Step 3: Determining Goals and Objectives
Step 4: Plan Development
Step 5: Plan Preparation, Review, and Approval
Step 6: Plan Implementation and Maintenance

Pre- and -post training activities will provide guidance on how this training is relevant to emergency operations planning and assist with the implementation of what is learned.

The intended audiences for this training include, but are not limited to: those interested in creating, revising, or enhancing school EOPs; school staff who serve, or will serve, on their school or school district’s EOP planning team; and other interested community stakeholders, including first responders, emergency medical services personnel, law enforcement, and others.

When: Tuesday, April 12, 2022
Time: 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET
Cost: NO CHARGE
Register here (Registration for this event closes on Friday, April 8, 2022, at 5:00 p.m.)

For more information contact The REMS TA Center 1-855-781-REMS [7367] or info@remstacenter.org.

Seeking Education Stakeholders for Multilingual Education Task Force

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is preparing to launch the Multilingual Education Task Force (METF), an initiative to support the development of bilingual programs in Maine schools.

Bilingual programs have benefits for all students, including, but not limited to:

Superior academic performance;
Greater inclusion and improved socioemotional and learning outcomes for multilingual learners;
Intercultural communicative competence; and
Future opportunities for employment in the global economy.

If you are interested in participating as a member of the METF, you are welcome to submit an application. All educators and community members who would like to learn more about bilingual education and begin advocating for, and taking steps toward developing a program in a Maine school are encouraged to join.

Apply to Join the Multilingual Education Task Force.

Co-facilitated by the Multistate Association for Bilingual Education, Northeast, the METF will convene on the following dates from 3-5pm via Zoom:

May 5, 2022: Examination of opportunities to implement dual language education programs
May 12, 2022: Identifying the challenges and solutions to implement dual language education programs
May 23, 2022: Begin a strategic plan to build the foundation to implement dual language education programs

To learn more about bilingual education, its benefits, various program models, and how to begin the implementation process, check out the Multistate Association for Bilingual Education website. Contact April Perkins, ESOL/Bilingual Programs Specialist, at april.perkins@maine.gov with any questions.

WEBINAR: Improving School Climate in K-12 Schools (March 31)

The Federal School Safety Clearinghouse is hosting a webinar on March 31 at 3:00 PM on school climate featuring strategies, guidance, and resources for kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) schools.

The session will feature guest speakers from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Safe and Supportive Schools and the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments.

Presenters will provide an overview of how communities can improve school climate, help prevent acts of violence, and strategies that lead to improved behavioral and academic outcomes.

School climate refers to the quality of school life and is a broad, multifaceted concept that involves many aspects of the student’s educational experience. Research suggests that a positive school climate can lead to a significant decrease in the likelihood of crime, aggression, and violent behavior. Therefore, schools and districts should implement social, emotional, and behavioral support systems to create a climate that supports and responds to student behavior.

The discussion will feature additional school safety-related resources available through SchoolSafety.gov, as well as a Q&A session.

When: March 31, 2022, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM EDT
Where: Adobe Connect (access link to be provided one day in advance of the event)
For: K-12 School Superintendents and Principals, School and District Administrators, Teachers and School Staff, School Counselors and School Psychologists, Emergency Management, and Parents
Registration: https://schoolclimatewebinar.eventbrite.com

If you have any questions, please contact the School Safety team at SchoolSafety@hq.dhs.gov.

Maine Department of Education and University of Southern Maine Partner to Increase School Psychology Supports in Maine

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) and the University of Southern Maine (USM) Department of Educational and School Psychology announced a new partnership to increase the number of school psychologists within the state and expand school psychology services for Maine’s students and schools.

With support from the Maine Department of Education, the University of Southern Maine has created a new, full-time clinical faculty position to expand internship programs within the state and prepare larger numbers of credentialed school psychologists to provide effective and comprehensive school-based services. School psychologists are trained and prepared to help schools improve academic achievement, promote positive behavior and mental health, create safe and supportive school environments, strengthen family-school partnerships, improve schoolwide assessment and accountability practices, and advance equitable practices for diverse populations.

“School psychologists play such an important role in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of students and creating safe, welcoming, and supportive environments for our young people,” said Education Commissioner Pender Makin. “The pandemic greatly increased the need for these supports in our schools and we’re excited to partner with the University of Southern Maine to provide a pathway to increase the number of school psychologists in Maine schools as well as offering additional supports and resources to current school psychologists.”

Dr. Samantha Blair has been selected to serve in this new role as a Clinical Assistant Faculty in the Department of Educational and School Psychology at the University of Southern Maine.

“I am excited to be a part of this collaboration with the University of Southern Maine and the Department of Education because I am committed to the professional development of school psychologists and working with stakeholders throughout Maine to support the work in the field,” said Dr. Blair. “I am looking forward to continuing to learn about the needs throughout the state, and through collaborative efforts increasing the number of school psychologists and expanding their role to increase access to high-quality comprehensive services to students throughout Maine.”

Blair will collaborate with school psychologists and schools across the state to design, coordinate, and supervise field-based training experiences in school psychology. She will assist with the development of comprehensive practicum and internship programs, support priority initiatives within partnering schools, provide supervision to school psychology trainees, and offer professional development in clinical supervision for school psychologists.

“The recently announced partnership between the Maine Department of Education and the University of Southern Maine is exciting news for the field of education, particularly special education. School psychologists play an integral role in supporting the educational and social emotional needs of students with disabilities,” said Gay McDonald, Executive Director of Maine Administrators of Services for Children with Disabilities (MADSEC). “As active members of the student’s educational team and as trained individuals to conduct the required comprehensive evaluations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, school psychologists are greatly needed in our schools. This partnership shows the Department’s commitment to address the shortage of school psychologists across the state and to assist in meeting the individual needs of our students. Such a collaborative effort will have a high impact for Maine students, and we applaud the MDOE and USM on this partnership.”

DATA WEBINAR: April Enrollment Certification Report – April 5th

The April Enrollment Certification report opens on April 1 with a certification due date of April 15^th. The Maine Department of Education’s Data Team will be hosting a webinar on Tuesday April 5^th at 10am to go over the April Enrollment Details report and the April Enrollment Certification report.

Please follow the “Join Live” link at the time of the training to join us. Thank you.

For questions, contact the Maine DOE Helpdesk at medms.helpdesk@maine.gov.

Visiting Teachers from Spain Program

Is your school anticipating difficulty in securing a licensed Spanish teacher for the 2022-2023 school year or beyond? Do you want to expose your students to a proficient Spanish speaker and cultural expert? Are you trying to figure out how to staff a Spanish immersion program? Then the Visiting Teachers from Spain Program may help.

Maine’s Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Education of Spain was created to promote strong cross-cultural ties between the citizens of Maine and the people of Spain, and to help address the uneven distribution of qualified instructors of Spanish in our state. Under this agreement, educators from Spain can be brought to teach in Maine schools for a period of up to three years (a two-year extension may be possible after the third year), depending on the availability of each individual teacher, his or her willingness to stay for an extended period, and the School Administrative Unit’s (SAU) interest in extending their visiting teachers’ contracts beyond the initial year.

Visiting International Teachers are licensed to teach in Maine while holding the cultural exchange status described above.

The process of securing a Visiting Teacher from Spain is comprised of a few simple steps. An interested school or SAU must first determine that they have a guaranteed position. Teachers on J-1 visas cannot be procured for openings that are uncertain or subject to elimination. Next, a detailed application must be completed and signed. New schools or districts also must sign a program contract, indicating a commitment to abide by all of the program’s requirements.

Both documents must be submitted together to the Embassy of Spain by April 15, 2022. Maine DOE representatives will conduct remote interviews with Spanish teachers and select a pool of highly qualified candidates whose skills and backgrounds may fit the needs of Maine schools. The next step is to put their visiting teachers under contract in accordance with any local bargaining unit agreements. Visiting teachers must receive the same salary and benefits that any other teacher would receive, based on their educational attainment and years of experience. Visiting teachers arrive in Maine in mid-August and undergo an intensive pre-service orientation provided by the Spanish Ministry of Education prior to their arrival in their Maine communities.

Participation by the visiting educator in a strong, year-long novice teacher mentoring program in his or her school or district is a requirement for securing a teacher through this program. The school or district also should be willing to assist the teacher with all aspects of getting settled. Again, the application deadline is April 15, 2022. Please secure the approval of your local board of education/sponsor to hire a teacher from Spain before the April 15th deadline. Hiring after this date might be possible but we cannot guarantee availability of candidates.

See the program brochure for more details.

If you have any questions, please contact Manuel Collazo, Education Advisor at the Embassy of Spain, at manuel.collazo@educacion.gob.es or 617-678-5920.

DATA WEBINAR: Home Instruction Forms and Rosters – March 23rd

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) NEO Home Instruction portal will open to superintendents on April 1st for 2022-2023 form submissions.

As School Administrative Unit (SAU) central offices prepare to manage a new school year of home instruction forms and rosters, we invite superintendents and/or SAU Home Instruction Points of Contact to join the Maine DOE Home Instruction Specialist and Data Team for a Home Instruction Webinar on Wednesday, March 23rd at 10am.

We will be discussing the new school year, updated resources, and how to access and navigate the Home Instruction Module in NEO.

Please follow the “Join Live” link at the time of the training to join us.

For questions, contact the Maine DOE Helpdesk at medms.helpdesk@maine.gov.

MLTI Launches – Space2Connect! 19th Annual MLTI Student Conference

The 19th Annual MLTI Student Conference will be held virtually on Thursday, May 26, 2022 from 8:30am to 2:00pm, and will be open to all MLTI 7th and 8th grade students. Since our first MLTI Student Conference in 2003, this event has been providing students with their own technology conference focused on issues, concepts, and subjects that matter to them. The theme of this year’s conference is: MLTI Launches Space2Connect! The intent of the conference theme is to reflect the many interpretations of space and connection as they relate to Maine students and their use of technology today.

This year’s virtual conference will have a brand-new, classroom-centered approach. Sessions will be delivered directly into your classroom where the workshop leader will act as a type of guest teacher. Workshop leaders will teach the class new skills, provide time for students to practice these new skills, and then support them as they create something new with what they have learned. This new design will allow students to work together as they explore new resources and applications, create with new digital mediums, and collaborate to complete tasks. For more information on our new conference model, please watch our video!

This virtual conference, as with past years, will be hosted on Zoom. The sessions will be 90 minutes with the morning session running from 9:30am to 11:00am, and the afternoon session running from 12:00pm to 1:30pm. All necessary materials will be provided to schools before the conference so students will have them to create with during the conference.

In past years we have asked educators to lead all of the sessions at the student conference. However, this year, since the pandemic has already asked so much of educators over the past two years, the MLTI team, in partnership with some educational partners, will plan interactive, creative sessions that we think students will be excited to attend. Having said this, if you would like to lead a session at this year’s conference, we’d love to have you! Please review the proposal submission information and fill out the proposals submission form, or reach out to Digital Learning Specialist Jon Graham.

Registration

Registration for the 2022 MLTI virtual student conference is now open. Please select a lead teacher from your MLTI school to fill out the online registration form (copy attached to review before filling out online). We will be asking for lead teacher contact information, the school information, as well as a physical shipping address so we can deliver or ship conference materials directly to the attending school. We will also need the total number of students attending in each grade, and the totals for shirt sizes. We ask that schools complete the registration form by April 3, 2022. For questions regarding registration, please reach out to Brandi Cota at Brandi.M.Cota@Maine.Gov.

Important Dates

March 10th registration opens
March 21st workshop sessions announced
April 3rd registration closes
April 4th session sign up opens
April 15th session sign up closes
May 12th session assignments finalized

For more information, please visit the MLTI Student Conference page or contact Brandi Cota at Brandi.M.Cota@Maine.Gov.

NEW Online Course: Cybersecurity Considerations for K-12 Schools and School Districts

The following opportunity comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center.

Does your emergency operations team know the types of threats facing their networks and systems? Is your team prepared to handle cyber threats before, during, and after one occurs? Is cybersecurity included in your emergency operations plan (EOP)? These important questions for your planning team to consider will be answered by taking this NEW online course, Cybersecurity Considerations for K-12 Schools and School Districts.

This 30 to 45 minute free online course aims to help K-12 school personnel, school district administrators and staff, and state/regional education agency personnel include cybersecurity in EOPs and obtain critical data needed to prepare for network breaches and insider threats. This online course uses an engaging visual format and interactive features such as learning activities and quizzes that help you:

Recognize the connection between school safety and cybersecurity;
Identify the evolving threats facing school and school district networks and systems;
Prepare for possible cyber threats before, during, and after; and
Integrate cybersecurity with EOP development and planning.

Take Another REMS TA Center Online Course
The REMS TA Center offers a diverse set of self-paced, online courses as asynchronous training and professional development opportunities on school safety, security, emergency management, and preparedness topics. If you are a first-time user, create a profile for easy access to all our online courses.

Fundamentals of EOP Development

Annexes and Related Topics

School EOPs In-Depth: Planning for Large Events

Climate Data-Art Workshop for Educators

Join the Maine Department of Education and Friends of Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge as they cohost an afternoon with Jill Pelto, an accomplished climate change artist with a passion for constructing new ways to communicate science through art.

March 31, 2022
3:00 – 6:00 p.m.
virtual event

This 3-hour workshop is designed for middle and high school teachers that would like to learn how to braid climate science, data, and visual art as a means of communicating both the data and the urgency of climate impacts in a novel way. Jill’s data-art approach has been utilized in classrooms internationally.

During the workshop, teachers will demo the activity as “students” and create an original artwork that integrates scientific data collected by researchers from Friends of Maine Coastal Islands, including Tern (Arctic, Common, Roseate) recovery and Atlantic Puffin fledgling rates in Maine. This activity can be adapted for the classroom using the same datasets, or other datasets that teachers (or upper-level students) identify.

Instructional objectives of this workshop include:

Understand the meaning of the data
Relate to the data personally
Create an original artwork that illustrates a story

Register here for this workshop. An agenda, list of simple materials to have at hand during the workshop, and the Zoom link will be sent to all participants after successful registration. Space is limited.

If you have any questions about this event, please contact Shari Templeton at shari.templeton@maine.gov or 207-530-6407.