Category: Professional Development

Count ME In Training: Transforming School Climate & Culture

Join Count ME In for a fall training session and learn strategies on how to build a positive climate, improve school culture, decrease chronic absenteeism whether remote, in-person, or six-feet apart, and much more!

Date & Time: Tuesdays, November 9 & November 16 from 12:00 pm – 2:45 pm

INTERACTIVE VIRTUAL SESSION

You and your team CAN create a positive school climate and culture during a pandemic!

PARTICIPANTS WILL:

  • Examine how to build healthy relationships within the school community even when behind a screen (staff with students, staff with staff, and staff with families)
  • Learn how to implement fair process for inclusive decision-making
  • Explore strategies for difficult conversations among staff, students and/or families
  • Access a framework (including staff survey) to assess your own school climate and culture through consensus decision-making
  • Leave the workshop with tools to help create a thriving school where all students and staff can feel welcome and be successful

PRESENTERS: Ansley Newton and Susan Lieberman

COST: $85 per member of the school team (minimum of 3 team members) and $115 for individuals. This covers training and materials. The same team should attend both remote sessions. Zoom link will be forwarded after registration.

REGISTER HERE or visit: www.countmeinmaine.org/newsite/attend-upcoming-trainings

If you have any questions, please contact Susan Lieberman at  slieberman@countmeinmaine.org.

Two-Part Webinar Series on Nurturing Speaking Growth for English Learners

The Maine Department of Education invites all educators, Kindergarten to Grade 12, to participate in a two-part webinar series on Nurturing Speaking Growth for students who are English learners. Facilitated by Terri Mosgrove of WIDA, this webinar series is designed to support all educators who would like to explore the connection between the ACCESS Speaking Test and classroom practices that promote oral language development.

Participants will explore the underpinnings of the Speaking Test in a self-paced module that allows for choice and control. In each webinar, participants will engage in meaning making activities that provide ways to nurture students’ speaking growth. Participants will be asked to speak and share ideas with colleagues within the virtual event.

By engaging in the eWorkshop, participants will:

  • Apply the underpinnings of the Speaking Assessment to classroom practice
  • Connect the Key Language Uses to instructional practices in speaking
  • Explore the impact of holding the floor for extended classroom discourse
  • Choose Teacher Moves to support student voice
  • Develop an ear for language to support precision decisions.

Dates: 10.19.21 and 10.26.21

Times: 2-3:30pm

Register here – closes on 10.11.21.

Note that these webinars will not be recorded, per WIDA policy, and alternate tasks will be provided for registered participants who are unable to attend. If you have any questions, please contact April Perkins, World Languages & ESOL/Bilingual Programs Specialist, at april.perkins@maine.gov.

ACTEM 2021 Fall Conference to take place Virtually on October 14th and 15th

The 2021 Fall ACTEM Conference (Association of Computer Technology Educators of Maine) is virtual this year, hosted by Hopin, a very reliable and successful platform. The conference is FREE for all ACTEM members, $20 for in-state non-members, and $30 for out-of-state educators.

The conference will run Thursday, October 14h and Friday, October 15th from 3:00PM to 7:00PM each day.

2021 Fall ACTEM Conference Highlights:

  • Two amazing keynotes, Michael Matera and Dr. Shreya Dave.
  • 90% of the presentations are recorded and available to all ACTEM members.
  • Check out the schedule of presentations here: https://bit.ly/ACTEM21

Learn more and register here!

For more information contact ACTEM at (207) 222-4353 or info@actem.org.

Free Statewide Meet & Greet for New School Library Staff

New to a school library and/or changed libraries? Join the Maine Association of School Libraries (MASL) and its members members in small groups to chat about your questions and ideas.

This is a free, virtual event that will take place on Thursday, September 30th from 4pm to 5pm. 

During the event you will have the opportunity to connect with other new library staff new to a school or the profession while also gaining perspective from MASL members. The session will cover the benefits of MASL membership including professional development, networking, and scholarship opportunities. 

For more information or to register, please visit the event page on the MASL website.

FREE TRAINING: Behavioral Threat Assessment

What is school-based behavioral threat assessment? 

  • Violence prevention strategy recommended by the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Secret Service, and FBI.
  • Multidisciplinary team approach to identify behaviors of concern, assess the level of risk, and provide appropriate interventions.

Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG TRAINING):

  • Consists of 2 levels of training.
  • Level 1: 8 eLearning modules, taking approximately 6 hours, to be completed at your convenience asynchronously online. Training window opens on October 4, 2021.
  • Level 2: 4-hour Synchronous training to work through practice cases applying the methodology learned in the Level 1 training. October 19th via Zoom from 9:00-1:00.

Who should attend?

  • School Resource Officers
  • School Administrators
  • Law Enforcement Responding to Schools
  • School Mental Health Providers/Social Workers/Psychologists
  • School Safety Teams
  • Juvenile Community Corrections Officers

How to register?

  • Contact Karen Barnes, Threat Assessment/Mental Health Officer at the Maine School Safety Center at karen.a.barnes@maine.gov for more information or to be added to the training roster.
  • Additional training dates TBA.

Resources and Information about Protecting Student Privacy

Federal and state laws regulate the privacy of student education records. These laws apply to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). With this in mind, the Maine DOE has put together a toolkit of links to information, resources, and training for district administrators and school employees to use as a quick reference for information and contacts related to student data privacy.

In addition to having links to information about the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and other federal and state laws that protect student privacy, there are also training videos, resources and guidance from U.S. DOE about understanding what student privacy is as well as other more in-depth tutorials about everything from virtual learning to integrated data systems.

The toolkit also features state level resources such as the Maine Student Privacy Alliance (MSPA), in addition to more student privacy resources from U.S. DOE, both specifically for district administrators but also for early childhood educators, education technology vendors, parents and students, postsecondary school officials, and researchers.

Access the Maine DOE Student Data Privacy Toolkit here.

For further questions about student data privacy, contact U.S. DOE Student Privacy Help Desk (Toll-Free): 1-855-249-3072

Working with Community Partners to Provide State-Funded Pre-K

Recently, members of the Early Learning Team at the Department of Education (DOE) partnered with the Maine State Head Start Collaboration Office and the Governor’s Office of Innovation and the Future to provide a three-part professional learning series aimed at supporting school administrative units (SAUs) in navigating formal partnerships with licensed community providers. The series examined common myths and facts about partnering, explored the benefits and barriers of forming partnerships, and reviewed a roadmap for beginning conversations between partners. Representatives from existing public Pre-K and community partnerships also joined for a one-hour panel highlighting their own unique experiences in providing high-quality public Pre-K programs through formal partnerships.

All three, one-hour sessions were recorded and are now available on the Maine DOE’s Early Childhood website on the Professional Learning & Resources page. Additionally, links to individual sessions are provided below.

As SAUs in Maine continue to start and expand their public Pre-K offerings, partnerships are highly recommended to support the growing number of children that would like to attend as well as the needs of families. The Early Learning Team is prepared to support these conversations as needed. Those interested in more resources should reach out to one of the following specialists:

Early Education Team Coordinator, Leeann.larsen@maine.gov

Early Childhood Specialist, Nicole.madore@maine.gov

Early Childhood Monitor, Marcy.r.whitcomb@maine.gov

State Head Start Collaboration Director, Nena.m.cunningham@maine.gov

Senior Policy Analyst & Children’s Cabinet Coordinator, Ana.hicks@maine.gov

VIRTUAL TRAINING: Suicide Prevention Curriculum Lessons Training

Join the Maine Department of Education and NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Health) Maine for a 2-part virtual training!

  • Wed., Sept. 22nd, 8:00am – 12:00pm
  • Wed., Sept. 29th, 12:00pm – 3:30pm

It is a great opportunity to safely and economically attend this vitally important curriculum unit. Attendees MUST commit to both sessions. Gatekeeper Training is a pre-requisite, (may be registered in an upcoming workshop). For more Info on Gatekeeper Training access NAMI Maine’s event calendar.

School staff will be prepared to implement suicide prevention lessons through foundational information and engagement in learning content and strategies in the curriculum lessons.

No cost, and materials are provided.

The training will cover the Middle School Stress Management and Suicide Prevention Lessons and Lifelines Lessons.

Register Here

(Registration closes Friday Sept. 17 to allow time to prepare materials.)

Direct questions to Amanda Bouffard, Suicide Prevention Coordinator, (207) 622-5767, ext. 2318.

The Math Pact: Achieving Instructional Coherence Within and Across Grades Virtual Training

Join the Maine Department of Education mathematics specialists, Jen Robitaille and Michele Mailhot, in this 5-part virtual professional learning opportunity specifically designed for a team/sub-team of a school leadership team. Teams consist of 4 – 6 members, which may include:

  • Administrator (required member)
  • Math coach
  • Curriculum coordinator
  • Classroom teacher
  • Special Education teacher

Why participate?

  • Strengthen your understanding of a Mathematics Whole School Agreement
  • Explore what it means to develop a Mathematics Whole School Agreement
  • Develop a shared school vision of rigorous, accessible, and equitable mathematics teaching and learning
  • Collaboration with your school coach
  • Take away ideas and materials to use in developing and implementing your Mathematics Whole School Agreement
  • Improve student learning and understanding of mathematics

What is our key goal? To provide you with experiences, information, and resources to guide you in key areas of school practice, leadership, and instructional strategies that have an impact on students’ mathematical learning.

What is our approach to professional learning?

  • Dig into math: Delve into key mathematics concepts such as language, notation, representations, rules and generalizations.
  • Connect to research: Discuss readings that connect each topic to research and take away powerful research-based approaches, tools, and resources to use in your school and classrooms.
  • Collaborate: Work together and share ideas with other teams.
  • Lead change: Set goals and generate a plan for ongoing mathematics improvement for your school and classrooms.

Registration Cost: Free team registration – some materials will be provided digitally. The required texts will be provided to your team at no cost.

Contact hours: 10 hours
Please select ONE SERIES. Plan to participate in ALL dates for that series.
Series A

Wednesday

Register Here

 Sept. 22, 2021

3:30 pm – 5:30 pm

 Oct. 6, 2021

3:30 pm – 5:30 pm

 Oct. 20, 2021

3:30 pm – 5:30 pm

 Nov. 3, 2021

3:30 pm – 5:30 pm

 Nov. 17, 2021

3:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Series B

Thursday

Register Here

 Sept. 23, 2021

3:30 pm – 5:30 pm

 Oct. 7, 2021

3:30 pm – 5:30 pm

 Oct. 21, 2021

3:30 pm – 5:30 pm

 Nov. 4, 2021

3:30 pm – 5:30 pm

 Nov. 18, 2021

3:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Space is Limited! Register by September 8, 2021

Questions? Contact: Michele Mailhot, Mathematics Specialist: 624-6829, michele.mailhot@maine.gov  or Teri Peaslee, School Turnaround Team PL Coordinator: 624-6706, teri.peaslee@maine.gov

U.S. DOE WEBINAR: Back-to-School Safety for the K-12 Community

Please join the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse on August 31 at 3:00 PM EDT for an informational webinar on back-to-school safety for the K-12 community.

During the session, leaders from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education will provide an overview of resources, programs, and guidance to support schools in safely re-opening as the 2021-2022 academic school year gets underway. The discussion will feature information on efforts including the Return to School Roadmap, the Lessons from the Field Webinar Series, and the Summer Learning & Enrichment Collaborative.

The webinar will close with a brief look at the additional resources offered through the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse on school safety topics like school climate and mental health, physical security, and threat assessment and reporting, as well as a question and answer period for participants to engage directly with our speakers.

  • When: August 31, 2021, 3:00 to 4:00 PM EDT
  • Where: Adobe Connect (access link to be provided one day in advance of the event)
  • Who: K-12 School Superintendents and Principals; School and District Administrators; Teachers and School Staff; School Resource Officers; Local Law Enforcement; Mental Health Practitioners and School Counselors; Parents
  • Registration: https://schoolsafetybacktoschoolwebinar.eventbrite.com/

We hope you can join us for this special event. If you have any questions, please contact the School Safety team at SchoolSafety@hq.dhs.gov.

This webinar is part of the 2021 School Safety Webinar Series, a program hosted by the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse to address emerging risks and threats facing the K-12 school community. Held on a monthly basis, the webinar series covers a range of school safety topics, and provides information on the resources, tools, and best practices available to equip school leaders with a set of strategies in creating safer and more resilient school systems. Learn more about the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse at SchoolSafety.gov.