Category: Professional Development

FREE Anti-Bias Professional Learning Series for Educators

The Maine Department of Education is sponsoring a workshop by Amber Coleman-Mortley, Moving Beyond the Movement: Fostering Authentic Transformation for Sustainable Outcomes.  Amber Coleman-Mortley brings a diverse voice into civic education, manages a large network of education influencers, and has built a successful youth fellowship of students fighting for equity in civic education. Amber’s advocacy and expertise have been featured in the New York Times on several occasions.

Syllabus:

Module 1 – Now is the Time: Using the past to inform the present
How do we apply anti-racism, anti-bias, and equity to civics and history classrooms?

Module 2 – Be bold. Be brave. Be inclusive: Engaging your stakeholders
How do we facilitate community engagement around anti-bias work?

Module 3 – Culturally relevant pedagogy for all
How can we leverage culturally relevant pedagogy to support all learners in our school community?

Module 4 – Practical applications and continued strategies for continued allyship
What small, and large, changes are required to ensure that our practices and policies are investments, not investigations?

Every Wednesday in February

February 3, 2021; 7:00-9:00 PM
February 10, 2021; 7:00-8:30 PM
February 17, 2021; 7:00-9:00 PM
February 24,  2021; 7:00-8:30 PM

Register here: https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUkdOihrzIoHtEhnto0lYp7KcxZ3tbYW9SQ 

Download the flyer.

Learn more about Amber

Amber Coleman-Mortley is a talented creator and builder of digital and grassroots networks where she focuses on cultivating an engaged community of active participants through multimedia video and virtual spaces. In her current role as Director of Social Engagement, she brings diverse voices into civic education, manages a large network of education influencers, and has built a successful youth fellowship of students fighting for equity in civic education.

Amber’s equity and civic work is centered around building strong teams for improved community outcomes, which is inspired by her years as a three-sport varsity athlete at Oberlin College where she earned North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) all-conference honors for 8 out of the 11 seasons she competed. She also has a Division 3 , NCAA appearance in the 4×100 m. She currently serves as an alumni advisor to Oberlin College’s, Black Student-Athlete Guild.

Amber taught for nine years as a P.E/Health teacher and head varsity volley ball and head varsity track coach. She has experience building curriculum and leadership programs for student-athletes and team captains. Amber presented on Anti-Racist Coaching and Sports and Social Justice at the U.S. Soccer

Foundation’s Virtual National Training. At the center of her work are equity, critical thinking, and civic problem-solving. She has experience collaborating virtually with parents and educators around equity, anti-racism, and culturally relevant pedagogy, which includes work with the DuPage (Illinois) Regional Office Of Education.

Amber is a highly regarded social media influencer whose work brought her to the White House to meet former first lady Michelle Obama to discuss influencer campaigns that focus on family health and wellness. She is a parenting expert and author of Mom Of All Capes where she covers parenting strategies in civic education, education technology, parent-teacher partnerships, and social-emotional development. The podcast she co-created with her children, Lets K12 Better, discusses how to improve K12 education and family life through partnerships and communication.

Amber’s advocacy and expertise have been featured in the New York Times on several occasions which includes viral videos, a full-page spread in print media, and several online articles. Her insights have been cited in publications from the LA Times to the Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post to LAist. Coleman-Mortley has shared insights for parents through her work for Edutopia, civic education and parenting for TODAY Parenting, and even shared tips for weary travelers through Southwest Airlines. Amber’s voice has been amplified on countless podcasts including Edit Your Life about how to talk to children about race, EduTable about education a inequity, NPR affiliate KPC Conprocessing the state of the world with children. She’s presented live with New York Times Parenting and Sree Sreenivansan’s daily global show on talking to kids about race.

Additional information:

This workshop series will require participants to maintain a reflection journal. Participants should come motivated to create change and should be prepared to participate in group discussions based on readings and resources shared prior to the session.

Engaging in this cohort provides an opportunity for participants to earn credit hours. To receive credit, participants must attend all four sessions.

For more information contact Danielle Despins; a volunteer member of Maine DOE’s internal Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) sub-committee at (207) 592-1448.

PRIORITY NOTICE: Moving Beyond the Movement Workshop: Fostering Authentic Transformation for Sustainable Outcomes

The Maine Department of Education is sponsoring a workshop by Amber Coleman-Mortley, Moving Beyond the Movement: Fostering Authentic Transformation for Sustainable Outcomes.  Amber Coleman-Mortley brings a diverse voice into civic education, manages a large network of education influencers, and has built a successful youth fellowship of students fighting for equity in civic education. Amber’s advocacy and expertise have been featured in the New York Times on several occasions.

Syllabus:

Module 1 – Now is the Time: Using the past to inform the present
How do we apply anti-racism, anti-bias, and equity to civics and history classrooms?

Module 2 – Be bold. Be brave. Be inclusive: Engaging your stakeholders
How do we facilitate community engagement around anti-bias work?

Module 3 – Culturally relevant pedagogy for all
How can we leverage culturally relevant pedagogy to support all learners in our school community?

Module 4 – Practical applications and continued strategies for continued allyship
What small, and large, changes are required to ensure that our practices and policies are investments, not investigations?

Every Wednesday in February

February 3, 2021; 7:00-9:00 PM
February 10, 2021; 7:00-8:30 PM
February 17, 2021; 7:00-9:00 PM
February 24,  2021; 7:00-8:30 PM

Register here: https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUkdOihrzIoHtEhnto0lYp7KcxZ3tbYW9SQ 

Download the flyer.

Learn more about Amber

Amber Coleman-Mortley
Amber Coleman-Mortley

Amber Coleman-Mortley is a talented creator and builder of digital and grassroots networks where she focuses on cultivating an engaged community of active participants through multimedia video and virtual spaces. In her current role as Director of Social Engagement, she brings diverse voices into civic education, manages a large network of education influencers, and has built a successful youth fellowship of students fighting for equity in civic education.

Amber’s equity and civic work is centered around building strong teams for improved community outcomes, which is inspired by her years as a three-sport varsity athlete at Oberlin College where she earned North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) all-conference honors for 8 out of the 11 seasons she competed. She also has a Division 3 , NCAA appearance in the 4×100 m. She currently serves as an alumni advisor to Oberlin College’s, Black Student-Athlete Guild.

Amber taught for nine years as a P.E/Health teacher and head varsity volley ball and head varsity track coach. She has experience building curriculum and leadership programs for student-athletes and team captains. Amber presented on Anti-Racist Coaching and Sports and Social Justice at the U.S. Soccer

Foundation’s Virtual National Training. At the center of her work are equity, critical thinking, and civic problem-solving. She has experience collaborating virtually with parents and educators around equity, anti-racism, and culturally relevant pedagogy, which includes work with the DuPage (Illinois) Regional Office Of Education.

Amber is a highly regarded social media influencer whose work brought her to the White House to meet former first lady Michelle Obama to discuss influencer campaigns that focus on family health and wellness. She is a parenting expert and author of Mom Of All Capes where she covers parenting strategies in civic education, education technology, parent-teacher partnerships, and social-emotional development. The podcast she co-created with her children, Lets K12 Better, discusses how to improve K12 education and family life through partnerships and communication.

Amber’s advocacy and expertise have been featured in the New York Times on several occasions which includes viral videos, a full-page spread in print media, and several online articles. Her insights have been cited in publications from the LA Times to the Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post to LAist. Coleman-Mortley has shared insights for parents through her work for Edutopia, civic education and parenting for TODAY Parenting, and even shared tips for weary travelers through Southwest Airlines. Amber’s voice has been amplified on countless podcasts including Edit Your Life about how to talk to children about race, EduTable about education a inequity, NPR affiliate KPC Conprocessing the state of the world with children. She’s presented live with New York Times Parenting and Sree Sreenivansan’s daily global show on talking to kids about race.

Additional information:

This workshop series will require participants to maintain a reflection journal. Participants should come motivated to create change and should be prepared to participate in group discussions based on readings and resources shared prior to the session.

Engaging in this cohort provides an opportunity for participants to earn credit hours. To receive credit, participants must attend all four sessions.

For more information contact Danielle Despins; a volunteer member of Maine DOE’s internal Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) sub-committee at (207) 592-1448.

Behavioral Threat Assessment Presentation for Maine Schools

The Maine School Safety Center and Dr. Karen Barnes (MSSC Threat Assessment Officer) are pleased to invite you to a presentation that will provide you with a brief overview of School Behavioral Threat Assessment as well as inform you of current efforts underway in our state to identify at-risk students and mitigate violence by providing timely and effective interventions.  Additionally, we will provide you with details pertaining to free training opportunities to develop multidisciplinary threat assessment teams in your schools.  We hope you will join us as we share our work with you thus far and our vision for the future to ensure safety in all Maine schools.

The training will be conversational with ample opportunity for questions.  This training will be followed with a second training, at a later date, hosted by REMS addressing Behavioral Threat Assessment from a National perspective.

The target audience for this training are school administrators, school staff, mental health professional, law enforcement and other school safety stakeholders.

When: Jan 29, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting: https://mainestate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEud-qgqjMqHtPKjVEuelS4ae57ANl5sxU_

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

For further information or questions please contact Maine DOE Coordinator of School Safety and Security Rob Susi at robert.w.susi@maine.gov.

New! Online Child Development Associate Training Available for Foreign Trained Professionals

Portland Adult Education and Opportunity Alliance have announced the launch of their new ELL Child Development Associate (CDA) Training. The training is a partnership between Opportunity Alliance, Portland Adult Education and the Greater Portland Workforce Initiative.

The CDA Credential is recognized nationally as the quality standard for training of professional early childhood teachers. CDA training helps teachers work effectively with infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and their families in either a center-based or family child care setting.

This six-month training program is co-taught by a Certified CDA Instructor from the CDA Development Center and supported by an instructor from Portland Adult Education. Students will receive 120 hours of CDA instruction as well as support in English language, portfolio development, test-taking skills, and digital skills.

There are two informational sessions on Zoom: January 13th at 11:30 am and January 20th at 11:30 am (click on the date for the link).

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Target Population: Foreign trained professionals who have a background and interest in working in a child care setting
  • English skills equivalent to ESOL level 5 or above
  • Work Authorization is preferred
  • Meet income or other eligibility requirements to receive possible scholarships
  • 18 years and older

More information is available in the Application form, Application Packet, and Flyer. For further questions, contact: Bridget Kahn Kahnb@portlandschools.org

Antiracist Education for all of Maine – A Series of Free Workshops and Crucial Conversations for Maine Educators

This series has reached its capacity – registration is no longer open. 

The Maine State Teacher of the Year Association (MSTOYA) is thrilled to offer an important, timely and free professional development series: Antiracist Education for all of Maine.  This series kicks off with a keynote by Cornelius Minor, an author, teacher, instructional coach, and self-proclaimed “book tiger.”  There are also many other powerful speakers and “collegial conversations,” which are designed to be equity focused discussions with educators across Maine to help Maine educators build capacity as equity leaders in Maine schools and communities.

Speaker: No More Excuses: Why It Has to Be Us And Why It Has To Be Now

Cornelius Minor
February 9th, 7:00-8:00 pm

Collegial Conversations: Navigating The Challenges of Antiracist Work In Maine Schools

February 25th, 7:00-8:00 pm

Speaker: Voices From Our Classrooms

Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine
March 2nd, 7:00-8:00 pm

Collegial Conversations: Rehearsing Important Conversations About Racism Through Scenarios

March 18th, , 7:00-8:00 pm

Speaker: Literature as a Lens: Using Texts As A Tool to Broaden Perspectives

Monica Washington, Nesrene Griffin, Iris Eichenlaub
March 23rd, 7:00-8:00 pm

Speaker: Decolonizing The Curriculum

Fiona Hopper, Starr Kelly, Joe Schmidt
April 6th, 7:00-8:00 pm

Speaker: What Comes Next?

Cornelius Minor
April 14th, 7:00-8:00 pm

Collegial Conversations: Equity Leadership From The Classroom

April 15th, 7:00-8:00 pm

All events are free to Maine teachers. Contact hours will be awarded for each session upon completion of an exit ticket. Space is limited, and will be offered to educators across the state, so sign up early!

Events made possible with major funding from Unum. Additional support from Lee Auto, Educate Maine, and The Maine Teachers of the Year Association.

Register here. All sessions are full!

Do the best that you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better. – Maya Angelou

For questions or more information, email Talya Edlund at talya.edlund@gmail.com

Nesrene Griffin
Fiona Hopper
Starr Kelly
Cornelius Minor
Monica Washington

Virtual Presentation 1/13 – Returning to School: Mitigation and Mental Health Strategies

On behalf of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), Office of Safe and Supportive Schools (OSSS), the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE) invites you to please join a presentation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on how to optimize mitigation strategies and mental health to facilitate a safe return to schools in the new year.

Date: Wednesday, January 13, 2021
Time: 3:00-4:00 pm EST

The presentation will include 1) user-friendly tools and information for schools to inform the selection and implementation of COVID-19 mitigation strategies; and 2) information about how to support and promote mental health for students and school staff, both in-person and virtually.

Speakers

Cria Perrine, PhD, is a Commander in the U.S. Public Health Service and an epidemiologist in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Dr. Perrine joined CDC in 2008 as part of the Epidemic Intelligence Service, CDC’s front-line training program of “disease detectives.” She is currently serving as the Task Force Lead for the Community Interventions and Critical Populations Task Force in CDC’s COVID-19 response.

Marci Hertz, M.S. Ed., Senior Behavioral Scientist, Division of Adolescent and School Health, CDC. Since 2003 Ms. Hertz has worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a Lead Behavioral Scientist in the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control and in the Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH). She is currently a Senior Behavioral Scientist in DASH focusing on promoting mental health and preventing substance use and violence in school settings.

Registration

Everyone must register for the interactive presentation using the link below in order to gain access to the meeting room.

https://air-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kAeRfoqNQS63Fvq6NTLI7w

Please contact NCSSLE if you have any questions, contact information is provided below. We look forward to sharing this information with you and hearing from you about the important work you are doing in your schools, communities, and states to meet the needs of your students and staff as they return to school either in person or virtually.

National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE)
American Institutes for Research
Phone: 800.258.8413
Email: NCSSLE@air.org
Website: http://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov

Join the Maine Audubon Junior Duck Stamp Challenge: A Scientific and Artistic Opportunity for K-12 Students

Maine Audubon is collaborating with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the 27th annual Federal Junior Duck Stamp Program, and they are looking for Maine students to submit creative, innovative, beautiful waterfowl art!

Educators can download a free dynamic, multidisciplinary curriculum that teaches wetland and waterfowl conservation to students in kindergarten through high school. The program encourages students to explore their natural world, invites them to investigate biology and wildlife management principles and challenges them to express and share what they have learned with others. This program and curriculum lend themselves to learning in a variety of forms, remote, hybrid teaching and in-classroom instruction.

Click here to see the winners of the 2019-2020 Maine Junior Duck Stamp Challenge!

Join Maine Audubon on Zoom on Jan 14 for information on the curriculum and background information on waterfowl and Jan 28 on drawing tips and techniques. Click here for For more information, to register for the free training and to download the curriculum.

For more information, contact Linda Woodard at lwoodard@maineaudubon.org.

Thoughts from a Virtual Session with 2020 National Teacher of the Year Tabatha Rosproy

On Wednesday, December 2, 2020, the Maine Department of Education welcomed 2020 National Teacher of the Year Tabatha Rosproy for a virtual question and answer session with Maine educators. Joining from her home in Kansas, Tabatha introduced herself and greeted a group of early childhood educators from the public, private, and special education sectors in Maine and beyond.

Ms. Rosproy spent the one-hour session discussing early childhood topics of interest in Maine, as well as responding to questions from participants. Tabatha’s honesty and passion for the field was evident through her down-to-earth and personable demeanor with session participants. By the end of the hour, it was apparent that Maine and Kansas aren’t all that different. And, although early childhood education has gained some traction nationally, there is still room for growth.

Key takeaways from the session included the value in making connections with colleagues and families, promoting classroom inclusion, and growing school leadership. Tabatha also emphasized the importance of early childhood educators “bring(ing) their seats to the table.” She encouraged each educator to, “Be an advocate for your students and get involved in your classroom, school, district and state.” She went on to inspire educators to think of leadership as an “activity, not a position.” Tabatha suggested it takes courage to do the right thing but that educators should feel empowered to be advocates, not reliant on individuals in positions of power. She also reminded participants that early childhood is not just the early grades of public school, but birth through eight years old. This time in a child’s development is critical and special. and they need a whole system of supporters, not just teachers.

When interacting with families, Tabatha shared that engagement and communication are crucial to building positive relationships and learning atmospheres. “Think of it like a bank account, you make deposits and withdrawals. The deposits are those positive daily comments about each child. The withdrawals are the occasional conversations of concern and goals for growth. Let’s make regular deposits!”

By the end of the hour, participants were thankful for Tabatha’s insights. While Tabatha has many doors open for her now, she shared she “has a hard time not seeing herself in the Pre-K classroom.” When asked what final advice she has for early childhood educators, she responded, “Keep speaking up! In some way, keep using your voice.”

For more information about Tabatha Rosproy and CCSSO’s National of Teacher of the Year Program, visit https://ntoy.ccsso.org/. You can also follow Tabatha on social media at: @NTOY20 on Facebook, @NTOY2020 on Instagram, and @TabathaRosproy on Twitter.

Any questions or comments about this opportunity can be directed to Nicole.madore@maine.gov.

Computer Science Education Week Starts Dec. 7th

Monday Dec. 7th kicks off the start of Computer Science Education Week, 2020! Join the computer science community in celebrating computer science in education. Whether you’re new to the world of computer science or have been involved since its inception, you’ll find many interesting events and activities that are ongoing throughout the week.

Computer Science Education Week began in 2009 to encourage and increase participation and offerings of computer science in education. CS Education Week’s 2020 focus is social justice. To learn more about computer science in education, and social justice in computer science education, check out the Computer Science Education Week website and explore the #CSEdWeek2020 and the #CSforSocialJustice hashtags on social media.

Events & Activities

Social Media

  • Follow @mdoenews on Twitter and Maine Department of Education on Facebook for #CSEdWeek posts throughout the week.
  • Use the #CSEdWeek and #CSforSocialJustice hashtags to share and engage with the computer science community.
  • Check out the #CSEdWeek2020Photos challenge on social media to see what teachers are doing in their classrooms during #CSEdWeek2020.
  • Interested in learning more about CS in Education? Check out #CSforAll #CSforGood #CS4Maine #ComputerScience

For more information contact Emma-Marie Banks, Secondary Digital Learning & Computer Science Specialist for the Maine Department of Education at emma-marie.banks@maine.gov.

Free Webinar: Addressing Challenges and Safety Concerns for Non-attending or Truant Students

The Maine Department of Education’s(DOE) Maine School Safety Center (MSSC) is pleased to offer a webinar concerning Maine schools’ current challenges and concerns for students that are non-attending or truant. The webinar will offer an opportunity for school and district staff to talk about their current concerns and issues in a forum style webinar, where stakeholder experts will be available to inform and answer questions.  Present at the webinar will be representatives from the legal field, school administration, law enforcement, and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to walk through the legal and practical process of connecting with and re-engaging students and their families.

The two hour presentation will be hosted on December 15 from 3:00-5:00 PM.  The target audience includes school administrators, school staff, law enforcement, and DHHS staff, and other interested stakeholders.  Each presenter will explain their agency’s role, authority and assistance, and they will collaboratively address comprehensive solutions to obtain the best results for students. This will be an excellent opportunity for learning and discussion.

Please see the following registration and participation instructions:

When: Dec 15, 2020 03:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Topic: DOE/MSSC Attendance Forum

Register in advance for this webinar: https://mainestate.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ljcp9ZEoTbGRbOZ9D439xA

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. For further questions contact the Maine School Safety Center.