NEW: Remote Learning 101 with Maine DOE Digital Learning Specialists

Digital Learning Specialists at the Maine Department of Education are hosting a Remote Learning 101 professional learning series. The series is currently underway and consists of three modules total. Sessions are being recorded and will be posted to the Maine DOE website and YouTube Channel as they happen.

The first module of the series provides an overview of getting started with remote learning, the fundamentals of engaging in a virtual environment, including establishing classroom management practices, setting norms, digital citizenship, and more. The second module of the series explores the key components of designing and delivering effective instruction in a remote learning environment. Building upon the first module, we look at different models, the elements within them, and the various digital tools that can aid in implementing them. The third module of the series focuses on tying everything together within a remote classroom. We look at bringing students into the process as they connect with the content, with each other, and with the educator(s) to encourage students to make deep connections and demonstrate their understanding in ways that are new and exciting.

View the complete schedule, view previous recordings, and register for upcoming sessions here.

PRIORITY NOTICE: DOE Virtual Professional Learning Now Available Through Mid-June!

The Maine Department of Education has posted an updated and robust schedule of virtual professional learning, office hours and meetings through mid-June to support school and district staff with their professional learning needs as they conclude emergency teaching plans and prepare for the possible scenarios we will face in the 2020-2021 school year.

All of the sessions are available virtually, and most will be recorded for watching at another time. Please check the schedule in advance to allow time for pre-registration or the need to email the host to obtain meeting information.

Please note that the Department will be upgrading our calendar system over the summer to allow for more efficient event updating, viewing, sorting, and searching for events!

See the Professional Learning, Office Hours, and Meeting Schedule Through Mid-June Here

You can also now check out recorded webinars in one convenient place that you can watch when you are available. The Department will also be working on organizing and upgrading the webinar library over the coming weeks to make it easier to search. Thank you for your patience!

FREE TRAINING for Comprehensive Emergency Operations Planning: A Framework for Fall 2020

Maine Department of Education is proud to announce that our Maine School Safety Center Team will be hosting a series for all School Administrative Units (SAUs) and their Collaborative Planning Team members to create or review their Emergency Operations Plans. These plans should serve as the framework for any emergency planning and response effort, and requires a whole community approach. While it is still too early to finalize guidance for schools in Fall of 2020, by participating in this training, SAUs will be optimally positioned to apply forthcoming guidance to their existing frameworks.

This eight week series, beginning June 9 and occurring every Tuesday at 10:00 am, will walk participants through the comprehensive framework, from which all emergency response plans are built, and will include expert presenters for the individual topics and training that was developed by Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS).

Week 1: Overview of the Six Step Planning Process (1 hour)
Week 2: Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) (1 hour)
Week 3: Continuity of Operations Annex (1.5 hours)
Week 4: Recovery Annex (1.5 hours)
Week 5: Infectious Diseases Annex – broad coverage (1 hour)
Week 6: Integrating Disabilities (1.5 hours)
Week 7: Bereavement and Loss Annex (1.5 hours)
Week 8: Understanding Resilience and Developing a Self-Care Plan (1 hour)

Your Collaborative Planning Team should include your school nurse, administrators, educators, and representatives from transportation, food service, local emergency responders, and your local or regional community health experts, and we encourage you to share the registration with them.

When timely guidance for Fall 2020 is provided, additional training that builds upon this framework will be provided by Maine School Safety Center, and will ensure all SAUs have the necessary tools to make sound decisions for the safety and well-being of your school communities.

Please register in advance of the meeting, here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Contact hours will be available at the conclusion of the series.

PRIORITY NOTICE: Virtual Meeting Schedule: May 11 – May 15, 2020

The Maine Department of Education continues to schedule virtual office hours and professional development with Department Specialists to support educators and administrators during extended remote learning. During these meetings, our specialists are available to provide support, professional learning opportunities, and guidance regarding distance learning and school supports, as well as to facilitate networking and resource sharing between educators.

It is advised to check the schedule in advance. Many of the virtual meetings now require pre-registration or the need to email the host for a link and password, these measures help to prevent inappropriate interruptions.

Virtual Meeting Schedule:

The virtual meeting schedule for educators is regularly updated on the Maine DOE website: See the schedule
See the professional learning schedule for Education Technicians here! – Ed Tech professional learning sessions will be recorded and available here a few days after they are scheduled to take place.

PRIORITY NOTICE: Virtual Meeting Schedule for Next Week; PL for Ed Techs Now Available

Virtual Meeting Schedule May 4 – May 8, 2020

The Maine Department of Education continues to schedule virtual office hours with Department Specialists to support educators and administrators during extended remote learning. During these meetings, our specialists are available to provide support and guidance regarding distance learning and school supports, as well as to facilitate networking and resource sharing between educators.

***NEW – Professional Learning for Education Technicians: Through ongoing efforts to support the needs of Maine schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Maine Department of Education is responding to requests for professional learning for Education Technicians with a series of online opportunities, scheduled through the month of May and early June. Learn more here

Please note: many of the virtual meetings now require pre-registration and password protection to prevent inappropriate interruptions, so be sure to check the schedule ahead of time, and make sure you can register or obtain a password ahead of the meetings you wish to attend.

Virtual Office Hours:

(Some meetings have a 100 person max capacity.)

The virtual meeting schedule for educators is regularly updated on the Maine DOE website: See the schedule

See the professional learning schedule for Education Technicians here!

Early Child Care and Public Preschool Providers Caring for Children Birth-5 – No Cost Professional Development Training

Maine Resilience Building Network (MRBN) will once again offer free professional learning opportunities focused on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) and resilience building. MRBN offered this training in the fall of 2019 and is now offering 6 more sessions virtually between April 21-June 2, 2020. This learning opportunity is funded through the Preschool Development Grant, a collaboration between Maine Departments of Education and Health and Human Services. These new sessions are open for Pre-K and child care educators, as well as other staff working with this population, to strengthen their role in supporting children and families.

Strong Kids, Strong Families, Strong Communities: The Impact of ACEs and Resilience Building will bring together childcare and public Pre-K professionals to learn about Adverse Childhood Experiences research, early brain development science, the effects of toxic stress on social emotional learning and protective factors including positive relationships. This training will provide an understanding of how adverse experiences at a young age can affect a person’s emotional and behavioral development. Participants will also hear suggestions for how to support the individual and family and learn classroom strategies including the practices of mindfulness, compassion and co-regulation.

In the fall of 2019, the training was offered in 12 sites across the state to early childhood educators working with children up through Pre-K. Through the evaluation, participants shared that they learned strategies to build stronger connections and relationships with children and families, to be more compassionate and less judgmental, and to be better prepared for stressful situations. They felt they had a better understanding and awareness of where children are “coming from” and to think about what happened to the child as opposed to what is wrong with the child. One participant commented that “All professionals who work with children should attend.”

Registration is required

Date/Time	Registration Link
April 23, 2020 6-8pm	https://maineresilience.org/event-3790527
April 28, 2020 9-11am	https://maineresilience.org/event-3799333
May 4, 2020 2-4pm	https://maineresilience.org/event-3799347
May 12, 2020 9-11am	https://maineresilience.org/event-3799366
May 21, 2020 6-8pm	https://maineresilience.org/event-3799397
June 2, 2020 6-8pm	https://maineresilience.org/event-3799412

For more information, contact Karen Bergeron, PDG Director, Maine Department of Education

Karen.j.bergeron@maine.gov 207-446-3754 or Info@maineresilience.org

PRIORITY NOTICE: Second Day of Content Specific Virtual Meetings Available to Support Continued Learning

Good morning,

The Maine Department of Education has scheduled a second day of content specific virtual office hours to support educators during extended school closures. During these meetings, our specialists will be available to provide support and guidance regarding distance learning, as well as to facilitate networking and resource sharing between educators.

Please note that Office Hour Schedules will be regularly updated on this web page: https://www.maine.gov/doe/covid-19/contentmeetings and the Department will continue scheduling content specific office hours as needed by educators.

DAY TWO: Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Content Specific Office Hours Available to Maine Educators
(Please note: each of these meetings as a 100 person max capacity.)

Content Area/Grade Span	Facilitator	Date	Time	Link
Social Studies 6-8	Joe Schmidt	3/17	9:00am	https://zoom.us/j/169146685
Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports	Andrea Logan	3/17	9:00am	https://zoom.us/j/276009316
Digital Learning – General Discussion	Jon Graham	3/17	9:00am	https://zoom.us/j/830817204
Music Educators, K-12	Jason Anderson	3/17	10:00am	https://zoom.us/j/701080295
Health Education	Susan Berry	3/17	10:00am	https://zoom.us/j/218784074
Mathematics K-5	Jen and Michele	3/17	10:00am	https://zoom.us/j/122353475
Social Studies 9-12	Joe Schmidt	3/17	10:00am	https://zoom.us/j/138884087
World Language	Lavinia	3/17	10:00am	https://zoom.us/j/504161923
Physical Education	Jean Zimmerman	3/17	11:00am	https://zoom.us/j/218784074
Social Studies PK-5	Joe Schmidt	3/17	11:00am	https://zoom.us/j/572643303
Visual Art Educators, K-12	Jason Anderson	3/17	11:00am	https://zoom.us/j/780977350
Mathematics 6-8	Jen and Michele	3/17	12:00pm	https://zoom.us/j/576208163
pK-5 Science	Shari Templeton	3/17	12:00pm	https://zoom.us/j/860243437
		3/17	12:00pm	https://zoom.us/j/945481019
Theatre Educators, K-12	Jason Anderson	3/17	12:30pm	https://zoom.us/j/270033318
Literacy K-5	Danielle Saucier	3/17	1:00pm	https://zoom.us/j/605841732
Public Pre-K	Nicole Madore	3/17	1:00pm	https://zoom.us/j/230023813
Dance Educators, K-12	Jason Anderson	3/17	2:00pm	https://zoom.us/j/927873579
ELA 6-12	Morgan Dunton	3/17	2:00pm	https://zoom.us/j/692586787
Career and Education Development	Diana Doiron	3/17	2:00pm	https://zoom.us/j/393949234
Mathematics 9-12	Jen and Michele	3/17	2:00pm	https://zoom.us/j/453773957
6-12 Science Distance Learning	Shari Templeton	3/17	2:00pm	https://zoom.us/j/428290865
World Language	Lavinia Rogers	3/17	3:00pm	https://zoom.us/j/558995276
Digital Learning – Early Elementary (PreK-2)	Jon Graham	3/17	3:00pm	https://zoom.us/j/554219857
Social Studies K-12	Joe Schmidt	3/17	3:00pm	https://zoom.us/j/719815036
Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports	Andrea Logan	3/17	4:00pm	https://zoom.us/j/4525406402 (link corrected!)

Recordings of previous sessions will be available as soon as we can process them and upload them to the following content specific webpages:

Maine DOE Seeks Applicants for Paid Professional Learning Opportunity

The Maine Department of Education is seeking applications from qualified individuals interested in learning more about the competitive grant process. Selected applicants will be trained to serve as peer reviewers who assist the Department in to reviewing, assessing, and scoring competitive grant proposals for the 21st Century Community Leaning Centers (21st CCLC) Program. The 21^st CCLC program is a federally-funded education program that provides competitive funding for schools and communities to develop before-school, after-school, and summer educational programs that support students and their families.

This year’s Request for Proposals (RFP) for the 21st CCLC program was released to the public on January 2 and is available online at: https://www.4pcamaine.org/century21/FY2020/. The Department anticipates receiving proposals from local education agencies, community-based organizations, and other eligible entities seeking awards under this RFP.

Qualifications:

Applicants will be selected based on their experience in providing effective academic support, enrichment, youth development, and related support services for children and youth. The most qualified candidates will be individuals who have experience in the administration of high-quality youth development programs within schools and communities. Examples of the experienced individuals sought include, but are not limited to:

21st CCLC program directors and site coordinators
Teachers and principals
College and university staff
Youth development workers
Community resource providers

Please note that an applicant or member of an applicant’s organization will not be selected to serve as a member of the Department’s peer review team.

Required Tasks:

Selected applicants will work individually to read each assigned application and create detailed, objective, constructive, and well-written comments on approximately 10-12 applications based on the criteria established in the RFP. These comments will be turned in to the Department prior to participating in on-site consensus scoring sessions. Applicants must be able to participate in an online training webinar and review grant applications through a web-based system. It is anticipated that selected candidates will have a three (3) week window in which to complete the individual review of assigned proposals. Following the individual review of proposals, each successful applicant will be required to travel to the Maine Department of Education for two scheduled scoring days. It is during these consensus scoring sessions that the peer review team to score each application.

Selected candidates must complete the following tasks during the following date(s):

Task	Date(s)	Time(s)
Participate in an online training webinar	April 3, 2020	1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Review grant applications through a web-based system and provide individual, written comments on each application (which MUST be turned in to the Department)	April 6, 2020 – April 28, 2020	Any Time
Participate in on-site consensus scoring sessions which will be located at the Maine Department of Education in Augusta, ME	April 30, 2020; May 1, 2020	9:00 AM – 4:00 PM; 9:00 AM – Finished

Compensation for Services:

Selected reviewers who complete the required tasks will be reimbursed for travel costs to and from the consensus scoring sessions as well as provided a $85 honorarium per assigned application.

Previous participants have also found that serving as a member of the peer review team is an excellent opportunity for professional development and growth. It is likely that, if selected, applicants will be exposed to new program models, strategies, and practices. These new concepts may provide ideas and support for ongoing work as well as future grant writing efforts. Most importantly, the time given to this effort will help ensure the funding of quality education programs for the children and families of Maine.

How to Apply:

Interested parties must contact Travis Doughty at travis.w.doughty@maine.gov to obtain a copy of the 2020 peer reviewer application and then return the completed application along with a current resume or CV.

Pursuant to Title IV, Part B of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, peer reviewers may not include any applicant, or representative of an applicant, that has or will submit a proposal in response to the current competition.

Deadline:

The Maine Department of Education will continue accepting peer reviewer applications through March 12, 2020 or until the needed positions are filled. Interested parties are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Contact:

For more information, contact State Coordinator, Travis Doughty at travis.w.doughty@maine.gov or 624-6709.

Thru the EYES of INNOVATION Conference 2020

Department of Education is providing this information to educators, students and parents as a resource. This is not a Maine DOE sponsored event.

Thru the EYES of INNOVATION Conference 2020

Hosted by Camden Hills Regional High School
25 Keelson Dr, Rockport, ME
Wednesday and Thursday, July 1 & 2, 2020
Website: eyesofinnovation.com

This exciting two-day conference in the cozy seaside town of Rockport, Maine focuses on the intersection of education and innovation. Here, you can mix it up… and, yes, collide…with leading educators, students, entrepreneurs, and industry thought leaders.

The days are jam-packed, too. Participants can choose from more than a dozen fast-paced and lively sessions, a Design Sprint Challenge, roundtable discussions, and a young entrepreneurs panel, with plenty of networking opportunities along the way.

We guarantee a one-of-a-kind experience. So come ‘on. Let the sparks fly!

Visit our website eyesofinnovation.com to register and for up-to-date information. *space is limited to 200 participants*

Follow us on Twitter @SchoolsCamden or Facebook page is Thru the Eyes of Innovation Conference or LinkedIn Five Towns CSD/MSAD #28

G.E.A.R. Parent Network & Maine Parent Federation Peer Support Conference: It Takes A Village

Department of Education is providing this information to educators, students and parents as a resource. This is not a Maine DOE sponsored event.

Peer Support: It Takes A Village

This event is sponsored by G.E.A.R. Parent Network (a program of Crisis and Counseling Centers) & Maine Parent Federation.

Saturday March 14, 2020
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
The Governor Hill Mansion
136 State St Augusta ME, 04330

Come and learn about parent and youth peer supports and how you can benefit from receiving these free services available in our state! Also learn how parents and youth can become peer mentors themselves.

There will be a special guest speaker, 21 year old Self-Advocate Jake Shumbo. Jake’s
message of “Different Ability” versus “Disability” inspires his audiences to look beyond
labels and how despite your ability you can be the leader of your own destiny.

Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Learn more & register:

For more information about the event including and agenda, contact information and registration information please visit https://crisisandcounseling.org/peersupportconf/.