Extended-Day Enrichment Program Boosts Math Skills and Attendance in Dexter, Maine

(Pictured: Ridge View Community students proudly display their extended-day enrichment projects.)

When Ridge View Community School (RVCS) in Dexter, Maine, utilized Emergency Relief Funds to establish an extended-day enrichment program for students in grades 3-8, they couldn’t anticipate the immediate positive impact it would bring.

“We wanted to offer our students hands-on opportunities to learn about things outside of their regular curriculum, places where, in essence, they could be learning and not even realize it,” said Pre-K Through 2 Instructional Coach Kelly Gay,

One hundred fifty students stayed after school on Monday and Thursday nights to participate in various enrichment programs and tutoring sessions.

“I look forward to the extended day,” Lizzie, a Ridge View fifth grader, explained, “because there are so many fun activities to choose from!”

A Ridge View Community School student holds up a painting of a red mug framed by snowy pine trees on a bright blue landscape while giving the camera a thumbs up. — A Ridge View Community School student displays a painting they created during their extend-day enrichment art class.

Students like Lizzie took part in traditional extracurriculars, like woodworking, baking, and art, spent time outside, practiced robotics, conducted mad science experiments, and had a chance to shake out their energy in dance classes.

Older students visited the Tri-County Technical Center to learn about criminal justice, commercial truck driving, early childhood education, and health occupations. In an effort to include the greater Dexter student community, students from Dexter Regional High School came over to teach lessons from their STEM project as part of their coursework.

Gay remembers how touched she was by the students’ enthusiasm.

“It was so amazing watching the kids leave each night with their finished products and the huge smiles on their faces. The tutoring kids even loved heading to their tutoring sessions as the sessions were engaging and hands-on learning,” she said.

Amongst the creative programming, ensuring student received the tutoring help they needed was still a priority. Students would break off for one-on-one tutoring time with staff throughout the sessions.

“In order to make this plan work, we needed teachers who were willing to either tutor or run an enrichment group. Our staff answered our call for help in amazing ways,” said Gay. In all, 30 educators volunteered for the enrichment programs, and their commitment is evident when you speak to their students.

“I think extended days are so fun because the teachers are so nice, and I learn a lot,” ” said fourth grader Khloe.

According to school data, students who participated in the tutoring and enrichment sessions saw significant gains, especially in math fact fluency and attendance.

“We tracked the attendance of all students at Ridge View Community School as part of our school improvement plan and found that almost all students had a positive impact on their attendance rate. They truly wanted to be there and were sad when the program ended,” said Gay.

A student smiles at the camera while holding baked goods they made during an Extended Day Enrichment program. — A Ridge View Community School student smiling after a successful extended-day enrichment baking session.

Students were not the only ones benefiting from the extended-day enrichment. Gay reported that the program fostered relationships with parents and allowed teachers to design lessons beyond the scope of their regular curriculum, centered around their passions.

“We are proud of our school and our students and are incredibly thankful for the opportunity to provide this for them,” commented Gay. The program was so successful that Ridge View extended it to the 2023-2024 school year, expanding both the tutoring and enrichment programs to the high school.

This learning opportunity was made available through the Coronavirus Response Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA). Visit our office of Federal Response Programming here to learn more about CRRSA.

Did your school use Emergency Relief funds to create engaging student programming like Ridge View? If so, we would love to hear from you. Click here to share your story!

Celebrating Women in CTE: Meet Auto Collision Instructor Danica Wooster

The Maine Department of Education, in collaboration with Career and Technical Education (CTE) schools throughout Maine, is celebrating CTE month this February by highlighting some of the amazing women who have found their path in life through career and technical education. We hope their stories inspire you the way they have inspired us.

Danica Wooster has taught the Auto Collision program at the Mid-Coast School of Technology (MCST) for the last 13 years. The program offers a diverse look into the automotive collision industry, including working with the most up-to-date tools and equipment and learning skills in welding, paint preparation, dent repair, and detailing.

The program she now teaches is the same program that got Wooster started in auto collision when she was in high school.

“I had no idea what I wanted to do. My parents suggested I take the class and the rest is history,” said Wooster. Following high school, she attended WyoTech for Collision/Refinishing, and then started working as a technician in the auto collision industry, eventually earning a business degree and then transitioning to teaching the trade right here in Maine.

“Although I didn’t have a background in education specifically, I feel like I played that role many times in my life – from teaching horseback riding lessons in high school to working side-by-side with entry-level technicians in the shop,” said Wooster. “Both of my parents were also educators, and both were a huge support system for me as I started my career,” she added.

Danica Wooster working with a student — Danica Wooster working with MCST student Bryson Mattox plastic welding a wheel flare (Photo credit: Zoe Richardson, a student in MCST Design Technology program).

Wooster says there are a lot of things she loves about working in CTE but one of her favorites is introducing her trade to the students. “I love seeing a student’s face when all of a sudden something clicks – it’s truly special.”

Being able to teach something she is passionate about while experimenting and learning alongside the students is another huge perk for Wooster. Explaining that many people don’t understand that auto collision repair is an art in and of itself. “It’s making something new again, but every single job is different and handcrafted,” she said.

Danica Wooster working with MCST student Andrew Zuidema refinishing a hood in the paint booth (Photo credit: Zoe Richardson, a student in MCST Design Technology program).

During her time working in CTE, Wooster has had many opportunities to grow professionally as well, by earning a master’s degree and continuing to hone her craft by working in the collision repair field during her summers off from teaching.

“I get to make connections with other people in my trade and in education, and I get to work in a building that has so many other talented CTE teachers,” said Wooster. “It’s all an amazing experience, and I think it’s a very unique part of being a CTE teacher.”

One of the things Wooster is the proudest of is being an advocate for CTE, promoting how important it is for many students and industries but also the incredible opportunities it creates for students.

“Attending CTE when I was in high school had a much different, and often negative, connotation,” said Wooster. “We have come a long way from that.”

“Danica has inspired countless students to pursue non-traditional career pathways,” said Bobby Deetjen, Director of the Mid-Coast School of Technology. “Her students continue to break down barriers and succeed in shops all over Maine.”

Wooster shared her advice for students interested in CTE.

“Working my entire career in a non-traditional field has taught me that the only person I need to prove myself to is myself,” she said. “I’ve heard my fair share of ‘no,’ but I think having a little bit of grit is what makes the difference, what made me keep moving forward. I always encourage my students to have a little ‘grit’…to push through when things get tough and to not be afraid to make mistakes. My entire trade is based on mistakes…and that’s what helps us learn and get better at what we do!”

Eliot Elementary School Civil Rights Team Takes the Great Kindness Challenge

The Civil Rights Team at Eliot Elementary School has been working hard to make their school a better place to be. The Civil Rights Team is made up of 21 grade three students who engage their school community to think and talk about race and skin color, national origin and ancestry, religion, disabilities, gender, and orientation (in an age-appropriate manner).

“Our team works to make our school a safe and accepting place for all of our students,” said Civil Rights Team Advisor Marissa Armitage. The Civil Rights Team Project is a statewide initiative coordinated by the State of Maine Office of the Attorney General.

Grade 3 students have been spreading the message of acceptance and standing up for what’s right. They’ve been thinking about important issues, hosting important conversations, and changing the climate of the school to be more inclusive.

To combat bias-based harassment, the Civil Rights Team recently hosted an assembly for the Great Kindness Challenge, a weeklong national campaign in January where students in schools across the U.S. are challenged to complete as many acts of kindness as possible using a customizable checklist. Armitage says the Civil Rights Team was outstanding at modeling citizenship during their week of kindness this year.

“The Great Kindness Challenge is just one example of [the Civil Rights Team] initiative,” said Armitage. “I’m really proud of the way our students have shown up as leaders. They set the tone for the rest of the school,” she added.

Armitage tells us that the Civil Rights Team has many more plans for schoolwide initiatives throughout the year.

Find more information about The Great Kindness Challenge here.

This story was a collaboration with Eliot Elementary School. To submit a story from your school, fill out our good news submission form.

Fostering the Future – Kicking Off CTE Month at the State House

(Pictured: Emily Worcester a senior at United Technology Center [UTC] in Bangor.)

The Hall of Flags was abuzz Wednesday morning as representatives from across the state came to Maine’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month Kick Off at the State House. Students, instructors, and directors from 15 of Maine’s 27 CTE centers came with everything from canapes to holographic 3D fans, proudly sharing legislators and government officials the advanced skills CTE students are learning.

Biotechnology Tool from Foster Career and Technical Center

When you think of vocational learning, you might picture what Hancock County Technical Center director Bill Tracy describes as “hard trades” such as welding or mechanics. However, the CTE students of today are starting down a wide array of career paths, from graphic design to criminal justice.

“We’re really trying to give kids a broad breadth of what they can do at a CTE enter,” explained Tracy, “I don’t want them to think it’s just hard trades. Even though the hard trades are really important, there are so many different things they can do.”

Chris Davis, the assistant director of Farmington’s Foster CTE Center, was excited to share what his students are learning in Foster’s biotechnology program.

“They’re learning how to isolate a virus, DNA splicing, and genetic engineering,” he said. “Students working with biotechnology are looking at the biomedical field or forensics. It really increases their ability to work in a lab.”

Many CTE instructors and directors see their work as a building block for Maine’s economy. Matt Peterman of Sanford Regional Technical Center explained, “Maine CTEs are important because we are trying to build the Maine economy, and we’re trying to develop young employees to replace an aging workforce.”

As an extension of this effort, CTE curriculums support their local economies. For example, Oxford Hills Tech School offers a popular hospitality and tourism program, which they are expanding to include outdoor recreation to prepare students to work in the growing ski and ride industry of Oxford County.

Instructor Jeremy Bourque of Somerset Creative Tech Center hopes to see his students prosper and return to Maine. “Our county has a pretty high poverty rate, so we’re pretty proud of the work we’ve done changing these kids’ lives, helping them go to school, find a really good job, and then come back to Somerset County to help the county grow and change,” he said.

Another positive change happening at CTE schools across the country is an uptake in young women working in trades. Maine is no exception regarding this trend. In fact, every instructor and director at the kick off reported an increase in “non-traditional students.”

“We’re trying to break some stereotypes,” Peterman explained. “Traditional roles don’t exist anymore. Anyone can do the job.”

Instructors have seen this trend most notably in welding programs, which continue to be one of the most popular CTE offerings in the state. Jorja Brown, a junior at the Somerset Career and Technical Center, came to the CTE Kick Off to share her experience as a young woman in welding. “I am the best in my class,” she declared, noting that “it’s really cool to experience a very male dominated trade.”

United Technology Center (UTC) senior Emily Worcester was also present, representing young women in mechanics. Worcester is a part of UTC’s small engines program, and loving every second of it. “My experience has been absolutely amazing,” said Worcester. “It’s a chance to expand my knowledge. I could expand my knowledge into a future career, or I could take this knowledge and do my own personal thing. It’s a good choice to have.”

Canapes Made by the Capitol CTE Culinary Team — Canapes made by the Capitol Area Technology Center (CATC) Culinary Team.

Having this kind of hands-on, real-world education is precisely what keeps many CTE students in school. Matthew Hamilton, the Student Services Coordinator at Bath Tech, came to CTE after working as a dean of students. As a dean, Hamilton saw many students who struggled in a traditional school setting. Hamilton shared that those same students now excel in their CTE programs. They are “coming to school early, they’re coming to school on a regular basis, and they’re jazzed up about learning.”

Students like those Hamilton described were the most excited to share their CTE experiences at the kick off. “I was going to drop out in December of my junior year,” remembers Brett Bretton, a senior in the Culinary Program at Capitol Area Technical Center. “But my guidance counselor suggested the culinary program for me, and now, instead of dropping out, I’m going to college for this.”

CTEs aren’t only keeping kids in school but giving them an early advantage for their post-graduate lives. “People think vocation or technology centers are for students that are not college bound, whereas we’re the total opposite. We catapult students so that they can go to college and go to college with a head start,” commented Michael Bouthilette of Biddeford Regional Technology.

Kaylie Trembly of Lewiston Regional Technical Center (LRTC) chose to enter the EMT program after speaking to past graduates. “The people I talked to who went through LRTC are doing really well,” said Trembly, “it helped them determine where they wanted to go.”

CTE programs work with post-secondary institutions across the state, like Southern Maine Community College, University of Maine Farmington, and trade schools like the Aveda Institute. However, these partnerships go beyond traditional higher education, partnering directly with local employers to place students in the field. At Region 9 School of Applied Technology, CNA students split their time between Rumford Hospital and local nursing homes. Meanwhile, in Ellsworth, students can intern with Jackson Laboratories.

“We know we’re small, we’re rural, but I’m definitely passionate about this work,” said Brenda Gammon, the director and superintendent of Region 9, “I’ll do anything I can to give students the best opportunities.”

Kaylee (EMT Program) and Ava (CNA Program) from Lewiston Regional Technical Institute (LRTC).

Kaylie (EMT Program) and Ava (CNA Program) from Lewiston Regional Technical Institute (LRTC).

CTE month continues through February, and it is the perfect time to dig into everything CTE has to offer. Check out a list of Maine’s CTE schools with links for you to explore.

Commissioner Makin Kicks Off Read to ME Challenge at Jameson Elementary School in Old Orchard Beach

The Read to ME Challenge Promotes Literacy by Encouraging Adults to Read to Children for At Least 15 Minutes, Challenge Others

Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin kicked off Maine’s Read to ME Challenge today by reading Manolo & the Unicorn to second graders at Jameson Elementary School in Old Orchard Beach. The students enthusiastically responded to Makin’s call for them to join the Read to ME challenge themselves and read to an adult or younger child in their lives. They also discussed their favorite books and who the students plan to read to.

The Read to ME Challenge encourages adults to read to children for 15 minutes, capture that moment via a photo or a video, and then post it to social media and challenge others to do the same using the hashtag #ReadtoME. This is the ninth year that the Maine Department of Education (DOE) is collaborating with community organizations and schools on this month-long public awareness campaign to promote the importance of literacy for all of Maine’s students, regardless of age. The DOE will highlight Read to ME Challenge events throughout February through Read Across America Day.

“This is about sharing the love and joy of reading. When you’re able to read together, it creates shared human experiences that transcend everything else that is happening in our electronic world. When you hear the words, and those words create the colors and the shapes in your mind, you can create a whole different world and it’s a very magical and beautiful thing for kids. Reading just 15 minutes a day can help create a lifelong habit for children,” said Commissioner Makin.

The simple act of reading aloud to a child 15 minutes a day for five years results in 27,375 minutes of language exposure, which can put children on the path to high literacy achievement and helps them build knowledge and vocabulary. Research demonstrates a number of benefits to reading to children, from birth through their childhoods and even teenage years, including modeling reading as an enjoyable lifelong activity, stimulating brain development, reducing stress and anxiety, building knowledge of the world, and helping develop the skills necessary to succeed in their lives.

The Maine DOE recently launched $10 million in literacy grants for schools to build the capacity of year-long, core literacy instruction for all students and support core literacy instructional components based on the science of reading, including phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

Schools and community organizations can find a toolkit and resources on the Department of Education website and the Department will be sharing videos, photos, and updates from the challenge all month long on social media. Participants in the challenge are reminded to use the hashtag #ReadtoME and to tag the Maine DOE at @MaineDepartmentofEducation1 on Facebook, and @mainedepted on Instagram.

Celebrating Women in CTE: Meet Computer Tech Powerhouse Madison Jackson

As a junior in high school, Madison Jackson had no idea what she wanted to do when she graduated.

“I was worried about it because everyone else already knew,” remembers Jackson as she one day decided to check out the list of class options at her local Career and Technical Education (CTE) center, Capital Area Tech Center (CATC) in Augusta.

Initially, Jackson wanted to be a Game Warden but remembers seeing computer technology on the list of pathways at CATC and thinking, “Oh, that’s like video games, that will be fine,” she recalled. “That’s not what it turned into at all,” she added.

As a 2023 graduate from Cony High School, Madison Jackson grew up around technology, but she never dreamed it would one day be her job.

“We had the old Windows 7 and I loved playing games on that,” she said. “I remember getting a new iPad and I thought it was the most glorious thing.”

Jackson was mesmerized by people who could build computers but when she first got started, she felt like she was picking up the hardware side of things slower than her all-male classmates. Eventually, she realized her true passion was software, cybersecurity, and networking. From there, her abilities and talent have grown into an exciting career path.

For Jackson, going to school at CATC was very different from traditional high school. It felt like she finally had a choice in the classes she took every day and for that reason, she looked forward to the school day. “We had stuff to get done, but we had the freedom to get it done, in our own time,” remembers Jackson as she explained how much better the learning environment was for her at CATC.

Jackson said one of the things she is most proud of during her time at CATC was making her original CTE teacher, Michael Fraser, proud.

“I didn’t know who he was, we started a bond, and we became buddies,” said Jackson. “He was really proud of me for succeeding to [Skills USA] nationals. I didn’t make it far, but it was just seeing him hug me and be proud of me and everything I do, even if I didn’t turn out on top. Of course, I’m proud of myself, but he was always there for the students.”

Fraser said he is proud of everything Jackson has accomplished, but that they are her accomplishments.

“I am just her biggest fan,” said Fraser. “I remember specifically the day she was hooked, it was the first time she placed on that SkillsUSA stage, at the state conference, a confidence switch flipped in her that diminished any of her doubts about success in cybersecurity. From that point on, there was no stopping her,” he added.

Jackson said that being the only girl in her classroom both years was another major factor in propelling her to succeed in computer technology.

“It gave me initiative, not to be better, but that if I can do this it will be amazing,” she said.

This year Jackson is enrolled in the Cybersecurity-Digital Forensics program at Central Maine Community College (CMCC). While she is currently working on completing her 2nd semester in college, she also has a job working in her school’s IT department. She says she is still one of just a few women in all her courses, but she is looking forward to seeing change in the coming years.

“I earned a semester’s worth of college credits at CATC,” she added. “I don’t think a lot of kids know that they are actual credit.” Jackson’s teacher showed her how to take advantage of dual enrollment at UMA and because of that, she will be able to graduate early from CMCC.

“Students are presented with many opportunities here at the technical center and Madison Jackson was the student to take advantage of everything she could,” said Fraser. “Seeing her continued growth in this industry is what makes my job worthwhile, knowing she found her career interest is what we strive for with all of our students.”

Jackson has big plans to continue pursuing her education right in central Maine before jumping into the workforce. “I hope to go to UMA [the University of Maine at Augusta] and get my bachelor’s and master’s degrees,” she said. Meanwhile, she is doubling down by applying for internships as well.

Jackson has the following advice for other high school students, especially young women, who may be thinking about enrolling in a CTE course.

“Take a chance on any single class. I’ve seen girls in firefighting, welding, and construction,” she said. Jackson shared that the key to finding a sense of belonging is trying to find someone to connect with. “It’s easy to be by yourself as the only girl. Find a connection. I still have friends from my classes. I just took a chance.”

Virtual Reality Transforms Learning at Cony Middle and High School #TeachWithTech

Funded by the Maine Department of Education (DOE) Teach With Tech Grant, Cony Middle and High School has embraced a new approach to education through virtual reality (VR) technology. The school’s acquisition of VR headsets and software from Class VR, a London-based company, is reshaping the learning experience for both students and educators.

Katelyn Rodriguez, Director of Technology Integration for the Augusta School Department, applied for the Teach With Tech Grant last school year with the goals of bringing the world into the classroom and fostering experiential learning.

By leveraging VR technology, students at Cony are exploring artifacts and places beyond their geographical and economic reach, and opening their minds to new possibilities.

Recently, 7th-grade science classes utilized VR/AR content to expand on their human anatomy unit. Students were able to visualize AR objects of the human skeletal system, muscular system, and nervous system. They looked at the human heart and digestive system using the Merge Cubes acquired during COVID-19. Students enjoyed being able to look around and even go inside the human heart and digestive system. The real breakthrough occurred as students made observations and asked questions about what they were experiencing, promoting engaging discussions and a deeper understanding of the complex anatomy concepts. Megan Allen and Allison Hunt, with the assistance of Katelyn Rodriguez, took the lesson one step further by allowing students to play in a VR simulation of the digestive system. They became a piece of pizza that traveled down the esophagus, into the small intestine, then the large intestine, and beyond.

The Teach With Tech Grant has propelled Cony Middle and High School into a new era of learning. VR technology has not only enhanced students’ understanding of complex subjects, but has also inspired educators to rethink traditional teaching methods. The immersive learning experiences enabled by VR are set to shape the educational landscape at Cony for years to come.

For Cony students, the classroom is no longer confined by walls but extends to virtual realms, providing an enriched and dynamic educational experience.

Part of the Maine DOE Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI), the Teach With Tech Grant was awarded to MLTI schools in the spring of 2023 and is available again this spring. This grant provides supplemental technology and related professional learning to support innovative teaching and learning with technology. Learn more here.

This story was submitted to the Maine Department of Education by Cony Middle/High School. To submit a story from your school, fill out our good news submission form.

Celebrating Women in CTE: Meet Criminal Justice Instructor Amanda Baker

“I had no idea life would take me in this direction. It wasn’t too many years before I changed careers when I said to a friend, ‘There is no way I would want to be a cop in my own hometown!’ and that’s exactly what I became, and I loved it!” said Amanda Baker as she looked back on her journey to becoming a police officer and eventually the Criminal Justice Instructor a Caribou Tech Center.

Baker began her journey studying Education and Recreation at the University of Maine at Presque Isle (UMPI). After working at Chewonki Foundation as an outdoor educator and wilderness trip leader, and then at UMPI’s fitness center while teaching courses in recreation, Baker eventually got married and had her daughter Zoey.

“It was motherhood that shifted my perspective; I felt like I had work to do in our community,” said Baker. “I left my job at the University and took the law enforcement 200-hour course. I was hired by Washburn Police and began working as a police officer. I loved it, but it scared me every day!”

After moving to the Caribou Police Department, she quickly realized she had a lot to learn about being a police officer. It was then that she went to the Maine Criminal Justice Academy to earn a Basic Law Enforcement Training Program certificate.

“I was more confident and grateful for the military-style training I received during those 18 weeks at the Academy,” said Baker. However, the journey to finding confidence in her career as a police officer and starting a family was not always easy.

Amanda Baker and a fellow student at the Academy.

Amanda Baker and her daughter Zoey t South Branch Pond

Amanda Baker and her daughter Zoey at South Branch Pond

“In 2020 God took my daughter’s father, and I was left to raise Zoey as a single mom,” she said. “I was only able to remain on my law enforcement path because of my parents and sister’s family who filled in many gaps.”

It was in 2023 that Baker saw the Criminal Justice Instructor position open at the Caribou Tech Center, and she knew it was the job that offered the perfect combination of her prior work experiences plus the flexibility to give more time to her daughter.

“My position at the Caribou Tech Center provides me with all that I find most valuable; time with my daughter and family, and an opportunity to influence young adults all while earning a comfortable salary with great benefits like health insurance and a retirement plan,” Baker added.

“I feel incredibly fortunate to have Amanda Baker on our staff at Caribou Technology Center,” said Amy White, Caribou Tech Center Director. “Her boundless creativity, unwavering emphasis on school safety, genuine care for students, and vast skillset and background make her an invaluable asset to our team.”

Since joining the team, Baker has started the year off strong by spending the first 4 months of the school year having her students work on a school safety assessment identifying strengths and weaknesses for all of the RSU39 schools and offering strategies for improvement.

“The culmination of this project featured a slide show presentation to the RSU39 School Board in December,” said Baker. “I sat back and watched as my students presented thoughtful, organized, and important information to a captivated audience.”

Right now, Baker’s Criminal Justice students are working on an ethics project and planning an “epic” end-of-the-year celebration featuring a Community First Responder Run hosted by the Caribou Tech Center and a Touch-A-Truck event at the Caribou Community School.

“I am honored to be a part of our student’s journey through civic engagement and service learning,” she added. Baker has also been offering “Power Hour” sessions for Caribou Community School students. The sessions are focused on law enforcement and hope to spark interest in civic service at a young age.

Looking forward Baker is excited about a new Outdoor Recreation program for Northern Maine High School students that is in the works. Baker attributes this new and exciting pathway to Caribou Tech Center’s new and highly driven Director, Amy White.

“I was thrilled to accept the position as instructor for that program as well (while continuing to maintain and build a more robust Criminal Justice program) starting fall 2024,” said Baker.

“With Ms. Baker, we not only benefit from her innovative ideas but also from her dedication to creating a secure and nurturing environment for our students,” added White. “Her passion for education and commitment to excellence truly set her apart, enriching our community in countless ways. I look forward to continually watching her grow in her new role as a CTE Instructor.”

When asked what advice she would give to students thinking about pursuing education in CTE, this is what Baker had to say, “Experiences, people, and mindset will all influence your path. It can be difficult to remain focused on something when your family and friends tell you you’re crazy (what I heard when I started talking about law enforcement). It’s important to acknowledge their protection of you, but even more important to know why you are pursuing something so radical. I wanted to be a police officer because I was scared of what my daughter was going to be exposed to. I knew I was physically capable of the job but wasn’t sure I had the skills to take down bad guys. Certain aspects of any job can be learned through training and practice, like taking down bad guys, but mental toughness, grit, and determination are all inside. Ask yourself, why am I doing this? If your heart and soul back you up on your “why,” and you know this is what you’re meant to do, go for it! No regrets!”

Amanda Baker and her daughter running a lemonade stand.

Q&A With Maine’s 2024 Teacher of the Year Joshua Chard

Get to know Maine’s 2024 Teacher of the Year Joshua Chard, a second and third-grade looping teacher at East End Community School in Portland. Joshua sat down for this Q&A as he begins his year of service.

How long have you been a teacher and what do you teach?

I started working in Portland Public Schools in 1992 as an ed tech. I was hired to teach fifth grade in Portland in 1996 after I finished my degree in education, which I got by going to school part-time while working in a school all day.

I have taught upper elementary school, I’ve been an instructional coach, and this is my fourth year as a second and third-grade looping teacher at East End Community School. I also direct theater by and for young people.

What made you want to be a teacher?

I decided I was going to be an elementary school teacher when I was in fifth grade. I was one of those kids whose teachers winced in anticipation of my coming to their classroom and I knew it. It didn’t feel good to know that was how I was labeled.

I went into Mrs. Breau’s fifth grade class and she was pretty no-nonsense, but she was also the coolest person I had ever met. She made her own clothes, wore wacky jewelry, and played the guitar. She was also really demanding academically. She told me that what I was doing in school wasn’t good enough but that she believed in me. She cared about me and loved me for all of my quirkiness and uniqueness but she said she also expected me to do my work and to do it well. That was a major turnaround for me. It started with Mrs. Breau and then I met a whole host of other teachers along the way who lifted up this artsy kid who loved to sing and act and make music. They said, “There’s a place for you here, and we think that the person that you are is amazing and we want to help you become even better.” I knew that I wanted to be that kind of teacher.

You’re unique in that you’re an elementary school teacher, but you also lead high school drama. Can you talk a little bit about that journey?

I think that one of the things that makes me a good teacher is that I have really strong outside interests, and one of my side gigs is that I’m a freelance theater director. About four years ago, right in the middle of COVID, the opportunity came along to take over the drama program at Deering High School. It was a program that had once been glorious but it was definitely in a time of transition. Doing this in the middle of a pandemic was a challenge, but my background as an actor and a director and my education in theater compelled me to take on this program and see what I could make of it.

When I started, there were eight students involved in the drama program. I’m really excited to say that this year we’re going to one act competitions with more than 30 students and nearly 50 students will have been involved with our three productions this year.

One of the things that makes my drama program unique is that we’re less about the product at the end and more about the social aspect of celebrating and lifting up students who may not find that they fit in other places in high school. I’m really proud that the Deering Players has become a place where kids find safety and celebration and are able to walk in those auditorium doors at the end of the school day and be 100 percent their true and honest selves.

I describe my drama program as a place where we come together, we support each other, we love each other, we lift each other up, we build community, and in the end, we happen to also put on a really good play.

It seems to me that having a theater and acting background helps in your teaching role as well. Have you viewed that as an asset?

Absolutely. In fact, I joke that Mr. Chard is a character I play from 7:30 in the morning until 2:15 in the afternoon. I am definitely someone who brings a lot of enthusiasm to what I’m doing, I’m very playful, and we’re very imaginative in everything we’re doing in our classroom. That drama background and that improvisation background come in handy, especially since when you’re teaching second grade you never know what’s going to be thrown your way minute to minute or hour to hour. The skills that you build as an actor are kind of like jumping out of a plane without a parachute. Because all manner of things can happen while you’re in front of a class, I think this applies to the classroom too.

When you think about it, putting on a show is a form of play and playing is so important for our young students. We can’t forget the importance of letting them be imaginative and playful.

With decades of teaching experience under your belt, what do you love about it? What gets you going every day?

There are a lot of things that I love about it. It’s a child’s eyes lighting up the first time they decode words on their own and suddenly are able to read an entire page of a book without any help or support.

It’s the student who has sat quietly for months and months, who suddenly raises their hand and makes such an insightful observation about what you’re discussing that you nearly fall out of your chair.

It’s the fact that I get to come and be playful and joyful all day long with a bunch of small people who want nothing more than to be joyful and playful with me all day long.

I really get to make a difference. I get to teach children how to read. I get to teach children how to do math. I get to help students develop their writer’s voice. I get to teach children about their world. But most importantly, I get to help young people discover who they are and all that they can be.

I get to be like Mrs. Breau and say, “I love you just the way you are. Let’s find out who that is, and let’s celebrate that and make that your path moving forward.” How cool is that?

I’m sure getting to teach the same kids for two years really increases that ability to watch them grow and blossom.

Absolutely. I think that to me the most powerful thing I’ve ever done as a teacher is to join a looping team where I have a two-year cycle with students. My relationship with the students is obviously a critical component of that, but it’s also the ability and the opportunity to build relationships with parents and families that makes such a difference. You build a really trusting, caring, and enthusiastic relationship with families when you spend two years collaborating and working together lifting their children up and helping them be the most successful humans that they can be. The relationships that I build with my diverse families enriches my life and makes me a better human. I’m pretty lucky.

It is absolutely my plan to spend the rest of my career as a second and third-grade looping teacher. I cannot imagine anything else bringing me such fulfillment.

Every moment you get you take to celebrate the amazing things that are happening at your school. What makes your school special and why do you love it so much?

We are one of the most culturally diverse elementary schools north of Boston. More than 50 percent of our students are English language learners at all different levels, 76 percent of our students are BIPOC, and 85 percent of our students are identified as living below the poverty level, and I’m here to tell you that the most creative, passionate, devoted teachers that I have ever met are the teachers who work in schools like ours. Innovation thrives at East End Community School and that innovation is reflected in the enthusiasm of our happy, hardworking students.

The Munjoy Hill neighborhood in Portland is a diverse and vibrant community and our school is an anchor in the community. I want to shout from the rooftops that we are East End Community School! Come see our garden, come to our monthly community dinners, come into our classrooms and volunteer, come talk to our amazing and insightful students. Want to feel optimistic about the future? Come spend a day volunteering in my school.

I have enthusiastically spent my entire career teaching in Portland. East End Community School embodies everything that is amazing about urban education.

You’ve had quite a year as county teacher of the year and then being named Maine Teacher of the Year. Talk a little bit about what that experience has been for you and what you’ve learned over that journey.

I think that the first thing that I would say is that it’s surprising and unexpected. I’m a veteran teacher. I’ve been teaching for a long time and I have been doing my thing fairly anonymously.

Teachers work really hard, and we do extraordinary things with our students every day. That’s just our ordinary. Sometimes it goes unnoticed and unseen, and sometimes people misunderstand what actually happens in the complex ecosystem that is a classroom. From the moment I got an email informing me that I had been nominated by my administration for County Teacher of the Year, I suddenly felt noticed in a way that I hadn’t in a long time. That’s not to say I was burned out or unhappy; I was very content, but it was amazing to feel like I was really being seen and that someone was noticing and celebrating the effort that I was putting in every day with my students.

When I was named Cumberland County Teacher of the Year, and got to meet my cohort for the first time, it was really surprising to me how quickly we connected and how we came together as true and genuine friends. It’s a diverse cohort. I teach in an urban school, but that’s an outlier for the state of Maine. Most of the teachers in the state teach in more rural communities. On its face, it could seem like our schools were very different. But as we got together in a room and started talking, we discovered that we’re all facing the same challenges and we’re all experiencing the same joys in our professions. I never would have met any of these amazing people without this recognition and now they are my friends for life. Every teacher should have the opportunity to experience such joy.

Can you talk a little bit about what you plan to focus on as Maine’s 2024 Teacher of the Year?

I want to focus on celebrating everything that is amazing in our state’s schools. I want to be a voice for teachers across the state to share what is happening in their schools, what they are proud of, and what they want to celebrate. I am hoping to have the opportunity to visit schools across the state to meet with educators and hear about the amazing and innovative practices that are happening in classrooms all across the state.

At the same time, I want to recognize that we share some similar challenges, and I want to be an advocate for educational policy change in a way that benefits every learner in the state of Maine and creates equity for all of our learners across the state.

What is your message to somebody thinking about becoming a teacher?

Teachers make a difference in people’s lives in ways that they don’t even know are happening.

When it was announced that I was Maine teacher of the year I got a letter from someone who told me that she had been in the classroom where I had done my pre-service teaching when I was 18 years old, and that I had changed her life. I didn’t even know. That’s how profoundly we can affect our students.

In the 30-plus years that I’ve been working in education, I’ve worked with and taught more than 700 students. If I change the trajectory of one person’s life every year, that trajectory then impacts the trajectory of their children’s lives and their grandchildren’s lives, and it spreads exponentially. Who else gets to do that?

Plus, it’s really fun. I laugh all day long. My students are hilarious, insightful, brilliant, creative, and passionate. They’re an amazing group of humans to spend my time with and they make me a better person.

Anything else you want to share with the folks reading this?

I’m blessed that I get to be an artist and an educator in Maine, which I would argue is the most beautiful place in the world to live. I can’t imagine why every person wouldn’t want to move here tomorrow!

Scarborough HS Learning Commons Gives Students the Power to Reframe Discussion on Social Awareness and Society

(Pictured: Scarborough High School Students pose with Maine Department of Education Director of Strategic Partnerships Ayesha Hall.)

Scarborough High School’s school library, the Learning Commons is celebrating current fiction to encourage curiosity, discover ideas and perspectives, and inform self-understanding and awareness of the world we live in. It was part of this learning journey that students recently engaged in a book event that helped empower them to reframe the way we think about the society we live in.

Two years ago, School Librarian Deirdre Dupree had the idea of creating book events to encourage, support, and celebrate reading. In the first year implementing the book events Dupree, along with Library Ed Techs Mackenzie Crouse and Jeff Ertman began by using, among other standards, the CASEL framework beginning with self. They held four events throughout the year using memoirs, set the book event “curriculum” with an essential question, and solicited staff from different departments to help them facilitate and deliver their curriculum.

Held during one of the school’s four blocks in the school day, students participate through two pathways, either teachers can sign up to bring their class to the event or students who have a scheduled study hall during the block the book event is taking place can sign up to attend individually.

This year the team moved on to social awareness and society and have been working with folks who have expertise on these two social issues. Recently they called on Maine Department of Education Director of Strategic Partnerships Ayesha Hall, a school psychologist and former SEL & Equity Resource Coordinator for Lewiston Public Schools to help them host their most recent event.

With 70 students and staff present, the group embarked on a guided discussion of the young adult book, “The Unkindness of Ghosts” by Rivers Solomon.

As part of this discussion, students were asked the question: Is it important for societies to be fair?

As the conversation began, Hall explained what happened next, “Students were like ‘What kind of question is this? The only people who would answer no to this question are the individuals who benefit from the unfairness in the first place.’,” remarked Hall. “I was blown away…”

Getting curious, Hall asked the students to pose a more appropriate question to which the students worked together to come up with the following: How do we break down/analyze systems to ensure they are equitable?

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The discussion helped the students reframe the question in a way that digs deeper into the question of equity in society but also helps work toward a solution.

“Engaging with literature allows readers to empathize with the experiences of characters in humanizing ways. This allows for reflection and understanding while honoring each individual’s journey as we move in the world,” Dupree concluded.

“It was an honor to host the conversation with them!” Hall added.

Dupree says the Scarborough Learning Commons’ next event is tentatively scheduled for the end of March.