School Leaders and Teachers Collaborate at 2nd Annual Teach to Lead Summit

room full of educators sitting at tablesSeventy-three educators from across the state convened at the University of Maine Farmington on Friday, August 16th for the Powered by Teach to Lead Summit.  The summit, in its’ second year, brought together teams of teachers and school administrators to work on a specific identified problem of practice.

Last Friday, teams from Caribou, Gorham Schools, Maine Arts Commission, Academy Hill, Skowhegan Area Middle School, SeDoMoCha, Mill Stream and Kennebunk convened to collaborate and problem-solve. They were guided through a logic model which helped to frame the problem of practice, identify root causes, identify key stakeholders, and challenged teams to develop action steps moving forward.  Each team was paired with a Critical Friend who facilitated the conversation.

Problems of practice included scheduling; school culture; creating a culture of success: leadership teams; family engagement; Maine Arts Leadership Initiative; diversity, equity, and inclusion; trauma informed and restorative practices; and chronic absenteeism.

Committee Members: Chris Coleman, AOS 93; Jennifer Wright-Greg, AOS 93; Kasie Giallombardo, Nokomis; and Talya Edlund, RSU 5
Committee Members Chris Coleman, AOS 93; Jennifer Wright-Greg, AOS 93; Kasie Giallombardo, Nokomis; and Talya Edlund, RSU 5

Event attendees stressed the value of structured time for the development of tangible action steps, the importance of time to collaborate with colleagues, and the value in having a ‘critical friend’ to guide their process.

Teach to Lead Maine believes that every Maine student will benefit from the purposeful involvement of teacher leaders who collaborate in guiding the continuous improvement of schools and the teaching profession.  The organization, led by educators (Kaitlin Young, Chris Coleman, and Jennifer Wright), is a collaboration between teachers, the Maine Principal’s Association, the Maine Education Association, University of Maine Farmington, Maine State Teachers of the Year Association, and the Maine Department of Education.  Stakeholders work collaboratively throughout the year to plan the summit, present on the benefits of teacher leadership, and share resources to support districts in bolstering teacher leadership initiatives.

This event was offered to teams at no cost and was made possible Maine Department of Education, the University of Maine Farmington, The Maine State Teachers of the Year Association, Unum, University Credit Union, and Lee Auto Malls.  For more information about Teach to Lead, how to get involved, or to become a sponsor please visit the website.

School leaders from Caribou working with Holly Couturier, Executive Director of Maine Principals Association.
Skowhegan Area Middle School Professional Learning Community Members Stacey Edgar, Robin Esty, Debora Tanner, Doug McEwen, Zach Longyear, and Jennifer Dorman working with “Critical Friends,” Tom Desjardins from Carrabec Community School and James Black from Mt. Blue Middle School.
Committee Members Chris Coleman, AOS 93; Jennifer Wright-Greg, AOS 93; Kasie Giallombardo, Nokomis; and Talya Edlund, RSU 5
Stephanie Hendrix, Renee Doucette, Susan Donaher, Greg Smith, William Putnam, and Kalynda Beal
Kimberly Barnes, Susan Keaton, Emily Rosser, Pam Giberson from Eastern Aroostook RSU 39
Deputy Commissioner Dan Chuhta addresses the group
Kaitlin Young and Karen McDonald, Teach to Lead Committee Members
RSU 9 School Leaders working with “Critical Friend” Heidi Goodwin. Group members include: Courtney Bailey, Morgan Badeau, Luanda Dreschler, Haley Teacutter, Jenny MacIssac, and Nancy Ellis
Leaders from Gorham School Department working with “Critical Friend” Suzen Polk-Hoffses. Group members include: Heather Whitaker, Stacey Sawyer, Meghan O’Neil, Brooke Proulx, and Jamie Tardiff.
Mill Stream Elementary School leaders working with “Critical Friend” Talya Edlund. Group members include: Donna Hautala, Kathleen Houston, Julie Kimball, Barbara Welch, Patty Moody, Eileen Crowley, Mary Swindells
SeDoMoCha School leaders working with “Critical Friend” Kaili Phillips. Group members include: Adam Gudroe, Emma Shea, Brittany Munson, Andrea Cooper, Carolyn Newhouse, Carolyn Clark, Andrew Shaw, Cecelia Dube, and Jeff Dale

The Transformational Leaders’ Network (TLN): Learn More!

THERE IS STILL ROOM TO JOIN, Read All About It!

Twenty-four Maine administrators came together this summer for the first 3-day Transformational Leaders’ Network (TLN) retreat held at the Senator Inn in Augusta.  Fully sponsored by the Maine Department of Education, districts made a meaningful commitment to support their leaders in building their capacity. Led by several facilitators with expertise in designing and coordinating educational leadership graduate programs at the University of Maine, as well as school coaching and mentoring, the retreat was structured to help these leaders further their skills to realize the goals of their school improvement plans.

During a conversation about the growing demands on school leaders, Marie Robinson, PreK-12 principal of Katahdin’s Schools and superintendent of Medway, said, “At what point do you say ‘Stop–I need to come up with a better way’.”  Marie had been a participant in a previous TLN cohort. During the retreat, participants had the opportunity to hear from other school leaders who, like Marie, had been part of that TLN cohort.

“I didn’t think of the [TLN] meetings as another thing I was going to have to do.  I looked forward to my meetings, knowing that I would come out refreshed and ready to problem solve,” Marie shared as she sat in a roundtable discussion with other principals from around the state. She went on to explain that the TLN didn’t tell her what to do about any one specific issue she was experiencing, but rather that her TLN experience gave her the resources and know-how to approach a situation with a new perspective and a toolbox of ideas.

Ainslee Riley, principal of Thomaston Grammar School, a first-time participant in the program, commented on her experience at the retreat, “I wasn’t sure what to expect from the conference, it sounded interesting on paper,” she said in an email following the conference. “I am so happy that I decided to attend.  It was an excellent opportunity for me to focus on my school goals and my personal goals as an educational leader.

“It is not often that administrators have an opportunity to get together outside of their own district for the purpose of helping one another to grow,” she added. “I would recommend this experience to any administrator, whether they are brand new to the profession or a veteran.”

At the beginning of the retreat, participants went around the room introducing themselves, including information about where they were a school leader, and for how many years. There was a range of expertise in the room, everywhere from,  “I just finished my first year as a principal and before that I was a teacher,” a response met with knowing smiles and head nods from around the room, to others with 15 to 25 years of experience in school leadership. All participants brought to the table a unique set of experiences, circumstances, and challenges to share and reflect upon.

In addition to providing school leaders an opportunity to connect with one another, celebrate successes, and address challenges, the retreat goal was for them to develop two action plans for the coming year: one to include continued and on-going professional learning and growth for their schools as a whole, and one for transformational leadership, professional self-growth, and self-care as leaders.

The range in growth plans was broad, focusing on RTI and data, visioning and collaboration, addressing difficult issues, and providing meaningful leadership to staff in order to raise students’ success.

The TLN is not a new program of the Department of Education.  It was originally designed over six years ago to support school leaders of struggling schools.  However, the TLN for 2019-2020 kicks off an opportunity for any and all Maine principals, assistant principals and curriculum coordinators to join the network. The yearlong TLN experience will bring school leaders together to support leadership growth and to improve schools. The program will include regional meetings, leadership training, coaching, networking, and professional development for school level leaders who are interested in joining.

To learn more information and register to join the TLN, please visit the TLN webpage (https://www.maine.gov/doe/Testing_Accountability/model/turnaround ).

For further questions or information about the Transformational Leaders’ Network (TLN), contact Chelsey Fortin-Trimble, ESEA Federal Programs and School Turnaround Director at Chelsey.A.Fortin@maine.gov.

MEDIA ADVISORY: Open House of NEW Maine Department of Education Culinary Classroom

What: Open House and Introduction to NEW Child Nutrition Culinary Classroom
When: Sept 10, 2019 1pm – 4pm
Where: 90 Blossom Lane, 1st floor Deering Building

We are excited to announce and to show off the Maine Department of Education Child Nutrition Team’s first culinary classroom for the School Lunch and Breakfast program, and invite members of the child nutrition/school communities and media outlets to an open house of our new kitchen.  The classroom replicates the kitchens found in our schools, with commercial ovens,  cook tops and other commercial equipment used in school meal preparation.  The modern classroom will have the ability to stream, record and host live audiences for demonstrations, and the Child Nutrition program will use resident chefs to provide additional training to local food service staff.  The kitchen will be able to rotate 30 cooks at time, with both hands-on experience and paperwork management.  Some examples of upcoming classes are: knife skills and maintenance, preparing summer squash, measuring techniques, using USDA foods effectively, and vegan options.  The kitchen will be the host of the annual school cook off contest as well. We are excited by the possibilities and grateful for the amazing space in which we can support our school nutrition programs as they provide healthy meals to Maine’s students.

More information, please contact Walter Beesley at walter.beesley@maine.gov

Maine DOE Summer Literacy Conference Provides Professional Learning on Small Group Strategies

Maine DOE’s Elementary Literacy Specialist Dee Saucier and School Turnaround Literacy Coach Darlene Bassett led a two-day summer professional learning event earlier this week in Augusta for Maine educators.

Conference Participants had the opportunity to learn how to implement the Assess-Decide-Guide framework in balanced literacy, learn the elements of text complexity and how it impacts instructional decisions, understand the foundations of guided reading as a small group, learn the components and purposes for today’s guided reading, and learn how to take elements of the Assess-Decide-Guide framework and apply them to other forms of small group instruction.

The conference enabled educators to walk away with a plan of action to begin implementing small groups. 

Maine Teachers Gather to Revise Learning Standards in ELA, Mathematics, and Career and Education Development

Math teachers convene in the Maine State Library
Math teachers convene in the Maine State Library

This article was written by Maine DOE 2019 Summer Intern Emmeline Willey.

In July and August this summer, writing teams comprised of dozens of educators from across the State assembled at the Capitol complex to begin the revision of the Maine Learning Results content standards for mathematics, career and education development, and English language arts. These teams are composed of PK-12 teachers from across the state and represent Maine’s cultural and geographic diversity.

The writing teams were participating in step five of the intensive 14-step process of standards revision. This process began last fall when the Department collected feedback during the first of several public comment periods that will be held over the course of the procedure.

Standards Review3
Teachers split off into smaller groups for work sessions

Each content area standard in the Maine Learning Results is reviewed on a rotating five-year schedule. Last year, teams of Maine educators reviewed science and engineering, and social studies; next year, teachers will revise standards for the visual and performing arts, world languages, and health education and physical education.

Writing Teams will continue to work remotely on the standards revision in the weeks to come
Math teachers hard at work on Maine Learning Results standards

Good learning standards dictate what a student should have learned in a space of time, not how they learned it. The involvement of teachers currently in the field ensures the standards are relevant and valuable to their fellow educators. The entire process can be followed online.

Educators who took part in the process took a moment to reflect on the process and why they participated:

After the writing teams complete the drafting process, the Maine DOE will hold another public comment period this fall, the date of which will be announced.

Reminder Regarding Conditionally Certified Special Education Teachers

As districts are finishing their hiring for the year, please remember that new, conditionally certified special education teachers who are beginning their first year of teaching with this status are required to contact Valerie Smith Valerie.smith@maine.edu (207) 581-2419 to participate in Maine’s Alternative Certification and Mentoring Program. MACM offers intensive, structured mentoring and coursework for new conditionally certified special educators. The program helps these teachers to work toward their professional certification and to become fully certified special educators. For more information on MACM please visit https://umaine.edu/edhd/research-outreach/macm/

The State of Maine Announces the Second Round of Competitive Funding Under the VW Environmental Mitigation Settlement Funds

Some public and private schools may have school buses eligible for Maine’s Volkswagen (VW) settlement allocation.  The U.S. District Court in Northern California approved a partial consent decree to settle allegations that VW had installed defective devices on 2.0 and 3.0-liter diesel vehicles sold or leased in the United States.  Maine’s VW settlement allocation totals just over $21 million dollars.  Individuals and entities that have an interest in applying for Maine VW Environmental Mitigation Settlement funds are encouraged to submit a completed application.

Key Points

  • Round 2 application open date is September 16, 2019.
  • Round 2 application close date is November 15, 2019.
  • Results are expected around January 2, 2020.
  • Vehicles being replaced must be in operation and planned to be in operation.  Vehicles not in service will not be considered.
  • Eligible school buses include 2009 engine model year or older and class 4 school buses.
  • Decision criteria are included in the application.
  • Applicants for funding must use the fillable application form available at:  https://www1.maine.gov/mdot/vw/application/
  • Maine anticipates several application rounds for competitive Appendix D-2 qualifying actions.  Approximately $3 million is expected to be distributed to qualifying proponents during round 2; however, the State of Maine reserves the option to adjust the total distribution based on applications received.

Maine Department of Transportation (DOT) is the lead State agency for Maine’s VW settlement.  If you have any questions, please contact Maine Department of Transportation’s David Gardiner by email at David.Gardiner@maine.gov , or visit Maine’s VW settlement website: http://www.maine.gov/mdot/vw/  for more information.

Maine Teachers Engage in “K for ME” Curriculum Pilot Training

In Augusta, kindergarten teachers and their administrators from five Maine school districts participated in three days of training for the K for ME pilot, a research-based, discipline integrated, whole child curriculum for kindergarten.

Principals and teachers volunteered to implement this curriculum, based on the Boston Public Schools kindergarten program, to help tailor it for Maine’s children and school communities. Melissa Luc, consultant from the Boston Public Schools, facilitated the training and is working with participants from schools and Department to oversee the revisions.

During the 2018-19 school year, the Maine DOE piloted the PreK for ME curriculum in 14 preschool classrooms – the curriculum will soon be posted as an open source on the DOE website. K for ME expands upon this work by creating a vertical alignment for students building on concepts and content they learned in prek. K for ME will also be an open-source curriculum available on the Maine DOE website as a resource for districts after the pilot year.

For more information ,contact Lee Anne Larsen at leeann.larsen@maine.gov or 624-6628.

MSSM STEM Summer Camp Success Story

Submitted by Ryan McDonald, Summer Programs Director and Public Relations Coordinator at Maine School of Science and Mathematics.

The STEM Summer Camp at Maine School of Science & Mathematics ended the 2019 season on August 3rd. Over 550 middle school campers came to the small town of Limestone in beautiful Aroostook County to learn about science, technology, engineering, and math. The campers had three hands-on classes daily and then a non-STEM class called “Instructor’s Passion”. After that, they participated in traditional summer camp activities such as rock climbing, creating tie dye shirts, baking, capture the flag, swimming, and of course our special 100-foot mega slip-n-slide.

The camp started in 1997 as a camp for girls to get them interested in the STEM fields, but expanded to six weeks total with three for boys and three for girls. In 2018, the camp changed to five weeks with a co-ed week in the middle. We have found the new model to be very effective and plan to continue.

The classes are designed to keep kids academically stimulated through the summer and have no homework nor prerequisites. The only requirement is curiosity for how things work. Some of the classes this year and past years have included Real Life CSI, Model Rocketry, 3D Printing, You Can Do the Cube (Rubik’s Cube), The Science of Clay, Intro to Programming, LEGO Robotics, Catapults and Trebuchets, and many more. This year brought a new idea, Instructor’s Passion for the 4th class. It was a shorter class where each instructor taught a hobby or interest such as origami, Japanese language, drawing, creating your own game, appreciating Beethoven’s music, team building, etc.

The MSSM STEM Summer Camp brings educators, staff, and campers from all 16 counties, a few other states, and even a few foreign countries. Each year we strive to improve the camp based on feedback from the campers. We don’t make anyone an expert in each week of camp, but we do love when campers learn something and say, “Wow! This exists.”

For more information about the MSSM STEM Summer Camp and Maine School of Science and Mathematics, go to:  www.mssm.org.

Get to Know the Maine DOE Team: Meet Valerie Chiang

Valerie Chiang, Maine DOE School Construction Coordinator is being highlighted this week as the part of a Get to Know the DOE Team campaign! Learn a little more about Valerie in the brief question and answer below.

What are your roles with DOE?

I am a School Construction Coordinator with the Office of School Construction team.  My role gives me the opportunity to work with various school departments on improvements to their facilities through a number of programs including the Major Capital School Construction, Revolving Renovations Funds, and when requested, provide assistance to any school departments taking on their own local projects.  I assist school departments navigate DOE and other State construction related requirements, review and prepare contracts, review design documents, invoices, and oversee construction activities.

What do you like best about your job?

I really enjoy being a part of the overall process and helping it all come together every step of the way.  Since the process takes years, it is a unique blend of patience and excitement – from hearing the thoughts and ideas generated by students, staff, and administrators, to working with the designs developed by architects and engineers and balancing their creativity with fair and equitable solutions, and finally watching it all transform into reality as construction goes on.

How or why did you decide on this career?

I’ve always been fascinated with the technical aspects of how things come together and how things work, with a twist of artistic flair thrown in the mix.  Architectural drafting while I was in high school started me down my education and career path.  Before I moved to Maine, I was working as an architect in New Jersey designing schools.  Eventually, I started looking to move to Maine with dreams of a career change and becoming a forest ranger.  (Little known fact – I had volunteered with the National Forest Service while I attended college in Virginia, and got to teach kids while dressed up as Smokey Bear!)  When I finally made it to Maine 15 years ago, I stayed involved in construction, working for the Bureau of General Services in an architect position.  While I was at BGS, part of my project load included participating in portions of the DOE school projects, reviewing design documents and overseeing construction.  When the School Construction Coordinator position opened up where I could join DOE and get even more involved with all aspects of school projects, I jumped at the opportunity!

What do you like to do outside of work for fun?

The biggest reason why I moved to Maine was to live in my favorite playground, instead of just visiting Vacationland.  You’ll find me outdoors as much as possible with my husband and 6 huskies – we’re always having fun restoring our apple orchard, hiking, kayaking, camping, snowmobiling, dogsledding…and occasionally building something!