Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Maine has developed a differentiated model of school supports that includes statewide professional development targeted to regional needs. Upon review of submitted statewide Comprehensive Needs Assessments/SAU Consolidated Plans, the Maine DOE is providing regional professional development to address the explicit needs outlined in submitted CNAs.

The Department invites district, school, and classroom leaders, and their staff to attend the many regional professional development opportunities being offered by the Department this fall. These sessions are offered at no cost and sessions information is available on the Department’s professional development calendar.

Creating Trauma-Sensitive Schools:  Using Relationships to Promote Growth & Learning

Session Description: Schools across the country are adopting a trauma-sensitive approach in order to effectively educate students who have been exposed to adverse experiences. Neurodevelopmental impacts resulting from childhood adversity hinder a student’s ability to engage in the academic setting and manifest as disruptive, and often unsafe, behavior in the classroom. Creating trauma competent schools has become an imperative for educators who work to ensure safety and promote learning for ALL students. The field of social neuroscience draws from vast disciplines to explain how we have evolved in the context of interpersonal relationships through attachment and group cohesion, and how we have subsequently developed the capacity to shape the brains of those with whom interact and connect. This presentation will describe how educators can use our knowledge of interpersonal neurobiology to create classrooms and student relationships that maximize growth and learning. Participants will understand their role in creating trauma-competent systems and be able to employ trauma-sensitive principles, practices, and procedures to address the impact of trauma on learners and increase their students ability to succeed in the school environment.

Facilitator Information: Cassie Yackley, Psy.D.,  has spent more than 25 years committed to understanding and effectively addressing the impact of traumatic/adverse experiences on children, caregivers/families, and systems. She brings together recent discoveries from developmental neuroscience, attachment, implementation science, and reflective practice to help audiences develop skills of relationship and self-awareness in ways that transform organizations, promote staff professional growth and wellness, and improve outcomes for the consumers they serve.

The three session dates and locations are listed below with a link to each registration.  Space is limited so we recommend you register at the earliest possible opportunity.  Please register no later than, October 9, 2018 for the session closest to you.

Oct. 16, 2018                           
Elks Lodge – Brewer  
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Oct. 17, 2018                                              
State Armory – Augusta 
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Oct. 18, 2018                                              
Elks Lodge –  Portland  
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Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. with each session running from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with a break for a provided lunch.

If you have any questions or need more information, please contact ESEA Federal Programs and Title I Director, Chelsey Fortin-Trimble at chelsey.a.fortin@maine.gov.