Full certification for special education teachers under ESSA

The purpose of this notice is to address the issue of full certification for special education teachers under the Every Student Succeeds Act.

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and amended some provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to reflect changes made by ESSA. The amendments to the IDEA related to personnel qualifications impact Maine schools in significant ways.

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) amended IDEA by reinstating a pre-NCLB requirement. That requirement (34 CFR Section 602(10)(B)) mandated that a person employed as a special education teacher in elementary school, middle school, or secondary school must have obtained full certification as a special education teacher. The teacher must not be working under certification or licensure requirements that are waived on an emergency, temporary, or provisional basis.

In their respective applications for IDEA Part B (Local Entitlement) funds, states were required to assure that for the 2016-17 school year, in accordance with section 612(a)(14)(C), that any public elementary or secondary school special education teacher has obtained full certification. Maine was not able to give that assurance because of our use of conditional, targeted needs, transitional and waived certificates.

As a result, Maine was required to submit an assurance that the State will revise policies and procedures no later than June 30, 2017 which will address special education teacher certification to bring us into compliance with the provisions of IDEA.

The Maine Department of Education will move ahead in the next year with the development of statute and/ or rules that eliminate the above mentioned less than fully certified credentials for special education teachers.

We wish to inform Maine school administrators that effective July 1, 2017, you will not be able to employ a special education teacher who is not fully certified. Please encourage your staff to work towards full certification between now and July 1, 2017.

If you have questions, contact Janice E. Breton, Director of Special Services atJanice.breton@maine.gov.

Maine’s 2016 County Teachers of the Year recognized

AUGUSTA – Teachers of the Year for each of Maine’s counties were announced in a formal State House Hall of Flags ceremony today. From Kingfield to Princeton, from Limestone to South Berwick, from a field of 300 nominees, an outstanding Teacher of the Year has been announced for 15 of Maine’s counties.

Continue reading “Maine’s 2016 County Teachers of the Year recognized” →

Commissioner’s Update – May 12, 2016

From the Maine Department of Education

In an effort to promote summer reading, the Maine Department of Education is collaborating with the Freemasons of Maine to sponsor the Read to Ride Summer Reading Challenge for students in grades PK-8. The 18,000 Freemasons of Maine are pleased to expand their popular statewide Bikes for Books student reading incentive program to now encourage children to read during the summer. The Bikes for Books program provides over 2,000 bikes to Maine schoolchildren each year to promote literacy. The Maine Freemasons have generously donated 48 bikes with helmets as prizes for the Read to Ride Summer Reading Challenge.

To earn a chance to be entered into the state-level drawing, students must meet the challenge of reading at least 500 minutes during the summer vacation period. Any school with students in grades PK-8 may register to participate. Participating schools will collect documentation of students who have completed the challenge. They will hold school level drawings to select two students (one boy and one girl) whose names will be entered into the state level drawing to be held on Sept.23. Schools are encouraged to participate in this challenge, to coordinate it with any other summer reading challenges/programs they offer and to consider soliciting their own local level prizes for students who complete the challenge.

Continue reading →

Notices and Reporting Items

More Notices | Administrative Letters | Reporting Calendar

News & Views

County Teachers of the Year in waiting

Maine is now in its third year of recognizing County Teachers of the Year, a program that includes the selection of 15 awardees this year, leading up to the selection of Maine’s Teacher of the Year. | More

Teachers in celebration

Teacher appreciation week saw celebrations across the state and in our nation’s capital, in particular, for Maine’s 2016 Teacher of the Year. | More

Career & Technical Education students honored

Twenty six Career and Technical Education students were honored last month at the Lewiston Regional Technical Center’s Culinary Arts building. | More

Truancy data reminder for administrators

The Department is reminding school administrators to review student truancy data after the last day of school, but no later than June 30. | More

OSEP memo regarding children residing in nursing homes

On April 26, 2016 the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSEP) issued a “Dear Colleague” letter. | More

Maine DOE helps send kids to summer camp

The Maine Department of Education Morale Team recently created two venues designed to send a child to camp this summer. | More

MEA alternate mathematics and English language arts/literacy (MSAA) closes

The MSAA alternate assessment closes this Friday, May 13. | More

More Dispatches | Press Releases | Priority Notices

LATEST DOE Career/Project Opportunities

Maine DOE helps send kids to summer camp

The Maine Department of Education Morale Team recently created two venues designed to send a child to camp this summer. The first fundraising event was the “Pick a Stick” game where employees selected a Popsicle stick bearing a dollar amount which the employee then donated in the hopes of winning a jackpot. The winner of that game kindly donated the jackpot winnings back to the cause.

Continue reading “Maine DOE helps send kids to summer camp” →

OSEP memo regarding children residing in nursing homes

On April 26, 2016 the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSEP) issued a “Dear Colleague” letter regarding the special education rights and responsibilities surrounding children residing in nursing homes. Education administrators are urged to review the contents of this letter and take steps to ensure that their policies and practices are consistent with the requirements and best practices described in it.

Continue reading “OSEP memo regarding children residing in nursing homes” →

Read to Ride Summer Reading Challenge

Summer vacation is a welcome break from the daily school routine for children and parents alike, but the summer months can be a significant interruption to students’ learning if young minds are not kept active while school is out of session. Summer learning loss is a well-documented phenomenon, particularly with respect to reading achievement. Students can lose up to three months of reading progress during the summer. When all of the summers in a child’s PK-8 school career are combined, this can result in 1-2 years of lost reading progress.

Continue reading “Read to Ride Summer Reading Challenge” →

Beyond The Basics in Suicide Prevention Conference

A nationally recognized speaker applauded Maine last week for taking a proactive approach when it comes to suicide prevention. You can read more about the State’s strategic plan in action here. Featured at the conference were two sessions focused on school strategies and supports.

Continue reading “Beyond The Basics in Suicide Prevention Conference” →

Career & Technical Education students honored

Twenty six Career and Technical Education students were honored last month at the Lewiston Regional Technical Center’s Culinary Arts building. Each of the CTE Centers in Maine selected a “Student of The Year.” Over 200 family, friends, CTE faculty and Directors attended.

Continue reading “Career & Technical Education students honored” →