The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is pleased to announce that we have been granted a Tydings Amendment Waiver of FY23 ESEA funds and FY24 Carryover of Excess Title I, Part A Funds. Pursuant to the authority granted under section 8401(b) of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the Maine DOE received approval for these waivers from the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE).
The requirements from which Maine will be waived include:
A Tydings amendment waiver from Section 421(b) of the General Provisions Act to the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE). The Tydings amendment waiver extends the availability of Federal Fiscal Year 2022/State Fiscal Year 2023 Elementary and Secondary Education funds. Programs affected by this waiver:
Title I, Part A of the ESEA (Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local educational agencies (LEAs), S010A220019)
Title I, Part C of the ESEA (Education of Migratory Children, S011A220019)
Title I, Part D, Subpart 1 of the ESEA (Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent, or At Risk, S013A220019)
Title II, Part A of the ESEA (Supporting Effective Instruction, S367A220018)
Title III, Part A of the ESEA (English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement, S365A220019)
Title IV, Part A of the ESEA (Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants, S424A220020)
Title IV, Part B of the ESEA (21st Century Community Learning Centers, S287C220019)
Title V, Part B, Subpart 2 of the ESEA (Rural and Low-Income School Program, S358B220019)
A carryover limitation waiver from Section 1127(a) of the Elementary & Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended for Federal Fiscal Year 2023/State Fiscal Year 2024 Title I, Part A funds s (i.e., the Title I, Part A funds that will become carryover funds on October 1, 2024. The carryover limitation waiver waives the requirement that limits the Maine DOE’s ability to grant to its local educational agencies (LEAs) a waiver of the 15 percent Title I, Part A carryover limitation of more than once every three years.
The Maine DOE profoundly appreciates the work of educators, administrators, support staff, and stakeholders with their dedication to supporting students and schools across Maine. If you have any questions about this waiver, please contact your ESEA Regional Program Manager. Contact information can be found here: ESEA Federal Programs | Department of Education (maine.gov)
The Maine Department of Education’s 2023/2024 Student Cabinet hosted their final meeting in the Spring, a culmination of the students’ work throughout the school year.
Co-chaired by student representatives from the Maine State Board of Education, the Student Cabinet provides a forum for Maine students’ voices to be heard. This is the fourth year the Maine DOE has appointed students to a Student Cabinet to integrate student voices into decision-making on education issues that impact their journey through Maine’s education system. This year’s Co-chairs were Ryan Hafener, a recent Hampden Academy graduate, and Phat Thai, a rising Senior at Deering High School.
Throughout the year, students had many opportunities to provide feedback to Maine state government leaders, including the Maine Department of Education and Governor Mills, starting with their first meeting in Augusta in the winter. They also met virtually monthly to talk more about education and brainstorm ideas for improving students’ needs at school. A 2023/24 Cabinet subgroup also convened outside of regular meetings to formulate a Student Cabinet vision statement and agreements.
“It is our hope that future Student Cabinets will adopt and update the vision statement and agreements for years to come,” said Phat Thai, Maine DOE Student Cabinet co-chair. Thai led the sub-group of students who worked on the vision statement and set of agreements this year, a student-initiated project.
The final meeting of the 2023/24 Student Cabinet consisted of a listening panel, during which students shared more details on their thoughts and ideas about the mental health needs of students, issues of social justice at school, and school safety with state leaders from the Maine DOE and many other state agencies, as well as Maine education stakeholders and administrators from Maine schools.
The students also had the opportunity to meet with Commissioner Pender Makin and other leaders from the Maine DOE to brainstorm ideas about what makes schools great and what they want and need from them to thrive.
The 2023/2024 Student Cabinet was concluded at the end of the spring meeting. The Maine Department of Education will open applications for vacant seats in the fall of 2024, after which the 2024/2025 will be announced, and meetings will resume. The 2024/2025 Student Cabinet will be co-chair Phat Thai will be joined by the newly appointed State Board Student Representative Cedar Worster, a rising Junior at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School in South Paris.
For more information about the Maine DOE Student Cabinet, visit the Maine DOE website or contact Rachel Paling, Maine DOE Communications and Outreach Manager, at rachel.paling@maine.gov.
(The Lincoln Academy edLab students who built the greenhouse deck and foundation to support their outdoor learning space.)
The greenhouse will be a part of Lincoln Academy’s Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative program, LA Launch.
Lincoln Academy’s edLab students have been building a greenhouse to support the school’s new LA Launch Program. This free summer program, funded by the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative, will support rising 9th graders preparing to enter high school.
The Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative is a statewide effort to increase access to engaging, hands-on outdoor experiences and career exploration for middle and high school students throughout the state. The initiative, created by the Maine Department of Education, was born from a promise made during Governor Mills’ 2022 State of the State Address to provide children with more opportunities to get outside and engage with Maine’s natural beauty following the pandemic.
Students in edLab, Lincoln’s alternative education program, took the lead on the construction project with the help of edLab Director Jody Matta and their teachers. As part of the project, edLab teachers and students researched the town of Newcastle zoning process and received guidance from Town Planner Michael Martone. Students prepared and applied for the building permit. With assistance from the facilities department at Lincoln Academy, edLab students wrestled with the many rocks at the site and dug the foundation area. Along with the base for the Maine Garden Products greenhouse, they also built a deck to be used as an outdoor education space.
“It was a great opportunity for us to learn about the process involved in constructing a new building,” said edLab student Ariel Cowan. “It is information that we will be able to use in the future.”
“Our students worked hard on the greenhouse project, and I am proud of their work,” said Matta. “We look forward to utilizing the greenhouse as a learning space in the future.”
As part of the LA Launch program, students will learn about oyster aquaculture at the University of Maine’s Darling Marine Center.
The LA Launch program is designed to support students as they transition to high school and help them connect with Lincoln Academy while they learn more about their community and the importance of connection in a marine ecosystem.
“The greenhouse is a great resource that will allow LA Launch participants to explore and experiment, which will supplement our field trips to meet with community members and learn more about fishing, aquaculture, boatbuilding, and outdoor recreation,” said Lincoln Academy’s Director of Applied Learning Maya Crosby.
Crosby worked with Heather D’Ippolito, Lincoln Academy’s Director of Community Engagement and Development, to build the LA Launch program and apply for the Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative funding. Lincoln Academy was one of more than 60 organizations that received funding through the Maine DOE grant, thanks to an expansion of the program announced by the governor.
The Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative grant covers participants’ transportation and the school is providing lunch. Families interested in enrolling their rising ninth graders in LA Launch should reach out to the program director, Andrew Jonash, at jonash@lincolnacademy.org or visit the Summer at Lincoln Academy page.
Maine Garden Products will deliver the greenhouse in mid-July and place it on the prepared base. The project will be completed by the end of July, before the LA Launch program starts in August.
The Maine Department of Education has awarded $2,788,372 in Summer Learning and Enrichment Grant funding to 61 Maine schools. Summer programs differ from school to school, sometimes taking the form of community partnerships, field trips, career exploration, and innovative curricula that prepare students for the school year ahead while addressing pandemic-related learning loss.
“This investment in summer learning across 61 Maine schools demonstrates the Department’s commitment to year-round, holistic education,” said Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin. “From prioritizing outdoor education in Stacyville to pre-apprenticeships in Skowhegan, we’re seeing innovative approaches that address students’ academic, social, and emotional needs. We’re ensuring every Maine student has the opportunity to thrive, both in summer and throughout the school year.”
Summer Learning and Enrichment programs address k-12 students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs, prioritizing underserved students and students most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. They continue to aid students’ post-pandemic recovery by offering extra math and literacy instruction, tutoring, and outdoor learning.
“We’re excited to get this work underway this summer and demonstrate how much kids can grow their skills when engagement is at the core of instructional design,” said Nikki Remsen, the Elementary Summer Academy Lead for South Portland Public Schools. Remsen is leading a Summer Learning and Enrichment-funded program for South Portland students in grades K-5. “Rising 1st -5th graders will be diving into interdisciplinary units founded in engineering with support from the Boston Museum of Science and their Engineering is Elementary (EiE) units,” explained Remsen. The EiE programs started in the summer and will then roll into the fall, ensuring more students can access the museum’s lessons.
In Skowhegan, at Somerset Career & Technical Center (SCTC), over fifty students have enrolled in Summer Learning and Enrichment programs like Career and College Prep, Financial Literacy, Writing Workshop, and the inaugural session of their Pre-Apprenticeship program with Sappi Global’s Somerset Mill. Sappi, Maine DOL, Maine DOE, and SCTC worked together to create a unique pre-apprenticeship opportunity for their newest graduates focused on the electrical and instrumentation fields. Participants gained insights into mill operations, acquired essential safety skills, and heard of the benefits to Sappi employees. As the week concluded, students were interviewed for the chance to participate in Sappi’s Electrical and Instrumentation apprenticeship program.
“The initiative underscores SCTC’s commitment to equipping students with practical skills and real-world experiences that pave the way for successful futures in their chosen fields,” said David Dorr, the Director of Somerset Career and Technical Center.
At Katahdin Elementary School, students spend the summer outside, learning through community partnerships. Guest speakers from Chewonki and the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry came in with hands-on lessons about Maine vertebrates, flora, and fauna. Students also went on field trips to Katahdin Children and Families Foundation (KCFF) and a local strawberry farm, Golden Ridge Farms.
The Maine Department of Education has awarded $2,788,372 in Summer Learning and Enrichment Grant funding to 61 Maine schools. Summer programs differ from school to school, sometimes taking the form of community partnerships, field trips, career exploration, and innovative curricula that prepare students for the school year ahead while addressing pandemic-related learning loss. | More
Lincoln Academy’s edLab students have been building a greenhouse to support the school’s new LA Launch Program. This free summer program, funded by the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative, will support rising 9th graders preparing to enter high school. | More
Co-chaired by student representatives from the Maine State Board of Education, the Student Cabinet provides a forum for Maine students’ voices to be heard. This is the fourth year the Maine DOE has appointed students to a Student Cabinet to integrate student voices into decision-making on education issues that impact their journey through Maine’s education system. This year’s Co-chairs were Ryan Hafener, a recent Hampden Academy graduate, and Phat Thai, a rising Senior at Deering High School. | More
The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is pleased to announce that we have been granted a Tydings Amendment Waiver of FY23 ESEA funds and FY24 Carryover of Excess Title I, Part A Funds. Pursuant to the authority granted under section 8401(b) of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the Maine DOE received approval for these waivers from the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE). | More
This summer, the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Adult Education Team hosted its third annual Supporting Adult Multilingual Learners Institute at Sugarloaf Mountain. Adult Education teachers, curriculum designers, and administrators had the opportunity to learn from speakers, engage with different breakout sessions, and have meaningful discussions with their peers. Additionally, many fun activities, such as trail walks and yoga, were offered for participants to enjoy the nature of the Carrabassett Valley region. | More
Portland Public Schools has been recognized as a Common Sense District for its work educating students on safe and healthy ways of using technology and integrating technology into the curriculum as a learning tool. | More
Schools across Maine have begun to implement more career field exposure and post-grad planning. Professional Development sessions (for students), community integration, and activity fairs have been successful ways to pique students’ interests in different career fields.
At Lisbon Community School, teachers and administrators designed a Community Day to help students reflect on what they’ve learned during the school year, build leadership skills, and learn how to become healthy, collaborative, and productive citizens within their community.
Lisbon Community School teachers have implemented the trend into their curriculum with the help of curriculum team leaders. The school has hosted a Community Day, bringing together students in grades Pre-K through 5thfor the past two school years with great success.
The event brings local professionals ranging from brewers, artists, restaurant owners, town credit union members, fire department workers, emergency medical technicians, doctors, and bakers to the school for one day. Professionals did presentations and demos to educate students on their job and business, and students visited their places of business. Not only is this a great way for students to connect with non-school community members, but exposure to potential career opportunities gives them motivation to continue growing as learners and has inspired them to think about future careers.
It’s safe to say that Community Day has been a success over the past two years. During Community Day, students of all grade levels created individual and group standards of behavior. These group conversations allowed students to reflect on which sills and habits they would like to improve on. Having these conversations with different grade levels in the same space allowed for bonding of students of different grade levels. Teachers also made sure to incorporate the importance of social and emotional wellbeing.
Knowing it will be a while until the next annual Community Day, teachers and students created tangible reminders. Grade 4 students and teachers, led by Angel Tibbetts, created a Kindness Quilt, which hangs in the school for all to see. Additionally, Grade 3 students recorded their PSA of shared values and behaviors for when in the school cafeteria. Community Day serves as a reminder for students that there is so much more going on than what is just in their school and provides role models to inspire students to work hard and achieve their goals. The Lisbon community is grateful for this new tradition and is excited to see how Community Day continues to evolve.
The Maine State Board of Education is very pleased to welcome its newest student member. Cedar Worster from Harrison is entering her junior year at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School in South Paris. Cedar is involved in a number of school and community activities including Student Council, the Interact Club, high school athletics, performing with school bands and those focusing on civil rights and diversity, equity and inclusion.
Each year the State Board of Education seeks applications from interested public school sophomores to serve two-year terms during their junior and senior years as non-voting members. The two students, one from each congressional district, are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the legislature. They join nine adult SBE members who truly value what their younger colleagues bring to the table through awareness of what is going on in their schools and other networking activities. In addition, the student members are, with the assistance of the Maine Department of Education, Facilitators and Co-Chairs of the DOE’s Student Cabinet which brings together students from across the state to share topics which are important to them and their fellow students.
Also serving as a student SBE member during the upcoming year is Deering High School Senior Phat Thai.
(Students use colored cards to tell robotic cars where to go.)
At Windsor Elementary and Middle School, students are passionate about innovation, and their librarian, Kristel Anuszewski, uses the mobile computer science labs funded by the Maine Department of Education (DOE) to support that passion. Anuszewski, Kennebec County’s 2024 Teacher of the Year, is the Librarian and STEM Educator for Windsor’s Learning Commons. On a Friday in late May, the Maine DOE visited as she taught coding skills to a first-grade class using indi cars from the Maine DOE’s Mobile Computer Science Lab program.
In 2022, the Maine DOE offered a grant for educators to apply for one of three mobile labs. Anuszewski chose the robotics and programming lab, with the other options being augmented and virtual reality and coding and hardware.
“We wanted to create a space where kids can be creative, they can be innovative, they can explore, and they can engineer,” said Anuszewski. The cart came with three learning tools for students: Sphero Indi Cars, Sphero BOLTs, and Merge Cubes.
Anuszewski used the Mobile Computer Science Labs to transform the library into a vibrant hub for innovation.
“I feel like it went from gray to this burst of color,” said Windsor Principal Heather Wilson. “She pulls out of the students different things that they’re interested in and shows them how technology can enhance that.”
At Windsor, the Learning Commons is designed to blend technology and traditional library lessons seamlessly. Anuszewski was brought on in 2019 to build out and run the program.
“We had this vision of it being called the Learning Commons and not the library because we wanted it to be more than books,” Wilson said. “We wanted it to be about technology, STEM, innovation, and fun. Before Kristal and the [Mobile Computer Science Labs], we viewed technology as one kind of tool, but it wasn’t interactive with the kids. Now, it’s a vibrant, interactive space that sparks creativity and engagement.”
Now, Learning Commons is bursting with color and sound. The moment students walk through the door, they are filled with curiosity. When Anuszewski tells her first-grade class about the day’s assignment, using the Lab’s indi cars for a lesson about Summer, the room fills with cheers.
“Kristel is an astoundingly intuitive teacher when it comes to building instruction around the STEM,” says Anuszewski’s teaching assistant, Ed Frankonis. “Students have developed immense teambuilding skills with each other thanks to the challenges presented by the coding-teaching technology tools.”
Students enthusiastically engage with Anuszewski’s indi Car assignment.
The indi cars Anuszewski used for the day’s lesson provide a hands-on coding experience using a built-in color sensor and interactive color-coded tiles. For more advanced learning, students can progress to simplified block coding options. In Anuszewski’s first-grade class, they stick to the color sensors.
“Students start out really young, with the directional coding, like the indi cars, and essentially, it’s, here’s where you’re starting, here’s where you’re ending, and what directions do you have to give your robot to be able to get them to where they need to be. So, it’s all about processing and logic,” explains Anuszewski. “Having [the Mobile Computer Science Labs] creates more opportunities. I never had anything that was color coded before, and for the kids who are still learning their lefts and rights, the colors help them flush out those concepts, all the while they are doing directional coding.”
For Pre-K through fifth grade, Anuszewski meets with each class twice a week, once for a traditional library lesson and then again for a STEM lesson. She ties these lessons together with a theme. Her Friday first graders have been learning about seasons, specifically summer. Earlier in the week, they read the book “Stuck” by Oliver Jeffers, a story about a boy whose kite is stuck in a tree and his attempts to knock it loose by throwing more objects up into the tree until it is full of stuck objects. For their following technology lesson, they are strategizing how to move their indi cars down a track to a summer object, like the ones from “Stuck.” To do so, they will have to use indi’s colored cards to tell the robot where to go.
The students pair off, each assigned to a specific section of the library where Anuszewski has laid masking tape tracks for them to lead their cars down. Frankonis goes to each group and lays out their special summer object at the end of the masking tape track.
“It’s hard, but it’s really fun,” said Nevada, one of Anuszewski’s first graders.
“You have to figure out what color to use,” explained another student named Landon. “Sometimes I get it wrong. I try again, though.”
Anuszewski teaches Windsor students up to eighth grade. Older students have more autonomy when it comes to the Learning Commons.
“So my middle school curriculum is very different from a traditional curriculum. I have what is called choice boards, so at the beginning of every month, I present between 12 and 14 choices for students in the areas of reading, technology, coding, engineering, and maker space,” explains Anuszewski. “So, within those headings are four different choices, at least, for students to be able to choose from. They pick the one area that they want to study for the month. There are clickable links that will take students to different places online, whether it’s instruction or the actual site, and they explore the subject independently and kind of prep themselves to be able to be successful with their choice.”
Every year, Anuszewski selects a team of middle school students to attend the Maine DOE’s Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) Student Conference at the University of Maine Orono (UMaine). She selects students who have shown an aptitude or particular interest in tech. This year, one of her Windsor Middle School students, Emry Michaels St. Ong, won a $1,000 scholarship for UMaine at the conference for a game design challenge.
“I got a scholarship to the University of Maine in Orono at the MLTI conference. I was playing an online game called Bloxels, and I won for creating a character based on one of my favorite teachers,” explained St. Ong.
For those unfamiliar, Bloxels is a game-building platform where players can create games their peers can play.
“At the conference, we would go to different blocks. In the Bloxel block, the presenter told us how to go in and make characters, then gave us time to play around with it,” continued St. Ong. “There was a competition for best character. I didn’t think I was going to win it at all. But Mr. Ed here in the library told us that you never know, just take your chance and you can get it. So, I submitted my character and won one of the scholarships.”
St. Ong stands in front of the Windsor’ Mobile Computer Science Labs.
Anuszewski mentions that game design is very popular for a lot of kids.
“They get to do it in the library during learning commons time,” she said. “But to be able to hear from another presenter, to be able to have that kind of college experience with someone who’s not your teacher is really, really cool for them.”
That being said, St. Ong credits Anuszewski with giving him the tools he needed to win: “She teaches you a lot of stuff that will not just help you in school but help you wherever you go. She has taught us to use our imaginations and to be creative.”
Regarding coding, St. Ong was able to learn more about himself as a learner by using the robots from the Mobile Computer Science Carts.
“I’ve learned I’m a visual learner, and I like to go off on my own to code,” St. Ong explained. His class uses the Sphero Bolt bots. Students like St. Ong will code the bot to move about a room independently. “I’ll code a [Sphero Bolt] a little bit, see where it ends up, and then I’ll use what I learned to change it. I love learning hands-on like that.”
Through programs like the Mobile Computer Science labs, educators like Anuszewski have the means to empower students to engage with technology from a young age, building skills that they will use for the rest of their lives.
“I don’t want kids to ever be afraid of technology. I feel like immersing them in the technology is one way to do that,” says Anuszewski. “If they want to seek a career, technology is going to be a part of that. I don’t ever want them to feel like they don’t understand tech or not pursue something they want because they’re too afraid of what they don’t know. I never want them to be scared to try something.”
The Mobile Computer Science Labs are a part of Maine Teaches CS and were purchased with Federal Emergency Relief Funding. Maine Teaches CS is a part of Maine’s Whole Student Pandemic Response. Discover more of the DOE’s innovative programming at Maine’s Whole Student Pandemic Response page on the Maine DOE website.
The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is excited to host community meetings across Maine to bring educators, parents, students, and business leaders together to discuss a shared vision for our schools. These in-person conversations will take place in August and September across the state.
We need your voice!
We’re interested in developing relevant ways to recognize and acknowledge what schools are doing to prepare students for success in their lives, a rapidly changing global economy, their careers, and as engaged and productive citizens of Maine. It’s time to measure what matters.
Join us at a community conversation near you to share your thoughts about what makes a great school in Maine, how we can best prepare all of our students to thrive, and how we measure the great things happening in Maine schools. Your thoughts and ideas will be used to develop a portrait of a great school in Maine based on what the people of Maine value for our schools.
The Maine Department of Education (DOE) would like to remind school administrative units (SAUs) of the following data reports and due dates that are coming up. | More
Maine educators and aspiring educators can now access Teach Maine Scholarships to complete coursework required for certification over the summer. The Maine Department of Education (DOE) has partnered with the University of Maine System to cover tuition costs for eligible educators who complete qualifying summer coursework through a University of Maine school. | More
Eight Maine teachers were announced today as the state semifinalists for the 2025 Maine Teacher of the Year. These inspiring educators, members of the 2024 County Teacher of the Year cohort, embody the dedication, innovation, and leadership synonymous with Maine’s exceptional classroom teachers. As ambassadors for their students, colleagues, and school communities, their selection acknowledges their excellence in teaching and celebrates the collective achievements and commitment of the entire teaching profession in Maine. | More
Students and families gathered at SeDoMoCha Elementary School (RSU 68) on Monday to kick off the 2024 Hot Lunch Summer Meal Program and the new SUN Bucks benefit. The event, supported by officials from the Maine Department of Education (DOE), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and RSU 68, showcased new options to help ensure children have access to nutritious meals throughout the summer months. | More
Under Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 6402-A, each school board shall appoint one or more physicians or family or pediatric nurse practitioners. Some of Maine’s medical providers and school health staff have requested clarification from the Maine Department of Education (DOE) about the law and the role of the school health advisor, which is defined under this law. | More
Does your school unit sponsor outdoor learning opportunities in one of the following categories? Overnight trips away from potable water and/or Use of non-motorized watercraft on Maine’s waterways. Answering yes to either statement indicates that your school unit requires a school employee or approved volunteer to hold an Educational Trip Leader (ETL) permit to lead outdoor educational trips. | More
The Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Interdisciplinary Instruction Team has created new resources for supporting PK-12 literacy instruction. The Integration of Literacy and Neuroscience suite of resources reflects current research-based practices through a combination of asynchronous professional learning modules, strategies, and additional resources to support student engagement and reading comprehension through the lens of neuroscience. | More
The 2024 Maine Department of Education (DOE) Annual Summit will be held August 6th – 8th at the Augusta Civic Center. This year’s event features an all-in-one events app where you can select a personalized schedule following event registration. Register for the Annual Summit Here | See the Agenda & Sessions
Maine DOE Newsroom 