From the Maine Department of Education

Reporting Items

Upcoming Data Webinars August 2024

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Data Team has many data management and reporting webinars scheduled in preparation for fall data collection. The Maine DOE Events Calendar lists all Data Team webinars for Synergy and NEO. Filter to the area of focus, “Data.” |  More

News & Updates

Maine Department of Education Seeks Feedback on the Essential Programs and Services Funding Formula

Resolve 2024, Chapter 164 directs the Maine Policy Research Institute and the Maine Department of Education (DOE) to conduct a targeted review of general-purpose aid for local schools. This review will focus on recruitment, retention, salaries and benefits; property valuation as a determinant of municipal ability to pay; regional cost differences; and a comparison of other states’ mechanisms. Within these focused themes, the Maine DOE will be considering expenditure-driven components, municipal ability to pay, regional adjustments, and adjustments to the state share of the total allocation. This report is due to the Maine Legislature on March 15, 2025. |  More

Chapter 115 Public Comment: The Credentialing of Education Personnel

The Maine State Board of Education is beginning conversations with the public about Rule Chapter 115: The Credentialing of Educational Personnel. Resolve 2024, Chapter 137 directed the State Board of Education to amend Rule Chapter 115, with special attention to sections related to the State Board of Education’s report submitted to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs in 2023. |  More

Maine DOE Honors 2024 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science State Finalists & Maine History Teacher of the Year

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) was pleased to host a special ceremony at the recent 2024 Maine DOE Annual Summit to honor educators from two prestigious national awards, the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) and the Gilder Lehrman Institute’s History Teacher of the Year program. |  More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

Getting to Know Community Schools in Maine: Old Town Elementary School

As the longest-standing community school in Maine, Old Town has had time to build community partnerships and strategies that truly support its student population. One of those strategies is their amazing outdoor learning program which is complimented by a robust set of garden beds and greenhouses located right on school grounds. | More

Fifth Graders from Cascade Brook Elementary School Participate in ExploraVision STEM Competition

The fifth-grade students at Cascade Brook School had some very exciting projects this past school year. Two teams entered the 2023/24 Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision National Science competition. | More

2024 Maine Teacher of the Year Reflects on Enjoyable and Empowering Experience at Space Camp

Each year, the Maine Teacher of the Year attends Space Camp for Educators at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. They are joined by their National Teacher of the Year cohort, comprised of teachers from across the nation. Space Camp is a program for educators that includes simulations of astronaut training and various activities designed to deepen educators’ understanding of what it’s like to go to space. Beyond the fun and interesting activities, Space Camp allows the National Teacher of the Year cohort to connect, network, and learn from one another.Maine DOE Honors 2024 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science State Finalists & Maine History Teacher of the Year | More

Over 100 Maine Students and Teacher Spend a Weekend Camping with Teens to Trails

This past spring, 100+ students and teachers joined Teens to Trails for their annual Adventure Bound weekend, a free camping and white-water rafting experience at Adventure Bound, a youth and family group whitewater rafting and outdoor recreation center in Caratunk, Maine on the Kennebec River. Participants could enjoy this trip at no cost because of the Maine Department of Education (DOE), Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative, a program designed to engage more Maine students with outdoor learning and make outdoor experiences more accessible. This initiative was inspired by a promise in Governor Mills’ 2022 State of the State Address to provide students with more opportunities like the Whitewater Kayaking Camp, where kids can go outside and engage with Maine’s natural beauty. | More

Maine’s Outdoor Learning Initiative Inspires a Newfound Love of Nature for 90 Lisbon Students

Ninety 7th-grade Lisbon Middle School students recently took a trip to Hurricane Island. This trip was free for all students, thanks to the Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative, a Maine Department of Education (DOE) grant that provides funding for middle and high school students in Maine to have outdoor learning opportunities in areas such as marine biology, ecology, and exploration. The initiative also allows Maine students to explore outdoor career fields with trained professionals. | More

Professional Learning/Training Opportunities

View the Maine Department of Education’s Events Calendar here.

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities:

View current Maine Department of Education employment opportunities here