The Maine State Board of Education is beginning conversations with the public about Rule Chapter 115: The Credentialing of Education 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.

The State Board of Education intends to take the following steps with respect to review of these rules:

1. Consult with experts in the field
2. Propose revisions to necessary sections of Chapter 115
3. Invite public feedback on the revisions
4. File the updated rule
5. Engage with Legislative oversight of the rule

The State Board of Education will hold several regional meetings focused on ideas and goals relating to certification regulations in a general sense. Stakeholders are invited to attend and provide input. These meetings will be held in-person, but there will also be Zoom links available for folks who cannot attend in-person.

These conversations will be facilitated by Maine Department of Education (DOE) rulemaking liaison Laura Cyr. Other State Board of Education or Maine DOE members may join the conversations, as their schedules allow. These conversations will be guided by the following discussion prompts, which align with the report linked above:

1. Are there changes to General Issuance and Renewal Procedures that should be considered?
2. Are there changes to Credentials and Eligibility Requirements that should be considered?
3. Are there changes to any of the grade levels associated with certificates and endorsements that should be considered?
4. Are there changes related to certificates for languages that should be considered?
5. Are there changes to the “School Counselor” (075) certificate that should be considered?
6. Are there changes to the “Teacher of Children with Disabilities” (282) endorsement that should be considered?
7. Are there changes to the “Teachers and Educational Specialists: Career and Technical Education (CTE)” certificates and endorsements that should be considered?
8. Are there changes to the “industrial arts/technology education” (700) endorsement that should be considered?
9. Are there changes to the “Athletic Director” (215) certificate that should be considered?
10. Are there changes to any of the administrator certificates that should be considered?
11. Are there implications of holding a National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification that should be considered?

The dates and locations for these conversations are as follows:

• October 24, 2024 from 4-6 p.m. at the United Technologies Center, 200 Hogan Road, Bangor (or via Zoom). This is a CTE-specific conversation.
• October 30, 2024 from 4-6 p.m. at the Biddeford High School Little Theater, 20 Maplewood Avenue, Biddeford (or via Zoom). This is a Special Education-specific conversation.
• October 31, 2024 from 3-5 p.m. at the Burton M. Cross Office Building Room 500, 111 Sewall Street, Augusta (or via Zoom)
• November 1, 2024 from 3-5 p.m. at the Caribou Performing Arts Center, 308 Sweden Street, Caribou (or via Zoom)
• November 4, 2024 from 4-6 p.m. at Westbrook Regional Vocational Center, 125 Stroudwater Street, Westbrook (or via Zoom). This is a CTE-specific conversation.
• November 12, 2024 from 3-5 p.m. at Presque Isle High School ATM Room, 16 Griffin Street, Presque Isle (or via Zoom)
• November 13, 2024 from 3-5 p.m. at the Burton M. Cross Office Building Room 500, 111 Sewall Street, Augusta (or via Zoom)
• November 14, 2024 from 3-5 p.m. at the Burton M. Cross Office Building Room 103, 111 Sewall Street, Augusta (or via Zoom). This is a Special Education-specific conversation.

Taking into consideration the insights gained from these discussions, the State Board of Education will propose updates to Rule Chapter 115 and begin the Maine Administrative Procedures Act (A.P.A.) major substantive rule process pursuant to Title 5 MRS §8052 (public notice of filing, public hearing, open public comment period). Once the proposed rule has been filed, the public will be notified of the scheduled public hearing and comment period. This will be an opportunity to provide written and oral comments regarding the proposed rules. The State Board of Education will review all comments and respond accordingly. Updates to the rules will then be submitted for review as to form and legality and legislative oversight before final adoption.

For more information, please visit the State Board of Education webpage, or contact Laura Cyr at laura.cyr@maine.gov.