From the Maine Department of Education

News & Updates

Annual Education Gala Celebrates Maine State and County Teachers of the Year

On the evening of March 8, leaders in Maine’s educational community gathered at the Hilton Garden Inn in Bangor to celebrate the hard work and dedication of exceptional educators from across the state. The 11th annual Education Gala brought together Maine’s 2024 County Teachers of the Year, their family, friends, and colleagues, school and district administrators, community and state leaders, and corporate sponsors to recognize the outstanding contributions of these educators to the state of Maine and their exceptional achievements within education. |  More

Maine Educators Gather in Portland for Solutionary Literacy Workshop

On March 4, 2025, educators from across Maine gathered in Portland for the Solutionary Literacy Workshop, a full-day professional learning experience co-facilitated by authors Cris Tovani and Julie Meltzer. The workshop focused on equipping teachers with effective strategies to support student engagement, critical thinking, and literacy development through inquiry-based learning. |  More

FedPoint Accepting Applications from High School Seniors for Nursing Scholarships

FedPoint, a federal benefits administrator and marketplace operator, is accepting applications for its annual nursing scholarships program. Four $5,000 scholarships will be announced in May during National Nurses Week, which occurs from May 6-12. Applications must be submitted by Sunday, March 16, 2025. |  More

Applications Open for Scholarship America Veteran Scholarship for Educators

Applications are open for the Scholarship America Veteran Scholarship for Educators. The program offers financial assistance to veterans pursuing degrees in education, school-based counseling, school-based social work, or school psychology, supporting their journey toward meaningful careers within the K-12 school system. The deadline to apply is March 27, 2025. |  More

Maine Schools Sharing Success Stories

Lincoln Elementary Special Education Classroom Leads the Way in 3D Printing

At Lincoln Elementary School in Augusta, special education teacher Mark Dennett has been pioneering the use of 3D printing in his classroom, working with a select group of sixth graders to design and create practical tools that enhance learning. |  More

Augusta and Caribou Principals Recognized with Top Maine Principals’ Association Awards in 2025

The Maine Principals’ Association (MPA) has named Sylvio J. Gilbert Elementary School Principal Christina Boursaw as Maine’s 2025 NAESP National Distinguished Principal and Caribou High School Principal Jamie Selfridge as Maine’s 2025 NASSP Principal of the Year. |  More

The Success of Together for ME at the Brunswick School Department

In the fall of 2019, the Brunswick School Department enthusiastically launched its initial public pre-K classroom. That first year of pre-K for ME set the stage in Brunswick for years to come. As the pre-K program expanded from that one classroom, tucked into a cute mobile unit in the school’s front yard, to four pre-K classrooms and then two more community partner classrooms, the school department continued to use the pre-K for ME program.  |  More

Submit good news to the Maine Department of Education here.

Professional Learning/Training Opportunities

Maine Department of Education Expands Kindergarten Entry Inventory Project

During the 2024-2025 school year, more than 30 Maine kindergarten teachers participated in the first phase of the Kindergarten Entry Inventory (KEI) project, funded through Maine’s Preschool Development Grant and designed to help teachers gather valuable insights into children’s development across multiple domains. Since then, these teachers have tested various KEI instruments in their classrooms, using information collected to better support individual learning needs. |  More

Making Math Meaningful for All: Applications Open for Math4ME Project

Math4ME is a free, three-year, whole-school project, designed to support all educators (i.e., classroom teachers, special educators, ed techs, and interventionists) to strengthen math proficiency for all learners with a specific focus on increased math proficiency for students with math individualized education plan (IEP) goals. |  More

Summer Training Pre-Registration Open for the For ME Instructional Programming

Pre-registration is open for the For ME Instructional Programming summer trainings. Schools interested in registering educators should have a principal or instructional leader complete the form to indicate interest in summer trainings by May 16, 2025. |  More

Free Emergent Literacy Facilitator Training for Early Childhood Educators

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is offering a free professional learning opportunity for educators interested in becoming trained facilitators of professional learning communities (PLC), focused on emergent literacy for children ages 3-6. |  More

Registration Open for 2025 Maine Council for English Language Arts Conference

The Maine Council for English Language Arts (MCELA) is hosting its annual MCELA Conference on Friday, March 21, 2025, at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland from 8 a.m. to 4 pm. Registration is open now, and spots are filling fast! |  More

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

Latest DOE Career/Project Opportunities:

Find education-related jobs in Maine.