The Maine School Boards Association and the Maine School Superintendents Association are pleased to announce the Cultural Competence Institute (CCI) for all Maine educators, presented by Lawrence Alexander from Carney Sandoe and Associates Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Practice Group. Click here to read Lawrence Alexander’s bio. An Overview of the Cultural... READ MORE >
Since 2012, the Maine Resilience Building Network has provided experienced leadership, professional development, training, systems change and advocacy for Maine to build more resilient people, workforces and communities across Maine. Increasing the understanding of the impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the importance of building protective... READ MORE >
We have been asked by Jason Judd, Executive Director of Educate Maine, and Christa Thorpe, Community Development Officer of the Island Institute, to forward the following information to you regarding the "Get Up To Speed" initiative. Please take the 1-minute test today to map out your own internet speed and watch the public map of Maine. Please share this... READ MORE >
The events from earlier in the week in Washington, D.C. have been disturbing. Never in recent history have we had to be witness to attacks on our government from our own citizens. We know times have been challenging for school staff to deal with these events tactfully and in a developmentally appropriate manner. As school board members you provide the support... READ MORE >
21 retired nurses join ranks with Maine Department of Education to support schools in their contract tracing efforts and notification Augusta, MAINE – Commissioner of Education Pender Makin today announced the deployment of a team of Department of Education Contact Tracers. A cadre of nurses, many retired from years of employment in Maine schools, have received... READ MORE >
The first American Indian Day was celebrated in May 1916 in New York. The event culminated an effort by Red Fox James, a member of the Blackfeet Nation who rode across the nation on horseback seeking approval from 24 state governments to have a day to honor American Indians. More than seven decades later, then-President George H.W. Bush in 1990 signed a joint... READ MORE >
More than 730 students in rural Maine will have access to highspeed broadband to support remote learning by the end of the year through the Governor’s ConnectKidsNow! Initiative Governor Janet Mills announced today that her Administration has awarded $5.6 million in CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) monies to fund the construction of permanent internet... READ MORE >
US Braces For Mass School Closures As COVID-19 Infections Spike US News & World Report (11/17, Camera) reports, “Children, parents and educators are bracing for another round of mass school closures – if their schools had reopened for in-person learning at all – as coronavirus infections spike across the country with little to no additional guidance or support... READ MORE >
The Maine Department of Education, in collaboration with a diverse group of stakeholders and experts in the field, has created this initial iteration of a framework to assist in planning for a safe return to in-person instruction. It should be noted that this framework will be further developed and will evolve as additional information and guidance is provided... READ MORE >
For Immediate Release Media Contact: Charlotte Blane cblane@nsba.org 703-838-6231 Statement by Anna Maria Chávez, Executive Director & CEO National School Boards Association in Response to the U.S. Supreme Court LGBTQ Ruling ALEXANDRIA, VA (June 16, 2020): In response to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,... READ MORE >
Last Thursday, NSBA provided the following information about the CARES Act Grant Fund Distribution. A conference call was held regarding content within the grant, and the means by which States would be receiving the funding to distribute to the Local Educational Agencies (school districts). Districts are slated to be receiving approximately 80% of what they... READ MORE >
Last week a virtual panel discussion was held regarding the COVID-19 outbreak and: Lessons from past outbreaks that we can draw from todayStrategies for communicating with students, parents, and staff during a crisisPractical advice for how to manage resource distributionWhat's next as districts start to plan for the reopening schools The panelists for this... READ MORE >
The New York Times (3/20, Green) reported “elementary and secondary schools will not be required to do standardized testing,” Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced Friday. The testing waiver was “widely embraced by state and district superintendents who had been pressuring the department to issue expedited relief from federal testing mandates, which are tied to... READ MORE >
WHEREAS, I proclaimed a state of emergency on March 15, 2020 to authorize the use of emergency powers in order to expand and expedite the State’s response to the many different effects of COVID-19; WHEREAS, the State has taken many essential actions including a suspension of K-12 in-person classroom instruction across the State;WHEREAS, school districts are... READ MORE >
Please click the link below for updates/resources on COVID-19: https://www.msmaweb.com/o/msma... READ MORE >
Washington, D.C.: Following the Department of Education’s announcement to halt a change to the methodology that determines which rural schools are eligible for funding through the Rural Low-Income Schools (RLIS) program, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) released a statement on this major win for more than 800 rural, low-income schools... READ MORE >
Response team met yesterday to build on Maine CDC’s work in coordinating coronavirus preparation and response to protect public health Governor Janet Mills convened her Coronavirus Response Team charged with coordinating State government’s response across departments and local agencies and health authorities to the potential spread of novel coronavirus, also known... READ MORE >
NSBA has published a coronavirus resource webpage. To access this page you can go to our home page at www.nsba.org, or you can go directly to the webpage at Responding to the Coronavirus. It contains information that can help school board members prepare for the coronavirus. One of the resources is an NSBA guide that can help school districts with their... READ MORE >
Maine DOE Newsroom Reminders for School Communities Regarding the 2019 Novel Coronavirus! Please note that at this time Maine has no confirmed cases associated with the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The Maine Department of Education, in collaboration with, and with guidance from The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC), issued... READ MORE >
The Maine School Boards Association Board of Directors met this past Saturday, January 4, 2020. One of the items on the agenda had to do with vacancies on the Board. Following Delegate Assembly the following vacancies exist: Region I (Aroostook County) – DirectorRegion VIII (Kennebec County) – DirectorState-wide – Three (3) At-Large Directors Each of these... READ MORE >
The following bills submitted by legislators and affecting the operation of schools and labor law have been accepted for consideration by the next session of the Legislature when it convenes in January 2020. LR: 2861, An Act Regarding the Negotiation of Educational Policies by School Boards. Sponsor: Representative Brennan of Portland. This bill deals with... READ MORE >
Planson International, a global IT solutions provider to international organizations focused on development, sustainability and emergency response, has received the Business Friend of Education Award from the Maine School Boards Association. The firm is woman-owned, headquartered in New Gloucester with offices in Denmark, and has been a generous and active partner... READ MORE >
Carl Soderberg of Soderberg Construction has received the Business Friend of Education Award from the Maine School Boards Association for facilitating significant construction projects that have benefited Caribou Schools within RSU 39. The award was presented by MSBA President Kim Bedard at the Maine School Management Association’s Annual Conference on Oct. 24. ... READ MORE >
Dr. Don Burgess, a pediatrician at Southern Maine Health Care, has received the Maine School Boards Association Distinguished Service Award for his dedication and leadership to keep children safe and healthy. The award was announced at the Maine School Management Association’s Annual Fall Conference in Augusta on Oct. 24. He was nominated by the RSU 21 School... READ MORE >
October is Bullying Prevention. Throughout this month schools, families, organizations and community members come together to share stories and draw awareness to the issues surrounding bullying. The purpose of this campaign is to increase collaboration among all stakeholders with the shared goal of ending bullying, in all of its forms. This is done by... READ MORE >
It is time to register for the 46th Annual MSMA Fall Conference. We are very pleased with the keynote and endnote speakers, number and content of "clinics", and new and returning exhibitors. Registration should be made through the superintendent's office. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions. We encourage student board members to attend. Please... READ MORE >
The Board Chair Workshop is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, October 23, 2019. We are presenting this workshop with the intended audience of Board Chairs, Vice Chairs, and Aspiring Chairs. Come learn and share with others the important skills and areas of focus specific to the role of the Chair. Being offered just prior to the MSMA Fall Conference that will... READ MORE >