Maine Educator Fall 2023

Fall 2023 | maineea.org

STUDENT Mental Health

What students NEED in their own words

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Artificial Intelligence and its Impact on Education

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Fall 2023

CONTENTS

VOLUME 84, NUMBER 1

COVER

FEATURES

Student Mental Health

Artificial Intelligence and its Impact on Education

10 What students need in their own words.

6 How tools like Chat GPT are changing the landscape and how you can take advantage.

Career Earnings Data

16 As part of MEA’s continued commitment to educate its members on issues that impact their work and life, MEA staff compiled data regarding salaries, in particular, career earnings in Maine.

Ink and Insights

22 How Teacher-Authors Inspire Students to Dream Big. Rebecca Turkewitz , a 10th grade English teacher at Casco Bay High School in Portland & Nick Fuller Googins, a fourth grade teacher at CK Burns School in Saco

SPECIAL SELECTIONS Creating Inclusive Schools: 12 A Guide for Educators Supporting LGBTQI+ Students 2023 NEA Representative Assembly 13 At NEA RA, Delegates Pledge to Defend Freedom to Learn, Protect All Students Social Media Savy: 14 A Guide to Posting Wisely and Professionally PERSPECTIVES: Students and "Post-pandemic" Higher Education 15 By Paul Johnson, Professor, USM Bargaining Round-Up 20 Check out latest local contract wins MEA Benefits Trust 21 Program focused on improving your health

Why I Loved MEA's Summer Conference 27 The networking, the resources, the authentic presentations, the people-MEA members remind us why the latest MEA event was worth the time.

Empowering Student Voice: 29 Fostering Active Participation in the Classroom Books For the New Year 29 Check out the latest recommended books from NEA DEPARTMENTS 4 5 18 26 31

MEA PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RENEWING YOUR ED TECH CERTIFICATION COOK'S CORNER EDITOR'S NOTE

Cover image is from Adobe Stock; Egoitz.

Editorial Staff Managing Editor Rachelle Bristol Editor Giovanna Bechard Layout Design Shawn Berry

Leadership President Grace Leavitt Vice President Jesse Hargrove Treasurer Beth French NEA Director Rebecca Cole

Board of Directors District A: Pamela Kinsey District B: Kristen Braun District C: Susan Szava-Kovats District D: Cedena McAvoy District E: Thresa Mitchell District F: Janice Murphy District G: Valerie Pinkham District H: Dennis Boyd District I: Evelyn Atwood District J: Vacant District K: Tom Walsh District L: Rebecca Manchester District M: Chris Jones District O: Lisa Leduc District P: Lisa Henderson District R: Kay Grindall District ESP: Jay Nicholson Student: Zach Wentworth Maine Educator (ISSN #1069-1235) is published by: Maine Education Association 35 Community Drive, Augusta, ME 04330-8005 Phone: 207-622-5866 Fax: 207-888-2070 POSTMASTER: send address changes to: Maine Educator 35 Community Drive, Augusta, Maine 04330-8005 Non-Profit US Postage paid at Augusta, Maine and additional mailing offices.

For advertising rates and information please contact: Shawn Berry 35 Community Drive, Augusta, ME 04330 207-622-5866

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President's Letter - Fall 2023 Grace Leavitt

A "Triple H" Summer “Triple H” usually refers to ‘hot, hazy, and humid’ (it also, I just learned from google, is the name that a certain professional wrestler goes by! Who knew!).

Our Maine summer wasn’t exactly hot, hazy, or humid—at least, not until the end when the school year was getting underway.

Anyway, my summer was a different sort of ‘triple H’ season—consisting of Highways, Highlights, and Hope.

Highlights—Some of the many highlights were these meetings! Whether in Presque Isle, Calais, Brewer, Augusta, Skowhegan, Portland, Belfast, Lincoln, Ellsworth, Thomaston, South Portland, or Kennebunk, whenever I get to meet with you, our MEA members, especially when in person--that is absolutely the best part of this position! The energy and enthusiasm that you have for the work you do-for students and for colleagues—is truly amazing.

Here’s why: Highways—I did a good amount of traveling around the state, getting to as many member meetings as I could. It is a part of this job that I love, since we live in the most beautiful state in the country.

There is not one area where there aren’t breathtaking views at some point along the journey! This summer while in the County I took a side trip to finally make it to Fort Kent and other nearby places that have been on my ‘must visit’ list for a long time. Despite the rain (when was it not raining this summer?), I loved every minute and every mile.

Of course there was the NEA Representative Assembly earlier in the summer—with our dedicated delegates from Maine along with 7000+ of our closest NEA friends, gathered together in Orlando for long days of discussion and debate—exhausting and exhilarating all at the same time.

And the chance to meet President Biden when he visited our state was an exciting moment!

Our MEA Summer Conference, Growing a Stronger Union, was a great success, with a lot of first-time attendees realizing the great professional development MEA provides. And yes, for those who had to imagine me with my ‘prop’, it finally arrived:

There were a few other personal highlights as well--A new grandchild joined our clan (adorable, of course, and he has dimples!). I saw Bruce Springsteen (along with 65,000 other fans) for the second time (the first was in the Augusta Civic Center in 1978…where has the time gone?).

And there was time with family and friends here and there. But definitely another personal highlight was the elation on my granddaughter’s face at each event she attended as a new kindergartener— screening, bus tour, visit for families with the principal, visit with her teacher, and, of course, that very first day—waiting anxiously for the bus and climbing up those steps!

And now for the third ‘H’—Hope—I had conversations with a few members who expressed that they had been on the verge of leaving the profession. They told me it was their engagement with our union that caused them to rethink that direction.

Their involvement in our union gave them hope after what have been—for us all, I’m sure—some very challenging times for our profession.

It is all three of these ‘H’s’ that give me hope as well—in fact, I would add another ‘H’—and make it ‘High Hopes’—High Hopes for the coming weeks, months, for this academic year. Our beautiful state, our incredible members, our union—these combined all fill me with the highest of hopes—hopes for a great year for educators, for students, for public education, and for an ever stronger MEA! With deep gratitude for all you do, Grace

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Grace Leavitt MEA President 207-622-5866 x2200

From MEA's Executive Director Rach e lle Bris to l

Turning Leaves, Hurricanes, and Black Cats 1) There are 22 breeds of cats with solid black fur.

The Bombay breed is the only breed whose black fur will not fade. Most black cats actually change color over time. Their fur fades in sunlight to a rust or brownish color.

2) European sailors used to bring black cats onboard their vessels for good luck.

As I write this, the leaves are starting to turn signaling the beginning of fall. The weather is chilly in the evenings, and apple picking is on the list of things to do. Hurricane Lee has passed through Maine albeit without as much gusto as originally indicated much to the relief of many, including boat owners who wished for a longer season full of salt air and cool ocean breezes. October is on the horizon which brings pumpkins, trick or treating, decorations, and images of black hats and black cats.

Many of you know that since moving to Maine I have been adopted by a beautiful, black cat named Abby. She is technically my partner’s cat. However, she has taken a liking to me as well and has become a huge part of my world. There is a pecking order though, and she reminds me who rules the roost whenever I forget.

Recently, while I have been working remotely, she has taken to jumping into my chair and staring defiantly at me to challenge whether I will move her or not. I must admit that I have taken some remote meetings from the couch rather than disturb the Ladybug. Who can resist the green eyes of a beloved pet who helps make the tough days better and the good days better yet? Given her important role in my world, I got to wondering about fun facts about cats, especially black cats. It is fall, and Halloween is fast approaching.

So, I did some research and found some interesting things…

3) Most black cats have yellow eyes due to an excess of melanin. (Abby has green eyes making her even more special and rare.)

4) Black cats have at least two days dedicated to them. There is a Black Cat Appreciation Day on August 17th and National Black Cat Day on October 27th.

5) Black cats were worshipped as gods in ancient Egypt. The black cat was the physical embodiment of the goddess Bastet, a woman with the head of a black cat who watched over the crops, women, and the home.

6) Black Cats have their own café in Himeji, Japan. It is the first of its kind.

Truth.

I also found a lot of articles that labeled black cats as bad luck and omens of bad things to come. I honestly cannot imagine that as Abby curls up on my lap at night or falls asleep next to me. This got me thinking about how we all make assumptions about people, places, or things that we have never met, visited or experienced, and more often than not those assumptions are inaccurate at best.

It is a good reminder to me to be aware of my own assumptions and interactions with others so that I can continue my own journey open to personal development and growth.

MEA is also on its own growth journey.

Every July, the MEA Board of Directors adopts strategic foci, and these foci drive the work of the union for the following year. The three foci are: Membership Growth, DEIJ (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice), and Local Capacity/Member Engagement. To implement these foci, MEA is focused on meeting the needs of our members and growing an engaged, empowered membership. We will continue to gather feedback from you about your needs and wants to better support your work as an educator and a union leader/ member. We will be conducting surveys on DEIJ issues and will be looking for additional support to help us assess our own progress towards being an antiracist organization. We are planning trainings for all educators to help inform professional practice and build leadership competencies. MEA is on the move and needs each of you to help us, help you. If a survey or focus group invite comes your way, please respond. It is only through the two-way feedback loop that we can best grow as a union and not make inaccurate assumptions about our collective work.

As the school year progresses and the days get shorter, I just want to say thank you for all you do for your students and for MEA. The MEA staff and leadership look forward to partnering with you to move the strategic foci forward. And if you are ever on a Zoom call with me and see a black cat instead, don’t worry. It just means I have lost my chair once again.

Have a great fall.

Best, Rachelle

Rachelle Bristol Executive Director 207-622-5866 x 2227 MAINEEA.ORG

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Artificial Intelligence and its Impact on Education How tools like Chat GPT are changing the landscape and how you can take advantage Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to revolutionize various aspects of our lives, and one area where its influence is becoming increasingly apparent is public education. Chat GPT, an advanced AI language model, holds immense potential to shape the future of education by offering new opportunities for students, teachers, and administrators. In this article, we will explore the transformative impact of AI on public schools and how it can enhance teaching and learning experiences.

Chat GPT wrote that entire first paragraph.

Teachers work about 50 hours a week, spending less than half the time in direct interaction with students.

By now, you’ve recognized the power, and concern of AI tools, like Chat GPT, in education. While it’s crucial to ensure students are not turning in work written by a BOT, it’s just as crucial to recognize how technology is changing the teaching and learning landscape, and use that change to your advantage.

While AI in education is continuing to change, the research already completed shows the best use of AI is when humans are at the center of the technology following these sample concepts for usage: 1) AI assists to reduce routine teaching burdens, 2) AI that helps teachers reflect, plan, support 3) AI helps improve the teaching and learning practice. Among the goals of integrating more AI into education is to ensure that teacher working hours are spent mostly with their students. Currently, according to a recent global teacher and student survey, more time is spent without students than with them, with some saying AI could help flip the script.

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Maine Educator | Fall 2023

A report by McKinsey Global Teacher and Student Survey first suggested that AI’s initial benefit could be to improve teaching jobs by reducing low-level burdens in administrative or clerical work.

The report also suggests that recovered time from AI-enabled technology should be rededicated toward more effective instruction—particularly, outcomes such as reducing the average 11 hours of weekly preparation down to only six.

“One opportunity I see with AI is being able to reduce the amount of attention I have to give to administrative things and increase the amount of attention I can give to my students with their learning needs in the classroom. So that's the one that I'd say that I'm super excited about the possibility of AI to support me as a teacher."-Vidula Plante, teacher.

While AI language models like Chat GPT are exciting in how they can help support and engage both students and educators, it is important to critically examine their potential negative impact on public schools. Overreliance on technology, diminished personal interactions, limitations in contextual understanding, data privacy concerns, and the exacerbation of the digital divide, are all important factors to consider.

While tools like Chat GPT can provide answers and explanations, they may also hinder students' critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Over reliance on AI models for information retrieval can limit the development of analytical reasoning, creativity, and independent thought. Research shows it is essential to strike a balance between leveraging AI tools and fostering students' cognitive abilities through active learning and collaborative problem-solving, with human interaction at the center of the lesson.

Another important concern to be aware of before embracing AI tools is the inherent bias that can come with each product.

AI models like ChatGPT may not be exposed to a diverse range of perspectives which can result in the model having a limited understanding of various cultures, worldviews, and experiences. This can, in turn, impact the quality and inclusivity of the content the AI forum presents.

Additionally, AI tools can inadvertently perpetuate existing biases in education materials and assessments and can also reinforce these biases when generating responses or answers. which can impact the quality and inclusivity of educational content. Educators must remember AI tools are not humans and don’t have the capability to be culturally sensitive in their responses and therefore should always be used in a way that takes these factors into account.

Whether you choose to use any AI technologies, educators must understand what is available so you can help support your students who choose to use these new tools. While it is not your responsibility to support the usage of technology that you don’t agree with, it is crucial you understand what your

students have access to and may choose to use to support them in their work. No educator wants to see an essay turned in written by Chat GPT, and whether you like it or not, you will have to learn what that type of “fake” essay may look like. For those who choose to embrace some form of AI, it is essential to ensure you’re maintaining human interaction, personalized guidance, and critical thinking skills into each of your lessonsthose combined with technology could be a powerful combination in education.

Time will tell.

Survey Finds 50% of Educators Require Handwritten Essays With the increase of AI, in particular ChatGPT, a research group that helps students make decisions about higher education called Intelligent.com conducted a survey of current high school teachers and college professors.

The findings show many educators are changing how they teach to “combat ChatGPT use.”

Among the findings:

• 50% of educators are resorting to handwritten assignments,

• 6 in 10 believe ChatGPT can help

students learn; many say the tool is a mixed blessing • More than 1 in 4 say their school has no ChatGPT policy in place • Older educators are less likely to see the AI tool as a benefit For those who do not currently require handwritten essays, many are planning on making changes to adapt to the

“

Some professors fear that students will merely use ChatGPT to create their essays, and neither learn appropriate research and writing conventions nor master the content.

”

increase in AI technology use among students, ranging from increasing oral presentations to typing assignments in class without wifi available. (see chart)

“Some professors fear that students will merely use ChatGPT to create their essays, and neither learn appropriate research and writing conventions nor master the content,” says Professor and Higher Education Advisor Diane Gayeski. But Gayseki points out, there have always been ways to cheat, it’s just now up to the educator to think of ways to ensure students are incorporating what’s learned in class into their works to create authentic work.

“A student can buy a well-written essay comparing various models of leadership based on important theorists from any number of websites. However, what can’t be bought nor generated by an AI tool is content that specifically relates to material presented in class, such as their textbook, assigned readings, or case studies.

Some information from this article was gathered from U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology, Artificial Intelligence and Future of Teaching and Learning: Insights and Recommendations, Washington, DC, 2023.

This report is available at https://tech.ed.gov

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TOOLS TO CONSIDER

Goal: I want to make note-taking more efficient Try: Dragon Dictation Dragon Dictation is a voice-to-text AI tool that converts spoken words into written text. Students can use Dragon Dictation to transcribe their thoughts, ideas, or even classroom discussions, making it useful for note-taking or creating written assignments. This tool can also be helpful in a lecture-based setting for note-taking students who simply need to launch the software while you teach, allowing the students to engage in the lecture while the AI takes the notes for them.

Goal: I want to encourage and ignite classroom participation Try: Parlay Genie

With so many AI tools already being used, Maine Educator researched several to help members learn which ones are educator recommended and may help you in your craft.

ChatGPT has received the bulk of discussion recently in the AI conversation, but there are many AI tools educators are using to help support their work and their students. When you think about your daily lives, you’re likely already using AI-whether you’re asking Siri or Alexa to be your virtual assistant- AI has a strong presence in how we live and now how we work. Here are some tools to consider as you think about how AI can help support your work.

Goal: I want to support multilingual students and families Try: ChatGPT In diverse public school settings where students come from various linguistic backgrounds, ChatGPT can break down language barriers. With its ability to understand and generate text in multiple languages, ChatGPT can assist students in their native languages, fostering inclusivity and ensuring that language proficiency doesn't hinder learning.

This feature not only supports English language learners but also promotes multiculturalism and celebrates linguistic diversity within schools.

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Maine Educator | Fall 2023

Goal: I want to make classroom presentations quicker and more interesting looking Try: Canva This ChatGPT alternative has several AIpowered tools within Canva, including Magic Write and Magic Design, that can create templates, content, and images.

This AI tool is a time-saver for educators and helpful with prep. Students can also create unique classroom presentations with this tool allowing them to be creative while learning.

Parlay Genie is a discussion-prompt generator. It crafts higher-order thinking questions for your class based on a topic, a YouTube video, or an article. Use it to spark conversation following a lesson, elevate partner study routines, or generate journal-writing questions.

Goal: I want to help a student after school with math problems, but also want them to practice at home with support Try: Photomath Photomath is a mobile application that offers support with math. With Photomath, users can scan printed or handwritten math problems with their smartphone camera, and the app will provide step-by-step solutions in real time. This tool is not to be used for students to solve problems without doing the work, but it is a form of AI that can provide extra specific guidance at home to free up your time to be able to help more students. The goal is to help a student in class or after school with a few problems, then provide them with additional ones to do at home, and in the event they’re struggling they can use this AI tool to learn where they’re making mistakes, understanding the problem-solving process step-by-step.

SCAN HERE TO SEE USE OF AI IN THE CLASSROOM SURVEY RESULTS

Sound Off

W h at e d ucato rs are s ay in g abo ut Ch at GPT as s e e n o n ME A's Face bo o k Pag e

Featured comments YES Alexis Deveau I say LEARN to use it for the positives! TEACH children it’s not an easy way to cheat the system, it’s a cool technology piece that could make your life easier in other more appropriate ways!

James Skrabak AI won't replace people, it will only replace people who won't learn how to use AI. Never forget that we are preparing students for a world that does not exist yet.

Kalisto Zenda Nanen Adapt and use it to your benefit because it’s not the robot who will be doing the jobs, it’s the person who knows how to use AI who will.

Kari Lynn My 14-year old says, "YES! For the right use, it is the right tool. It's not for writing essays, but it's great for research." He just typed in, 'what does a particle accelerator do in one paragraph.' "It's great for learning things because it can summarize difficult topics for you. It makes it easier to find good answers vs. going to 10 websites and trying to understand the important parts of long articles. Instead of having a human help you summarize a difficult topic, like a teacher, the AI can do it." [types in 'what does a particle accelerator do? so a 5th grader can understand] He read the article to me and it compared the particle accelerator to a toy car this time so a younger child might understand it more clearly. My son has ADHD and often forgets what he's reading, so he uses it for research and book summaries after he's read the book. It really helps him to focus on the important details and not get lost.

Ashleigh Biette Dennis I think it’s pretty useful. When students struggle to choose a research or writing topic, they can ask for ideas and it helps them feel less unmoored in a way that isn’t person facing. I also teach math and feel like there have been online tools to do all the math (and show the steps to fool teachers) for years - all this and kids are still learning how to do math. Imagine that!

No Amber Kachmar NO. It’s a digital information aggregator that absolutely cannot replace the process of research, critical thinking and the development of discernment.

It’s taking everything, regardless of veracity and presenting it as fact. It can be manipulated by circulating a lot of false information, and has been shown to have some pretty egregious biases.

Jessica Lynn Against.It’s the job of the educator to teach them and the job of the student to learn. No one learns by taking the easy way out. Honestly who needs a teacher if one can use that? The job as an educator will be nonexistent in a few years.

Linda Manning No, AI is invasive and a lot of what ChatGPT has on its site is inaccurate from what I have been told. I want my students to do their own research and their own work. It is hard enough to get them to research things as it is. I would love to go back to a card catalog for some things. Not everything on the internet is good. AI is very scary to me and I think it is possible to get wrong information, depending on where the AI generates it's information. There has been a lot of research on it lately and a lot of people in the business of AI speaking out against it.

Maybe Johnathan Galt It depends; if the intent is for ChatGPT to provide educational materials to children for use in education then no. ChatGPT is a language learning model that takes the average intelligence of the information available and provides answers. Most of the information made available to the model was from the internet where the average IQ of information is less then 60. The accuracy of the information provided in its current form should always be questioned. Now, if it’s to learn how language learning models work, programming, how AI can be used for good and essentially as an intro to AI class, absolutely!

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STUDENT Mental Health

What students need in, their own words

“Two years ago, I had a lot of mental health struggles. I was diagnosed with depression, and I was unable to do a lot of my schoolwork; my grades dropped severely.”

Joshua, a high school student from Yarmouth shared his struggles with the members of the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee in Augusta. He, along with more than a dozen other students, advocated for increased mental health support for students in Maine schools, citing facts, statistics, and stories of the extreme need to focus on student mental health and solutions to a growing crisis in Maine schools.

The students, ranging in age from elementary to high school, are part of the Maine Department of Education’s Student Cabinet that has worked for the past two years to better understand the mental health needs of Maine students, pushing lawmakers to support needed changes and increased resources.

“There are thousands of students in Maine who don’t have access to [mental health] resources but are suffering from similar problems and although they have school counselors, they are too busy often pursuing academic affairs. [Schools] don’t have enough social workers available to them to provide them with the necessary emotional support to get them through their issues,” Joshua told the committee.

Joshua admits he is one of the lucky ones. He was fortunate to be able to seek support from a health care expert outside of his school because he says the resources 10

Maine Educator | Fall 2023

he needed were not available in his district. However, he understands help for many isn’t as readily available which is why the Student Cabinet asked lawmakers to continue to push for a bill the Maine Education Association supported that would increase the counselor to student ratio to the American School Counselor Association recommended 250 students to 1 counselor.

311 to 1 ratio

Currently, in Maine, there are 311 students to one school counselor. Additionally, the students want to see an increase in social workers and school psychologists in schools. Here, the numbers are worse with 1 social worker for every 617 students and the recommended ratio is 1 to 250; school psychologists in Maine are rare

with 1 to every 1,830 students, with the recommended being 1 to 500 students.

1,830 to 1 ratio

“Our educators are making a tremendous effort to promote social/emotional wellbeing-but more is needed,” Grace Leavitt, MEA President told lawmakers as she supported a bill to increase the

“

-Grace leavitt, mea president

Our educators are making a tremendous effort to promote social/ emotional wellbeingbut more is needed.

”

“Maine is an incredibly rural state.

Getting school psychologists into schools, improving access to telehealth services for rural schools who don’t have access, ensuring that everyone who is exposed to students has quality training to make connections with students so that every student feels they have access to at least one trusted adult [is necessary.] There is a crisis that’s affecting a large amount of students in the state and will continue to affect those students until there are structures in place that can really provide them with the support that they need; looking to a third party or through the school to agree that on certain days where, for example, there is a conference room reserved to allow students to have access to a mental health professional,” said Ryan.

“

Three out of the 5 years I've gone to school in the Orono school system there have been shooting threats. I think we have to think about the correlation between mental health issues and school shootings.

”

The stressors, according to the students, are vast, from safety issues to concerns about post-graduation.

school, post-secondary plans. One thing that can really help with that is have more access to counselors.”

“Three out of the 5 years I’ve gone to school in the Orono school system there have been shooting threats. I think we have to think about the correlation between mental health issues and school shootings. Schools really need resources to keep up with the increased mental health issues,” an Orono high schooler told lawmakers. Another shared “One of the major stressors [for students] is what happens next? What happens after high

The need is clear. The question now, will lawmakers listen and pass legislation to support an increase in mental health experts and support more funding for other professionals to answer the cry of students who clearly are begging for help?

The MEA will be at the forefront of the issue to continue to ensure those student voices don’t get drowned out in the halls of the state capital.

number of school counselors in schools and also include school social workers in the school funding formula, making it easier for school districts to pay salaries of those employees. Lawmakers in the Education Committee supported the legislation; however, the bill did not pass but will be discussed again during this next legislative session. MEA will once again push for its passage.

While laws can help, the MDOE Student Cabinet understands part of the problem is lack of available mental health professionals to fill positions, even if those positions existed. The students believe these issues can be fixed as well with creative thinking-focusing on telehealth, particularly for rural schools.

Ryan, a Hampden Academy student, explained how it could work.

Maine Department of Education Student Cabinet Members Photo credit: Maine Department of Education

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According to the CDC, when schools implement supportive policies and practices for LGBTQI+ youth, all students experience less emotional distress, less violence and harassment, and fewer suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Creating Inclusive Schools: A Guide for Educators Supporting LGBTQI+ Students The numbers are staggering. educational environment for all students, including LGBTQI+ students.

Facilitating opportunities for students to find support from peers, teachers, and staff, such as student-led organizations, and identifying supportive spaces on campus.

For example, teachers and administrators can help students establish a Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) to help build a more inclusive school environment.

Expanding mental health resources that meet the needs of LGBTQI+ students.

CDC research shows that LGBTQI+ youth are more likely to experience depression and other mental health challenges than their peers, often associated with their experience of higher levels of stigmatization and discrimination. These students need additional mental health support available to them in school with the hopes of turning those negative feelings into ones that allow all students to feel equal and included.

Keep politics out of the classroom, as well as religious materials. Schools should remain politically neutral, but if you’re a civics teacher this may seem like a difficult task. It’s important to remember that teaching politics or discussion about the latest election isn’t being political, it’s teaching politics. You never want to bring to light a candidate that could impact the students in your room in a negative way.

But with that reminder, not all politics is political.

LGBTQ+ Youth facing mental-health challenges and more 73% of LGBTQI+ students face mental health challenges according to a survey by the Trevor Project. The question for educators is how you can help these students feel supported and feel like they have a trusted adult they can turn to for help. The U.S. Department of Education created an education toolkit to help educators answer this question and much more. Below are excerpts from that toolkit to guide your thinking and conversations going forward.

Using welcoming and inclusive language in school and district mission statements and other similar communications that express a commitment to providing a safe, supportive, and nondiscriminatory 12

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Nearly three-quarters of LGBTQ+ youth report symptoms of anxiety.

More than a third say they have been physically threatened or hurt.

Survey data from the Trevor Project

Maine Educators in Orlando The Maine Education Association sent a group of educators from across the state to Florida to participate in in the NEA RA and be part of the discussion on how together, we can have an impact on our public schools and better the lives of our students. For some MEA members, this was their first time attending the NEA RA. Bobbie Thibodeau, a middle school teacher from Portland, explained how the event helped her grow as an educator.

At NEA RA, Delegates Pledge to DEFEND FREEDOM TO LEARN, PROTECT ALL Tim Walker, Senior Writer STUDENTS By: Previously Published in NEA Today, Edited by Giovanna Bechard “Right here in Florida, we will preserve and strengthen a democracy that was steeped in the power of ‘We the People,’” says NEA President.

Six thousand united and determined educators assembled in Orlando, FL in July for the 2023 National Education Association Representative Assembly (RA).

It was the first full in-person NEA Representative Assembly (RA) since 2019, and the delegates made the most of it.

Over a fast-paced and eventful four days, they took strong stands—including a pledge to protect LGBTQ+ students— rallied against book bans and censorship, debated new policies, honored their most celebrated colleagues, and listened to other inspiring speakers, including the President Joe Biden and the First Lady Jill Biden.

The atmosphere around this year’s RA was sober but also defiant. In 2022, educators and their students had just begun to recover from the pandemic before politicians, seeking again to delegitimize public education, waged an unprecedented campaign of censorship and intimidation on America's classrooms. That effort was led largely by politicians in Florida, which made it all essential to bring the fight to these destructive policies in Governor Ron DeSantis’ backyard.

Florida is “our ground zero for shameful, racist, homophobic, misogynistic,

xenophobic rhetoric and dangerous actions,” NEA President Becky Pringle said in her rousing keynote address on day one of the RA. It's not just lawmakers in Florida and in other states. The U.S. Supreme Court, with recent rulings on affirmative action and student loans, is also pulling the nation backwards, Pringle noted.

“This is the moment, with the residue of the pandemic lingering, with our psyches still fragile, that we must try to make sense of all that we have lost—and all that we have learned,” Pringle said.

“I will always remember the tearful yet defiant Florida educator who expressed the concerns of far too many, telling me, ‘I can’t teach like this. I refuse to.’”

“Unbowed and unbroken, and with a resolve that is unwavering, NEA, you are leading the work to promote, to protect, and to strengthen public education!”

NEA President Becky Pringle delivers the keynote address at the 2023 NEA Representative Assembly.

Bobbie Thibodeau (Portland EA) on the right.

“One of the highlights for me personally was working with APIC (the Asian Pacific Islander Caucus). Our caucus met during each lunch break. Through this group I connected with an educator from another state who had submitted two NBIs (New Business Items) that essentially would create pathways to address some of the current challenges faced by BIPOC educators- pathways that do not (yet) exist within our current systems and structures. I’m grateful I had the opportunity to be there, to be able to work alongside her and other educators from across our nation to successfully move those two NBIs along. I’m coming away from my first NEA RA feeling like I was able to help direct a bit of the power of our union in a direction that could create a significant positive impact on the work experiences and outcomes of BIPOC educators in every corner of our country.

There were many meaningful and inspiring parts of the NEA RA experienceawe-inspiring award ceremonies, incredible guest speakers, 90+ important NBIs to debate and vote on, but the opportunity to participate in this caucus... to be able to connect and collaborate to solve challenges that can’t be overcome alone... that was precious to me.”

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Social Media Savvy: A Guide to Posting Wisely and Professionally

E

ducators have a visible place in their communities, and lately, so many are finding themselves under the microscope for everything they say, wear, post in their classroom or online or elsewhere. There isn’t much an educator does that cannot be scrutinized by a member of the community-it's the nature of the job whether you like it or not.

The choices you make, even when well-intended, can affect your families, jobs, schools and profession. The following information is intended to help educators while they’re not working, and when social media can blur the line between work and personal life.

Be smarter than your smart phone Tip 1: Maintain good moral character online. Remember, while there are no state laws in Maine that speak to a professional code of conduct for educators, the State does have rules regarding behavior for those who work in public schools. According to the rules, following a criminal history record check, educators must “furnish evidence of good moral character when requested.” This rule would apply to your personal social media account.

Before you post anything think-will someone have a problem with this post?

It’s also critical to know what, if any, social media rules your employer (school district/college/university) may have that you must follow.

Tip 2: The internet is forever-beef up your privacy settings. Privacy settings don’t guarantee privacy, but using maximum settings may allow for your posts to remain as private as the world wide web will allow. On your 14

Maine Educator | Fall 2023

personal account, use the maximum privacy settings that block your posts from students, parents and the school community. Keep in mind that someone still could print, copy or take a screenshot of your post, which is why what you post is so critical.

Tip 3: If it’s not appropriate for schoolit's not appropriate for social media.

Remember, if a comment or photo is inappropriate in the school or classroom, it’s inappropriate on social media and could cause problems for you in your work environment, even if the post had nothing to do with work or school.

Savvy Educators Do These Things:

Monitor their online presence Photos from your college spring break or last week’s party may embarrass you today, and cause some to question your ability to do your job. If someone tagged you in a photo you don’t want online, ask that person to remove the tag and the photo. Then, change your settings to allow you to review all photos with a tag before they get posted. This gives you control

over who sees posts and photos you didn’t share.

Crank privacy settings high Never friend, follow or add students, parents and professional contacts on your personal accounts. Consider making a rule that students can’t ask to follow, friend or add you.

Never vent their frustrations online Avoid airing gripes about your job, colleagues or students. Never share protected, identifiable information like student grades, health conditions or full names.

ALWAYS REMEMBER: The internet is FOREVER. You are a public employee paid with tax dollars, what you follow, like or comment on, even on your own device, can become public business.

Follow us on social media

PERSPECTIVES

Students and "Post-pandemic" Higher Education

By Paul Johnson, Professor, University of Southern Maine

O

ver the past few years, there have been numerous articles about the impact COVID-19 has had on students and their learning losses. For example, this summer, PBS Newshour featured a segment on this issue. The report discussed how, in certain areas where schools were closed and districts turned to remote learning, there was a detrimental effect on students' learning.

While this interview focused on K-12th grade education, it also resonates in higher education. Over the past three years, a number of pandemic-related themes have been observed in the classrooms of the University of Maine System. They include the following:

1. Students are less academically ready

to attend college right after high school.

2. Students do not always have the requisite social skills to succeed in higher education.

3. Students are also less emotionally prepared.

4. Students do not necessarily view college as worth their while and thus...

5. Fewer students are attending college.

These experiences are understandable, as so many students experienced debilitating stress, uncertainty, and anxiety during the pandemic. And they know that our institutions don’t adequately support them. We must recognize this even as many of our colleagues have provided Maine students with great acts of care under impossible circumstances.

College Student Well-Being As educators in the UMaine System, it is imperative that we consider the “postpandemic” student body. How might we center the well-being of our students and our communities as we move forward?

The trauma and grief of our students –

not to mention colleagues – cannot be pushed under the rug. We cannot simply return to the “before times.” Instead, we must double down on providing the necessary resources to help students engage with their studies and colleagues and achieve sustainable mental health.

Unfortunately, there has been little strategic leadership from the UMS for democratic planning. Instead, our leaders have been intent on collapsing vital community campuses, folding programs, shrinking staff, and firing faculty members – hardly a recipe for bolstering the well-being of our students and communities. In contrast, I encourage all of us within educational enterprises, including students, teachers, faculty, staff, legislators, and the like, to demand something better. We must resist the narrative of austerity that the UMS continually uses as central to its plans. We must insist that the Maine State government adequately fund our universities. We must make well-being central to our educational endeavors.

We must insist that fields like arts and humanities – not just STEM – are vital to our humanity and to the education of the whole citizen.

One thing that the pandemic has given us is renewed energy and investment in organizing against inequality and precarious futures. We can and will seek an alternative vision of higher education in which we provide our students and ourselves with a more caring, beneficent environment to teach and learn.

Academic Readiness So, starting with academic skills. In the author's discipline, many courses students take are sequential. The knowledge and skills they learn in each course builds upon what they have already learned. In addition, students are also required to take certain classes concurrently, because

the material is relevant to each class.

Yet, in order for students to master the material they already need to know how to conceptualize and apply the material.

In other words, they need critical thinking skills.

Social Readiness Secondly, social skills. Up until 2020, I was always very impressed with how the students, seemed to be extremely supportive of one another. They appeared to be genuinely concerned with one another, they socialized together. In other words, there was a great deal of social interaction. However, now students seem very reluctant to “hang out together.”

They appear to come into class, and then promptly leave.

Emotional Readiness Thirdly, this leads to the question: Are they really emotionally ready for higher education? Going to University isn't just about getting a degree. It's about growing as an individual and becoming more self-confident and self-assured. Students are asking themselves why they should go to university. The only guarantee is that they will four years later end up in debt with large student loans. Moreover, many students and their families understand higher education as a business, where students are charged exorbitant amounts of money to obtain a degree. And there is truth to this. Undergraduate student debt has reached crippling proportions.

What's Next?

So, the question for all of us in Education is how we can change this narrative. For many of us who work in this profession, we are strong proponents of the system, and have all done well by the notion that education is the key to future economic and lifetime success. Yet, millions of students and families do not share this positive view.

The issue is not just Higher Education, but education in the state. We have to think differently. We need to get the brightest and smartest people from across the educational perspective and address the question of education over the next decade.

Paul Johnson

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Career Earnings Data As part of MEA’s continued commitment to educate its members on issues that impact their work and life, MEA staff compiled the following data regarding salaries, in particular, career earnings in Maine. Career Earnings is a strength-of-scale measure. The name is a bit of a misnomer as it does not equate to actual career earnings, which should be higher. The measure allows for an apples-to-apples comparison between scales.

The Career Earnings measure takes into account the beginning salary, the top salary, how long it takes to get from the beginning to the end, and what the Step increments and Lane increments are between the beginning and end of the scale. A 30-year “career” is used, allowing movement from the beginning to the end of most scales. Data collected is based off of current, settled contracts in the MEA database. If a district is not listed it means MEA does not have a current contract for that district.

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CAREER EARNINGS SUMMARY* BA Straight 30 Years 2022-2023 Cumul.

BA School District 30 Yrs. Max Salary Wells-Ogunquit CSD $85,418 $2,191,775 Yarmouth $82,158 $2,150,499 York $78,506 $2,075,230 Falmouth $81,780 $2,053,500 Scarborough $78,598 $2,042,293 Cape Elizabeth $79,165 $2,038,322 AOS 98 - Southport $79,857 $2,011,576 RSU 08, Vinalhaven $77,769 $1,989,384 RSU 75, Topsham $77,022 $1,983,204 Brunswick $81,239 $1,971,686 Five Town CSD $78,278 $1,964,378 RSU 28, Camden $78,278 $1,964,378 Gorham $75,526 $1,953,818 Bangor $77,016 $1,931,203 RSU 35, Eliot $73,963 $1,928,810 West Bath $79,984 $1,917,614 RSU 21, Kennebunk $78,410 $1,916,845 RSU 01, Bath $81,123 $1,915,450 RSU 88, Van Buren $75,397 $1,907,940 Flagstaff RSU, Eustis $76,900 $1,900,187 RSU 35, Eliot: Nurses $71,208 $1,890,239 Sebago $74,189 $1,885,851 Kittery $69,996 $1,884,659 RSU 51, Cumberland $71,852 $1,881,183 AOS 98 $77,004 $1,879,740 Georgetown Lincolnville $71,418 $1,879,398 RSU 05, Freeport $71,472 $1,872,023 RSU 10, Rumford $72,684 $1,864,445 AOS 93 - Great Salt $72,721 $1,861,188 Bay CSD Augusta $71,947 $1,852,878 St. George $73,826 $1,849,413 Limestone $69,800 $1,849,200 RSU 86, Fort Fairfield $69,800 $1,848,800 AOS 98 - Boothbay $75,716 $1,848,600 RSU 12, Windsor $72,219 $1,832,851 RSU 42, Mars Hill $70,176 $1,826,208 Brewer $71,459 $1,825,403 RSU 07, North Haven $69,790 $1,822,164 Portland $75,986 $1,822,145 RSU 39, Caribou $70,039 $1,817,969 RSU 14, Windham $74,514 $1,816,534 AOS 93 - Bristol $68,415 $1,814,191 Westbrook $72,204 $1,809,070 Saco $70,536 $1,807,893 RSU 13, Seacoast $71,075 $1,800,020 Sanford $71,140 $1,798,257 Biddeford $66,839 $1,797,755 Maine Educator | Fall 2023

48 49 50 50 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 85 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96

Mount Desert Island RSU 34, Old Town RSU 32, Ashland Acton AOS 90 - Baileyville AOS 95 - SAD 27, Fort Kent RSU 31, Howland Veazie Northport RSU 15, Gray RSU 56, Dixfield RSU 40, Waldoboro RSU 57, Alfred Foxcroft Academy AOS 93 - South Bristol Dayton RSU 58, Phillips Islesboro Greenville RSU 29, Houlton RSU 52, Turner Easton RSU 79, Presque Isle Appleton Vassalboro RSU 23, Old Orchard Beach RSU 82, Jackman RSU 71, Belfast Auburn RSU 09, Farmington RSU 83, Bingham RSU 22, Hampden Madawaska AOS 93 - Nobleboro RSU 60, Berwick AOS 93 - Jefferson Hope Lewiston AOS 77 - RSU 85, Lubec RSU 50, Southern Aroostook RSU 17, Paris RSU 26, Orono Washington Academy Knox Region 8 Hermon RSU 72, Fryeburg RSU 11, Gardiner RSU 06, Buxton Winslow

$72,256 $1,796,895 $72,141 $1,792,806 $66,815 $1,791,930 $69,480 $1,790,400 $68,800 $1,790,400 $68,060 $1,787,980 $67,501 $1,787,200 $73,075 $1,780,176 $67,308 $1,777,437 $71,115 $1,775,325 $68,331 $1,773,634 $72,828 $1,772,239 $69,705 $1,764,385 $68,800 $1,758,499 $67,719 $1,757,429 $67,695 $1,755,036 $68,097 $1,753,741 $67,006 $1,752,930 $68,332 $1,750,766 $70,246 $1,749,880 $67,906 $1,748,934 $67,696 $1,747,278 $68,331 $1,745,803 $63,809 $1,742,163 $70,198 $1,741,614 $65,689 $1,739,989 $68,800 $1,732,800 $67,320 $1,731,340 $64,069 $1,731,241 $66,114 $1,729,945 $64,000 $1,728,000 $70,144 $1,727,395 $62,766 $1,717,693 $62,558 $1,708,011 $67,130 $1,707,900 $66,512 $1,706,478 $67,042 $1,705,861 $65,980 $1,705,512 $62,400 $1,704,000 $62,400 $1,704,000 $65,394 $1,702,979 $73,150 $1,695,950 $62,500 $1,695,000 $67,521 $1,694,767 $66,952 $1,683,968 $65,801 $1,682,219 $66,832 $1,680,286 $68,000 $1,679,893 $75,162 $1,678,916

97 AOS 77 - Alexander 73, Jay98 RSU Livermore 99 Glenburn 100 AOS 77 - Pembroke 101 Waterville 102 RSU 78, Rangeley 103 RSU 20, Searsport 104 AOS 77 - Perry 105 RSU 44, Bethel 106 RSU 19, Newport 107 RSU 16, Poland 108 AOS 77 - Charlotte 109 AOS 77 - Eastport 110 AOS 90 - Princeton 94 - SAD 46, 111 AOS Dexter 112 Lamoine 113 East Range CSD 114 RSU 33, St. Agatha 115 RSU 49, Fairfield 116 RSU 53, Pittsfield 117 RSU 38, Maranacook 118 RSU 59, Madison 119 RSU 02, Hallowell 120 RSU 54, Skowhegan Aroostook 121 Southern Region 2 RSU 33, St. Agatha: 122 SJVTC 123 Fayette 124 RSU 87, Carmel 125 RSU 04, Sabattus 126 Waldo Region 7 127 RSU 25, Bucksport 128 RSU 03, Unity 129 RSU 18, Oakland 130 Wiscasset 68, Dover131 RSU Foxcroft 132 Ellsworth 133 RSU 24, Sullivan 134 Orrington 135 Calais Penobscot 136 Southern Region 4 137 Surry 138 RSU 37, Harrington 139 Winthrop 140 Brooksville 141 RSU 89, Patten 142 AOS 94 - Harmony 143 Cherryfield 144 Castine 145 Moosabec CSD

$60,800 $1,678,400 $65,748 $1,675,363 $67,025 $1,673,450 $60,350 $1,669,450 $71,093 $1,667,030 $63,946 $1,661,066 $63,000 $1,657,000 $59,950 $1,651,500 $66,305 $1,651,461 $69,895 $1,643,640 $65,553 $1,642,629 $59,600 $1,641,000 $57,600 $1,622,400 $58,200 $1,618,600 $70,500 $1,618,091 $61,804 $1,613,097 $59,200 $1,612,800 $63,076 $1,611,858 $69,349 $1,609,717 $64,369 $1,609,632 $67,950 $1,609,300 $61,554 $1,608,362 $64,892 $1,604,840 $69,300 $1,599,700 $55,760 $1,599,000 $62,383 $1,594,147 $61,375 $1,593,750 $60,000 $1,590,000 $60,136 $1,586,601 $57,027 $1,584,678 $62,600 $1,581,250 $60,550 $1,579,200 $70,650 $1,575,270 $73,086 $1,571,890 $65,142 $1,568,172 $60,500 $1,565,900 $60,741 $1,559,406 $58,306 $1,556,802 $60,881 $1,552,319 $60,192 $1,550,894 $59,048 $1,550,062 $61,000 $1,550,000 $59,030 $1,548,572 $55,000 $1,545,000 $65,468 $1,542,762 $60,400 $1,536,200 $59,200 $1,536,000 $53,760 $1,524,600 $55,985 $1,514,250

146 RSU 74, Anson $56,637 $1,513,706 147 RSU 80, Guilford $61,580 $1,512,910 148 Athens $58,400 $1,512,800 149 RSU 45, Washburn $59,800 $1,507,800 150 RSU 63, Holden $53,800 $1,505,200 151 Woodland $57,858 $1,504,558 152 Brooklin $54,250 $1,485,000 153 RSU 70, Hodgdon $59,675 $1,482,875 154 Sedgwick $54,400 $1,480,800 155 RSU 67, Lincoln $61,500 $1,470,000 156 Medway $54,911 $1,469,591 157 AOS 90 - SAD 30, Lee $58,900 $1,464,600 158 Hancock $54,113 $1,458,959 159 Fryeburg Academy $62,500 $1,456,500

160 East Millinocket $61,573 $1,451,958 Deer Isle-Stonington 161 CSD $52,400 $1,441,500 162 Millinocket $56,000 $1,438,500 163 Caswell $48,780 $1,427,400 96 164 AOS $52,500 $1,412,500 Machiasport 165 Blue Hill $47,356 $1,399,680 166 AOS 96 - Cutler $50,800 $1,389,000 167 RSU 84, Danforth $50,500 $1,383,750 168 Penobscot $46,800 $1,366,800 169 South Portland $72,555 $935,956 170 RSU 61, Bridgton $57,017 $524,085

SCAN HERE FOR THE MEA SALARY GUIDE

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CAREER EARNINGS SUMMARY* MA Straight 30 Years 2022-2023 Cumul.

MA School District 30 Yrs. Max Salary

Wells-Ogunquit CSD $90,084 $2,333,797 Yarmouth $89,121 $2,321,303 York $86,354 $2,282,693 AOS 98 - Southport $89,839 $2,263,020 Falmouth $88,595 $2,228,510 Cape Elizabeth $85,698 $2,219,066 Scarborough $83,137 $2,173,702 South Portland $81,091 $2,141,652 RSU 35, Eliot $81,359 $2,121,102 RSU 75, Topsham $81,522 $2,118,204 RSU 51, Cumberland $80,732 $2,113,894 Bangor $83,300 $2,088,773 Gorham $79,860 $2,083,851 Five Town CSD $82,114 $2,079,450 RSU 28, Camden $82,114 $2,079,450 RSU 35, Eliot:Nurses $78,329 $2,079,266 RSU 05, Freeport $80,861 $2,073,153 Brunswick $84,116 $2,057,996 Flagstaff RSU, Eustis $82,668 $2,042,708 RSU 01, Bath $85,311 $2,037,350 West Bath $84,114 $2,036,042 RSU 08, Vinalhaven $79,269 $2,034,384 RSU 21, Kennebunk $83,366 $2,033,312 RSU 88, Van Buren $80,471 $2,028,187 Kittery $75,995 $2,025,790 RSU 10, Rumford $78,068 $2,002,551 Brewer $77,891 $1,985,707 Lincolnville $74,918 $1,984,390 Augusta $76,973 $1,982,318 Sebago $77,121 $1,973,781 RSU 42, Mars Hill $75,267 $1,958,695 Biddeford $72,736 $1,946,186 AOS 98 $79,200 $1,945,538 Georgetown RSU 83, Bingham $71,910 $1,941,576 Portland $77,533 $1,940,291 AOS 98 - Boothbay $79,033 $1,929,592 RSU 13, Seacoast $74,475 $1,928,770 RSU 14, Windham $78,362 $1,927,626 RSU 32, Ashland $71,795 $1,925,490 RSU 12, Windsor $75,269 $1,924,351 Limestone $72,300 $1,924,200 RSU 86, Fort Fairfield $72,300 $1,924,200 St. George $76,809 $1,924,134 AOS 93 - Great Salt $74,721 $1,921,188 Bay CSD Westbrook $75,888 $1,919,625 Greenville $73,687 $1,911,438 AOS 95 - SAD 27, $72,060 $1,907,980 Fort Kent RSU 56, Dixfield $73,455 $1,906,646 RSU 07, North Haven $72,590 $1,906,160

50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61

AOS 93 - Bristol Saco RSU 39, Caribou Auburn RSU 58, Phillips Sanford AOS 90 - Baileyville RSU 15, Gray Mount Desert Island Foxcroft Academy RSU 40, Waldoboro Acton 93 - South 62 AOS Bristol 63 RSU 34, Old Town 64 RSU 57, Alfred 65 Northport 66 Islesboro 67 RSU 52, Turner 68 RSU 31, Howland 23, Old Orchard 69 RSU Beach 70 Veazie 71 RSU 09, Farmington 72 Easton 73 Appleton 74 RSU 79, Presque Isle 75 Madawaska 76 RSU 82, Jackman 77 RSU 04, Sabattus 78 AOS 93 - Jefferson 79 Dayton 80 Lewiston 81 RSU 29, Houlton 82 RSU 78, Rangeley 83 RSU 22, Hampden 84 AOS 94 - Harmony 85 Vassalboro 86 Knox Region 8 87 RSU 02, Hallowell 88 RSU 60, Berwick 89 RSU 71, Belfast 90 Hope 50, Southern 91 RSU Aroostook 92 AOS 93 - Nobleboro 93 RSU 17, Paris 94 RSU 72, Fryeburg 95 RSU 06, Buxton 96 RSU 11, Gardiner 77 - RSU 85, 97 AOS Lubec 98 Winslow 99 Lamoine 100 RSU 26, Orono 73, Jay101 RSU Livermore

$71,851 $1,905,311 $73,838 $1,904,888 $73,455 $1,900,220 $70,301 $1,899,216 $73,648 $1,896,686 $74,557 $1,895,876 $72,200 $1,892,400 $75,665 $1,887,625 $75,256 $1,886,895 $73,616 $1,881,596 $77,263 $1,880,172 $72,468 $1,879,937 $72,072 $1,869,169 $74,641 $1,867,806 $73,091 $1,865,965 $70,053 $1,859,573 $70,545 $1,859,100 $71,813 $1,849,437 $69,501 $1,847,200 $69,082 $1,841,770 $75,075 $1,840,176 $70,246 $1,838,066 $71,081 $1,834,650 $66,809 $1,832,163 $71,747 $1,832,060 $67,099 $1,830,719 $72,000 $1,828,800 $69,156 $1,824,591 $71,000 $1,821,358 $69,743 $1,821,332 $70,161 $1,812,929 $72,246 $1,809,880 $69,541 $1,806,604 $72,902 $1,804,205 $73,300 $1,801,900 $72,198 $1,801,614 $71,021 $1,800,037 $72,740 $1,798,922 $70,130 $1,797,900 $69,520 $1,797,340 $70,042 $1,796,161 $65,400 $1,794,000 $65,686 $1,793,412 $67,777 $1,774,489 $68,938 $1,774,281 $71,000 $1,769,370 $70,602 $1,766,730 $64,400 $1,764,000 $78,920 $1,762,862 $68,730 $1,760,833 $75,150 $1,755,950 $68,946 $1,755,175

102 Washington Academy

$64,500 $1,755,000

103 Athens $66,364 $1,750,920 104 Waterville $74,561 $1,748,053 105 East Range CSD $63,700 $1,747,800 106 RSU 44, Beth $69,801 $1,745,261 107 Hermon $69,093 $1,745,237 108 AOS 77 - Alexander $62,800 $1,738,400 109 RSU 19, Newport $73,045 $1,737,600 110 RSU 53, Pittsfield $68,984 $1,735,412 111 Glenburn $69,025 $1,733,450 112 RSU 33, St. Agatha $67,076 $1,731,858 AOS 94 SAD 46, 113 Dexter $74,250 $1,730,591 114 AOS 77 - Pembroke $62,350 $1,729,450 115 RSU 20, Searsport $65,250 $1,723,500 116 RSU 49, Fairfield $73,588 $1,719,169 RSU 33, St. Agatha 117 (SJVTC) $66,339 $1,712,827 118 AOS 90 - Princeton $61,000 $1,702,600 119 AOS 77 - Charlotte $61,600 $1,701,600 120 RSU 38, Maranacook $70,950 $1,699,300 121 RSU 59, Madison $64,554 $1,698,380 122 RSU 16, Poland $67,553 $1,698,062 123 AOS 77 - Perry $61,450 $1,696,500 124 RSU 54, Skowhegan $72,500 $1,695,700 125 RSU 74, Anson $68,050 $1,690,419 126 AOS 77 - Eastport $59,800 $1,688,400 127 Orrington $62,990 $1,684,995 128 RSU 03, Unity $64,050 $1,684,200 129 RSU 25, Bucksport $66,412 $1,677,547 68, Dover130 RSU $69,213 $1,666,214 Foxcroft 131 Waldo Region 7 $59,243 $1,650,837 132 Wiscasset $75,586 $1,645,890 133 Winthrop $62,526 $1,643,197 134 RSU 87, Carmel $61,700 $1,641,000 135 Ellsworth $63,000 $1,640,900 136 Fayette $62,875 $1,638,750 137 RSU 18, Oakland $72,650 $1,635,270 138 Castine $57,600 $1,633,500 139 RSU 89, Patten $68,468 $1,632,761 140 Calais $64,003 $1,632,082 Penobscot $63,819 $1,629,959 141 Southern Region 4 Aroostook $56,760 $1,629,000 142 Southern Region 2 143 Surry $62,236 $1,626,475 144 Brooksville $57,500 $1,620,000 145 RSU 24, Sullivan $63,177 $1,619,764 146 Blue Hill $56,656 $1,597,980 147 Brooklin $58,150 $1,583,000 147 RSU 37, Harrington $62,100 $1,583,000 149 RSU 80, Guilford $63,580 $1,572,740 150 Cherryfield $60,300 $1,569,000 151 RSU 45, Washburn $61,800 $1,567,800 152 RSU 63, Holden $55,800 $1,565,200 153 RSU 84, Danforth $59,919 $1,565,070 154 Hancock $57,872 $1,558,796 155 Woodland $59,458 $1,552,558 156 Moosabec CSD $57,085 $1,547,250 157 RSU 70, Hodgdon $61,775 $1,545,875 Deer Isle-Stonington 158 CSD $57,800 $1,538,100 159 Fryeburg Academy $65,500 $1,532,500 160 AOS 90 - SAD 30, Lee $60,900 $1,524,600 161 RSU 67, Lincoln $63,000 $1,515,000 162 Medway $56,111 $1,513,191 163 East Millinocket $63,573 $1,511,958 164 Sedgwick $55,400 $1,510,800 AOS 96 165 Machiasport $56,625 $1,495,625 166 Penobscot $52,400 $1,487,600 167 Caswell $50,780 $1,487,400 168 Millinocket $57,500 $1,483,500 169 AOS 96 - Cutler $53,575 $1,457,250 170 RSU 61, Bridgton $70,780 $899,491 MAINEEA.ORG 17

MEIS Portal

MEIS ACCOUNT Maine's Educator Information System (MEIS) is used for background checks, applying for new credentials, and renewing existing credentials.

Once logged in you can see your current certification (our state issues paperless certs), the status of your application, and any communication sent by the department.

RECERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS Teaching certificates are valid for 5 years; you must renew before the date your certification expires or your certificate will lapse.

Teachers are required to complete 6 semester hours (usually 2 approved college courses) or 90 contact hours. (1 CEU = 10 contact hours.

RENEWAL COST Teacher renewal = $100 Each additional endorsement = $35 Be sure to check your contract to learn about reimbursement provided by the district Standards

PROFESSIONAL RENEWAL PLAN Write your plan early.

Use the State Teaching Standards to guide your goals.

Write 2-3 goals max.

Utilize your mentor and colleagues as you finalize your plan.

Use broad language when indicating the professional development that will help you to meet your goal.

Check your district's policy for professional development. Always confirm your professional development will count toward recertification before committing.

TRACKING HOURS

Create a digital folder or physical binder to organize professional development certificates.

If you complete a college course, save copies of transcripts.

If you complete a book study or other self-study where a certificate is not issued, communicate with your district about requirements. You may have to write a reflection or submit other documentation.

At the end of each year, tally your hours and determine what you will complete the following year.

Renewal Instructions

18

SUBMITTING MATERIALS Follow district guidelines for submitting your materials.

Submit well before your certification expires - this gives you time to make adjustments if recommended.

Following approval by your district's certification committee, you will complete the renewal process on the DOE's site.

Maine Educator | Fall 2023

CUT THIS PAGE OUT AS A REFERENCE

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Renewing Your Teacher Certification

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Renewing Your Ed. Tech Certification

MEIS Portal

MEIS ACCOUNT Maine's Educator Information System (MEIS) is used for background checks, applying for new credentials, and renewing existing credentials.

Once logged in you can see your current certification (our state issues paperless certs), the status of your application, and any communication sent by the department.

RECERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS Ed. Tech Certificates are valid for 5 years; you must renew before the date your certification expires or your certificate will lapse.

Ed. Techs are required to complete 3 semester credits (usually 1 approved college course) or 45 contact hours. (1 CEU = 10 contact hours.

RENEWAL COST Ed. Tech renewal= $25 Criminal History/Background Check Renewal (CHRC) = $15

PROFESSIONAL RENEWAL PLAN Write your plan early.

Write 2-3 goals max.

Utilize your colleagues as you finalize your plan.

Use broad language when indicating the professional development that will help you to meet your goal.

Check your district's policy for professional development. Always confirm your professional development will count toward recertification before committing.

TRACKING HOURS Create a digital folder or physical binder to organize professional development certificates.

If you complete a college course, save copies of transcripts.

If you complete a book study or other self-study where a certificate is not issued, communicate with your district about requirements. You may have to write a reflection or submit other documentation.

At the end of each year, tally your hours and determine what you will complete the following year.

Renewal Instructions

SUBMITTING MATERIALS Follow district guidelines for submitting your materials.

Submit well before your certification expires - this gives you time to make adjustments if recommended.

Following approval by your district's certification committee, you will complete the renewal process on the DOE's site.

CUT THIS PAGE OUT AS A REFERENCE

MAINEEA.ORG

19

Bargaining

Round Up

Oxford Hills Increased pay, scale size reduction, reimbursement increases & more Oxford Hills Support Staff settled a contract that included an 18% pay increase for bus drivers in the first year on the job, a 17% increase for custodians in the first year, and an 8% increase for Ed Tech Is in the first year. No single member of the bargaining unit received less than a 5% raise in year one of the contract, and the average increase across all eleven salary scales was 8.36% in year one of the new contract. The new contract pay scale is now more in line with similar jobs in area school districts.

Other contract wins included condensing the salary scale from 25 years to 14 years, access to vacation time sooner, $1.00 pay differential for Ed Tech I's who are Safety Care Trained, increase in meal reimbursements for drivers, tool reimbursement for mechanics, clothing/ shoe reimbursement for custodians and more.

ble is aining ta The barg teachers edicated d e uare r e h w ators sq c u d e t n ts, ie and resil budget constrain vide t s pro off again esire to d e th d n r their ifts, a ossible fo ore than p policy sh n o ti a c edu ns are m the best egotiatio and benefits, n e s e h T . d salaries students rking an ns about io s s u c about wo pe the is s d n o ti a s ha onver at help s hieved they’re c itions th d ac n o s c in g w The . learnin ls o r o h c our s e wins fo future of rgaining table ar e r a nts. Here at the ba nd stude tories. a ff ta s r ou those vic some of With staff shortages, and Ed Techs filling in for additional work, those who now sub for teachers will receive an additional $4/ hour for the work. Sick day improvements were also realized with year-round employees now given the ability to accrue Members Jenn Winkler and Grace Marley 100 sick days. Fifty percent of days above from Coastal EA attended the 3-day 100 at the end of the school year will be Organizing Institute in Buffalo, NY where paid at $50/day. School year employees they learned how to build their local can accrue 95 sick days. Fifty percent of power through sustained organizing days above 95 at the end of the school efforts. The training provides members year will be paid at $50/day. with a greater understanding of how to use their collective voice to create Saco changes that benefit students and staff.

Members also learn about the importance Wins in length of day, evaluation & of membership, and how to better engage transfers those who are existing members while encouraging others to join.

Teachers reached a new 3-year contract that retained their health insurance coverage and provides strong increases on the salary scale. The local union has also used their power to advocate for issues relating to transfers, length of the workday and changes in their teacher evaluation system.

Contract Database Eligible Users: Local Association Presidents, Local Association Chief Negotiators, MEA Board of Directors, MEA Statewide Bargaining Committee member, MEA Staff and MEA RA Delegates.

Gains in pay sick time and sub relief

20

Maine Educator | Fall 2023

See your local contract along with other contracts from around the state!

Access to the contract database requires individual registration, verification of eligibility, and the use of a password.

MSAD 33- Frenchville and St. Agatha Support Staff

Support Staff in MSAD 33 ratified a new contract that provides food service employees with an additional $1/hour in the first year on top of the 5.5% negotiated raise on the scale. The school district initially offered a 1.5% pay scale pay raise, and the union fought back and settled on raises of 5.5%, 4.5% and 4.0% respectively for the three-year contract.

ACCESS THE MAINE CONTRACT DATABASE

RSU 5-Freeport, Durham, Pownal Growing a strong union through organizing training

SCAN ME

SCAN HERE FOR CONTRACTS

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Ink and Insights: How Teacher-Authors Inspire Students to Dream Big

“

I’m constantly talking with students about the creative process and the tools that writers use. Almost always, when I’m teaching a lesson on literary techniques or listening to students analyze the work of an author I admire, I learn—or relearn—something that benefits my own writing practice."

REBECCA TURKEWITZ 10TH GRADE ENGLISH TEACHER 22

Maine Educator | Fall 2023

“

I strive to make my classroom a place where I would’ve wanted to spend the fourth grade, and I often think about my writing in the same way: would I be bored by this chapter? Would I find this dialogue funny? Is this needlessly confusing? Would I, honestly, want to read this book?"

NICK FULLER GOOGINS 4TH GRADE TEACHER

B

y day they work as teachers. By night they’re crafting characters and stories to engage readers of all ages as published authors.

Nick Fuller Googins, a fourth grade teacher at CK Burns School in Saco, and Rebecca Turkewitz , a 10th grade English teacher at Casco Bay High School in Portland, are inspiring students to think outside of the four walls of their schools and investigate a world only they can create through writing.

Maine Educator sat down with the authors to learn more about how they incorporate their expertise as writers into their world as educators, sharing ideas on how all educators can help support their students in the classroom.

Q&A

stick with a kid, and for how long. One compliment about their writing, and suddenly a student is thinking, “Hmm, maybe I am good at this? Maybe I should keep doing it? What if I tried it this other way?”

Q: How do you approach the task of engaging reluctant readers in the classroom A: Rebecca Turkewitz I tend to teach a lot of short stories and essays, because I think students are more likely to discover something they love when they’re exposed to many different styles and genres and authors. And, when I teach longer texts, such as novels or memoirs, I try to provide students with the context they’ll need to fully understand and engage with the text.

A: Nick Fuller Googins I am constantly sharing with my students what I’m reading, and how much I love it.

I try to make my love of reading addictive, for example sharing how I stayed up too late because I couldn’t put down a book, and then I’ll go ahead and show them the book and explain the plot to them in a fun way. I try to keep this up from the first day of school (Look at this stack of books I read over the summer!) to the

last (Look at this stack I’m going to read this summer!). I also love sharing kidfriendly reading memes and fun library social media videos. Lastly, some of my best reading memories are from 4th grade, reading Superman and Batman comics with my two best friends. There is something so special about reading together with people we love; so, for reluctant readers especially, I really try to lean on social book clubs, linking kids into reading partnerships or small groups with their buddies.

Q: How has your experience as a teacher influenced your writing?

A: Rebecca Turkewitz I’m constantly talking with students about the creative process and the tools that writers use. Almost always, when I’m teaching a lesson on literary techniques or listening to students analyze the work of an author I admire, I learn—or relearn— something that benefits my own writing practice.

A: Nick Fuller Googins I strive to make my classroom a place where I would’ve wanted to spend the fourth grade, and I often think about my writing in the same way: would I be bored by this chapter?

Q: How do you encourage your students to develop their own voice in their writing? Are there specific writing exercises you can share that have been effective?

A: Nick Fuller Googins Writing is so personal, so creative, it’s hard to pinpoint what makes a “good” voice or tone. One thing I do a lot is have kids share their writing with each other, and I especially like to use strong examples of their own work as our mentor texts. But the most valuable thing I’ve learned to do is to simply build up my students’ confidence in writing. With confidence, in any artform or walk of life, we suddenly have permission to try new things, be our true selves, experiment with something “risky,” and to try again if we fail. To build confidence in my young writers, I’m generous with specific, thoughtful compliments, whether for a piece of writing, or a small decision a writer has made. I can literally trace my path as a writer back to three specific compliments given to me, so I know how far a seemingly small compliment can

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23

group, they sort and count the rejections.

This is a fun, concrete way of showing growth-mindset in action. I explain how proud I am of my rejections, and how they hurt, sure, but that I never could have written and published my first novel without all the failures along the way, and everything those sometimes-painful moments taught me. This translates into countless other areas besides writing, and I think we teachers can do this with so many different areas of our lives, showing off all the many ways that we, as human beings, mess up, get rejected, and keep on going.

Q: Do you find that your teaching experiences provide you with a unique perspective when creating characters or settings in your stories?

Would I find this dialogue funny? Is this needlessly confusing? Would I, honestly, want to read this book? I sometimes think of teaching as a performance, like each day I am getting on stage for a six-hour improv play with a captive audience of twenty-ish human beings, not all of whom want to be there, and even the most eager of whom are steadily losing focus. All teachers have this similar audience, and as we go through our days, we are trying to balance the many competing feelings, needs, interests, and visions, often adjusting (“editing”) on the fly. I like to believe that my experience in this role has given me a sort of “group empathy” that translates to my hypothetical readers. As I’m writing, or revising, I’m always asking: Okay, will the reader need a chapter break here for a little rest? Is this boring? Do they need me to really explain this plot point for them, or can I trust that they will figure out what’s happening, and feel a sense of accomplishment for putting the pieces together on their own?

Q: In what ways do you incorporate your writing into your teaching curriculum?

A: Nick Fuller Googins Mostly through my many mistakes and failures! This past spring, I took a 24

Maine Educator | Fall 2023

screenshot of a time I’d very publicly, and very embarrassingly, misspelled the title of my book. Oof. But it was great to show the kids that A) everyone makes mistakes and B) this is why we always edit our work.

I also love to share all my rejections as a writer. I have a fat manilla envelope with hundreds of rejection slips I’ve amassed over the years. Every fall I have the kids hold the envelope to estimate how many rejections Mr. Fuller earned. Then, as a

A: Nick Fuller Googins I don’t have children of my own, but I’ve taught everything from kindergarten through college, and over these years have probably spent more total hours with children than some parents. Absolutely this experience helps me bring my young characters to life on the page. In my new novel, for instance, the main character, Emi, is a fifteen-year-old girl. Could I have written Emi without all the time I’ve spent with adolescent kids? Maybe, but I doubt she would’ve felt as real.

A: Rebecca Turkewitz Teaching requires a lot of perspectivetaking and empathy, which I do think helps with developing characters.

Writing Exercise to Try ELEMENTARY LEVEL LEVELCOURTESY OF NICK FULLER GOOGINS

MEET

The Authors

THE GREAT TRANSITION

BY: NICK FULLER GOOGINS

One writing exercise I enjoy is for Halloween, courtesy of “826,” a California-based youth-writing program: first the class brainstorms goals that would be almost impossible for a zombie to achieve (win a marathon, learn to swim, bike to a friend’s house, etc). Then students write a short story from the perspective of a child zombie who wants, more than anything in life, to do exactly one of these things. It’s a fun way of teaching how desire and struggle play into narrative writing.

Nick Fuller Googins is the author of the novel, The Great Transition (Atria Books).

His short fiction and essays have appeared in The Paris Review, Men’s Health, The Sun, The Los Angeles Times, and elsewhere.

HERE IN THE NIGHT

MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL LEVELCOURTESY OF REBECCA TURKEWITZ

BY: REBECCA TURKEWITZ

Rebecca Turkewitz teaches 10th grade English at Casco Bay High School in Portland.

Her debut collection of stories, Here in the Night, was published by Black Lawrence Press this July. Her fiction and humor writing have appeared in Chicago Quarterly Review, Best Microfiction 2023, The Normal School, The Masters Review, Electric Literature, The New Yorker’s Daily Shouts, and elsewhere.

Helping students find their own writing voices is one of the great joys of teaching English. One exercise I love is letting students browse the website 100 Word Stories, and then write their own 100 word story or memoir. Because these stories are so short, every single word matters. Students need to be really intentional and often wind up taking some interesting creative risks.

PUBLISHED AUTHORS Encouraging his students to be authors, Nick held a reading and book signing with his students, who also “published” their own works and shared their stories at the local library.

The student authors, along with their teacher, sat for a question-and-answer period after sharing their books with the crowd.

Photo Courtesy: McArthur Library Facebook Page

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Cook's C O R N E R

Maximizing Student Outcomes Through Participation in IEP and 504 Meetings

Save the

Date

By Mallory Cook and Anna Anthony Because we attend so many IEP and 504 meetings a year, it is easy to forget just how important these gatherings are to students’ academic success. Remember, most teams only meet once per year to discuss a student’s plan-a plan that will follow a student for his/her academic career. Your preparation, participation, and follow-through are incredibly important to the child.

BEFORE THE MEETING

d Review the student’s IEP or 504 d Reflect on the impact of the accommodations d Are they working? d Is the student using them? d What’s missing? d List the student’s strengths d If you’ve identified challenges, be sure to come prepared with interventions you’ve implemented and their impact on the student d Prepare relevant student work samples or data to support your claims d Record the student’s current grade or progress toward relevant standards d If you’ve determined the need to modify existing accommodations or to add new accommodations, have a list prepared

DURING THE MEETING d Report out on the student’s strengths first d Share the impact of the present accommodations as related to classwork, achievement on assessments, behavior, etc. d Share challenges and interventions that have been implemented d Share any relevant data d Propose new accommodations or modifications to existing accommodations d Ask questions of the parents, the special education professionals, the student, and other teachers in the room d Avoid negativity - realize that though a student may appear disengaged, this could be a manifestation of the disability. Before going there, think, “What measures have I taken to ensure the student’s needs have been met?” d End on a positive note

2

King DEC Middle School Portland

Join us at "Winter EdVenture," an enriching conference designed exclusively for MEA members! Delve into a wide range of sessions that promise to enhance your professional journey. From "Mentoring for Retention" to "Leaders for Just Schools," we're covering the essential topics you need to excel in your role.

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AFTER THE MEETING d Implement any new accommodations that were brought up in the meeting d Expect to find an updated document listing any changes d File the new document and discard the old one d Continue to monitor the student’s progress d Contact the case manager or parents/guardians with any concerns or strengths that emerge after the team’s convening 26

Maine Educator | Fall 2023

Mallory Cook Director of Training & Early Educator Engagement mcook@maineea.org

Why I MEA's Summer Conference The networking, the resources, the authentic presentations, the people-MEA members remind us why the latest MEA event was worth the time, and why you shouldn't miss the next event in the winter!

The Maine Education Association hosted its annul professional development conference to prepare educators for the new school year. Whether it was training about understanding the contract, understanding how to help ELL students, diversity equity and inclusion support, or trivia night fun, members walked away rejuvenated with tangible lessons learned to help them in their work and within their union.

“I really enjoyed getting to know and learning from fellow teachers from all over the state, which is an unusual opportunity made possible by our union.”

“I was energized and inspired by the work done so far with microcredentials, and the support of not only our professional development but establishing a currency for career development.”

“Improving school culture is an important issue that all schools are dealing with.

It was nice to be able to share thoughts about how to create more positivity in our workplaces, increase connections with staff and students and improve our working environment.”

“Great real-life authentic presentation! It was really helpful to talk with educators who had actually taken action on important issues.”

“The handouts with examples were a great tool to really help me/us understand modifications [for MLL students} and having us practice what types of modification we would set our student(s) up with to be most successful everyday.”

ext our n k s s i m c Don' t ence! Che r confe ge 26 for a out p info! more

"I hadn't considered the MEA as a resource for training before - I won't make that mistake going forward."

“The session on communication in my union was the best of all sessions I attended!! I will type up my notes into a step-by-step strategy plan for action to be implemented during our next contract negotiations, if needed. This session fully prepared me to advocate for the action steps presented. I also will present ideas to our Local about ways members can help the Local’s work so that we are a more widely participating group working in union.”

“This was one of the better equity PD sessions I've attended. The presenter and content were low-barrier and compassionate, and it did not feel contentious or uncomfortable.”

MAINEEA.ORG

27

Pre-Retirement Seminars 2023-24 All meetings are held through Zoom, beginning at 5:00 P.M. until 6:15 P.M. on two consecutive evenings. Questions are posed in the chat room and submitted to each presenter for a response during each presentation. Generic questions are encouraged and individual situations can be addressed through email or phone calls to the respective presenters.

SPRING SEMINARS Session

Date

Presenters

3

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

MEA Benefits Trust & WEP/GPO

3

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

MEA-Retired & MainePERS

4

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

MEA Benefits Trust & WEP/GPO

4

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

MEA-Retired & MainePERS

5

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

MEA Benefits Trust & WEP/GPO

5

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

MEA-Retired & MainePERS

6

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

MEA Benefits Trust & WEP/GPO

6

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

MEA-Retired & MainePERS

Earn Your Master’s in Education The University of Maine’s College of Education and Human Development offers five flexible online master’s programs: • Curriculum, Assessment and Instruction • Educational Leadership • Teaching – Secondary Education (Blended) • Instructional Technology • Special Education Apply now for the spring semester!

Contact an advisor today to get started.

207.581.5858 • umaineonline@maine.edu online.umaine.edu/degrees/online-masters-programs-in-education The University of Maine is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution. | umaine.edu/clery

Educators get an advantage with Horace Mann auto insurance!

Horace Mann auto insurance offers preferred premiums and special features and benefits — for educators and association members.

With the Horace Mann Educator Advantage®, you’ll get: • No deductible for covered vandalism losses on or near school property or while at a school-sponsored event.

• A replacement car if your new car is declared a “total loss.”

• Up to $1,000 for veterinary bills or related expenses if your pet is injured or dies as a result of a covered accident.

• Liability coverage if you transport students in a vehicle we insure.

Also, MEA members may qualify for even better premiums.

Contact your Horace Mann representative to learn more, or visit horacemann.com.

Horace Mann Insurance Company and its affiliates underwrite Horace Mann auto insurance. The benefits and discounts listed: are only general descriptions of coverage; do not constitute a statement of contract; are subject to terms, limits and conditions of the policy contract; and may vary by state.

CM-V41305 (4-22)

28

Maine Educator | Fall 2023

Empowering Student Voice:

Fostering Active Participation in the Classroom

A

sense of ownership in the classroom is key for students to participate and engage in the learning process. By valuing and incorporating students’ ideas, perspectives, and opinions you are closer to having a room full of students who not only aren’t afraid to speak up but who actively want to participate.

Creating this sense of agency for students will improve classroom dynamics and also provide them with a life skill they’ll need and use well after they leave your classroom.

BEYOND LISTENING Understanding student voice is deeper than just listening to a student, it involves acknowledging their diverse thoughts and ideas and incorporating them into your teaching, learning, and lesson plans. When students believe they're represented in the curriculum, they are more likely to actively engage in discussions, express their opinions, and be an active participant in their own learning.

STRATEGIES FOR INTEGRATING STUDENT VOICE • Open Dialogue

Create an environment where all students feel comfortable sharing.

Remind students throughout the year

their voices are valued, and their input is encouraged in all conversations.

• Brainstorming Time

Creating time for regular brainstorming sessions where students can suggest projects or activities for the class helps promote collaboration, trust, respect, and a sense of classroom community which will help with overall participation.

• Student-Led Discussions

As an educator, take a step back and be the facilitator, allowing students to lead discussions on issues they care about. Students will be more inclined to share when they feel they have buy-in. This method also allows the student to step into the leadership role, which is a double win for their education.

• Promote Choice

Offer opportunities for students to choose projects/assignments aligned with their interests. This can motivate students to be more invested in their learning.

they are more inclined to follow through and listen.

• Feedback

Create ways for students to provide regular feedback on how they feel in the classroom, their thoughts on the classroom dynamics, and anything else you see fit. Ask for suggestions and implement the ones you believe will be helpful to improve teaching and learning.

• Digital Tools

Meet students where they’re at and use digital tools like online discussion boards or polling apps to get input on lessons. This method also allows the quieter students' ideas to be heard.

Thinking of the learning process as a team effort where you are the coach will help you remember that the goal of the process is not to give up control, but to create a collaborative learning environment where all students have an opportunity to feel like the MVP.

• Collaborative Decision-Making

Involve students in decisions about things like classroom rules and routines. When students feel like they had a hand in creating something

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29

Books

For the New Year ELEMENTARY

CONTENDERS: TWO NATIVE BASEBALL PLAYERS, ONE WORLD SERIES

MIDDLE GRADE

INDIGENOUS INGENUITY: A CELEBRATION OF TRADITIONAL NORTH AMERICAN KNOWLEDGE

BY: TRACI SORELL

BY: DEIDRE HAVRELOCK & EDWARD KAY

The true story of the resilience of John Meyers and Charles Bender, who did what they loved in the face of injustice, and in 1911 became the first two Native American pro baseball players to face off in a World Series.

Simple science experiments for kids are sprinkled throughout this celebration of the countless scientific discoveries and technological inventions from Indigenous North Americans.

YOUNG ADULT

MAN MADE MONSTERS

BY: AMY S. KING

This collection of hauntingly illustrated horror stories follows one extended Cherokee family and the supernatural and manmade atrocities each generation encounters.

30

Maine Educator | Fall 2023

SCAN HERE TO SEE ADDITIONAL NEA RECOMMENDED BOOKS

SCAN ME

Editor's Note | Fall 2023 Giovann a Bech ard

Through the Cracked Windshield I now have a high school freshman and a middle school student.

First Day of School Pictures

I also now have a LOT of white hair.

When I started this job at the MEA my youngest was 12 weeks old, in diapers, and barely moving. Fast forward a few years, and I’m writing this same editor’s note talking about that drooling baby going off to kindergarten and how I sobbed.

truly believe my kids “got this.” They are ready. They will both figure out how to manage these new challenges, just like my husband and I will work towards dealing calmly with the rapidly changing curves these kids throw at us.

Now, here we are 11 years later-one kid will soon drive and the other is begging for a cell phone (which we refuse to give him).

Each school year always seems to bring something new for students, staff, families, guardians—the whole community changes with each new year.

You never know what’s coming your way when those new students step onto the bus, into the lunchroom, and into your classrooms and lecture halls. There are always challenges. Behavior issues.

Classroom management struggles. But there is also so much hope. Hope that the kid who can’t ever seem to find socks in the morning can figure out how to solve a complex math problem because he has a great teacher supporting him along the way. Hope that the child who is still afraid of being alone upstairs in his house will navigate the peer pressures of middle school because he’s not alone-he has an advisor whom he can trust and go to for help. Hope that no matter how many baseballs get hit into the windshield, there is always someone-including your union-who can fix the cracks and help you move on.

The emotions for this new chapter are similar, yet somehow very different.

I’m different. My kids are different. My oldest is the smartest, bone-headed decision-making kid I know. He is bi-lingual thanks to his public school Spanish Immersion program, yet not smart enough to realize he shouldn’t hit a baseball towards my new car because he may crack the windshield-yeah that happened week one of having the vehicle.

It’s the only new car I've ever had... don’t get me started. Anyway....

These are the things, as a parent, I fully admit to not being prepared for. I had no idea what having a teenage boy would be like. I grew up with a single mom and a sister who is one year older than I amboys, their smell, and all that comes with them is something I'm learning as I go, and just winging it.

So, when both boys left for school this year, I wasn’t quite sure how I would react.

I didn’t shed a tear when my six-foot tall 14-year-old went to high school. A little water welled up in my eyes, but nothing fell down my face. In addition to the familiar feeling of: “I can’t believe how quickly this is happening,” there was also the feeling of accomplishment because I

Here’s to another great year, cracks and all-because it’s through the imperfections that we learn and grow. As for my kid-he'll be swinging for the fences towards the woods from now on. Good luck this year, and remember MEA is here for you.

Johnny first day of kindergarten and high school.

Louis first day of kindergarten and middle school.

Giovanna Bechard Director of Communications & Editor editor@maineea.org MAINEEA.ORG

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