me arts ed

Educator workforce in Maine

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) and Educate Maine have partnered to develop the Teach Maine Center to support and advance a vibrant educator workforce in Maine that enables all students to thrive.

The Teach Maine Center will engage, empower, and unite educators across the state to incubate and develop strategies, supports, and professional learning connected to the Teach Maine Plan.

It is encouraging to learn that the Maine DOE and Educate Maine are taking action to face the teacher shortage problem in Maine. This is a critical time since educators and schools are faced with increased student and community needs.   

“Maine is a place that values and respects our educators and we are turbocharging that with the Teach Maine Center. The vision is to create a hub by teachers and for teachers that allows them to collaborate, innovate, and lead our profession and public education forward in Maine,” said Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin.  

“We are excited to announce this groundbreaking partnership with the Maine Department of Education to create the Teach Maine Center.  This partnership represents our shared commitment to strengthen, grow and diversify Maine’s educator workforce.  We look forward to this important work and the positive impact it will have on students, teachers, the teaching profession, and the future of education in Maine,” said Educate Maine Executive Director Jason Judd. 

Through December 2024, partners will identify and meet with stakeholders around teacher workforce issues, conduct 16 in-person and virtual county-level forums with educators to get input on teacher recruitment and retention, complete a landscape analysis of the educator workforce, solicit statewide educator input on ongoing professional development needs, and launch a marketing campaign focused on encouraging people to join Maine’s educator workforce. In collaboration with key education organizations and the Maine DOE, Educate Maine will assemble an advisory committee to provide input throughout the initial phases of the Center.

This information is taken from a more comprehensive pieces found on the ‘news page’ on the Educate Maine website at THIS LINK.