AUGUSTA, Maine — The second annual Maine Educator Summit with the Maine Department of Education began Monday, Aug. 7, amid an ongoing problem in Maine: a shortage of teachers.
Maine DOE organizers said about 600 people were expected to attend the four-day summit this year. That's more than double the number of teachers who came to the inaugural summit in 2022. Janette Kirk, the chief of federal programs with the Maine DOE, said there are 142 sessions happening throughout the week, and the people attending are from a wide range of backgrounds.
"Education takes a village," Kirk said. "No one person can do everything. It’s huge and really important that we have the support of our school resource officers. We have school counselors here. We have educators, special education educators."
Kirk said the Maine Educator Summit initially began after the Maine DOE heard from educators statewide about a desire to come together and learn from one another. As a result, the sessions taking place over the next few days include everything from social and emotional learning to school safety to project-based learning to interdisciplinary education.
"We have folks coming from as far north as Aroostook [County] and as far south as Kittery," Kirk said, noting the Maine DOE has used federal funds to pay for travel accommodations.
The excitement of the new school year is accompanied by an ongoing problem, though: a teacher shortage in the state. Maine DOE's acting director of higher education and educator support services Michael Perry said schools statewide are looking for educators.
"Right now, we’re looking at wanting to encourage folks to come into Maine and to seek certification in Maine—and also [encourage] folks that are here to seek certification in all subject areas," Perry said.
Perry said subjects like bilingual education, math, science, and world languages almost always need teachers. In Maine, areas like early elementary school, elementary school, and English as a second language are also hurting. Perry said it's an issue in rural and urban communities.
"The larger areas of Maine—we think of them as having a really healthy stock of educators, but they also have unique needs," Perry said. "We hear from Lewiston schools that they’re really looking for English-as-a-second-language educators."
A new partnership between the Maine DOE and nonprofit Live and Work in Maine is providing some hope. The nonprofit was at the summit on Monday, interviewing teachers who were attending to eventually share their positive stories as a marketing campaign.
"Maine employers need a quality workforce. We need quality pools of talent to sustain our economic growth," Nate Wildes, the executive director of Live and Work in Maine said. "Our job is to tell the stories that are happening in Maine [and] to get that in front of prospective teachers who might want to be here, as well."
Wildes said he's hoping those videos and written excerpts will start going out by late August or early September. He said along with attracting potential teachers to Maine, they also want to attract new families.
"Our public education system is really strong. It’s well-known for its quality. It’s well-known for its ability to attract and retain teachers. What we’re trying to do is ensure that the pipeline of teacher talent is here for decades to come," Wildes said.
Teachers like Miranda Engstrom, a literacy specialist at Lamoine Consolidated School and also the 2024 Hancock County Teacher of the Year, said she wants to relay a message of positivity about education in Maine.
"I cannot imagine doing anything else," Engstrom said. "I need the kids just as much as they need me, and we build and grow and create and learn together."
The Maine DOE is hosting a recruitment event on Thursday at the Augusta Civic Center from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. for anyone interested in entering the education field. It's free to attend.