REORGANIZATION EDUCATION PLANNING TEAM SERVICES
The purpose of the Reorganization Education Planning Team is to assist new RSUs and AOSs with their education planning in order to create high performing learning places for ALL students.
The Challenge:
School boards, superintendents, other district leaders and staff have the opportunity to create a unified culture of high expectations for student learning in new RSUs and AOSs. Creating that high performing new district will be a complex challenge. Every new RSU or AOS will be in a somewhat different place with different needs. But developing a common purpose around student learning and finding ways to bring people together to build on the best from the individual SAUs will be critical work.
Support Offered:
A group of facilitators is being brought together to provide support to school systems undergoing reorganization in order to support the education planning. The facilitators will be people who have the knowledge and skills, along with the tools and processes to help RSUs or AOSs do that important planning work well.
Facilitation Services:
RSUs and AOSs will be invited to choose a facilitator to work with them from a list of eligible facilitators supported by the DOE. The facilitators will be paid by the State DOE for a period of up to 18 months. Use of these facilitators is totally voluntary. Mary Jane McCalmon will lead this team, and will be the contact person for those interested in engaging a facilitator. You can reach her by emailing Tina Mann at the DOE (tina.mann@maine.gov) or email Mary Jane directly at mjmccalmon@gmail.com.
Small Planning Grants:
Small planning grants of $5,000 will also be available to the new RSUs and AOSs who access the facilitators’ assistance. That money is intended to support the districts’ education planning as well. Any work associated with bringing people and education programs together can be supported with these funds. The application for these services and funds will be simple and non-competitive. Any new RSU or AOS that engages a facilitator qualifies. Cross-RSU gatherings to foster collaboration, and advance quality education planning will also be offered over time.
Reorganization Team Education Planning
Possible Areas of Work where Facilitation Services could be helpful:
- Direction setting for the school/district – mission/vision/ including engagement of community & staff in process
- Strategic planning processes – assessing current reality vs. organizational purpose/direction, goal Setting, with action strategies, etc., to move toward a district mission/vision, action research
- Developing a professional culture of high expectations for all
- Professional development planning
- Team building - procedures/protocols
- Curriculum mapping, alignment of curriculum to Maine’s system of learning results
- Alignment of assessments to Maine’s system of learning results
- Identification & evaluation of aligned, effective instructional practices and programs
- Alignment of grading/reporting to standards-based practice
- Effective use of student learning results & other data to assess programs and practices
- Comparison of existing graduation standards, & planning for alignment of graduation standards to state expectations
- Processes to examine options for time to do quality planning for staff
- Developing effective use of technology in instructional practices
- Assistance in coordinating board/superintendent team leadership development and administrative team leadership
- Task support (mission development, systems analysis, goal setting, objectives, measures of accountability, community engagement, etc.)
- Relationship support (team norms, team purpose & role clarity, meeting management practices, working with conflict)
- Assist RSUs and AOSs in becoming familiar with DOE initiatives, program directions and resources.
- Act as brokers, connecting districts with a variety of resources to support their education planning work.
