Pending Guidance for Decision Making
Greetings fearless leaders of education!
As we all continue to navigate the ever-changing waters of this pandemic storm, the Department of Education continues to ensure you have the most updated guidance and support in order to make decisions for your school communities. There is no precedent, and therefore no stars by which we can plot this journey.
As the Governor’s plan to restart the economy of Maine was laid out last week, questions on if, and how, these stages impact our school classrooms, traditions, and plans were immediately being asked by our DOE team and by the administrators, educators, parents and students of Maine. We have convened a cadre of twenty school nurses to work with DOE School Nurse Consultant Emily Poland to develop scientifically-based, school-specific guidelines, which will then be reviewed by our partner state agencies, and shared swiftly with our education community.
In recognition of the deadlines by which critical decisions need to be made, the group has prioritized the guidance topics in the following order:
1. Graduation/step up events
2. Summer programming
3. Start of School Year 2020-2021
This amazing group of professionals is working quickly and thoroughly, and while we do not have answers at this time, we vow to provide the most updated guidance as it becomes available.
Thank you for your continued, steadfast leadership and efforts on behalf of Maine children and their families. We continue to be in awe of the collaborative and innovative spirit of our colleagues, and cannot imagine better stewards with whom to work.
Warmly,
Pender