Title 20-A, Title 20-A

Notwithstanding the term of a conditional or professional certificate under this chapter, upon the request of a school administrative unit, the commissioner shall grant an extension on an individual's conditional or professional certificate if the individual uses family medical l…

1. Conditional certificate. The commissioner may issue a conditional certificate to: A. An individual who has not met all of the requirements for a certificate as set forth in section 13013, 13019‑I, 13019‑G or 13022. [PL 2017, c. 235, §11 (NEW); PL 2017, c. 235, §41 (AFF).] B. A…

Upon the identification of an educator staffing shortage in the State, the commissioner may issue emergency certificates to teachers, specialists and administrators in accordance with this section. The commissioner shall issue an emergency teacher certificate or reciprocal profes…

1. Definition. A professional teacher certificate is a renewable certificate issued to an individual who has met the qualifications of this section. 2. Qualifications. 2-A. Qualifications. 2-B. Qualifications. State board rules governing the qualifications for a professional teac…

1. Department of Education salary supplement. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the Department of Education shall provide a public school teacher, a teacher in a publicly supported secondary school or a teacher employed by an education service center as author…

1. Purpose. The purpose of a peer support and mentoring system is to: A. Provide strong support services and mentoring programs that are sustained, intensive and classroom-focused in order to have a positive and lasting effect on classroom instruction and develop good teaching an…

1. Clearance. A teacher from a country other than the United States who is participating in a visiting teacher program established and administered by the department, a locally established sister-school exchange or a locally established language immersion program may teach in a s…

1. Requirement. An educational specialist certificate is required for employment as an educational specialist at a public school or a private school approved for attendance purposes pursuant to section 2901, subsection 2, paragraph B. 2. Qualifications. The state board shall adop…

1. Requirement. An educational technician certificate is required for employment as an educational technician at a public school or a private school approved for attendance purposes pursuant to section 2901, subsection 2, paragraph B, if the employed individual will: A. Introduce…

1. Requirement. An administrator's certificate is required for employment as an administrator at a school administrative unit in the State, at a public school or at a private school approved for attendance purposes pursuant to section 2901, subsection 2, paragraph B. 2. Qualifica…

1. General. The state board's rules adopted under this chapter shall specify the procedure to be followed by the commissioner in seeking the revocation or suspension of a certificate in the District Court and shall authorize the commissioner to enter into a consent agreement with…

1. Definitions. For purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "School psychologist" means a professional certified by the department as a school psychologist who provides school psychological services con…

1. Clearance. A person paid to work in a school in a position that does not require certification must be issued a clearance by the department. This section applies to: A. Personnel employed in a public school or an approved private school as regular or substitute employees; [PL …

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. [PL 2019, c. 403, §1 (RP).] B. "Covered investigation" means an investigation by a school entity into the conduct of a holder of a credential that …

1. List of school administrative unit employees. Beginning January 1, 2019, and quarterly thereafter, a school administrative unit shall submit to the department a list of the names of all employees subject to certification, approval or authorization and indicate for each person …

The Legislature declares that the purpose of this chapter is to establish standardized qualifying examinations for those persons seeking professional teacher certificates to teach in the State.

A professional teacher certificate may be issued to those applicants who have taken and passed the teacher qualifying examination. [PL 2021, c. 228, §11 (AMD).] 1. Communication skills. 2. General knowledge. 3. Professional knowledge. 4. Basic skills. The applicant is responsible…

1. Board established. There is established the Professional Standards Board, referred to in this chapter as "the board," to advise the state board regarding professional growth, certification, endorsement, authorization and governance of the education profession in this State. Th…

The board shall develop an annual work plan in consultation with the commissioner and the state board that includes ongoing work and new issues for study. The annual work plan must be set by September 1st of each year. [PL 2005, c. 457, Pt. GG, §1 (NEW).] The board shall submit a…

The state board shall act on standards definitions or other recommendations within 60 days of presentation to the state board by the board.

The state board may adopt rules to implement this chapter. Rules adopted pursuant to this chapter are routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2‑A.

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 2019, c. 70, §5 (NEW).] 1. Collaborative agreement. "Collaborative agreement" means an agreement for shared staff or staff training, including collaborative progr…

Beginning July 1, 2020, a regional school leadership academy may be established under a collaborative agreement. [PL 2019, c. 70, §5 (NEW).] 1. Regional school leadership academy mission. The mission of an academy is to enhance the quality of the preservice and in‑service staff t…

A regional school leadership academy shall provide to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education matters an annual report that includes information regarding the regional school leadership academy, including the name and location of the aca…

1. Nomination; forfeiture. The superintendent shall nominate all teachers, subject to such regulations governing salaries and the qualifications of teachers as the school board makes. Upon the approval of nominations by the school board, the superintendent may employ teachers so …

A school board, after investigation, due notice of hearing and hearing thereon, shall dismiss any teacher, although having the requisite certificate, who proves unfit to teach or whose services the board deems unprofitable to the school; and give to that teacher a certificate of …

For the purposes of this chapter, "principal" means any person certified as a principal in accordance with chapter 501 or 502 who is employed as a supervising principal for more than 50% of the time in any public elementary or secondary school in the State.

1. Employment of principals. The superintendent shall nominate principals for employment, subject to regulations established by the school board governing salaries and qualifications and the requirements of section 1001, subsection 13. If the school board approves the nomination,…

1. Notice. A school board shall provide notice of the renewal or nonrenewal of a principal's employment contract as follows. A. Notwithstanding any contract provision to the contrary and no later than March 1st of the year the contract expires, the school board shall notify a pri…

In accordance with this section, a school board may dismiss a principal before the expiration of the contract term. [PL 1991, c. 556, §1 (NEW); PL 1991, c. 556, §2 (AFF).] 1. Requirements. The principal may be dismissed only: A. After consideration of a recommendation of the supe…

The right to terminate a contract, after due notice of 90 days, is reserved to the school board when changes in local conditions warrant the elimination of the principal's position for which the contract was made.

In assigning salaries to teachers of public schools, discrimination may not be made between male and female teachers with the same training and experience employed in the same grade or performing the same kinds of duties.

1. Minimum salary schedule. 2. Increase. 3. Substitute teachers. Substitute teachers must be compensated at the rate of not less than $30 for each day of service. Any substitute teacher under contract with the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Gove…

Each school administrative unit shall establish a minimum salary of $30,000 for certified teachers for the school year starting after June 30, 2007 and before July 1, 2020.

Each school administrative unit shall establish a minimum salary for certified teachers and career and technical education teachers as follows: [PL 2021, c. 441, §1 (AMD).] 1. School year 2020-2021. For the school year starting after June 30, 2020, the minimum salary is $35,000; …

Group accident and sickness or health insurance must be available to retired and certain inactive teachers as defined in Title 5, section 17001, subsection 42, subject to the following. [PL 1997, c. 652, §3 (AMD); PL 1997, c. 652, §4 (AFF).] 1. Access to a group plan. The group a…

1. Minimum annual sick leave. A school administrative unit shall grant all certified teachers, except substitute teachers as defined by the commissioner, a minimum annual sick leave of 10 school days, cumulative to a minimum of 90 school days, without loss of salary. 2. Transferr…

A school administrative unit shall grant a certified teacher, except a substitute teacher as defined by the commissioner, leave of absence without pay and without forfeiture of continuing contract status and other accumulated benefits to fulfill the duties of a Legislator, provid…

Teachers who are members of the National Guard or the Reserves of the United States Armed Forces are entitled to take a military leave of absence from their respective duties, without loss of pay or time when engaged in military training not to exceed 17 calendar days in any cale…

1. Leaves of absence granted by school board. To increase the efficiency of the public schools and to permit teachers, principals or other persons to pursue a further course of study or to travel to be better qualified by education and culture for the position they hold in the sc…

A school administrative unit shall grant up to 15 paid leave days to a public school employee affected by the illness caused by infection with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, referred to in this section as “COVID-19,” in accordance with the following. [PL 2021, c. 614, §1 (AMD).] 1. …

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 2011, c. 635, Pt. A, §3 (NEW).] 1. Educator. "Educator" means a teacher or a principal. 2. Effectiveness rating. "Effectiveness rating" means the level of effecti…

Each school administrative unit shall develop and implement a performance evaluation and professional growth system for educators. The system must meet the criteria set forth in this chapter and rules adopted pursuant to this chapter and must be approved by the department.

1. Use of effectiveness rating. A superintendent may use effectiveness ratings of educators to inform strategic human capital decision making, including, but not limited to, decision making regarding recruitment, selection, induction, mentoring, professional development, compensa…

A performance evaluation and professional growth system consists of the following elements: [PL 2011, c. 635, Pt. A, §3 (NEW).] 1. Standards of professional practice. Standards of professional practice by which the performance of educators must be evaluated. A. The department sha…

The requirements of this chapter apply to all school administrative units beginning in the 2017-2018 school year. In the 2014-2015 school year, each unit shall develop a system that meets the standards of this chapter, in collaboration with teachers, principals, administrators, s…