Common Sense Needed: Teacher Certification in Maine

[mainegrl2011]

Originally Posted by catz&dogz

How much does a SPED / STEM teacher make?

I think I am correct in saying that it doesn't matter if you are a SPED or a STEM teacher, the public school salaries aren't based on what you teach. Ultimately public school salaries depend alot on the property taxes (real estate taxation) of the school district as well as years of teaching experience. Some pay scales top out at 15 years' experience. Some have pay increments for bachelors plus 15 maybe masters, maybe masters plus 15, maybe not. The pay scales and incremental pay raises aren't uniform throughout the state, it's determined locally except for the starting pay for a first-year teacher.

[mainegrl2011]

Originally Posted by ansirtech

What a timely article. My wife and I have been planning a move to Maine from the Northern Virginia area. We didn't want to move until she obtained her teaching license in Maine. She has over a decade experience teaching middle school math with multiple endorsements, not to mention a Masters plus 30. Its been six months and she is no closer to obtaining a Maine teaching license now than when she started. The Maine Department of Education Teacher Certification group may be hampered by the rules in place however they could not be more unresponsive. Did I mention she was willing to teach there despite a 50% reduction in salary from her current position. It's as if there is a unpublished mandate to block experienced, qualified candidates.

It took six weeks for her to get a full teaching license (with all endorsements) in Vermont.

I just don't see the logic of the Maine DOE deliberately crippling their education system with the current rules in place.

Anyway, Thank you Kiwiluver for your response to the original post. I just joined this forum and showed my wife your response so she knew she was not alone in giving up trying to navigate Maine's teaching certification circus.

The fact that she is a math teacher is in her favor because there is a shortage. For that 50% reduction in salary, she has the pleasure of living in Maine. It really pays to research several school districts because pay can vary greatly from one to another. This school might be interested in her and her credentials. https://www.mssm.org/

[mainegrl2011]

In fairness to Maine DOE certification office and process, I am posting an important initial credentialing link. The link below explains initial credentialing. All of the information is important including the need for fingerprinting. There is info (links) over on the right side for creating an account and checking the status of your application. This is referred to as the portal or MEIS. You need to create an account in order to check the status of your application and you must use either the Chrome browser or on an Apple computer, you must use the Safari browser. The Firefox browser will not work. Teaching certificates/licenses are no longer mailed out via the U.S. Postal Service.

https://www.maine.gov/doe/cert/initial