MALI Becomes MAEPL

Teacher Network Rebrands its Commitment to Arts Education

The Teacher Leader network known as MALI, or Maine Arts Leadership Initiative, has taken on the new mantle of MAEPL, Maine Arts Education Partners in Leadership, with the revised mission to “develop and promote high quality arts education for all.” Leaders of MAEPL say the new name and mission statement better encapsulates what this community of arts educators has been and will continue to be. The process evolved as a result of bringing in new staff and expanding the organization’s leadership structure. Jake Sturtevant, music educator at Falmouth High School, longtime MALI member and Chair of the MAEPL Vision Team, said, “We are still committed to partnering with each other to be resilient, compassionate, and curious Teacher Leaders for our students and in our communities.”

2014 Summer MALI Institute

MALI, now MAEPL, a program of the Maine Arts Commission, is a unique teacher leader development program specifically for preK-12 visual and performing arts (VPA) educators from across the state, one of the very few in the country.  Led by active educators, they focus on the emerging needs of the field.  Components of the year-long program for both classroom teachers and teaching artists in all arts disciplines include community-building, an annual Individualized Professional Development Plan, structured mutual accountability, and leadership development. Over 120 Maine VPA teachers, as well as teaching artists, have participated in the last ten years.  

Even before the pandemic, teachers of the arts often felt isolated.  School district-level trainings are often geared towards general or “core” subject teachers.  “I’m only one of two in my district teaching elementary music.  We are in our little islands, far from anyone else doing what we do,” said Kate Smith, 2014 York County Teacher of the Year and MAEPL Program Team Leader.  “MALI changed all that.” 

Pamela Kinsey, Lori Spruce, Kate Smith, Pam Chernesky, Julie Richard, Winter Retreat 2020

This past year the group took a deep dive into their own organizational structure, assessing and clarifying their policies and processes. Even through the pandemic, the Leadership Teams met and solicited input from the entire membership, and determined a new name, a refined mission, and a new logo. “We chose the whirling maple seed pod as our new symbol because we felt it reflected the best of what we do – taking new ideas, learning and sharing together, then planting them throughout our school communities,” said Jennie Driscoll, visual art educator at Brunswick High School and Vision Team member. “It’s got our energy.”  

In 2020 they also delivered a virtual Summer Institute to 50 VPA educators, addressing the social and emotional resiliency needed this year. In addition, many members led efforts to support and connect with other teachers quickly adjusting to online instruction, leading virtual seminars through the Maine Department of Education and the Maine Arts Commission.

Group exercise at Winter Retreat, 2020

 “MALI grew a wealth of resources and committed members over the years,” said the current Director of Arts Education for the Maine Arts Commission, Martha Piscuskas, referring to the online Resource Bank and Arts Assessment Resources website, available free to all teachers. “We wanted to build on those strengths.” In addition to the professional development programs, next steps include creating an advisory council, streamlining their web presence, and continued advocacy for the sector. 

The group formed in 2010 to focus on student assessments, an emerging need for visual and performing arts teachers at that time. After learning from other states, a small group of educators led by Argy Nestor, the former Director of Arts Education at the Commission, Rob Westerberg, Choral Director at York High School, and Catherine Ring, former school administrator and art teacher, created the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative. They established the multi-day Summer Institute, sharing a framework and best practices for successful arts assessment in the classroom. “We quickly became the assessment experts in our schools,” said Sturtevant. 

Hope Lord and Adele Drake, MALI Summer Institute 2017

In 2015 the group added “teacher voice” and advocacy to their mission, becoming the Maine Arts Leadership Initiative (MALI), again addressing emerging needs of the sector. “I never would have thought to seek out leadership positions, continue my graduate studies, or have presented at conferences without the support and influence of MALI,” said Iva Damon, visual art teacher and Humanities Department Head at Leavitt Area High School.    

For more information about MAEPL, and to learn about how to get involved, contact Director of Arts Education for the Maine Arts Commission, Martha Piscuskas at martha.piscuskas@maine.gov. Arts education resources developed over the years are accessible through the Maine Arts Commission’s website, https://mainearts.maine.gov/pages/programs/maai.

The Maine Arts Commission is a state agency supporting artists, arts organizations, educators, policy makers, and community developers to advance the arts in Maine since 1966.  www.Mainearts.com

Maine Principals Association Conference

Leadership in the Arts

Kimberly and Tom presenting

Recently I joined colleagues to present a session called Leadership in the Arts at the Maine Principals Association conference in Portland. I was happy to have the opportunity to present a session at the conference and honored to be presenting with outstanding and committed educators.

Kimberly Medsker and Tom Edwards shared information about their collaborative work at Freeport High School. Before joining the teaching staff at USM Tom was principal at Freeport where Kimberly is the art teacher. Evidence of high standards were clear in the student work that Kimberly shared. And Tom’s support for the arts was not only evident but clearly articulated. Each student has a webpage that is their electronic portfolio so progress can be tracked and the evidence is clear. Tom believes that the arts are essential for a dynamic, productive school.

Erika

Erika Stump shared information on the report that she co-authored with David Silvernail More Efficient Public Schools: Learning Communities Building the Foundation of Intellectual Work. The report is part of the work at the Maine Education Policy Research Institute, University of Southern Maine. Erika shared some of the research finding. The schools that participated in the study included elementary, middle and high schools throughout Maine. These schools had a culture of pervasive learning, the learning was constant, and learning opportunities are continuous. For example, counting the steps while running up a hill is turned into a teachable moment. Erika said that the “arts are a good way to open the brain using creativity or an artistic approach to reach analytical thinking.”

The session continued with information and discussion on the role of arts educators as teacher leaders, specifically with the Maine Arts Assessment Initiative (MAAI). Leadership is a key component of the initiative and we have provided professional development in leadership at the summer institute along with assessment, technology, and creativity. Jeff Beaudry, USM professor, Catherine Ring, Executive Director of the New England Institute for Teacher Education, and both members of the MAAI leadership team joined me for this segment. We are continually amazed at the leadership role that the MAAI teacher leaders are committed to and the value that they offer to their schools and communities by taking on the responsibility.

I look forward to another opportunity in the future to connect with the Maine Principals Association.