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Maine teachers want more connection, mentorship and financial support • Maine Morning Star

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Maine teachers want more connection, mentorship and financial support • Maine Morning Star


Dozens of Maine educators said the state’s support for education, autonomy in the classroom and tight-knit communities were appealing factors to stay in the profession. But because of various barriers including low pay, restrictive certification requirements and limited pathways to becoming a teacher, Maine is suffering from the same educator shortage as the rest of the country.

That’s according to a report released through the new Teach Maine Center, a teacher-led effort to recruit and retain Maine’s workforce developed by Educate Maine and the Maine Department of Education. 

In recent years, staffing shortages have been a major issue across the state, with hundreds of unfilled teacher, education technician and school bus driver positions (although data on current open positions is not collected at the state level, by the Maine Department of Education or other organizations). The shortages can be attributed, in part, to the financial and policy barriers to becoming a teacher, as well as the average teacher salary, which advocates say is inadequate in the face of rising costs. 

“Maine teachers love what they do. They also face deep, systemic challenges in their day-to-day work, for which there are no easy fixes,” the report said. “Fewer and fewer people are entering the teaching profession over time.”

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While Maine educators often find teaching to be a meaningful and rewarding profession, the cost-benefit analysis of an increasing workload, expectations from administrators and parents, and the low pay combined with the rising costs of housing and teacher certification means more teachers are leaving the profession entirely. That means the state has to develop new strategies to make the profession more attainable, attractive and financially sustainable, the report said.

Between October 2023 and May 2024, the Teach Maine Center conducted listening sessions with more than 240 educators throughout the state. They represented all grade levels, including early childhood and adult education and at least 157 different schools from 100 districts. The feedback from the listening sessions will inform the priorities for the Teach Maine Center and the development of a strategic plan.

One of the biggest issues for a lot of Maine teachers remains a largely underpaid, stressful work environment with a lack of support, according to the report.

“What surprised us a bit was that there were themes across all 16 counties regardless of where folks were teaching,” said Jason Judd, executive director of Educate Maine. “We heard so much about creating more pathways into the teaching profession by addressing things like teacher certification as well as supporting ‘grow your own’ programs for ed techs and other school staff that might want to be teachers in the future.” 

Maine educators discussed the changing nature of teaching, including the growing workload, high expectations from administrators and parents, and challenges managing classrooms with increasing student behavioral challenges.

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But new teachers are also facing barriers entering the profession, the report found. Most Maine teachers are still using traditional routes, including an undergraduate teacher preparation program or certification course after completion of a bachelor’s degree. Options for alternative certification are particularly limited in rural or coastal counties. 

The Maine Department of Education said it processed 34,794 applications for certification and/or background check clearance to work in Maine schools during the 2023-2024 school year. While those numbers do not represent approval status of applications — nor the number of certified individuals actually working in Maine — more applications were processed in the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years than in the two years before the COVID-19 pandemic, a department spokesperson said.

“The number and diversity of barriers to becoming a teacher in Maine is astonishing given that there is such an intense workforce shortage – more must be done to alleviate barriers to joining the profession,” the report said.

Recommendations based on educator feedback

The center offered recommendations based on feedback from educators, ranging from quick fixes to large-scale policy changes. One key focus was eliminating barriers to certification, including finding alternative pathways for districts to help ed techs or other school staff pursue teacher certification, accepting out-of-state certifications, and counting prior work experience toward certification.

The State Board of Education, which develops the rules for teacher education and certification, is currently accepting public comments ahead of changes to the state’s certification requirements, Judd said. 

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“It’s a really important time for educators to weigh in on how they can make changes to the teacher certification system to support new pathways into the profession, because we do have a pretty traditional pathway into the profession in Maine,” Judd said, adding that he believes there’s “an openness to identifying and making some changes” in order to make it more flexible but still have rigorous pathways to ensure that we have the best educators all across the state.”

Another proposal is increasing teacher compensation, such as providing financial support for certification, paying student teachers while they’re completing required credits, and raising salaries for teachers and ed techs.

Educator salary increases were considered by the Maine Legislature this past year, though measures to increase minimum teacher and support staff salaries were introduced but died when the session ended.

Finally, the report emphasized the need to bring teachers together for peer learning opportunities, professional development and mentorship to address the complaint that teaching can sometimes feel isolating.

The funding for these initiatives would have to come from partnerships between the state, various nonprofit organizations and higher education institutions, Judd said. While it’s unclear how much, he believes that in order to implement the report recommendations, the state budget would need to include educator workforce reform.

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“It all comes down to mentorship and support,” a teacher from Cumberland County quoted in the report said. “The Center could identify educators who would like to become teachers and help them find those pathways, and then support them through those years when they first start at teaching.”

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This Classic New England-Style Cottage in Maine Has 200 Feet of Atlantic Ocean Frontage

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This Classic New England-Style Cottage in Maine Has 200 Feet of Atlantic Ocean Frontage


A waterfront home with open ocean views on the coast of Maine came to market Tuesday asking $4 million. 

Built in 1978, the three-bedroom cottage is at the southern point of Cape Elizabeth, less than 10 miles from downtown Portland. The 1.1-acre property on Sunny Bank Road features 200 feet of south-facing water frontage on the wide open Atlantic. 

It is bordered by a rocky sea wall that’s about 28 feet high, according to listing agent Sam Michaud Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty

“The views are like a Monet painting,” he said via email. “The water sparkles and the waves are endless.”

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MORE: Laid-Back Costa Rica Is Getting a $7 Million Mega-Penthouse

The 3,364-square-foot home was built in classic New England style, with shingle siding, a single sloped roofline and large windows—complemented by white-washed walls, exposed-beam ceilings and wide-plank flooring on the interiors. 

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The main common area features cathedral ceilings with a step-down between the living and dining room, and a partial wall divides the dining room from the kitchen. There is also a wood-paneled family room off the kitchen, a gym and a covered porch. 

The sellers purchased the property in 2010 for $1.562 million, according to property records accessed through PropertyShark. They could not immediately be reached for comment. 

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“I have received quite a few inquiries since hitting the market two days ago,” Michaud said. “Buyers understand that this is a golden opportunity to own over an acre with 200 feet of bold oceanfront in Cape Elizabeth.”

MORE: Iranian Strikes on Dubai Put the City’s Roaring Real Estate Market to the Test

There are currently just seven three-bedroom homes available for sale in Cape Elizabeth and fewer than five waterfront properties, according to Sotheby’s and Zillow data. It is also the most expensive listing in the town, with another waterfront property on a tiny lot just south of Portland coming in a close second, according to Zillow. 

Michaud sold the former Cape Elizabeth home of Bette Davis this past summer for $13.4 million, the priciest sale on the cape in at least a decade—and even those views can’t compare. They’re “just magical,” he said. 



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NECEC conservation plan will not protect Maine’s mature forests | Opinion

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NECEC conservation plan will not protect Maine’s mature forests | Opinion


Robert Bryan is a licensed forester from Harpswell and author or co-author of numerous publications on managing forests for wildlife. Paul Larrivee is a licensed forester from New Gloucester who manages both private and public lands, and a former Maine Forest Service forester.

In November 2025, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) approved a conservation plan and forest management plan as mitigation for impacts from the NECEC transmission corridor that runs from the Quebec border 53 miles to central Maine.

As professional foresters, we were astonished by the lack of scientific credibility in the definition of “mature forest habitat” that was approved by DEP, and the business-as-usual commercial forestry proposed for over 80% of the conservation area.

The DEP’s approval requires NECEC to establish and protect 50,000 acres to be managed for mature-forest wildlife species and wildlife travel corridors along riparian areas and between mature forest habitats. The conservation plan will establish an area adjacent to the new transmission corridor to be protected under a conservation easement held by the state. Under this plan, 50% of the area will be managed as mature forest habitat.

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Under the forest management plan, a typical even-aged stand will qualify as “mature forest habitat” once 50 feet tall, which is only about 50 years old. These stands will lack large trees that provide wildlife denning and nesting sites, multiple vegetation layers that mature-forest birds use for nesting and feeding habitats and large decaying trees and downed logs that provide habitat for insects, fungi and small mammals, which in turn benefit larger predators.

Another major concern is that contrary to the earlier DEP order, the final approval allows standard sustainable forestry operations on the 84% of the forest located outside the stream buffers and special habitats. These stands may be harvested as soon as they achieve the “mature forest habitat” definition, as long as 50% of the conserved land is maintained as “mature.”

After the mature forest goal is reached, clearcutting or other heavy harvesting could occur on thousands of acres every 10 years. Because the landowner — Weyerhaeuser — owns several hundred thousand acres in the vicinity, any reductions in harvesting within the conservation area can simply be offset by cutting more heavily nearby. As a result, the net
mature-forest benefit of the conservation area will be close to zero.

Third, because some mature stands will be cut before the 50% mature forest goal is reached, it will take 40 years — longer than necessary — to reach the goal.

In the near future the Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) will consider an appeal from environmental organizations of the plan approval. To ensure that ecologically mature forest develops in a manner that meets the intent of the DEP/BEP orders, several things need to change.

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First and most important, to ensure that characteristics of mature forest habitat have time to develop it is critical that the definition include clear requirements for the minimum number of large-diameter (hence more mature) trees, adjusted by forest type. At least half the stocking of an area of mature forest habitat should be in trees at least 10 inches in diameter, and at least 20% of stands beyond the riparian buffers should have half the stocking in trees greater than or equal to 16 inches in diameter.

Current research as well as guidelines for defining ecologically mature forests, such as those in Maine Audubon’s Forestry for Maine Birds, should be followed.

Second, limits should be placed on the size and distribution of clearcut or “shelterwood” harvest patches so that even-aged harvests are similar in size to those created by typical natural forest disturbance patterns. These changes will help ensure that the mature-forest block and connectivity requirements of the orders are met.

Third, because the forest impacts have already occurred, no cutting should be allowed in the few stands that meet or exceed the DEP-approved definition — which needs to be revised as described above — until the 50% or greater mature-forest goal is reached.

If allowed to stand, the definitions and management described in the forest management plan would set a terrible precedent for conserving mature forests in Maine. The BEP should uphold the appeal and establish standards for truly mature forest habitat.

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Rage Room in Portland, Maine, Developing ‘Scream Room’ Addition

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Rage Room in Portland, Maine, Developing ‘Scream Room’ Addition


For a lot of people throughout Maine, there’s some built up frustration that they’ve just been keeping inside.

That frustration can come in a lot of different forms. From finances to relationships to the world around you.

So it makes plenty of sense that a rage room opened in Portland, Maine, where people can let some of that frustration out.

It’s called Mayhem and people have been piling in to smash, crush and do dastardly things to inanimate objects that had no idea what was coming.

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But Mayhem has realized not everyone is down with swinging a sledgehammer. So they’ve decided to cook up something new.

Mayhem Creating ‘Scream Room’ at Their Space in Portland, Maine

Perhaps the thought of swinging a baseball bat and destroying a glass vase brings you joy. The thought of how sore your body will be after that moment makes you less excited.

Mayhem Portland has heard you loud and clear and is developing a new way to get the rage out. By just screaming.

Mayhem is working on opening their very first scream room. It’s exactly what you think it is, a safe place to spend some time just screaming all of the frustration out.

There isn’t an official opening date set yet but it’s coming soon along with pricing.

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Mayhem in Portland, Maine, Will Still Offer Rage Rooms and Paint Splatter

While a scream room is on the way, you can still experience a good time at Mayhem with one of their rage rooms or a paint splatter room.

Both can be experienced in either 20-minute or 30-minute sessions.

All the details including some age and attire requirements can be found here.

TripAdvisor’s Top 10 Things to do in Portland, Maine

Looking for fun things to do in Portland, ME? Here is what the reviewers on TripAdvisor say are the 10 best attractions.

This list was updated in March of 2026

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Gallery Credit: Chris Sedenka

Top 15 of The Most Powerful People in Maine

Ever wonder who the most powerful players are in Maine? I’ve got a list!

Gallery Credit: Getty Images





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