January 28 Valley Unified Board Meeting

The Valley Unified Education Service Center Board of Directors met on Tuesday, January 28, 2020, beginning at 6 PM in the Library at Madawaska Middle/High School.  To watch the WOWL Channel 16 video of the meeting, click here or on the image below.

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6th Strategic Plan Progress Report

In 2017, MSAD #33, MSAD #27, and the Madawaska School Department adopted a Tri-District Strategic Plan which serves as a key focal point of our activities and efforts at collaboration, innovation, and personalization of learning across the Valley Unified Education Service Center and in our schools.  

In order to move our strategic plan forward, we continually monitor our progress at implementing the eight priorities included in the plan and report this progress to the citizens of the Upper St. John Valley on a quarterly basis.  

While there is still lots of work to do and some distance to go, we are making headway.  To review our 6th Strategic Plan Progress Report, click here or on the image below.

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Key Considerations Regarding Upcoming Public Hearings and Straw Polls

Public hearings and written ballot straw polls concerning the recommended location of the proposed Valley Unified Regional School will take place on Tuesday, February 11, 2020 in Madawaska and Frenchville and on Wednesday, February 12, 2020 in Fort Kent.

Key considerations regarding these meetings appear below for your review.  A meeting schedule also appears below.  Public attendance at these sessions is welcomed and encouraged.

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Valley Unified Set to Launch Manufacturing Career Prep Program

The Valley Unified Education Service Center is set to launch a semester-long Manufacturing Career Preparation training program for 10th graders during the upcoming semester at the St. John Valley Technology Center (SJVTC) in Frenchville.

The new program is a partnership between the SJVTC and Washington County Community College (WCCC) in Calais and will feature both a high school course in Principles of Manufacturing and an on-ramp to a five-course on-line WCCC Early College course sequence leading to the nationally recognized Certified Production Technician credential through the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council (MSSC).

For more details on this new learning opportunity, click here or on the image below to review an informational flyer.

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How Would the Student Enrollment at Valley Unified High Compare?

Did you know ...

• If the proposed Valley Unified Regional School existed today, it would include a total enrollment of 472 high school students.

• In terms of today's Maine high school enrollment figures, the Valley Unified Regional High School would have a smaller student enrollment than 53 other Maine high schools.

• With a combined student enrollment of 472 learners, the Valley Unified Regional High School would have a smaller student population than the high schools in Presque Isle (527) and Caribou (491).

For more information on Maine's current high school enrollments, including the current comparative size of Community High School in Fort Kent, Madawaska High School, and Wisdom High School, as well as the proposed Valley Unified School, click here or on the image below.

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Public Hearing and Straw Poll Reminder

Public hearings and straw polls for the proposed location of the Valley Unified Regional School will be held in a month.  Dates, times, and locations of the meetings in each SAU are posted below.

For detailed information on the Site Selection process, click here or on the image above to review our Site Selection Citizen's Guide.

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The Potential "New Possible" in Information Technology

Did you know ...

• Educate Maine has identified Information Technology as a high-need occupational sector in our state.
• Information Technology workers are in demand in a variety of employment settings, including; business; healthcare, government, education, consulting, and more.
• The current unmet demand for Information Technology employees has resulted in flexible work schedules for qualified candidates.
• The average annual salary for Information Technology jobs and careers in Maine is about $75,000.
• Nearly 50 Valley Unified high school students, in surveys conducted during the 2018-2019 school year, indicated an interest in career-focused studies related to Information Technology.

We believe we could more effectively prepare Upper St. John Valley high school students for employment and careers in Information Technology, if ...

• All our students were together under one roof on one campus, studying and learning in an Academy for Communication and Technology Studies.
• All our high school educators had the opportunity to work together daily, designing and facilitating a comprehensive, integrated series of learning opportunities through a Digital and Information Technology pathway.

We believe the proposed Valley Unified Regional school represents the "new possible" for the students, educators, communities, and citizens of the Upper St. John Valley.

To review an example of this "new possible", click here or on the image below to see sample content from a potential Digital and Information Technology Pathway Program of Study.

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Student Focus Group Findings

Between September, 2018 and February, 2019, Valley Unified conducted 14 focus group meetings with a total of 220 students in grades 6-12 from our region's elementary and middle/high schools concerning their thoughts, views, and opinions about the proposed Valley Unified Regional High School.  Summative data from the focus groups appears below:

• 35% of those participating were Madawaska School Department students, 25% represented the MSAD #33 student population, and 40% were from MSAD #27 schools.

• Before sharing their thoughts about a single regional school for the Upper St. John Valley, 51% of students indicated they felt the proposed new school was a good idea, 30% believed it was a bad idea, and 19% were undecided.

• After hearing each other's thoughts about a single regional school, 66% of participants indicated, if they could vote and their vote counted, they would vote in favor of the new school, 31% indicated they would vote no, and 3% were undecided.

• Of the students in grades 6 and 7 who took part in the focus groups, 49% indicated they would vote in favor of the school and 51% indicated they would vote no.

• Of the grade 8 students who participated, 76% indicated they would vote in favor of the new school, 17% indicated they would vote no, and 7% were undecided.

• Of the students in grades 9-12 who took part, 84% indicated they would vote in favor of the new school, 13% indicated they would vote no, and 3% were undecided.

• Of the 220 total students who participated, 35% indicated the school should be located in Frenchville, 23% indicated the school should be located at a center point in terms of miles and travel time, and 20% thought it should be located in Fort Kent.

Key advantages or opportunities of the proposed school that students identified included the following:

• Stronger athletic teams, including JV squads.

• A greater variety of classes and learning opportunities.

• Getting to know new people and make new friends.

• More clubs, groups, and things to do, because of more students.

• A modern, energy-efficient building that will cost less to heat and light.

• More money available for teachers, classes, and programs, because less will be spent on buildings and administration.

• Everyone will be exposed to Career and Technical Education and career clusters.

Those interested in more information concerning the student focus group findings, including the questions asked and students' thoughts about the challenges posed by a single regional school, can click here to access a detailed PDF document.

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Another Potential Example of the "New Possible"

Did you know that ...

• Law enforcement agencies across our nation, state, and region are experiencing staffing shortages.

• According to the Bureau of Justice Studies, the number of full-time, sworn law enforcement officers in the U.S. has dropped by nearly 24,000 since 2013.

• In hopes of filling vacancies and building up their force of qualified officers, some police departments and law enforcement agencies are offering either salary increases or better benefits.

• Well-staffed law enforcement agencies are critical to public safety even in rural areas like the Upper St. John Valley.

• Law enforcement/public safety is a demanding, complex profession that requires a high level of preparation and a broad knowledge base, including physical conditioning and awareness of a wide range of pressing social issues.

• In surveys conducted in the three Valley Unified high schools in 2018, over 30 students indicated an interest in career-oriented studies associated with public safety/law enforcement.

We believe we could effectively align core academic requirements with integrated public safety/law enforcement studies, beginning in 9th grade, if all Upper St. John Valley students were together under one roof on one campus.

We believe we could effectively link academic subject matter, studies in personal fitness and wellness, and courses related to law enforcement/public safety, if all Upper St. John Valley educators had the opportunity to work together daily as a single team focused on the delivery of integrated learning opportunities for students enrolled in a Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security Pathway.

We believe the proposed Valley Unified Regional School and this potential Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security Pathway represent the "new possible" for the students, educators, communities, and citizens of the Upper St. John Valley.

To consider this example of the "new possible" click here or on the image below to view sample content from a potential Valley Unified Regional Learning Center Pathways Program of Studies.

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