State PIRC Board:

Alexander Richards
Kate Markochick
Debra Regan
Jerri Prentice
Pat Roix
Steve Ocean
Edeltraut Thiele
Leslie Roseph

Special Advisory Committees:

PAT Advisory Committee
Parent Involvement Advisory Committee

The ultimate goal Of the Maine PIRC is that all Maine schools will have effective parental involvement in school programs and policies that help each student reach his or her full academic potential, and that these parent school partnerships are fully supported by local, state and federal resources. Within that strategic context the highest priorities are students and families who are economically or educationally disadvantaged and schools failing or in danger of failing to make Adequate Yearly Progress. No less than two thirds of Maine PIRC resources are committed to these groups, which are inclusive of schools receiving Title I assistance under the ESEA. Maine PIRC continues to be sponsored by the Maine Parent Federation (MPF), a twenty-three year veteran in supporting parent, school and professional partnerships. MPF is Maine’s only statewide parent run organization.

Early Childhood Model
Parents as Teachers Program

Major Activities
The project has four objectives applicable to each year:

1. provide services, education, training, information, facilitation and technical assistance so that 200 schools are a productive environment for educators, parents, community members and others to establish school parent partnerships, understand the provisions of NCLB and act upon parent options and choices:
2. two hundred and ten families will gain (Parents As Teachers Program) curriculum specific skills and knowledge in parenting and early child education and development, and another 5,000 will gain skills and knowledge through other early childhood parent education activities;
3. ninety percent of those attending information and education sessions regarding NCLB will have a working knowledge of its provisions, requirements, options and choices; and
4. Maine PIRC will initiate and/or collaborate in five statewide efforts to expand project resources and populations served, with focus on those who are educationally or economically disadvantaged. Annually nearly 12,000 parents, children and educators across the state will receive two or more project services and another 60,000 will receive project specific information, linkage to other resources and individualized referrals.

Maine PIRC staff directly provide information, training, skills building, 1:1 technical assistance to schools, help in developing parent involvement and school improvement plans, early childhood parent education and assistance to parents in getting other needed services. They are supported by MPF’s statewide I&R system, Resource Library, interactive website, distance learning opportunities, education and training professionals, statewide information dissemination capacity and logistical supports.

Key to project success is our close collaborative partnership with Maine’s Department of Education, Title I Program Administration and content experts. We jointly design training and resource materials and provide school specific technical assistance. Vital as well are our working relationships with local schools, PTA groups, and a range of health and human service providers. Location of the federal DOE designated Maine Parent Training and Information Center (for families of students with disabilities) within MPF enhances the capacity of both projects.