Administrative and Informational Letters are sent out to all Superintendents of Schools in Maine from the Commissioner of Education, Susan Gendron. There letters are posted on the Maine Department of Education website. To go to the website, click on the following link: http://www.maine.gov/education/edletrs/index.shtml

Periodically, Maine Parent Federation will post Administrative and Informational Letters from the Commissioner that we feel are of particular importance and interest to parents and families.

Department of Education Obligation to Serve Children under IDEA

and Intersection with Medicaid

Under State statute 20-A MRSA §7209(1) “The department shall serve as the lead agency for the statewide system pursuant to 20 United States Code, Section 1435, including the identification and coordination of all available resources within the State for services to eligible children from birth to under 3 years of age, and shall exercise general supervisory authority over child find as provided in 20 United States Code, Section 1412 (a) (3) and the provision of a free, appropriate public education to children at least 3 years of age and under 6 years of age.”  For the full document, click here.

Role of Adult Education in Maine’s Unified Special Education Regulations (Chapter 101)

INFORMATIONAL LETTER: 65
POLICY CODE: GCA

TO: Superintendents of Schools, Adult Education Directors and Special Education Directors

FROM: Susan A. Gendron, Commissioner
DATE: February 24, 2009

RE: Role of Adult Education in Maine’s Unified Special Education Regulations (Chapter 101)

In an effort to assist school systems regarding the role of adult education in providing special education services, the Maine Department of Education has developed the following guidance: Adult Education and Its Role in Maine’s Unified Special Education Regulations (Chapter 101), which may be accessed on the Department’s website at: http://www.maine.gov/education/speced/contentrules.htm .

This document is intended to help clarify the relationship between Maine’s Unified Special Education Regulations (MUSER) and adult education as it relates to the education of enrolled students with disabilities and their special instructional needs in K-12 and adult education.  It is important to understand that this document describes only the relationship between special education and adult education as it pertains to MUSER.  Adult education programs must still provide services to students with disabilities in accordance with both the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 when MUSER does not apply.

The material presented in this question and answer document is the result of a set of questions developed by adult educators and answered by the Maine Department of Education’s Offices of Special Services and Adult Education. The answers were prepared only for the questions asked and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of questions.  This document will be updated as additional questions arise.

If you have any questions or would like further information, please feel free to contact Jeff Fantine, State Director of Adult Education at jeff.fantine@maine.gov or Susan Parks in Special Education Services at susan.parks@maine.gov .

For a PDF copy, click here.