Inclusive Classrooms ELL MLL Edutech

Portland Herald Press Feature

Rebekah Gellert 09 January, 2025

A translation software invented in Portland schools expands its reach. The ReachMyTeach website was created by a Deering High teacher and student in 2021 and is now available in 40 Maine school districts and nine states.

“Deering is a very diverse school; there’s something like 50 languages spoken. There were platforms that allowed us to contact families with translation, but they all seemed to have limitations. It seemed like it could be better.” Jeff Borland got his computer whiz student Aidan Blum Levine on board, and together they created ReachMyTeach, a website that allows teachers to write messages in English that automatically get translated into parents’ preferred languages. The program supports over 200 languages and serves 40 Maine school districts, nine states, and one international school.

Borland and Blum Levine knew the district’s growing multilingual population required innovation. By 2024, over 2,002 English learners—more than a quarter of students in Portland—needed accessible communication. ReachMyTeach’s attendance system integration makes sending bulk emails easier. Educators have described it as revolutionary, saving time and improving equity.

Kennedy, a teacher, said ReachMyTeach levels the playing field for communication. Parents previously relied on delayed interpreters. Now, meetings, conferences, and urgent messages are instant and inclusive. This system changed how schools handle communication.

“What works well for multilingual families works really well for English-speaking families,” Cohen said. “And if you can have everything in one place, no one slips through the cracks.”

“We were kind of just making this for something to do, and we thought it would maybe get used by a few people. And then the feedback we’ve gotten, and how quickly it’s grown, has been amazing,” Blum Levine said.

“I have learned a lot, and not just focused on like the coding skills side, but looking more holistically at how you make a successful startup,” he said. “If in the future I did have an idea that I was excited about, I feel like this has been like an invaluable experience, learning skills useful for that.”

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