Category Archives: School Choice

Maine Charter Commission approves contracts with three new public charter schools

Posted on May 8, 2013 by | Leave a comment

The following is a news release from the Maine Charter School Commission.

AUGUSTA — The Maine Charter School Commission in a public meeting held Tuesday in Augusta discussed, voted and signed three public charter school contracts – culminating months of work on the part of the schools and the commission. The Maine Charter School Commission has the responsibility to approve up to 10 public charter schools in the State in 10 years. The three schools are the Baxter Academy for Technology and Sciences to be located in Portland; the Fiddlehead School of Arts and Science in Gray; and the Harpswell Coastal Academy in Harpswell. These three schools will open September 2013. Continue reading →

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Posted in Charter schools, Cumberland County, Featured, Mathematics, Press Releases, Science & Technology, Students, Visual & Performing Arts

Charter school commission to hold public hearings

Posted on April 23, 2013 by | Leave a comment

The Maine Charter School Commission will hold two public hearings to discuss Proposed Rule Chapter 001, Commission Organization and Operation, and Rule Revision Chapter 002, Procedures for Commission Authorization of Public Charter Schools.

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Posted in Charter schools, Dispatches, Featured, Public meetings

Bowen testimony in opposition to apply standard of best interest to superintendent agreements

Posted on April 1, 2013 by | Leave a comment

The Maine Legislature’s Education Committee held a public hearing March 25 on legislation that clarifies the standard to be applied by superintendents when considering the transfer of a student from one school administrative unit to another by incorporating the standard set forth in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 2, which is that a student must be provided an opportunity to receive the benefits of a free public education.

Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen delivered the following testimony opposing LD 530, An Act to Apply the Standard of Best Educational Interest to Superintendent Agreements for Transfer Students. Continue reading →

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Posted in Families, Featured, School Choice, Students, Testimony

Bowen testimony in opposition to amend charter school funding

Posted on April 1, 2013 by | Leave a comment

The Maine Legislature’s Education Committee held a public hearing April 1 on legislation that eliminates the requirement that local funding follow a student to a charter school; adjusts the funding transferred from school districts to charter schools; and amends several funding requirements for charter schools.

Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen delivered the following testimony in opposition to LD 533, An Act to Eliminate the Requirement that Local Funding Follow a Pupil to a Charter School; LD 889, An Act to Adjust Funding Forwarded from School Districts to Charter Schools; and LD 1057, An Act Related to Public Funding of Charter Schools. Continue reading →

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Posted in Charter schools, Featured, Testimony

Bowen testimony in opposition to giving AOS’s authority to approve student transfers

Posted on April 1, 2013 by | Leave a comment

The Maine Legislature’s Education Committee held a public hearing March 25 on legislation that gives a local school committee of an alternative organizational structure the authority to approve student transfer requests.

Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen delivered the following testimony opposing LD 880, An Act to Change the Process for Student Transfers from an Alternative Organizational Structure. Continue reading →

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Posted in Families, Featured, School Choice, Students, Testimony

Bowen testimony in opposition to increase transparency to superintendents’ agreements

Posted on April 1, 2013 by | Leave a comment

The Maine Legislature’s Education Committee held a public hearing March 25 on legislation that provides that, among other provisions, if the commissioner of education allows a student transfer that was not approved by the superintendents,  the commissioner is required to provide a written description of the basis of the commissioner’s determination that the transfer is in the best interest of the student.

Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen delivered the following testimony opposing LD 791, An Act to Increase Transparency and Improve Equity in Appeals to Superintendents’ Agreements. Continue reading →

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Posted in Families, Featured, School Choice, Students, Testimony

Questions, answers and discussion from the Governor’s Education Conference

Posted on March 29, 2013 by | 6 Comments

There wasn’t time to answer all the questions at the Governor’s Conference on Education: Putting Students First at Cony High School on March 22. So we’ve assembled them here and will be posting more questions and answers over the coming days.

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Posted in Charter schools, Dispatches, Governor LePage, News & Views

Notice of public meeting to discuss Baxter Academy

Posted on March 13, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Update: This article was corrected on March 14 to reflect the date and time change of the meeting.

The Maine Charter School Commission will hold a public meeting with the board of Baxter Academy for Technology and Science, a Maine charter school set to open in Portland next fall. The meeting will be held Monday, March 25, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Cross State Office Building (room 104) in Augusta.

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Posted in Charter schools, Cumberland County, Featured, Featured, High School, Public meetings

Maine Charter Commission Approves Two New Charter Schools

Posted on February 5, 2013 by | Leave a comment

The following is a news release from the Maine Charter School Commission.

AUGUSTA — The Maine Charter School Commission approved two new charter schools on Tuesday to open next fall: the Harpswell Coastal Academy and the Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences in Gray.

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Posted in Charter School Commission, Charter schools, Featured, Press Releases

Commissioners cry foul over charter funds vote

Posted on January 30, 2013 by | 3 Comments

AUGUSTA – Maine’s finance and education commissioners questioned Education Committee action on Wednesday that they called the opening salvo in a campaign to undermine the state’s new public charter schools before they have barely gotten started. Continue reading →

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Posted in Charter schools, Funding, Press Releases