Students Receive Maine HS Diplomas in Blaine House Ceremony

Despite “disrupted” education, students graduate from high school

AUGUSTA – The Maine Department of Education awarded seven high school diplomas in a Blaine House ceremony on Thursday to students whose education was interrupted for various reasons. It was the largest group of students to receive state diplomas since the Legislature established it in 2007.

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Student Artwork to Appear on Laptop Screen Savers

AUGUSTA – Digital artwork by 19 Maine middle and high school students was chosen as the screensavers for 70,000 laptops used in Maine schools. The students were recognized last month at the annual Maine Learning Technology Initiative student conference at UMaine in Orono.

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Statement from Acting Commissioner Angela Faherty regarding the release of the final Common Core State Standards

The National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers released a set of state-led Common Core State Standards in Atlanta today. Acting Commissioner Angela Faherty issued the following statement:

Maine already has some of the most rigorous educational standards in the country, and was one of the first states in 1997 to adopt state standards. Two years ago, we joined with three other New England states to participate in common, rigorous standards. Because of our experience and our intent not to lower our standards in any way, our staff and many Maine teachers and other educators have been actively engaged in the development of the Common Core State Standards. I want to thank the dozens of Maine teachers, curriculum leaders and others who participated in reviewing the standards, either at our request or on their own. We are proud to have been part of this work developing clear and rigorous expectations for students.

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Maine Submits Race to the Top Application

State in running for up to $75m in education reform funds

AUGUSTA – The Maine Department of Education’s Race to the Top application arrived at the U.S. Department of Education Tuesday morning.

The application represents months of work collecting data and organizing the Department’s work to demonstrate its vision for education and education reform in Maine. The state hopes to win a share of the $4 billion available through the federal initiative aimed at reform; if Maine wins, it could receive up to $75 million over four years for efforts to improve data systems, improve teaching and learning, turn around low achieving schools, and further improve the state’s already-strong standards and assessments.

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