The 100th annual Maine School Superintendents’ Conference is upon us. It starts Monday at the Senator Inn in Augusta.

That means it’s time to start thinking about this year’s theme: transformation.

Is your school in the midst of a comprehensive reform effort? Why have you undertaken it? What challenges have you run into so far? How will you know your effort has been successful? What support could the Department of Education offer?

Be prepared to share your tales of transformation and learn from others’ when we gather for two days that I believe will be pivotal in setting Maine schools on a path of retooling for a new age in education.
Continue reading “Commissioner’s Update – June 23, 2011” →

Has your rural high school discovered the key to boosting student achievement and graduation rates?

Has your district launched an innovative science, technology, engineering and math (i.e. STEM) program that shows promise?

Do you think other districts would benefit from your innovation, if only they had the funds to replicate it?

They might be in luck this year.

The U.S. Department of Education recently released the guidelines for the latest round of Investing in Innovation, or i3, grants.

The focus for this year’s challenge — with $150 million in awards available — is one that should compel educators in a rural state like ours to reach out to some partners and put together a grant application. The competition places a special emphasis on improvement initiatives in rural high schools and programs that champion the STEM disciplines.

The application deadline is Aug. 2. There’s no reason Maine shouldn’t be well represented when the proposals come in.
Continue reading “Commissioner’s Update – June 16, 2011” →