Earlier this week, Governor Paul R. LePage appointed me as Acting Education Commissioner. It is an honor to be called upon to serve the people of Maine in this new role, especially our students and educators. While the Department’s Commissioner has changed, our commitments have not.
I look forward to working with the Governor and the talented team at Maine DOE to continue the work begun under former Commissioner Bowen to transform our education system so that it truly serves all Maine students and prepares them for success after they leave our schools. Central to that is the Department focusing on supporting schools in their improvement efforts, and I will be in touch later this month with more specifics on what Maine DOE’s system of supports will look like and how it will help you.
This transition has underscored that the leadership of this Department is the responsibility of more than just one person. Over the past month, Maine DOE team leaders and Commissioner’s Office staff have had extensive biweekly meetings to ensure the Department’s work is moving forward uninterrupted, and we will continue these meetings for the foreseeable future to ensure our work and the staff who carry it out each day are supported.
With the Education Evolving strategic plan as our roadmap for the journey ahead, I believe our Department will be as strong as ever thanks to the strength and dedication of our staff, the quality of our programs and the commitment all of us have to our important mission supporting Maine students and their schools.
As always, please contact DOE if we may be a resource to you in any way.
I look forward to working with you.