Session offers ideas for charter schools

From the Maine State Charter School Commission.

PORTLAND — The Maine State Charter School Commission held the first of three public input sessions on Monday, March 5 in Portland. About 55 members of the public turned out to suggest educational gaps in their regions that charter schools could potentially fill.

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Casco Bay class challenges students to turn passion into business

Submitted by Portland Public Schools.

PORTLAND — Margo Arruda, a senior at Casco Bay High School, fell in love with the Harry Potter and “Lord of the Rings” books as a young child. “From the time I was 10,” she says, “I could navigate Middle Earth better than my hometown.”

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Arts assessment initiative going strong

Regional workshops and regular webinars are continuing throughout the state as more arts teachers are trained to make assessment in arts education an integral part of the work they do to deepen student learning.

The work is part of the ongoing Maine Arts Education Assessment Initiative.

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Starting the serious work of crafting a new accountability system

Author icon: Head shot of Commissioner Stephen BowenWhen we took to the road in December, we wanted to hear what the public had to say about the system we use to hold our schools accountable. And hear from the public we did. We had more than 1,500 people respond to an online survey; several dozen turned out at public forums in Bangor, Portland and online.

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A year spent growing, learning: 2011 as Maine’s Teacher of the Year

Headshot of Shelly Moody
Shelly Moody, Maine's 2011 Teacher of the Year

By Shelly Moody

During the holiday season, I took time in my classroom to talk with my students about the things we have to be thankful for at school and in our lives. As I reflected on 2011, I realized I had much to be thankful for last year.

As Maine’s 2011 Teacher of the Year, I was given the amazing opportunity to travel and connect with teachers from around the country.

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