AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage will deliver his State of the State Address in the House Chamber at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
The much-anticipated speech will cover a variety of priorities that include growing Maine’s economy and encouraging families to stay in Maine; electricity costs; infrastructure improvements; reforming the welfare system; and addressing drug-related crimes and their impact on our State.
Continue reading “Governor LePage to deliver State of the State Tuesday”
LEWISTON – Maine Department of Education Acting Commissioner Jim Rier will tour two Lewiston schools this Thursday that are undertaking significant initiatives to improve student outcomes.
Continue reading “Acting Education Commissioner Rier to visit Lewiston schools Thursday”
AUGUSTA –The State Board of Education says they support Governor Paul R. LePage’s proposed Education Commissioner, following an interview with the candidate today.
Continue reading “State Board supports Governor LePage’s candidate for Education Commissioner”
The biannual survey of the state’s grade 5-12 students is an effort of the Maine Departments of Education and Health and Human Services and informs prevention and program planning
AUGUSTA – Maine youth are making healthier choices, including smoking and drinking less, but are increasingly struggling with their emotional wellbeing.
Those findings and other insights directly from tens of thousands of Maine students about their health and habits are detailed in the newly released results of the 2013 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (MIYHS).
Continue reading “Maine youth report healthier habits, struggles with depression”
AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage announced today that he hopes to make his Acting Education Commissioner permanent.
In a letter sent Monday morning to the State Board of Education, Governor LePage said he intends to nominate Jim Rier, of Topsham, to be Commissioner of the Maine Department of Education, pending that 10-member board’s evaluation of the candidate.
While most gubernatorial Commissioner appointments go directly to the legislative committee of jurisdiction, State statute requires the Governor’s nomination for Education Commissioner be interviewed by the State Board of Education, which is currently chaired by Nancy Perkins, of Cornish.
The State Board is expected to interview Acting Commissioner Rier at its next regular meeting on Jan. 15, something traditionally done in executive session. The Chair will then deliver the Board’s written appraisal of the strengths and weaknesses of the candidate within 10 days to the Governor, who will consider the feedback before formally posting the nomination for the Legislature’s consideration.
Continue reading “Governor LePage asks State Education Board to review Commissioner candidate”
The awareness initiative will involve thousands of Maine students, trying their hand at computer programming and competing in robotics competitions
AUGUSTA – Maine Governor Paul R. LePage and Acting Education Commissioner Jim Rier are recognizing the important role computer science has in the state’s classrooms and growing economy.
AUGUSTA – The Maine Charter School Commission (MCSC) has received applications from four groups interested in opening public charter schools in the fall of 2014.
Those submitting applications by the Dec. 2 deadline to join Maine’s five existing public charter schools included Lewiston-Auburn Academy Charter School, Lewiston; Maine Connections Academy; Maine Virtual Academy; and Many Hands Montessori School, Windham.
Continue reading “New schools proposed to Charter Commission”
As Maine moves to a new high school equivalency exam, thousands looking to advance their career and post-secondary aspirations are completing the current GED® this year though doing so before 2014 is not required
AUGUSTA – A record high number of Mainers have earned their high school equivalency credential this year in advance of the State moving to a new exam provider starting in 2014.
Already in the first 10 months of 2013, 2,699 Mainers have successful completed their GED®, a significant increase over the 1,878 who did so in 2012 and the 2,258 who did so in 2011.
Continue reading “Record number of Mainers earning high school credential”
Monitoring by the Maine Charter School Commission of the two charter schools that served students during the 2012-13 academic year show the state’s first charters are meeting their missions
AUGUSTA – The State’s Acting Education Commissioner is applauding the state’s first two public charters after their inaugural monitoring reports show the central Maine schools are engaging students and adapting quickly to meet emerging needs.
Cornville Regional Charter School in Cornville, which served approximately 60 grade K-6 students, and the Maine Academy of Natural Sciences (MeANS) in Hinckley, which served 52 students grades 9-12, opened in the fall of 2012 after Maine, under the leadership of Governor Paul R. LePage, became the 41st state to allow public charter schools.
Continue reading “Commissioner applauds strong start of charter schools”
AUGUSTA – Mainers who serve children with autism and their families will soon have a statewide system of supports.
The Maine Autism Institute for Education and Research (MAIER), a partnership of the Maine Department of Education and the University of Maine’s College of Education and Human Development, will open on Jan. 1 at the UMaine campus. The two organizations have committed to contribute a total of $288,000 to fund the first 18 months of the new collaborative.
Continue reading “DOE, UMaine launch autism resource, research institute”
Maine DOE Newsroom 