Governor LePage signs Executive Order protecting local control, student privacy

AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage signed an executive order today affirming Maine’s commitment to protecting local education control and student privacy rights.

The Governor’s action prohibiting the influence of the federal government into Maine’s education policy comes after parents and educators have raised concerns about the Obama Administration’s attempts to hijack successful state-led education reforms, including more rigorous, relevant standards in mathematics and English language arts Maine voluntarily adopted in common with other states in 2011.

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2014 Maine Teacher of the Year finalists named

The annual educator recognition program is now administered by Educate Maine, a business-led organization whose mission is to champion college and career readiness

AUGUSTA – Maine Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen has announced that two elementary school teachers and one middle school teacher have been selected as the state finalists for the prestigious title of 2014 Maine Teacher of the Year.

The 2014 finalists are Mary Graziano, a fourth grade teacher at Hartland Consolidated School in Hartland; Karen MacDonald, a sixth and seventh grade English language arts teacher at King Middle School in Portland; and Suzen Polk-Hoffses, a kindergarten teacher at Milbridge Elementary School in Milbridge.

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School lunch, milk eligibility criteria set

AUGUSTA – With the start of school fast approaching, the Maine Department of Education is releasing the criteria for students to qualify for free or reduced school meals and milk for the 2013-14 school year.

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Bowen tapped to lead nationwide education innovation

AUGUSTA – The success of the LePage Administration’s school reforms have been recognized across the country, and now its Education Commissioner is being tapped to take that transformation nationwide.

Commissioner Stephen Bowen has been recruited by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) to become their Strategic Initiative Director of Innovation, which includes oversight of their Innovation Lab Network.

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Maine receives ESEA waiver

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act waiver will allow Maine to move forward on local and State reforms that will cut in half the percentage of non-proficient students at each Title I school by 2018

AUGUSTA – Maine will have flexibility in meeting federal education requirements and be allowed to implement its own statewide system to hold schools accountable and help them improve student outcomes.

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Commissioner Bowen to help honor inaugural grads of Maine’s first charter school

HINCKLEY – Less than two years after Governor Paul R. LePage’s landmark student choice legislation finally allowing public charter schools in Maine went into effect, his Education Commissioner will help celebrate the state’s first charter school graduation.

Commissioner Stephen Bowen will speak this evening at the ceremony for the 10 students in the first class to graduate from The Maine Academy of Natural Sciences at Good Will-Hinckley (MeANS). The event will be held at 5 p.m. at the Moody Chapel on the campus of Kennebec Valley Community College in Hinckley.

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Education Commissioner affirms commitment to accountability in wake of reformer’s resignation

AUGUSTA – Maine’s Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen released a statement today in response to the resignation of Florida Education Commissioner Dr. Tony Bennett, affirming his Department’s commitment to school reform and accountability.

Bennett, who like Commissioner Bowen is a member of the visionary Chiefs for Change education reformers group, headlined the Governor’s Education Conference: Putting Students First this past March.

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State Ed Board members complete national policy training

Arlington, VA — The newest members of the Maine State Board of Education are back from two days of intensive training from the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) to help board members become highly effective state education policymakers.

William H. Beardsley, of Ellsworth, Nichi Farnham, of Bangor, Peter Geiger, of Lewiston, and Ande A. Smith, of North Yarmouth, joined state board members from 17 states and territories in sessions that covered basic boardsmanship issues such as the responsibilities of boards and their members, the sequence of policy development and using Robert’s Rules of Order, as well as more advanced subjects such as how to provide effective state leadership through board actions.

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State Education Board has new leadership

AUGUSTA – The Maine State Board of Education has new leadership, having elected Nancy S. Perkins as chair and Peter E. Geiger as vice-chair.

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Forums scheduled on EPS school funding system

The Maine Legislature has contracted with Lawrence O. Picus and Associates to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the EPS school funding system.

As part of that, Picus will be putting on four public stakeholder forums throughout the state on July 16, 17 and 18. All interested parties – educators, parents, taxpayers and interested citizens – are encouraged to attend one of the forums.

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