The following is a news release from the Governor’s Office.
AUGUSTA – In honor of the victims, and in coordination with President Obama’s proclamation, Governor Paul R. LePage has ordered the lowering of flags on all public buildings and grounds to half-staff effective immediately until sunset Friday, Sept. 20, as a mark of respect for the victims of the shootings at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C.
The State Education Department’s action came in response to concerns from the adult education community about readiness to move to a fully computer-based test by 2014 as would be required with the current exam provider
AUGUSTA – In an effort to better support the college and career readiness of all Mainers, the State has chosen a new high school equivalency assessment provider.
Beginning in 2014, Maine will offer the ETS high school equivalency test program, known as HiSET, which covers the same content areas as the current GED and allows test-takers to demonstrate proficiency of the academic skills expected by employers and post-secondary institutions.
Continue reading “Maine replaces GED with new equivalency exam”
Maine Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen announced the King Middle School sixth-and seventh-grade teacher as Maine’s top educator in a surprise all-school assembly Tuesday
PORTLAND – A 24-year veteran teacher at the state’s most diverse middle school is the 2014 Maine Teacher of the Year.
In a surprise assembly at King Middle School (KMS) in Portland Tuesday morning, Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen announced Karen MacDonald, who has served students in Portland Public Schools since 1979, as Maine’s top teacher.
Continue reading “Portland’s Karen MacDonald named 2014 Maine Teacher of the Year”
AUGUSTA – Seven groups informed the Maine Charter School Commission (MCSC) that they plan to submit applications to open public charter schools in Maine. All of the groups hope to open a school in the fall of 2014.
The deadline for delivery of the letters to the Maine Charter School Commission or having them postmarked was this past Tuesday.
Continue reading “Commission receives notice of 7 charter school proposals”
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.
Continue reading “Governor LePage signs Executive Order protecting local control, student privacy”
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.
Continue reading “2014 Maine Teacher of the Year finalists named”
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.
Continue reading “School lunch, milk eligibility criteria set”
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.
Continue reading “Bowen tapped to lead nationwide education innovation”
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.
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.
Continue reading “Commissioner Bowen to help honor inaugural grads of Maine’s first charter school”
Maine DOE Newsroom 