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.
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.
Continue reading “State Ed Board members complete national policy training”
AUGUSTA – The Maine State Board of Education has new leadership, having elected Nancy S. Perkins as chair and Peter E. Geiger as vice-chair.
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.
Continue reading “Forums scheduled on EPS school funding system”
WATERVILLE – The chair of the State’s Board of Education has been honored for his advocacy on behalf of adult education.
Dr. Steve Pound, of Greenville, was recognized as the 2013 recipient of the Gerald N. Levasseur Award, presented by the Maine Adult Education Association (MAEA) at the Maine Adult Education Conference held at Colby College last week.
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AUGUSTA – Maine’s Education Commissioner says the demise of Democrat-led legislation that would have derailed the new State school report card system allows his Department to keep its focus fully on school improvement.
LD 1540, “An Act To Fix and Improve the System Used to Evaluate or Rate Public Schools in Maine,” was introduced by Democrats as a challenge to the LePage Administration’s new A-F school grades.
The funding from the Maine Department of Education will help transform the struggling school and increase student proficiency, teacher effectiveness and community engagement
LEWISTON – Montello Elementary School will use $1.8 million in new State support to improve student proficiency by double-digit percentages, enhance teacher effectiveness and better engage the community.
The Maine Department of Education announced its award Thursday to the struggling Lewiston school, which joins 10 others across the state – including the Governor James B. Longley School also in Lewiston – that have received significant funding since 2010 through the federal School Improvement Grant program (SIG) to initiate intensive reforms that advance student achievement.
Continue reading “State awards Lewiston’s Montello Elementary $1.8 million for school improvement”
AUGUSTA – As Governor Paul R. LePage continues to review the upcoming two-year budget, which was delivered to him late last week, he has discovered a disturbing trend of cuts to education. The budget reflects a slashing by the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee of supports for existing programs proven to prepare Maine youth for success in college and their careers and some innovative new ones.
That committee cut a total of $18.4 million proposed by the Department of Education and Governor LePage, including reducing funding over the next two years for Jobs for Maine’s Graduates by $600,000 and the Aspiration program– which raises education aspirations by allowing students to take college courses at a reduced rate – by $1.2 million.
Continue reading “Legislative budget misses opportunity to support students”
AUGUSTA – For the first time since the Maine Learning Technology Initiative began in 2002, schools have made a choice in the solutions they will use for 21st century teaching and learning.
This fall, 39,457 students and educators will start using Apple’s iPad tablet ($266 per year, per seat with network), followed by 24,128 using Apple’s MacBook Air laptop ($319 per year, per seat with network) and 5,474 using the HP ProBook 4440 laptop which runs Microsoft Windows 7 ($286 per year, per seat with network).
Continue reading “Schools embrace first chance for choice of learning technology”
AUGUSTA – The Maine Charter School Commission is seeking candidates interested in replacing outgoing member Dr. Richard Barnes. Barnes is not seeking reappointment to the Commission, which consists of seven members appointed by the Maine State Board of Education.
The Maine State Charter School Commission mission is to provide thoughtful stewardship in authorizing and monitoring public charter schools consistent with State statutes to create unique, high-quality learning options for Maine students.
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Maine DOE Newsroom 