Category: Media Releases

Governor signs rigorous education standards into law

Maine is 42nd state to approve Common Core state standards, allowing schools and teachers to plan their curriculum.

AUGUSTA — Maine became the 42nd state to approve the Common Core state standards when Gov. Paul LePage signed L.D. 12 into law on Friday. The measure passed both the House and Senate unanimously. Adopting the standards means Maine teachers will have a clear set of standards to work with, and will be able to tailor their teaching to the new, rigorous expectations of what students should know and be able to do.
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Education commissioner continues listening tour

Bowen plans six more visits to cover Maine’s nine superintendent regions in first 100 days

AUGUSTA – Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen announced the dates for the remaining six stops of his statewide listening tour, which will take him to Maine’s nine superintendent regions in his first 100 days as education commissioner.

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2012 Teacher of the Year semi-finalists announced

Six teachers move to second stage

AUGUSTA – Six of the 10 teachers nominated for 2012 Maine Teacher of the Year have been named semi-finalists in the statewide competition. A distinguished panel of teachers, principals and business community members made the selections last week.

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Bowen names education deputy

Jim Rier, director of finance and operations at the Department, will take on the number 2 role.

AUGUSTA – Jim Rier, head of finance and operations at the Maine Department of Education since 2003, has assumed the position of deputy commissioner. Commissioner Stephen Bowen announced the move on Wednesday.

“Jim has a depth of experience at the Department, is an expert in school finance, and understands policy and the legislative process like few others in state government,” Bowen said. “I have known Jim since my days in the Legislature. We are lucky to have his experience working for Maine schools.

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Ed commissioner embarks on “listening tour”

Bowen seeking input from all nine superintendent regions in first 100 days

AUGUSTA – Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen announced he will visit schools, superintendents and parents in each of the state’s nine superintendent regions in the first 100 days he is on the job. He also announced the first three dates on this “Listening Tour.”

“I want to hear from educators in the field about the work they are doing, and about how the Department can best support them in that work, and from parents their thoughts about how we can make our schools better,” Bowen said. “People in the field know what they need. Most important, I want to hear about their ideas for making the Department better and making education in Maine better.

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Maine DOE releases school construction list

Ranks needs in 71 school projects

AUGUSTA – The Maine Department of Education presented its ranking of the pre-K-12 school projects with the most significant needs to the State Board of Education on Wednesday. The proposed “priority list” is the first rating of school construction projects since the 2004-05 rating cycle, through which 22 schools were approved for renovation or construction.

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Bowen: Vote on rigorous standards creates certainty for Maine schools

Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen said Monday’s unanimous passage by the Education Committee of the Common Core State Standards means schools throughout the state can start focusing on adjusting their curriculum to the new, rigorous standards.

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Challenging Courses Net Results for Maine

College Board report shows Maine excels in Advanced Placement courses and exams

AUGUSTA – A new report from the College Board shows that efforts by school districts and more than 800 Maine teachers to challenge their students with rigorous courses are paying off.

Maine now ranks 12th in the nation for the percentage of students in the Class of 2010 having at least one successful AP experience: almost one in five Maine high school seniors has taken a college-level course and scored at least a 3 out of 5 on the AP exam, considered suitable college-level performance and eligible for credit at many colleges and universities. Maine has a higher percentage of students participating in AP courses than the national average, and a higher percentage of students scoring well on the AP exams.

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State Assessment Results Released

Reading, writing, math scores stable

AUGUSTA – The Maine Department of Education released the results Tuesday of the fall 2010 New England Common Assessment Program of testing in reading, writing and mathematics in grades 3 through 8.

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