Category: Newsroom Articles

Acting Commissioner Beardsley visits public preschool classroom

Last month, Acting Commissioner Bill Beardsley visited Brittany Kamenos’ four-year old classroom at the Chelsea Elementary School. RSU 12 Superintendent Howard Tuttle, Principal Andrew Doiron, Southern Kennebec Child Development Corporation’s Executive Director Cristina Salois, Program Manager Penny Poolman, and Child Development Services Director Larry Schooley briefed the acting commissioner on the collaboration.

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Commissioner visits Houlton Elementary School

Story courtesy of Karen Donato, former elementary teacher and current ed. tech III at Houlton Elementary School.

Acting Commissioner of Education Bill Beardsley was a guest at Houlton Elementary School this past month learning more about the successful K-to-3 literacy program in RSU 29. Beardsley participated in a round table discussion with a kindergarten teacher; first grade teachers; a literacy specialist; a literacy coach; University of Maine’s literacy coach; the principal, and RSU 29’s superintendent.

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Changes in oversight of educational program for State wards in out-of-state programs

In an effort to better meet the needs of children who are in the legal custody of the Department of Health and Human Services, who are placed residentially by that agency in an out-of-state program, and who are receiving special education services, the Maine Department of Education will be assuming responsibility for overseeing the educational programming for those children as the State is responsible for them.

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Notice of new rule: Chapter 41 instruction related to use of CPR and AEDs in public schools

The following rule, Chapter 41: Offering Instruction Related to Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and the Use of an Automated Defibrillator in Maine Public Schools, requires public schools to offer training to students on how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation and use automated external defibrillators.

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A mathematics three-part series professional development update

This year, the Maine Department of Education is bringing together approximately 200 teachers of mathematics to learn about and implement practices that support student engagement and learning in a professional development series titled, “Connecting Mathematics Instruction to Support Student Engagement and Understanding (K-12).”

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2015 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey results available

Maine students reported fewer of them are engaged in sexual relations, one third of high school students report they have used vapor cigarettes, and 30-day alcohol use has decreased among high schoolers. These results and more can be found in the 2015 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (MIYHS).

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