Educator Quality and Effectiveness Survey past due

The Friday June 16, 2012,  deadline for the completion of the annual Educator Quality Effectiveness Survey has passed. If your school district has not yet completed the survey, please do so without delay to ensure timely collection of this ARRA-required education reform assurance compliance reporting. Continue reading “Educator Quality and Effectiveness Survey past due”

Opportunity to attend autism training

UPDATED: The Maine Department of Education will host a three-session autism team training for school districts beginning in November 2012. To be considered for participation in the training sessions, the application must be completed no later than September 1, 2012.

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High school students compete in international science fair

Meagan Currie of Greely High School took first place at the Maine State Science Fair with her project on oxygen production.
Meagan Currie of Greely High School took first place at the Maine State Science Fair with her project on oxygen production.

For the first time ever, students from Maine competed in the prestigious Intel International Science and Engineering Fair held this year in Pittsburgh, Penn. Meagan Currie of Greely High School in Cumberland and Sam Wood of Mt. Ararat High School in Topsham traveled with their teacher/mentors and parents to represent Maine at this competition.

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EPA advises schools to protect indoor air quality

Smart summer shutdown is essential for maintaining healthy indoor environments in schools. During these warmer months, school or district staff can take preventative and proactive actions to protect indoor air quality and save energy costs. The Maine DOE School Facilities team is sharing the following tips from the U.S. EPA on summer shutdown of buildings.

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Students serious about recycling at Horace Mitchell

Horace Mitchell Primary kindergarten students (from left to right) Paeton Brown, Carolyn Carven and Olivia Kenney sort their trash as part of a student-driven recycling effort.
Horace Mitchell Primary kindergarten students (from left to right) Paeton Brown, Carolyn Carven and Olivia Kenney sort their trash as part of a student-driven recycling effort.

Imagine trying to teach over 100 kindergarten students how to recycle. At the Horace Mitchell Primary School in Kittery, students have taken charge of their recycling program in a major way, and they are learning how to be good stewards to the environment in the process.

This year, third grade students wrote and presented proposals to Principal David Foster about why they wanted to serve on a school-wide “Green Team.” Upon student selection, the group began planning strategies to make the school “greener.”

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FEDES applications delayed

The Maine Department of Education recently issued notice that applications would be accepted for the Fund for the Efficient Delivery of Educational Services. However, upon further review of the program’s structure, the Administration has decided to rework the program’s focus. The administration would like to further investigate how the fund could be used to encourage systemic reform in underperforming schools and districts, and will propose changes to the fund’s configuration in the next legislative session.

Funding available for building renovations

The Department of Education will be accepting applications for funding of school renovation projects through the School Revolving Renovation Fund. The Department will be able to approve approximately $10 million in SRRF loans. A portion of each loan will be considered a grant and will be forgiven, and the remaining portion will be paid back over five or 10 years at zero percent interest.

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