Fiscal Year 2012-13 subsidy is available when districts contract school bus refurbishment by August 31, 2012.
Typically, districts receive subsidy during the fiscal year following the contract. However, contracts signed during August 2012 will receive subsidy in the current fiscal year. Continue reading “School bus refurbishment: shorter subsidy turnaround in August”
Nancy Nickerson’s fourth grade students at South Elementary School in Rockland were recently recognized as finalists for their short film at the 35th annual Maine Student Film and Video Festival in Waterville.
Her students created an anti-bullying video titled The Domino Effect, for which they acted, directed, edited, and wrote the script. When the film aired as part of the Maine International Film Festival on July 21, Nickerson’s students traveled to the Waterville Opera House for the premiere.
Continue reading “Student-produced video a finalist in film festival”
Effective with the 2012-13 school year, Public Law 2011 Chapter 477 Part D (LD 1816) has repealed the Minimum Teacher Salary Supplement (20-A MRSA §15689 sub-§7 and sub-§8 have been repealed). This action by the legislature repealed the law that had required the State to provide the funding to school administrative units to pay the difference between the locally established salary and the statutory minimum amount of $30,000.
Continue reading “Minimum teacher salary supplement repealed”
Maine DOE is proud to announce two recent appointments to leadership roles.
The following are Commissioner Stephen Bowen’s remarks from today’s joint news conference with Gov. Paul LePage. Please see the fact sheet for more information about the Harvard study.
Good afternoon, and thank you, Governor, for your attention to this important report and for your commitment to the education of Maine’s kids.
Continue reading “Commissioner Stephen Bowen’s remarks at July 25 news conference”
Questions and answers
Can test scores tell you whether a school is good or bad?
No school should be labeled based solely on test scores, and we are not doing that here, either. Test scores – and the growth in test scores – are one valuable and important measure of progress. As a state, Maine is not showing any significant progress in test scores while other states are. This should be a significant concern to anyone interested in the education and future success of our students.
Continue reading “Fact sheet: Educational progress in Maine and the Harvard study”
Final 2011-12 ED279 subsidy printouts have been posted at http://www.maine.gov/education/data/subsidy/subsidyprintouts.htm.
From discussing proficiency-based diplomas and standards-based education systems to developing performance evaluation and professional growth systems for educators, the second session of the 125th Maine Legislature was eventful for the state’s public schools.
Continue reading “Maine DOE’s legislative summary available”
York Middle School science teacher Jeff Wilford might annually explore the swampy wetlands of Brazil, but don’t mistake him for Indiana Jones. It’s research he wrestles, not anacondas.
Wilford admits he’s not much of an adventurer, but when the opportunity arose to partner with Earthwatch and the National Geographic Education Foundation to travel with a team of educators to the Pantanal region of Brazil in 2003, Wilford dusted off his pith helmet.
Since 2006, Wilford has returned to explore the Pantanal each summer with students from York High School.
“We wanted to give students a real dose of what it means to be a biologist in a remote and challenged region of the world,” Wilford explained. “As well, we have strived to create an unmatched cultural experience.”
Continue reading “York student explorers join global collaboration in Brazil”
As a reminder of the legal requirements for providing English as a Second Language (ESL) services to English Learners, the Department refers school district personnel to Administrative Letter 56, issued Sept. 7, 2011.
