The National Science Foundation has awarded a three-year $469,369 grant to improve access to computer science instruction for Maine high school students. This project is led by the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance in partnership with RSU 26 in Orono and the University of Maine at Augusta.
Continue reading “Maine high schools awarded three-year grant for computer science instruction”
Finalists for Maine’s 2015 Teacher of the Year were visited by the Maine Teacher of the Year state review panel last week. As part of the 2015 Maine Teacher of the Year review process, the panel spoke with each candidate’s district administrators, fellow teachers, students and parents. The teachers will participate in their final interview with panel members this week–the last step of the determination process. Once decided, the 2015 Maine Teacher of the Year will be announced at a surprise event by the end of October.
Casco Bay High School principal Derek Pierce has been nominated for the Nellie Mae Education Foundation’s 3rd Annual Larry O’Toole Award. If selected, Pierce will receive a $100,000 grant for his school, which is located in Portland.
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While some teachers were taking advantage of the summer to relax, Deb Clark, a Gifted and Talented Program teacher at Winslow Elementary, spent the better part of one week volunteering at the Maine State Aquarium in West Boothbay Harbor. The experience provided a chance not only to give back to the aquarium, a place she has been bringing her students for years, but to grow personally and professionally.
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Earlier this week, a 24-person panel came together in Augusta to begin reviewing the state’s math and English language arts standards.
The panel’s membership – which includes parents, teachers, principals, superintendents, school board members, college professors and business leaders – is diverse, as are their perspectives. Over the next six weeks, they’ll assess the rigor and clarity of each standard and make suggestions where improvement is needed.
I personally asked them to participate in this critical process because learning standards underlie much of our work in the coming years to transform education in Maine, from the awarding of proficiency-based diplomas to the implementation of educator evaluations and next generation assessment systems. If changes are needed, the time to make them is now. Continue reading “Transparent, inclusive process will improve Maine’s standards”
The Maine DOE is warning schools to think twice before paying invoices from a Las Vegas based company calling itself Scholastic School Supply.
Continue reading “Maine DOE warns of scam targeting schools”
The Update of Maine Schools form is now overdue. This year’s electronic version replaced a paper form previously sent to school administrative units and private schools. Please check the status of your updates and complete them as soon as possible. The form requires a Superintendent signature to complete the process and make it “Ready for Approval” in NEO.
The 23 Academy Fellows who graduated from the Governor’s Academy for STEM Education Leadership program this summer were provided with professional development opportunities designed to build leadership qualities with a focus on STEM integration.
Continue reading “Fourth cohort of Maine Governor’s STEM Academy graduates”
The Department is reminding school administrative units (SAUs) that, in addition to the requirement that they provide parents of children receiving special education (or adult students receiving special education) a copy of the procedural safeguards once each year, the following events also trigger a duty to provide the procedural safeguards:
Maine high schools are invited to register for Poetry Out Loud, a nationwide program that encourages youth to learn about poetry through memorization and recitation while helping students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage.
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Maine DOE Newsroom 