AUGUSTA – On Thursday, six Maine teachers were named as semi-finalist candidates to become the 2014 Maine Teacher of the Year. Governor Paul R. LePage and Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen honored the talented group of educators from around the state in a State House ceremony. Also recognizing the semi-finalists were Steven Pound, chair of the State Board of Education; Tanna Clews, executive director of Educate Maine; and the 2013 Maine Teacher of the Year, Shannon Shanning.
When I visited East End Community School and Riverton Elementary in Portland last week as part of my Promising Practices Tour, I was blown away by the measures they’re taking to ensure all students are engaged in learning—not an easy feat in such a multilingual district.
East End and Riverton were both identified as underperforming—one in 2009-10 and one in 2010-11—and applied for and received School Improvement Grants. With the help of those grants and technical assistance from the Department, the schools have initiated a number of promising practices. Last week, these schools showed me they’re doing what it takes to get things done.
Continue reading “Portland schools establish promising practices for all students”
During his State of the State address in February, Governor LePage announced that Maine will introduce a school performance grading system to simplify for parents, taxpayers and others how their schools are doing. Many of you have expressed interest in and concern about how we will generate the grades, and what we will do to support schools that receive low grades.
The Maine School Garden Network (MSGN)—serving schools of all grade levels—has hired its first ever coordinator, Suzanne Balbo, thanks to a USDA Specialty Crop Grant. The USDA grant also will allow the network to promote school gardens, update the website, disseminate information, provide educator trainings and workshops, attend conferences and events, create connections between schools and local farms, and create new school garden sites.
Continue reading “Maine School Garden Network hires coordinator”
The Maine Department of Education is accepting recommendations for the 2013 Maine Educator Talent Pool through April 30, 2013.
Continue reading “2013 Educator Talent Pool recommendations deadline coming up”
The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium shared the following news release March 28.
Due to the overwhelming demand for access to the Smarter Balanced Volunteer Pilot assessment from principals, teachers, parents and the public, the Executive Committee has decided to release a more complete and more broadly available “practice test” in lieu of the Volunteer Pilot assessment. As will be stressed in messaging to schools and districts, the change from a Volunteer Pilot to Practice Test does not impact current testing in support of the Scientific Pilot; all schools signed up for the Scientific Pilot are still expected to test as scheduled.
Continue reading “Smarter Balanced practice test more broadly available”
The 31 states that have banded together to create a new, computer-based assessment system for English language learners are getting their first glimpses at the new English-language proficiency exam being developed to measure the language demands of the Common Core State Standards. Prototypes will be available to the public in the summer.
Continue reading “Preview new English language proficiency test”
The Maine Legislature’s Education Committee held a public hearing March 25 on legislation that clarifies the standard to be applied by superintendents when considering the transfer of a student from one school administrative unit to another by incorporating the standard set forth in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 2, which is that a student must be provided an opportunity to receive the benefits of a free public education.
Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen delivered the following testimony opposing LD 530, An Act to Apply the Standard of Best Educational Interest to Superintendent Agreements for Transfer Students. Continue reading “Bowen testimony in opposition to apply standard of best interest to superintendent agreements”
The Maine Legislature’s Education Committee held a public hearing April 1 on legislation that eliminates the requirement that local funding follow a student to a charter school; adjusts the funding transferred from school districts to charter schools; and amends several funding requirements for charter schools.
Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen delivered the following testimony in opposition to LD 533, An Act to Eliminate the Requirement that Local Funding Follow a Pupil to a Charter School; LD 889, An Act to Adjust Funding Forwarded from School Districts to Charter Schools; and LD 1057, An Act Related to Public Funding of Charter Schools. Continue reading “Bowen testimony in opposition to amend charter school funding”
The Maine Legislature’s Education Committee held a public hearing March 25 on legislation that gives a local school committee of an alternative organizational structure the authority to approve student transfer requests.
Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen delivered the following testimony opposing LD 880, An Act to Change the Process for Student Transfers from an Alternative Organizational Structure. Continue reading “Bowen testimony in opposition to giving AOS’s authority to approve student transfers”
Maine DOE Newsroom 