State preparing for move to Smarter Balanced assessment in 2014
AUGUSTA – Reading and math scores in grades 3 through 8 are flat, while writing scores increased slightly after a decline the previous year. The scores are from the latest New England Common Assessment Program tests, taken in October 2012.
AUGUSTA – Maine’s finance and education commissioners questioned Education Committee action on Wednesday that they called the opening salvo in a campaign to undermine the state’s new public charter schools before they have barely gotten started.
Continue reading “Commissioners cry foul over charter funds vote”
A little over a year ago, Maine scored high, but not high enough, on its application for a Race to the Top grant to promote advances in the state’s early childhood learning systems. We and our counterparts at the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, who worked collaboratively to develop the plan, held a press conference and pledged to move forward with as much of the plan as we could, even though we would not receive any federal funding.
Continue reading “Maine DOE and DHHS ink pledge on early childhood learning”
The Maine Environmental Education Association is seeking nomination applications for recognition of outstanding environmental achievement in Maine in the following four categories:
Continue reading “Call for Maine Environmental Education Association award nominations”
At an event to showcase Hermon’s Bridge Year program to area legislators on Friday, Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen told the audience the program is so promising that Gov. Paul R. LePage has included money in his proposed budget to replicate it in schools statewide.
Continue reading “Bowen shares plans for five-year high school expansion”
School administrators and school nurses:
The following notice is from Mary Mayhew, Commissioner, Maine Department of Health and Human Services; and Stephen Bowen, Commissioner, Maine Department of Education.
Continue reading “Schools and widespread influenza in Maine”
In a two-year state budget proposal that has a lot of reductions, education was largely spared by comparison – state education funds to school districts will be essentially flat for the next two years, at the post-curtailment rate. While the budget adds $27 million to GPA, it also shifts $28 million in retirement costs to become a state/local share. Currently those retirement costs are covered entirely by the State – for all districts, from the wealthiest to the poorest. The state will continue to cover the full Unfunded Actuarial Liability – the 25-year costs of paying off retirement obligations for teachers – at $142m, and another $30m-plus for retired teachers health and life insurance.
Continue reading “Impact on education funding in proposed budget”
The following notice was released by the Maine Charter School Commission.
As the Maine Charter School Commission reviews the application of the Fiddlehead School of Arts and Science as a public charter school, an in-person interview and public hearing will be held on Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in Room 400 of the Burton M. Cross State Office Building, 111 Sewall Street, Augusta.
The following notice was released by the Maine Charter School Commission.
As the Maine Charter School Commission reviews the application of the Harpswell Coastal Academy as a public charter school, an in-person interview and public hearing will be held on Friday, Jan. 18, at Cundy’s Harbor Community Center, 837 Cundy’s Harbor Road, Harpswell.
Continue reading “Notice of public input for proposed charter school Harpswell Coastal Academy”
Thanks to the United States Senate Youth Program for sharing the following press release with the Maine Department of Education for publication.
AUGUSTA—Senators Susan M. Collins and Angus King today announced the names of the two students who have been selected as delegates to the 51st Annual United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) that will be held March 9 to 16, 2013, in Washington, D.C.
Continue reading “Maine students selected for United States Senate Youth Program”
Maine DOE Newsroom 