AUGUSTA – Ken Vencile, an honors and advanced placement biology 
teacher at Camden Hills Regional High School, was named this week as one of 97 mathematics and science teachers nationwide to receive the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
Continue reading “Camden Hills teacher receives Presidential Award”
UPDATED: Pat Hinckley is the new Maine DOE contact for all issues related to bomb threats. Please see her contact information below.
In the instance of a bomb threat, public schools and private schools in which at least 60 percent of students are enrolled at public expense are required by law to notify the Commissioner of the threat within two business days.
Continue reading “Online bomb threat reporting form available”
Governor LePage and I had the opportunity on Monday to attend Hermon High School’s kick-off ceremony for the Bridge Year Program, a pilot project set to launch 15 students on the path toward associate’s degrees starting in July.
This notice is to inform school districts of changes to next year’s testing at the high school level. These changes include new options and opportunities, some of which require immediate action in order to take advantage of them.
Continue reading “New options available for high school assessment”
Some Maine schools (and schools in other states) have recently reported suspicious invoices for tech services that were not provided. As always, we advise that you review invoices carefully to be sure that they describe specific services that were rendered.
The following is a news release from the Maine Charter School Commission.
AUGUSTA—The Maine Charter School Commission will hold public hearings on June 15 and 18 regarding three applications it received from groups seeking to open charter schools. Members of the public are invited to attend and encouraged to offer testimony in favor or opposition, as well as to submit written comments.
Continue reading “Charter School Commission to hold first public hearings”
The following is a news release from the Office of Gov. Paul LePage.
HERMON – Governor Paul LePage helped kick-off a new program Monday evening that will allow students to attain both their high school diploma and an associate’s degree in five years.
Continue reading “Bridge Year education program highlighted in Hermon”
Administrators and teachers at Farwell Elementary School in Lewiston are using iPads to develop new educator evaluation rubrics, the first Teacher Incentive Fund school in Maine to do so. I had the chance to use the app to evaluate fifth grade teacher Danielle Bilodeau when I visited Farwell last week, and I can assure you that teachers have never had any feedback system like this before.
Continue reading “New teacher eval system means better educator training”
Four eighth graders at Sanford Junior High School in Sanford were selected as national finalists in the Siemen’s We Can Change the World Challenge for their campaign to reduce the use of disposable plastic bags.
The students – Brianna Doyal, Alexandra Kruscek, Mariah Anderson and Seth Sprague – call themselves the “Plastiks.” Their service learning project took off last year in seventh and eighth grade teacher Barbara Perry’s social studies class. These four students were chosen to continue their work with Perry and Deb Rosa, Sanford technology integrator, this year. The Plastiks were named state champions for Maine.
Continue reading “Sanford students nationally recognized for plastic bag recycling project”
AUGUSTA – Governor LePage recognized students from Bangor Elementary and Middle Schools for their artwork during the Celebration of Arts Education at the Blaine House on June 6. Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen, Maine’s First Lady Ann LePage and Chair of the State Board of Education James Banks joined the ceremony.
Three kindergarten students from the Fruit Street School – Callie Tennett, Alexander Montano-Smith and Oscar Croce – performed a song they created with the guidance of their music teacher, Anne Chamberlain-Small, at the ceremony.
Thirty-nine pieces of student artwork from Bangor have been on public display since April. The student artwork is viewable online or can be seen in person during office hours at the Maine Department of Education, fifth floor of the Cross Building, in Augusta.
Maine DOE Newsroom 