Category: News & Views

Caribou Teacher Named 2012 Teacher of the Year

Alana Margeson is chosen from among 10 nominees

Correction: This press release has been corrected to note that Margeson resides in Westmanland.

CARIBOU – Alana Margeson, a 10th– and 11th-grade English teacher at Caribou High School, was named the 2012 Maine Teacher of the Year in front of students, colleagues, family, and other distinguished guests Thursday. In keeping with Maine tradition, Margeson was not informed ahead of time that the “all-school assembly” was called to honor her.

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Bridging our ‘skills gap’ long-term

Author icon: Head shot of Commissioner Stephen BowenMaine employers from all sectors of the economy came to the Blaine House in Augusta last week with a clear message, though not the one most might have expected.

The economy is slow, but we have job openings, the employers told Gov. Paul LePage. More than 20,000 Maine people are receiving unemployment benefits, but we can’t find the workers we need, they said.

In other words, what we have in Maine isn’t only a jobs deficit. It’s a skills deficit, too. We have more available jobs in some sectors than we do workers with the skills needed to do them.

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Preparing for an ‘inevitable’ era

Author icon: Head shot of Commissioner Stephen BowenSometimes it’s helpful to step away for a moment from the frenzy of daily operations to reflect on our work and where it’s headed. That’s what the staff of the Department of Education did earlier this week.

On Tuesday afternoon, the entire DOE was treated to a presentation by Bea McGarvey, former executive director of education for the Portland Public Schools and co-author of the book “Inevitable: Mass Customized Learning.”

Bea shared with us a compelling vision for the future of public education: one that harnesses the power of technology to customize learning for each student based on his or her interests, learning style and educational needs.

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