Today marks the launch of Maine DOE’s new School Improvement Webinar Series. It’s one of the many resources we’re making available to support the school improvement work initiated by our Maine School Performance Grading System.
Continue reading “Building leadership capacity to transform our schools”
Last week I visited Biddeford Middle School as well as elementary schools in MSAD 54, where administrators and teachers are taking hands-on, customized learning to the next level with math labs, academic coaches and workshop-model classrooms.
These districts were the last stops on my Promising Practices Tour, which has taken me to all nine superintendent regions to see innovative practices schools are implementing that show promise and support the Maine DOE’s vision of an evolving education system.
While touring Biddeford Middle School, I was struck by the school’s highly effective use of a full-time math coach. Students attend Coach Heidi Miller’s math lab once a month with their core math teachers, receiving dual instruction as they solve experiential problems. Continue reading “Biddeford and MSAD 54 bring coaches to the classroom”
When we released the A-F report cards for the state’s schools as part of our new Maine School Performance Grading System, we wanted to engage educators and the public in a positive, productive conversation about how we can work together to improve our schools.
That conversation is well under way. Continue reading “Announcing our School Improvement Webinar Series”
Dear Schools,
Last week we reached out to you as part of our continued commitment to communicating the latest updates of the Maine Learning Technology Initiative next generation deployment. We’d hoped that Priority Notice would provide the clarity you needed to inform your district decision-making during this busy budgeting time. Continue reading “Estimating MLTI next generation costs”
Yesterday, Governor LePage and I celebrated our nationally competitive robotics teams and students who have received recognition at the national level for their accomplishments in science, technology, engineering and mathematics – known as STEM.
Maine should be proud of these innovative student leaders who received the Governor’s Promising STEM Awards. Continue reading “STEM education-industry collaboration a model to look to”
When I visited Troy Howard Middle School on Thursday as part of the tail end of my Promising Practices Tour, I was impressed by the school’s two-year academy system that puts students first by placing them in one of three academies based on their learning styles.
Under Principal Kim Buckheit’s leadership, the Belfast school implemented the standards-based academy system to give seventh and eighth graders more control over their learning. The Innovation Academy offers a hands-on approach to those who benefit from project-based learning, the International Academy brings a global perspective to students trying to see the bigger picture, and the Ecology Academy combines experiential learning with the practice of ecological sustainability.
Continue reading “School academies provide customized learning in Belfast”
Dear Schools,
In the month since we announced the next generation Maine Learning Technology Initiative solution, we’ve been busy working with the three vendors and your schools to ensure this initiative continues to best support your learning goals moving forward.
Continue reading “MLTI next generation transition updates”
In response to the call for a moratorium on accountability related to the Common Core State Standards by some in the education community, Chiefs for Change, a coalition of state school chiefs and leaders committed to education reform which Commissioner Bowen is a member of, released the following open letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan this week:
Continue reading “Chiefs for Change call for commitment to accountability”
As you receive this, 1,000 students and 200 educators along with their Apple MacBooks are at the University of Maine showcasing how State-supplied technology is transforming learning and better preparing them for success in their classroom, career and civic life as part of the 10th Annual Maine Learning Technology Initiative Student Conference.
Continue reading “MLTI conference celebrates evolution of learning”
Dear Superintendents:
The Department provisionally adopted Chapter 180, the rules for implementing required teacher and principal evaluation systems, seven weeks ago today. A number of you have been asking me and other Department staff when you can expect the new rules on teacher effectiveness evaluations to go into effect. This is to update you on where that stands and why we have not been able to help you move forward with that work.
Continue reading “Update on status of teacher/principal evaluation rules”
