Category: Priority Notices

Lewiston a model for early college program

LHS students (from left to right) Paige Clabby, Amal Mohamed and Faith Ide describe their early college experiences to Commissioner Stephen Bowen.
LHS students (from left to right) Paige Clabby, Amal Mohamed and Faith Ide describe their early college experiences to Commissioner Stephen Bowen.
View more photos from this event.

I had the chance last week to talk with five students at Lewiston High School who are taking advantage of an early college opportunity that will save them money, expose them to the college experience, and could lead them to future careers. I picked LHS for the second stop on my Promising Practices tour because the kids I talked to are among 68 juniors and seniors who are taking college classes for credit at institutions like the University of Southern Maine and Central Maine Community College. It’s encouraging to see students taking initiative when it comes to their futures, and it’s great to meet teachers and administrators who are making that happen.

Continue reading “Lewiston a model for early college program” →

Next gen MLTI: tablets or laptops?

Tablets or laptops? For at least two years now we’ve been getting that question, similar to the way in which the focus once was: Mac or PC? As with the last time, Jeff Mao, our Director of Learning Technology, and I try to remind people that we don’t choose a device – we choose a learning solution that will enhance learning in the ways we demand in our request for proposals. It’s up to vendors to show us how their solution will do that, whether it’s a laptop, tablet, smartphone or something else.

Continue reading “Next gen MLTI: tablets or laptops?” →

Hermon’s Bridge Year Program keeps earning praise

The Bangor Daily News recently featured Hermon High School’s innovative Bridge Year Program as it nears the end of its successful pilot year. By June, 14 juniors will have earned up to 13.5 college credits and will be on their way to completing associate’s degrees in the year after high school graduation. Governor Paul R. LePage’s two-year budget plan calls for $1 million annually to replicate this five-year high school program in other areas of the state.

Continue reading “Hermon’s Bridge Year Program keeps earning praise” →

Highlighting targeted education support in Lewiston

Headshot of Commissioner Stephen BowenToday I’ll be at Lewiston High School to talk about some of the targeted education support in Governor Paul R. LePage’s proposed two-year budget. These supports include funding to help districts implement the proficiency-based diploma and teacher evaluation systems; to expand access to college opportunities through five-year high school/associate’s degree programs, dual credit, and Adult Ed transition programs; and to make the kinds of supports and technical assistance that have been available only to Title I schools available to all schools.

Continue reading “Highlighting targeted education support in Lewiston” →

Preparing for next tour of schools

A little over a year ago, I outlined a vision for education in Maine, our strategic plan, Education Evolving, at Capital Area Technical Center. A few weeks later, Governor LePage and I laid out the education agenda at the Somerset Career and Technical Education Center in Skowhegan. We at Maine DOE, in collaboration with schools and school districts, have made great progress in changing policies and focus toward a system that supports students in achieving proficiency in rigorous standards that will prepare them to be ready for college and careers.

Continue reading “Preparing for next tour of schools” →

Maine DOE and DHHS ink pledge on early childhood learning

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” →

Impact on education funding in proposed budget

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” →