Over the next three weeks I’ll be travelling the state visiting schools and programs to showcase the Maine DOE’s strategic plan which we developed last year with input from hundreds of teachers, parents, students, taxpayers, and others. Whereas last time I was listening for ideas, this time I’m sharing the product of those ideas so we can talk about how to make this vision happen.
Category: Priority Notices
Accountability and improvement work in high gear
Our efforts to create an accountability and improvement system that works for our students, teachers and schools — and replaces the system we have under the No Child Left Behind Act — are kicking into high gear.
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Appreciating our teachers
It’s Teacher Appreciation Week, a time to thank our teachers for their dedication to our students.
Clear expectations, rigorous evaluations, continued growth
If this legislative session results in the passage of just one bill that brings about major improvements to our educational system, this would be it: LD 1858.
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Learning about proficiency-based education
Interested in learning more about proficiency-based education and the efforts of a growing number of Maine schools to transition to a system that’s shaped around students, their needs, and the ways they learn best?
This week is a good week to find out more.
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Starting the serious work of crafting a new accountability system
When we took to the road in December, we wanted to hear what the public had to say about the system we use to hold our schools accountable. And hear from the public we did. We had more than 1,500 people respond to an online survey; several dozen turned out at public forums in Bangor, Portland and online.
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Moving to a learner-centered system
It’s been a busy and exciting month for us as we advance our efforts to move Maine to an education system that is centered around students.
Feedback has started to come in about our newly released strategic plan, “Education Evolving: Maine’s Plan for Putting Learners First.” We appreciate the constructive suggestions and comments from those who have taken time to read the document, and we actively encourage more feedback.
Recognizing education’s evolution
After 10 months of collecting and considering the public’s feedback and thinking seriously about our priorities, we’ve publicly released a strategic plan for education in Maine.
The upside of not being first
Sometimes, it’s OK if we’re not first.
In fact, it offers Maine an advantage when it comes to preparing an application for flexibility from provisions of the federal No Child Left Behind law.
Taking a chance on behalf of kids
When author Tony Wagner visited Maine this summer to speak at the University of Maine, he lamented that there’s not much research and development to speak of in public education.
Maine DOE Newsroom 