The Portland Symphony Orchestra invites administrators and teachers to participate in a survey that will influence the Symphony’s education and community programs. The Symphony intends to better serve the Maine community by enriching lives through music.
The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Office of Strategic Initiatives, Partnerships and Outreach is offering the public free, weekly webinars on the Summer Food Service Program. These webinars will review SFSP participation requirements, cover resources and available tools, and highlight successful programs and outreach practices from around the country. At the end of each webinar, FNS program experts will answer listeners’ questions. Listeners should contact the Maine DOE if they have additional questions.
The Maine Department of Education (NCLB Title II, Part B) has a requirement for new Mathematics and Science Partnership grant-funded projects to provide high quality professional development to teachers of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. In accordance with State procurement practices, the Department announces the publication of a Request for Proposals for the professional development.
Career and Technical education students have access to a number of organizations that may help them develop leadership skills and offer the opportunity to compete in events showcasing their technical skills. These conferences are generally held during the spring of each year in a variety of locations throughout Maine.
Maine physics, physical science and math teachers are invited to attend the Annual High School Physics and Physical Science Teachers Meeting at UMaine in Orono. This event is hosted by the University of Maine Department of Physics and Astronomy, the Maine Center for Research in STEM Education (RiSE Center), and the University of Maine College of Education and Human Development.
Commissioners Stephen Bowen and Mary Mayhew announced on Jan. 30, 2013, that they had signed a joint memorandum to form the State Agency Interdepartmental Early Learning team and to encourage the state’s entire early childhood system to take part in this effort.
Three years ago, the state labeled Deer Isle-Stonington High School as one of 10 “persistently low-achieving” schools in Maine. Now DISHS is drawing nothing but acclaim as a result of the dedication of principal Todd West and his faculty to school-wide improvement, from the ground up.
Being labeled one of the lowest-achieving schools impacted not only the reputation of DISHS, but also the students’ opinions of their education. “The damage that that did to the psyche of the school was incredible,” said Leslie Billings, special education/math teacher. “There’s got to be a better way. For many students, their thought process was, ‘If you’re going to be at the bottom, then what’s the point?’ For some of the students, there is no pride in the school because of that.”
The FY13 sequester is scheduled to go into effect March 1, 2013. Current calculations from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities project a 5.1 percent across-the-board cut to all nondefense discretionary programming, or roughly $2.5 billion from the U.S. Department of Education’s overall budget.
AUGUSTA – The four-year graduation rate for Maine high schools rose for a third year in a row, to 85.34 percent for 2012. It’s a rise of more than 1½ percentage points from the previous year and nearly 5 percentage points since 2009.