Maine DOE Updates – January 30, 2013

Image of Maine DOE Updates - January 30, 2013
Click the image to view the fully formatted newsletter.

Welcome to the January edition of Maine DOE Updates.

This month, Governor Paul R. LePage submitted his two-year budget proposal – it increases funding in some areas, while moving some retirement costs to local districts. The net result is essentially a flat-funding of education while most other agencies and programs are seeing cuts. We’ve provided some budget-related charts to help you sort it out, and we’ll continue to post new information in the coming weeks as the Legislature debates the Governor’s proposal.

Continue reading “Maine DOE Updates – January 30, 2013” →

Commissioner’s Update – January 24, 2013

Commissioner's Update - Jan. 24, 2013
Click the image to view the fully formatted Commissioner’s Update.

A quick budget update: Jim Rier and I presented an Education Finance 101 lesson to the new Appropriations Committee last week and are following that up with a similar presentation today to the Education Committee. As you all know very well, education funding is complex, so before we delve into policy, it helps if we’re all on the same page in terms of understanding how the system we have works. As part of today’s discussion, Jim will also touch on the proposal in the Governor’s budget to move a portion (about 14 percent) of teacher retirement costs into EPS and then add funds to GPA to cover about half that cost.

There continues to be a lot of misunderstanding about this piece. The state will continue to pay the vast majority of retirement-related costs. Continue reading “Commissioner’s Update – January 24, 2013” →

Bridge Year program poised for growth

Bridge Year student Taylor Smith gives a tour of the United Technologies Center in Bangor.
Bridge Year student Taylor Smith gives a tour of the United Technologies Center in Bangor. Smith is enrolled in the business management program at UTC and hopes to become a nurse.

In the spring of 2014, 14 Hermon High School students will graduate with a high school diploma, a year’s worth of college credits and the incentive to continue their education thanks to Hermon’s Bridge Year program, launched during the 2012-13 school year. Now the program’s steering committee is seeking funding to replicate this progressive program all over the state—and Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen recently announced to committee members and area legislators Gov. Paul R. LePage’s plan to do just that by including money for Bridge Year in his proposed budget. Continue reading “Bridge Year program poised for growth” →

Professional development series offered to world language teachers

A series of free workshops are being offered to world language teachers at the elementary, middle and high school levels for the remainder of the 2012-13 school year. Eighteen Maine world language teachers have been trained as teacher leaders to provide this regional, standards-based professional development. Contact the world language teacher leader(s) listed below to register for a regional workshop.

Continue reading “Professional development series offered to world language teachers” →

Piscataquis schools earn Healthier US School Challenge awards

Piscataquis Community Elementary School earns the Healthier U.S. School Challenge award.
Piscataquis Community Elementary School earns the Healthier U.S. School Challenge award.

A Healthier US School Challenge award ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 24, at Greenville Consolidated School, representing School Union 60. Former Nickerson Elementary School and Greenville Middle/High School both achieved the Bronze level award. Stephanie Stambach from Maine DOE will be presenting the awards.

Two Healthier US School Challenge award ceremonies are being held on Friday, Jan. 25, at Piscataquis Community Elementary School and Piscataquis Community Secondary School, representing RSU 80/MSAD 4. Both schools achieved the Bronze level award.

Continue reading “Piscataquis schools earn Healthier US School Challenge awards” →

Oxford Hills Technical students compete in skills-specific demonstrations

Oxford Hills Technical School Pre-Engineering students Nicholas McNelly and Ian Lejonhud complete a computer simulation using programmable logic controllers.Oxford Hills Technical School pre-engineering students Nicholas McNelly (left) and Ian Lejonhud complete a computer simulation using programmable logic controllers in the school’s Skills Challenge on Jan. 10.

Skills Challenge is an annual afternoon and evening event in which students from the school’s 19 programs participate in skill-specific competitions and demonstrations for parents, community members and others. Continue reading “Oxford Hills Technical students compete in skills-specific demonstrations” →

Students take MLTI’s RiceBowl Challenge to combat hunger

By Kelsey Wood

It’s not too late to register

With hundreds of students from across Maine participating in the Maine Learning Technology Initiative’s annual RiceBowl Challenge, the success of the program is no surprise. MLTI partnered with freerice.com to launch the challenge and to encourage students to help end world hunger. Continue reading “Students take MLTI’s RiceBowl Challenge to combat hunger” →