Commissioner’s Update – March 8, 2012

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Four pieces of education-related legislation proposed by Gov. LePage this winter are now available in bill form for the public to review.

Yesterday, the proposals arrived back from the Legislature’s Revisor of Statutes. While the legislation for most of the bills is still not available on the Legislature’s website, we’ve posted the final — but not official — bill language to the Department’s website.

Read the four bills on the Maine DOE website.

The bill language on that web page is already the result of substantial feedback we’ve received from the education community and others. Still, it can only benefit from additional public input.

I encourage you to take a look at the bills and participate in the legislative process as it unfolds. Public hearings are scheduled for next week.

If you’re unable to attend a public hearing in Augusta, feel free to contact legislators on the Education Committee to let them know what you think.

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2013 Teacher of the Year nominees announced

Eight Maine teachers have been nominated for the honor of 2013 Maine Teacher of the Year.

They are: Matthew Amoroso, Thornton Academy, Saco; Katherine Bousquet, South Berwick Central School; Richard Lent,  Leavitt Area High School, Turner; Elizabeth Marass, Sanford High School; Tracy Scully, Acton Elementary School; Shannon Shanning, Whittier Middle School, Poland; Beth Skotarczak, Oxford-Cumberland Canal School, Westbrook; and Beth Switzer, Coastal Ridge Elementary School, York.

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School bus purchases approved for 2012-13

The School Bus Purchase Program award list for 2012-13 bus purchases is now available on the Maine Department of Education’s Pupil Transportation website.

School districts on the list are approved to purchase the bus or buses listed. Those districts not on the list can apply for the 2013-14 cycle of bus purchase funds between Nov. 1 and 25, 2012.

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Session offers ideas for charter schools

From the Maine State Charter School Commission.

PORTLAND — The Maine State Charter School Commission held the first of three public input sessions on Monday, March 5 in Portland. About 55 members of the public turned out to suggest educational gaps in their regions that charter schools could potentially fill.

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Healthy meals when school lets out for summer

By Hayley Simmons

The last thing most Mainers are thinking of with snow on the ground is summer. For Gail Lombardi, Program Manager of the Summer Food Service Program at the Maine Department of Education, however, the next few months will be focused on recruiting sponsors dedicated to feeding children when school lets out for the summer. The Summer Food Service Program, run by the Maine Department of Education, provides kids receiving free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch during the school year with nutritious meals during the long summer months.

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Commissioner’s Update – March 1, 2012

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Our work is all about supporting students so they can be successful in their learning and once they complete high school.

Sometimes that support comes in the most basic form: nutritious meals.

After all, a student who comes to school hungry is less likely to enter the classroom ready to learn and is more likely to spend time in the school nurse’s office. A student without access to nutritious food is less likely to be able to maintain a healthy weight, potentially causing lifelong problems related to obesity.

That’s why next week’s celebration of National School Breakfast Week is so important, and so aligned with our work of preparing all of our students for success in college, careers and civic life.

Every day in Maine, our schools serve breakfast to about 41,000 students who need it. As a result, those students can more easily focus on their school work, discover their passions and take charge of their learning so it’s relevant and engaging.

School Breakfast Week will bring attention to our schools that are giving students an extra nutritious boost in the morning, and help students learn about the importance and the advantages of a healthy breakfast.

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