PORTLAND — About 40 people turned out for a public forum at Portland Arts and Technology High School on Dec. 14 to discuss a new system for holding schools accountable, recognizing success and supporting schools in need of improvement with Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen.
Continue reading “Portland forum focuses on fair, accurate assessment”
AUBURN — Two Auburn Middle School eighth graders were recently honored at the Blaine House for their contributions to the current Maine Youth Excellence in Art exhibit, which is on display in state offices until January.
Continue reading “Auburn Middle School students honored for ‘Excellence in Art’”
A small, but engaged group of Maine residents signed into an online conference room on Dec. 13 to discuss Elementary and Secondary Education Act flexibility with Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen and share their ideas.
Continue reading “Participants join online ESEA flexibility forum”
The U.S. Department of Education is planning to reach out directly to all school districts and state-operated educational facilities — including juvenile justice facilities and centers for students with disabilities — for the 2011-12 Civil Rights Data Collection. This is the first such collection from public schools since 2000.
Continue reading “U.S. DOE plans Civil Rights Data Collection”
We knew there were a lot of opinions and concerns about the nearly decade-old No Child Left Behind Act and its system of for holding schools accountable. We figured people would have a lot to say, and much of it critical.
But almost 1,300 survey responses in a little more than a week?! Well, it’s exactly what we were hoping for. We also had almost 50 people at our Bangor forum last Thursday night, a small but engaged audience online Tuesday night, and about 40 more in Portland last night.
The highlight for me has been sitting with groups of very thoughtful high school students in Bangor and in Portland who shared their thoughts about what makes for an effective school and an effective teacher, and how to measure those qualities.
Keep the comments coming. I especially encourage you to participate in our Newsroom discussion. We are required by the feds to show how we solicited public input. But, more importantly, we need your input to craft an alternative system for measuring up schools, working with those that need help, and recognizing (and sharing best practices from) schools that are excelling.
There’s a bunch of information online about how we’re going about developing our request for flexibility on our ESEA Flexibility web page. Check it out and join the conversation.
The following is a press release from the Maine State Board of Education
AUGUSTA – The Maine State Board of Education has appointed four members to the State Charter School Commission, opening a path for the approval of charter schools in Maine.
Continue reading “Ed board approves charter commission members”
The Maine Department of Education will accept applications for the Federal Qualified Zone Academy Bond (QZAB) Program through March 16, 2012. The Department currently has $6,946,000 of QZAB issuing authority to distribute to qualifying schools units.
Continue reading “Federal tax credit bond applications are open”
The Maine Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance recognized the 2011 Physical Education Teachers of the Year at the group’s 66th annual conference in November.
Continue reading “Physical Ed teachers honored at conference”
Children of military families ages 14 to 18 are invited to attend Winter Survival Camp during the week of February vacation at the University of Maine’s 4-H Camp and Learning Center at Bryant Pond in Oxford County.
The Penobscot Nation Cultural and Historic Preservation Department will host a three-part Wabanaki Scholars Series starting Thursday, Dec. 15 at Minsky Hall on the University of Maine campus in Orono.
