The Maine Commission for Community Service has released Establishing Service-Learning in Maine School Districts, a follow-up publication to the Commission’s service-learning guide for teachers. The guide is available at no cost for download.
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Away from the headlines, some amazing work is going on in Maine schools and I’ve had the good fortune to visit several schools –most recently Lake Region High School and the career and technical education center.
I also got to meet six talented teachers last Thursday at a ceremony recognizing them as 2014 Maine Teacher of the Year semi-finalists. Yes, Shannon Shanning, our 2013 Teacher of the Year has barely begun her term, but we are already busy reviewing, scoring, and celebrating more great teachers. I was also glad to announce that the Department has entered into a partnership with Educate Maine, a business-led education group, to manage the program. We are excited about this partnership and confident in their ability to further raise the profile of this program, which showcases and highlights exceptional teachers.
You are invited to attend the 2013 Comprehensive School Health Education Spring Conference, Plugging Health Education into the Digital World, May 14, from 7:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Thomas College in Waterville.
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WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Youth Preparedness Council provides an opportunity for young leaders to serve as a member of a distinguished national council; to complete a youth preparedness project for their choosing; to learn about youth disaster preparedness from the leadership at FEMA and other national organizations dedicated to youth preparedness; Continue reading “FEMA seeks young applicants for preparedness council”
Updated Oct. 2, 2013
AUGUSTA – Secretary of State Matt Dunlap applauded students from 24 Maine schools and two homeschools for their efforts in preparing entries for the Maine History Day competition, held April 4 at the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine and the University of Maine at Augusta.
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AUGUSTA – A new set of science standards that Maine took a leading role in helping to develop were released Tuesday evening. Earlier in the day, the State Board of Education was briefed on the Next Generation Science Standards by Anita Bernhardt, the Maine Department of Education science education specialist. The Board anticipates voting on adoption of the standards later this spring.
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Commissioner Stephen Bowen visited Lake Region High School and Lake Regional Vocational Center, both in RSU 61/SAD 61, Naples, to explore their project-based academies and new career and technical education facility as part of his Promising Practices Tour on Friday.
Continue reading “Commissioner explores “academies” at Lake Region HS”
AUGUSTA – On Thursday, six Maine teachers were named as semi-finalist candidates to become the 2014 Maine Teacher of the Year. Governor Paul R. LePage and Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen honored the talented group of educators from around the state in a State House ceremony. Also recognizing the semi-finalists were Steven Pound, chair of the State Board of Education; Tanna Clews, executive director of Educate Maine; and the 2013 Maine Teacher of the Year, Shannon Shanning.
During his State of the State address in February, Governor LePage announced that Maine will introduce a school performance grading system to simplify for parents, taxpayers and others how their schools are doing. Many of you have expressed interest in and concern about how we will generate the grades, and what we will do to support schools that receive low grades.
When I visited East End Community School and Riverton Elementary in Portland last week as part of my Promising Practices Tour, I was blown away by the measures they’re taking to ensure all students are engaged in learning—not an easy feat in such a multilingual district.
East End and Riverton were both identified as underperforming—one in 2009-10 and one in 2010-11—and applied for and received School Improvement Grants. With the help of those grants and technical assistance from the Department, the schools have initiated a number of promising practices. Last week, these schools showed me they’re doing what it takes to get things done.
Continue reading “Portland schools establish promising practices for all students”
Maine DOE Newsroom 