By Kelsey Wood
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”
At an event to showcase Hermon’s Bridge Year program to area legislators on Friday, Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen told the audience the program is so promising that Gov. Paul R. LePage has included money in his proposed budget to replicate it in schools statewide.
Continue reading “Bowen shares plans for five-year high school expansion”
School administrators and school nurses:
The following notice is from Mary Mayhew, Commissioner, Maine Department of Health and Human Services; and Stephen Bowen, Commissioner, Maine Department of Education.
Continue reading “Schools and widespread influenza in Maine”
In a two-year state budget proposal that has a lot of reductions, education was largely spared by comparison – state education funds to school districts will be essentially flat for the next two years, at the post-curtailment rate. While the budget adds $27 million to GPA, it also shifts $28 million in retirement costs to become a state/local share. Currently those retirement costs are covered entirely by the State – for all districts, from the wealthiest to the poorest. The state will continue to cover the full Unfunded Actuarial Liability – the 25-year costs of paying off retirement obligations for teachers – at $142m, and another $30m-plus for retired teachers health and life insurance.
I plan to share more about the education budget next week. For now, here are some education budget-related charts and summaries for your review.
In a two-year state budget proposal that has a lot of reductions, education was largely spared by comparison – state education funds to school districts will be essentially flat for the next two years, at the post-curtailment rate. While the budget adds $27 million to GPA, it also shifts $28 million in retirement costs to become a state/local share. Currently those retirement costs are covered entirely by the State – for all districts, from the wealthiest to the poorest. The state will continue to cover the full Unfunded Actuarial Liability – the 25-year costs of paying off retirement obligations for teachers – at $142m, and another $30m-plus for retired teachers health and life insurance.
Continue reading “Impact on education funding in proposed budget”
The National Coalition for Core Arts Standards (NCCAS) has released a narrative framework document that details the rationale, goals and strategy of the new National Standards for Arts Education that are currently being written by five arts discipline teams. Continue reading “National Standards for Arts Education narrative framework released”
The following notice was released by the Maine Charter School Commission.
As the Maine Charter School Commission reviews the application of the Fiddlehead School of Arts and Science as a public charter school, an in-person interview and public hearing will be held on Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in Room 400 of the Burton M. Cross State Office Building, 111 Sewall Street, Augusta.
The following notice was released by the Maine Charter School Commission.
As the Maine Charter School Commission reviews the application of the Harpswell Coastal Academy as a public charter school, an in-person interview and public hearing will be held on Friday, Jan. 18, at Cundy’s Harbor Community Center, 837 Cundy’s Harbor Road, Harpswell.
Continue reading “Notice of public input for proposed charter school Harpswell Coastal Academy”
Thanks to the United States Senate Youth Program for sharing the following press release with the Maine Department of Education for publication.
AUGUSTA—Senators Susan M. Collins and Angus King today announced the names of the two students who have been selected as delegates to the 51st Annual United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) that will be held March 9 to 16, 2013, in Washington, D.C.
Continue reading “Maine students selected for United States Senate Youth Program”
By Alana Margeson
As we kick off the new year, I cannot help but be especially reflective, given the profound impact of this year on my personal and professional life. It has been an honor and a privilege to represent my school, community and state as the 2012 Maine Teacher of the Year. Continue reading “Alana Margeson’s “Top Five” lessons as Maine’s Teacher of the Year”
Maine DOE Newsroom 