Maine DOE Updates – December 18, 2012

Maine DOE Updates - December 2012The events at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., continue to be a challenging and painful presence for many of us, especially in education. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the families of the victims and the entire Newtown community.

Maine DOE has created a Sandy Hook web page with a number of resources for school districts, parents and families, including: information about emergency planning and preparedness, how to talk with children, a Q&A, and other materials. We will add to the page as we discover appropriate resources.

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National conference held for educators of language learners (ELLs)

Early childhood through grade 12 educators of language learners (ELLs) are invited to attend the 2013 World-class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) national conference, “Language Learner Success: Building on Strengths.”

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Commissioner’s Update – December 13, 2012

Commissioner's Update - Dec. 13, 2012The Maine Educator Effectiveness Council has met many times this year to develop standards for teacher evaluation systems—and the Council has just submitted its report to the Legislature. Meanwhile, the Department has submitted proposed rules for these systems, based largely on the work of the Council so far.

Legislation passed last session requires school districts to develop and implement systems for evaluating teachers and principals based on professional practice, student achievement growth and other measures. Continue reading “Commissioner’s Update – December 13, 2012”