Good Afternoon,
My name is Stephen Bowen. I am the Commissioner for the Maine Department of Education, and I thank all of you for coming out today for this important event. Continue reading “Commissioner Stephen Bowen’s remarks at Literacy for ME launch in Lewiston”
LEWISTON – Literacy is not just reading and it’s not just the responsibility of schools. Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen, educators, business people and others joined together Tuesday at the Lewiston Public Library to launch a statewide effort aimed at assisting communities to build local plans for helping their kids, adults, immigrants and others achieve higher levels of literacy and be prepared for success as adults.
“All around us here in Lewiston are the sites of old textile mills where kids fresh out of high school – maybe not even with a diploma – would go to work and earn a decent living for the rest of their lives,” Bowen said. Continue reading “Communities asked to create local literacy plans”
The Governor’s Office has issued the following notice:
AUGUSTA – In accordance with a Presidential proclamation, the United States flag and the State of Maine flag shall be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset today, September 11, 2012, in remembrance of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and United Flight 93. Continue reading “Flags to be flown half-staff Tuesday, September 11”
AUGUSTA – Hope Elementary School and Solon Elementary School were among those recognized this month as U.S. Department of Education’s 2012 National Blue Ribbon Schools by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
Continue reading “Two Maine schools receive national recognition”
POLAND – Shannon Shanning, a seventh- and eighth-grade special education teacher at Whittier Middle School, was named the 2013 Maine Teacher of the Year in front of students, colleagues, family and other distinguished guests Monday. In keeping with Maine tradition, Shanning was not informed ahead of time that the “all-school assembly” was called to honor her.
Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen presented Shanning with the award – the first awarded to a special education teacher as far back as program records indicate. Bowen also read a letter of congratulations from Governor Paul LePage.
Continue reading “Poland teacher named 2013 Teacher of the Year”
AUGUSTA – The Maine Department of Education formally submitted a request for flexibility under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (or No Child Left Behind Act) to the federal government Thursday afternoon.
Continue reading “Request for ESEA flexibility formally submitted to feds”
Today is a big day for education in Maine.
Today the Department will formally submit a request for flexibility under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act – and it’s been a long time coming.
Maine’s been working for a year to craft this new accountability and improvement system, which aims to help struggling schools improve and to consider multiple valid measures when evaluating performance.
We’re extremely proud of the waiver request we’re submitting today – and we couldn’t have completed it without the combined efforts of educators, stakeholders and the general public.
Continue reading “Commissioner’s Update – September 6, 2012”
The following press release was issued today by First Lady Ann LePage.
AUGUSTA – First Lady Ann LePage is announcing the Maine is ME Student Art Challenge, in partnership with the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy.
Continue reading “First Lady Ann LePage announces “Maine is ME Student Art Challenge””
The Maine Department of Education has agreed to recruit schools to serve as field testing sites to administer NECAP science inquiry tasks in grades 5, 8 and 11. The field tests will occur between Oct. 29 and Nov. 20, 2012.
Continue reading “Opportunity to participate in NECAP science inquiry tasks”
State law, 20-A MRSA Section 13013-A subsection 5 & 6; as Amended by PL 2012 c. 702, established the National Board Certification Scholarship Fund to encourage teachers to apply to and enroll in the certification program offered by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, or its successor organization.
Continue reading “New scholarship fund for National Board-certified teachers”
Maine DOE Newsroom 