LearningWorks summer programs diminish learning loss

Thanks to LearningWorks for sharing the following article with the Maine DOE for publication.

How does a kite stay airborne? How does the design of a leaf impact its ability to move through the air? How do birds use their beaks to get food?

Over the course of four weeks this summer, third, fourth and fifth grade students at Reiche Community School and East End Community School in Portland  have had the opportunity to ask these questions, and explore the answers through hands-on activities combined with research and study. Continue reading “LearningWorks summer programs diminish learning loss” →

Finding my center

Alana Margeson, Maine's 2012 Teacher of the Year, spent a week in July engaging in hands-on learning at International Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama.
Alana Margeson, Maine’s 2012 Teacher of the Year, spent a week in July engaging in hands-on learning at International Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala.

By Alana Margeson

July was a thrilling month as Maine Teacher of the Year—it involved Bill Gates and Space Camp. My head was spinning…in part from the amount of information to be digested from a national conference on educational policy, and in part due to the multi-axis trainer at Space Camp.

The 2012 Education Commission of the States National Forum on Educational Policy was held July 9 to 11 in Atlanta, Ga. All state teachers of the year were invited this year and were generously sponsored by Pearson Foundation to attend. Keynote speakers included Bill Gates, Sandra Day O’Connor, John Merrow and Michael Fullan. Presenters from all over the world offered more than two dozen sessions, from Common Core State Standards and assessments to reinvigorating civic education.

Continue reading “Finding my center” →

Maine DOE Updates – August 27, 2012

Maine DOE Updates - August 2012
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Welcome to the August edition of Maine DOE Updates.When the school year’s over, the work doesn’t stop in Maine’s education realm.

In a few weeks, the Department will be offering a series of one-day meetings to explain Maine’s new state literacy plan, Literacy for ME. Anyone with an interest in literacy is invited to form a well-represented group locally and sign-up to attend a meeting.

Also this month, we’ve been asking for public feedback on Maine’s proposal for flexibility under the decade-old No Child Left Behind Act (or Elementary and Secondary Education Act). The Maine DOE is dedicated to developing a state accountability and improvement system for our schools that’s thoughtful, fair and constructive, and we’ll submit the application by Sept. 6 – just as we’re buckling down for another productive school year.

Continue reading “Maine DOE Updates – August 27, 2012” →

HEALTH ALERT: Update on pertussis (whooping cough) in Maine

We are sharing the following letter from the Maine Center for Disease Control, to whom we defer on all public health issues. Please share this letter with school principals and school nurses.

Maine, like many other states, has been experiencing an increasing number of pertussis (whooping cough) cases over the past year. Continue reading “HEALTH ALERT: Update on pertussis (whooping cough) in Maine” →

Commissioner’s Update – August 23, 2012

Commissioner's Update - August 23, 2012
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In a few weeks, the Department will be offering a series of one-day meetings to explain Maine’s new state literacy plan, Literacy for ME, which we’ll be unveiling in early September. Educators, literacy specialists, parents, stakeholders—anyone with an interest in literacy is invited to form a well-represented group locally and sign-up to attend a meeting. Helping all Maine residents develop strong literacy skills is an essential part of the Maine DOE’s mission, and we need the involvement of everyone in our communities.
Tonight we will host the last of three public forums to discuss the Department’s draft for ESEA flexibility. If you missed the forums online and in Westbrook earlier this week, you can review a summary of attendees’ feedback below. I encourage you to join us tonight in Brewer at 6 p.m for a final chance to discuss the waiver before we submit to the feds on Sept. 6.
With this issue, the Commissioner’s Update resumes its regular weekly schedule for the 2012-13 school year.

You’re invited: help build a local literacy plan for your community

Literacy for ME logoThe Maine Department of Education will sponsor a series of regional meetings to provide local community teams with an understanding of Maine’s new comprehensive state literacy plan, Literacy for ME. K-12 educators, early childhood educators and providers, adult and family literacy educators,  literacy specialists, parents, school and community librarians, health care providers, and community and business partners are all invited to form teams of four to eight members and sign-up for one of the September meetings.

Continue reading “You’re invited: help build a local literacy plan for your community” →