There are many changes happening in school nutrition this year worth noting. School Food Authorities have the opportunity to receive an additional six cents per reimbursable lunch if they adhere to the new meal pattern and receive certification by the state. The additional reimbursement will become available to all certified SFAs Oct. 1, 2012.
Continue reading “New nutrition guidelines offer additional lunch reimbursement”
Many school administrative units have not completed the Public School Approval Form (EF-I-291) at the individual school level or the school administrative unit level. Continue reading “Reminder: Public School Approval Form (EF-I-291) due”
It is past time for the annual Highly Qualified Teacher (HQT) data collection. Although an earlier reminder was not included in the weekly Commissioner’s Update, the information was originally posted on the Department’s Reporting Calendar, with a due date of May 15, 2012.
Continue reading ““Highly Qualified Teacher” reporting past due”
Teachers, guidance counselors, administrators, bus drivers and others responsible for student welfare in school are required by Maine law to report to their supervisors or to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services whenever they have reasonable cause to suspect child abuse or neglect has occurred.
Continue reading “Online training for reporting abuse, neglect”
A small group of Maine residents joined an online forum Monday night to provide Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen with feedback on the Department’s draft proposal for flexibility under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
Continue reading “Maine residents join first forum online to discuss ESEA flexibility draft”
Well, the time has come.
For nearly the past year, we’ve been working on a proposal for flexibility under the decade-old No Child Left Behind Act (or Elementary and Secondary Education Act). Maine will submit its application by Sept. 6, and it’s important to us to involve the public one more time as we finalize a plan for creating a better school accountability and improvement system.
Continue reading “Join statewide discussion on ESEA flexibility”
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of MaineCare continues to work with the Department of Education to find solutions to some fundamental issues regarding reimbursements for services provided to MaineCare-eligible students in Special Purpose Private Schools (SPPS) and public school administrative units (SAUs).
AUGUSTA – The Maine Department of Education is inviting the public to weigh in one last time on its plan for creating a fairer and more constructive system for holding schools accountable and helping them improve.
Continue reading “Seeking public feedback on education plan”
The Maine DOE will submit a formal request for flexibility under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to the U.S. Department of Education by Sept. 6. Maine is looking to create a fairer and more constructive system for holding schools accountable and helping them improve.
Continue reading “Last chance for input on ESEA flexibility”
Two elementary school teachers and one middle school special education teacher have been named the state finalists for the title of 2013 Maine Teacher of the Year.
The 2013 finalists are: Kathy Bousquet, a second- and third-grade looping teacher at Central School in South Berwick; Shannon Shanning, a seventh- and eighth-grade special education teacher at Whittier Middle School in Poland; and Beth Switzer, a fourth-grade teacher at Coastal Ridge Elementary School in York. Continue reading “Teacher of the Year finalists named”
Maine DOE Newsroom 