AUGUSTA – The Legislature’s Education Committee will take up legislation today that would make it easier for high school students to take courses at Career and Technical Education schools, and to get credit for those courses from their own high schools and community colleges.
Continue reading “Bill would increase access to career and technical education”
Yesterday, the proposals arrived back from the Legislature’s Revisor of Statutes. While the legislation for most of the bills is still not available on the Legislature’s website, we’ve posted the final — but not official — bill language to the Department’s website.
Read the four bills on the Maine DOE website.
The bill language on that web page is already the result of substantial feedback we’ve received from the education community and others. Still, it can only benefit from additional public input.
I encourage you to take a look at the bills and participate in the legislative process as it unfolds. Public hearings are scheduled for next week.
If you’re unable to attend a public hearing in Augusta, feel free to contact legislators on the Education Committee to let them know what you think.
The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium recently released the third draft of its specifications for content that will appear on the next-generation, computer-adaptive assessments the consortium is developing in time for the 2014-15 academic year.
Continue reading “Feedback sought on Smarter Balanced content”
Eight Maine teachers have been nominated for the honor of 2013 Maine Teacher of the Year.
They are: Matthew Amoroso, Thornton Academy, Saco; Katherine Bousquet, South Berwick Central School; Richard Lent, Leavitt Area High School, Turner; Elizabeth Marass, Sanford High School; Tracy Scully, Acton Elementary School; Shannon Shanning, Whittier Middle School, Poland; Beth Skotarczak, Oxford-Cumberland Canal School, Westbrook; and Beth Switzer, Coastal Ridge Elementary School, York.
Continue reading “2013 Teacher of the Year nominees announced”
The School Bus Purchase Program award list for 2012-13 bus purchases is now available on the Maine Department of Education’s Pupil Transportation website.
School districts on the list are approved to purchase the bus or buses listed. Those districts not on the list can apply for the 2013-14 cycle of bus purchase funds between Nov. 1 and 25, 2012.
Continue reading “School bus purchases approved for 2012-13”
The Maine Education Data Management System, or MEDMS, will be unavailable again on Friday, March 9 as the system transitions to new server hardware.
Note: This dispatch was updated on March 7 at 4:57 p.m. to update information about public hearings.
Bill language is now available for four pieces of education-related legislation proposed this winter by Gov. Paul LePage.
Continue reading “Bill language released for education proposals”
From the Maine State Charter School Commission.
PORTLAND — The Maine State Charter School Commission held the first of three public input sessions on Monday, March 5 in Portland. About 55 members of the public turned out to suggest educational gaps in their regions that charter schools could potentially fill.
EAST WATERBORO — How do we teach others to make decisions that allow them to live healthier lives?
Continue reading “Massabesic’s wellness revolution lets students direct learning”
By Hayley Simmons
The last thing most Mainers are thinking of with snow on the ground is summer. For Gail Lombardi, Program Manager of the Summer Food Service Program at the Maine Department of Education, however, the next few months will be focused on recruiting sponsors dedicated to feeding children when school lets out for the summer. The Summer Food Service Program, run by the Maine Department of Education, provides kids receiving free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch during the school year with nutritious meals during the long summer months.
Continue reading “Healthy meals when school lets out for summer”
Maine DOE Newsroom 