You Can Nominate Maine’s Next Teacher of the Year

Nominations accepted through January 29

AUGUSTA – You, too, can nominate the next Maine Teacher of the Year. Continue reading “You Can Nominate Maine’s Next Teacher of the Year” →

Waiver Extension Gives Schools Flexibility

Schools would not have to raise minimum local required share for 2010-11

AUGUSTA – In an effort to give local school systems more flexibility in responding to the anticipated 2010-2011 reduction in state funding, the Maine Department of Education has proposed extending protections for local taxpayers that were in this year’s budget proposal.

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Video: First student members of State Board of Education

In April of 2008, Governor Baldacci appointed Honor Wilkinson from Calais High School and Justin Chenette from Thornton Academy in Saco as the first student members of the State Board of Education.

From justinchenette.com and WMTW via YouTube:

New Partnership Helps Parents Engage in Their Kids’ Digital Lives

Program offers guidance on helping kids make smart and safe digital media choices

AUGUSTA – A new partnership will provide parents with the information they need to help their kids make safe and smart decisions about how they use the Internet, mobile phones, social networking sites, TV, and other digital media.

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Maine Expands Laptops to High School Students

Computers also become a family resource, providing tools for parents seeking employment

AUGUSTA – Leading yet again on the integration of laptops into the classroom, Maine is preparing to expand its student laptop program into the high school, providing laptops for school-related use to every public high school student in the state. Maine, which was the first state to provide laptops to all seventh- and eighth-graders, will be the first to provide them statewide at the high school level.

Apple Vice President for Education, John Couch

Listen – 1 minute 27 seconds http://www.archive.org/download/HighSchoolLaptopsExpansion9309JohnCouchVicePresidentApple/couch.mp3%20

Continue reading “Maine Expands Laptops to High School Students” →

Redefining High School

On December 15, 2008, Maine and three other New England states announced a groundbreaking regional partnership aimed at transforming high school for the 21st century in separate events across New England on Monday.

Armed with a $1 million grant from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation and coordinated by the Great Schools Partnership at the Mitchell Institute, the New England Secondary School Consortium will redefine the traditional concept of the American High School to ensure that every student in the four states is competitive with his or her peers worldwide when it comes to academic performance and educational attainment.

Speakers: Governor John E. Baldacci; Education Commissioner Susan A. Gendron; and Dylan Sirois, a senior at Hall-Dale High School.