Governor LePage signs Executive Order protecting local control, student privacy

AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage signed an executive order today affirming Maine’s commitment to protecting local education control and student privacy rights.

The Governor’s action prohibiting the influence of the federal government into Maine’s education policy comes after parents and educators have raised concerns about the Obama Administration’s attempts to hijack successful state-led education reforms, including more rigorous, relevant standards in mathematics and English language arts Maine voluntarily adopted in common with other states in 2011.

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Maine receives ESEA waiver

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act waiver will allow Maine to move forward on local and State reforms that will cut in half the percentage of non-proficient students at each Title I school by 2018

AUGUSTA – Maine will have flexibility in meeting federal education requirements and be allowed to implement its own statewide system to hold schools accountable and help them improve student outcomes.

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Chiefs for Change call for commitment to accountability

In response to the call for a moratorium on accountability related to the Common Core State Standards by some in the education community, Chiefs for Change, a coalition of state school chiefs and leaders committed to education reform which Commissioner Bowen is a member of, released the following open letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan this week:

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