Topsham elementary named National Blue Ribbon School

TOPSHAM – An elementary school in Topsham that has seen double-digit increases over the last five years in the percentage of its students deemed proficient is Maine’s National Blue Ribbon School.

The Williams-Cone School in RSU 75 was one of 236 public schools across the country named this morning by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan into the prestigious program that recognizes schools where students perform at very high levels or show significant improvements in closing achievement gaps.

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Proficiency-based learning resources available

The Maine DOE Center for Best Practice (CBP) has created and posted five flyers designed to help districts move forward the conversation about the shift to a proficiency-based learning system. Continue reading “Proficiency-based learning resources available” →

2014 Maine Teacher of the Year finalists named

The annual educator recognition program is now administered by Educate Maine, a business-led organization whose mission is to champion college and career readiness

AUGUSTA – Maine Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen has announced that two elementary school teachers and one middle school teacher have been selected as the state finalists for the prestigious title of 2014 Maine Teacher of the Year.

The 2014 finalists are Mary Graziano, a fourth grade teacher at Hartland Consolidated School in Hartland; Karen MacDonald, a sixth and seventh grade English language arts teacher at King Middle School in Portland; and Suzen Polk-Hoffses, a kindergarten teacher at Milbridge Elementary School in Milbridge.

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A letter from Commissioner Bowen: A new opportunity

It has been a great honor to serve students and schools as the Commissioner of the Maine Department of Education for the past two and a half years. In that time, we’ve made incredible progress in moving from plan to practice our Education Evolving strategic plan to restructure Maine’s education system around our students. Continue reading “A letter from Commissioner Bowen: A new opportunity” →

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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