TURNER — Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen is kicking off a statewide tour Tuesday in Turner and Greene, visiting schools and meeting with educators, parents and students.

Called a Listening Tour, Bowen’s plan is to visit schools, superintendents and parents in each of the state’s nine superintendent regions in the first 100 days he is on the job. The Turner visit is the first of three stops he has so far announced, the others being in the Bangor and Ellsworth areas.

“I want to hear from educators in the field about the work they are doing, and about how the department can best support them in that work, and from parents their thoughts about how we can make our schools better,” Bowen said in a prepared statement. “People in the field know what they need. Most important, I want to hear about their ideas for making the department better and making education in Maine better.”

Bowen said he will use the information to help in developing a long-term strategic plan for education in the state of Maine.

On Tuesday, Bowen’s plan is to meet with local superintendents in the morning, then tour and eat lunch with teachers at the Greene Central School in Greene. He will then visit Turner Primary School. Both schools have shown considerable improvement in overall student achievement. From 6 to 8 p.m. he will hold an open forum for the public at the Leavitt Area High School auditorium in Turner.

For more information and updates on the tour, the department has established the Listening Tour Web page at www.maine.gov/education/listeningtour.