AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage has chosen one of his senior policy advisers, Tom Desjardin, to be the next commissioner of education. Desjardin was sworn in as acting commissioner on Dec. 23, according to an internal email sent that day to all Department of Education employees. His name will be submitted for approval by the […]
education
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine collaborates with New England states on education data
CONCORD, N.H. — Five New England states are working together to improve the accuracy of public education data and make it easier to share across state lines. Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont are part of the New England Secondary School Consortium. Since 2009, they have been collecting and reporting high school graduation […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
Feds award $5 million to Maine pre-schools
PORTLAND — Maine will be receiving more than $5 million in federal funding for pre-school programs and childcare centers. U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree and the U.S. Department of Education announced the funding on Wednesday and said it will help local communities that have tight budgets and cannot sustain early education programs on their own. York […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Lewiston, Edward Little SAT scores drop; state math scores rise slightly
LEWISTON — Local High School SAT scores trended down this year compared to last, according to results released by the Maine Department of Education on Thursday. Math and reading scores for Lewiston High School and Edward Little High School in Auburn went down according to the 2013-14 results. Those are the scores of current seniors […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Lewiston parents voice concerns over proficiency-based learning
LEWISTON — Parents and teachers were given an opportunity Monday evening to express their views — and frustration — about the new proficiency-based learning standards imposed on freshmen this year. The School Committee heard concerns before holding a workshop on how to address shortcomings in the system that replaces traditional grades with numerical ratings of […]
Posted inLetters
In rebuttal, R. Sabine: Fix for education blatantly obvious
In his guest column, printed Nov. 9, Terrence Magee suggests that, when reformers insist the education system is broken, it is “… too simplistic to blame the teachers.” It is too simplistic to blame only teachers – and unnecessary. There is more than enough blame to go around. Yes, the educational system is broken — […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine student loan debt ranks 7th in nation
PORTLAND — Maine continues to have one of the highest undergraduate student loan burdens in the country. The Portland Press Herald reports graduating seniors from Maine’s public and private nonprofit colleges in 2013 averaged $29,900 in debt. The national average was $28,400. The Project on Student Debt says Maine’s figure is seventh in the nation. […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Lewiston committee takes up idea of building big school
LEWISTON — Depending on what a student population projection shows, Lewiston may have little choice but to build a big elementary school or ask property taxpayers to spend millions. That was part of the discussion Wednesday night when the Lewiston School Department’s Redistricting Committee met at Geiger Elementary School. The Redistricting Committee is charged with […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
iPad conference speaker: Technology promotes deeper learning
AUBURN — A lover of science and video games, graphic artist Chuck Carter has used technology for 30 years to turn his drawings into big-name video games, television shows and publications. His art was in the hit video game “Myst.” His drawings became part of print and online publications of National Geographic and Wired magazines, […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
UMaine cuts program for nontraditional students
ORONO — After graduating from high school, Jason Seymour, 42, worked as an electrical motor mechanic in Bangor for 10 years, working on motors for the railroad system and at paper mills in the region, he said. In 2012, he was laid off and did not feel hopeful about finding another job in his field […]