MDIschools.net

April 26

• [View from New Jersey] N.J. school privatization debate rages on, leaving parents in the dark, Bob Braun, Newark Star Ledger

April 25

• A ‘simple fix’ for school curriculum (and it’s not Common Core), Marion Brady, Answer Sheet

April 20

• [View from the UK] Government's new, old-fashioned schools agenda, Esther Addley, The Guardian
• [ALEC] Controversial Policy Group Casts Long K-12 Shadow,
  Andrew Ujifusa, Ed Week
• Reading between the lines, Editorial, Bangor Daily News

April 17

• What the U.S. can’t learn from Finland about ed reform, Pasi Sahlberg, Answer Sheet
• I Don't Understand Michelle Rhee, Diane Ravitch, Bridging Differences

April 15

• Maine reading scores drop despite above-average education spending, rise in national scores, Christopher Cousins, Bangor Daily News

April 13

• Does the Common Core Matter?, Tom Loveless, Ed Week

April 12

• What teachers know vs. what education policymakers do, Diane Ravitch, Answer Sheet

April 6

• Is there really a point to advocating both standardization and choice?, Bruce Baker, School Finance 101

April 5

• Senate approves standards-based education bill that was rejected by House, Eric Russell, Bangor Daily News
• LePage's overhaul of schools fails in House, Susan M. Cover, Press Herald

April 4

• House rejects standards-based education bill after lengthy debate, Eric Russell, Bangor Daily News
• Standards Based Education bill fails crucial House vote, Gerald Weinand, DirigoBlue
• LePage’s whacky views on education, Gerald Weinand, DirigoBlue

April 3

• Common Core: Nobody said it was going to be easy, Stephanie Day, Answer Sheet
• Support may have shifted away from standards-based education bill, Eric Russell, Bangor Daily News
• State education chief gives Freeport educators a glimpse of future learning, David Harry, Forecaster

March 31

• VIDEO: Education Commissioner Bowen on Standards Based Education, Gerald Weinand, Dirigo Blue

March 30

• [Reprise: learning incentives]
  • Daniel Pink on motivation, Washington Post
  • Being Ranked Can Reduce IQ, Christopher Shea, Wall Street Journal
  • Another Reason I Think Class Rank Stinks, Patrick Larkin, Burlington High School Principal's Blog
  • Deans of College Admissions Discuss Class Rank, Patrick Larkin, Burlington High School Principal's Blog

March 29

• Maine teachers describe how standards-based education really works, Heather Steeves, Bangor Daily News
• Education assessment plan draws mixed views, Mike DeSumma, WLBZ
• School leaders invited to summer institute, Maine DoE

March 28

• Pilot program to offer students non-traditional courses, Ben Hanstein, Daily Bulldog

March 26

• Learning about proficiency-based education, Commissioner Bowen, Maine DoE Newsroom

March 25

• No grade levels? No letter grades? Rockport conference to tackle questions about standards-based education, Heather Steeves, Bangor Daily News
• Student choice at center of proficiency-based learning, Susan McMillan, Morning Sentinel
• New England embracing new standards, Susan McMillan, Morning Sentinel
• Data on new system limited, Susan McMillan, Kennebec Journal
• Rushed or cautious?, Susan McMillan, Kennebec Journal

March 24

• Following the movement, Susan McMillan, Kennebec Journal
• Maine schools using the model, Kennebec Journal

March 23

• ...the “I pay your salary” and “I pay twice for schools” arguments, Bruce Baker, School Finance 101
• Maine committee votes against public dollars for religious schools, Susan McMillan, Press Herald

March 22

• Bill to allow public funds for religious schools rejected, school choice put on hold, Eric Russell, Bangor Daily News
• LePage school choice, religious funding lose, Susan McMillan, Morning Sentinel
• How, and How Not, to Improve the Schools, Diane Ravitch, New York Review of Books
• What standardized tests should assess, Marion Brady, Answer Sheet

March 21

• Committee approves system for evaluating Maine’s teachers, Eric Russell, Bangor Daily News
• Teacher effectiveness bill passes early hurdle, Steve Mistler, SUn Journal
• Heavy workload packed into end of Maine legislative session, John Richardson, Press Herald
• Maine panel could vote today on mandating evaluations of teachers, Susan McMillan, Press Herald

March 20

• Framework for evaluating LD 1854 "open enrollment" bill, Brian Hubbell, MDIschools.net

March 19

• Education panel amends bill requiring schools to sync calendars, Jen Lynds, Bangor Daily News
• Need seen for virtual charter schools, Susan McMillan, Press Herald

March 18

• LePage discusses school reforms in radio address, AP, Bangor Daily News

March 16

• Testimony divided on LePage education bills, Steve Mistler, Sun Journal
• LePage school choice proposals divisive, Susan McMillan, Kennebec Journal
• At public hearing on school choice bills, request for AG to rule on constitutionality, DirigoBlue
• LePage calls for school choice at Capitol for a Day event, AP, Bangor Daily News
• Controversial School Choice Bills Being Considered, Mal Leary, Capitol News Service

March 15

• Testimony opposing LD1854 - "open enrollment" and private school tuition subsidy, Brian Hubbell
• Testimony opposing LD 1866 - religious tuition subsidy, Brian Hubbell
• Bill Would Allow Public Funding for Religious Schools, Laura Roberts, WABI

March 14

• Education committee hears teacher evaluation bill, Caroline Cornish, WCSH
• Lewiston School Committee opposes LePage's school choice bills, Bonnie Washuk, Sun Journal

March 13

• School choice bills risk widening quality gap, Editorial, Bangor Daily News
• LePage's plan undermines public education, John Kosinski, MEA

March 12

• A look at the Governor’s four education reform bills, Gerald Weinand, DirigoBlue
• Education reform bill's essence is to make it easier to fire teachers, Mary Paine, Morning Sentinel

March 11

• Education bills are making a late appearance, Sunday Telegram
  ...cull this ambitious agenda to only the items that can get the amount of attention they require, and let the administration reintroduce the controversial elements next year.
• Education committee to hold public hearings on LePage’s controversial reform bills, Eric Russell, Bangor Daily News

March 9

• Public Charter School Vision Discussed In Bangor, Lauren Morrison, WABI
• Conservative Maine Group Pushes Digital Learning Initiative, Patty B. Wight, MPBN

March 8

• [Reprise] Church Schools Seek Public Funds, Brian Hubbell, MainePolitics.net
• Resources must be used for public needs, Carole Sargent, Press Herald
• Maine State Charter School Commission public input session 6:30pm, at UTC in Bangor
• Maine experts agree with national report that says high school isn’t ‘tough enough’, Christopher Cousins, Bangor Daily News
• [Learning from FInland] Schools We Can Envy, Diane Ravitch, New York Review of Books

March 7

• Democrats, teachers union see plot to stifle debate in delayed education bills, Steve Mistler, Sun Journal
• Hearings scheduled for Governor's education bills
• Lot of governing left for Legislature in short window of time, Eric Russell, Capitol Incite
• Bill language released for education proposals, Maine DoE Newsroom
  • LD 1854: An Act to Expand Educational Opportunities for Maine Students
  • LD 1858: An Act to Ensure Effective Teaching and School Leadership
  • LD 1865: An Act to Enhance Career and Technical Education
  • LD 1866: An Act to Remove Inequity in Student Access to Certain Schools

March 6

• [...So goes Louisiana] Bobby Jindal vs. Public Education, Diane Ravitch, Bridging Differences
• Education reforms criticized, Marsha Sills, Advocate
• Deadline limits charter schools opening in fall, Tom Bell, Press Herald

March 5

• Charter school efforts pick up speed, Susan McMillan, Kennebec Journal

March 4

• [...So goes Kansas] Blaine Amendment brings challenges to private school parents, Joe Robertson, Kansas City Star

March 1

• This Absurd Takeover of Our Public Life, Deborah Meier, Bridging Differences

February 23

• Scarborough school chief draws budget 'line in the sand', Mario Moretto, Forecaster

February 22

• Public Schools Create Citizens In A Democratic Society, Jeffrey Mirel, Shanker Blog
• Charter School Segregation Target Of New Report, Joy Resmovits, Huffington Post
  ...recommend that state legislatures explicitly state in their laws that charter schools aim to "enhance equitable educational outcomes for all students, particularly those who have historically struggled"
• Manipulating the process?, Steve Lovejoy

February 25

• Hall-Dale's grading system raises questions, Susan McMillan, Kennebec Journal

February 21

• 'Rigor mortis' in teacher evaluation systems, Aaron Pallas, Answer Sheet
• Maine charter school panel seeking public feedback, AP, Bangor Daily News
• State process could delay opening of Portland charter school, Gillian Graham, Forecaster

February 20

• LePage, Bowen let down public schools, Edgar Allen Beem, Forecaster
• School consolidation: money saver or total failure?, Heather Steeves, Bangor Daily News

February 18

• Portland sees cost in LePage's school proposal, Tom Bell, Press Herald

February 17

• Governor's education plan violates church-state separation, Mark Schwartz, Press Herald
• Borrowing wise words from those truly market-based, Private Independent schools…, Bruce Baker, School Finance 101
  ...If rating teachers based on standardized test scores was such a brilliant revelation for improving the quality of the teacher workforce, if getting rid of tenure and firing more teachers was clearly the road to excellence, and if standardizing our curriculum and designing tests for each and every component of it were really the way forward, we’d expect to see these strategies all over the home pages of web sites of leading private independent schools
• Ed Committee schedule for 2/13-2/17

February 16

• Charter school commission to hold public input sessions, Matthew Stone, Maine DoE Newsroom
• [Predicting the Effect of the Common Core State Standards on Student Achievement] The 2012 Brown Center Report on American Education, Tom Loveless, Brookings Institution

February 14

• "Putting Students First": critique of the Governor's initiative, Brian Hubbell, MDIschools
• Affluent, Born Abroad and Choosing New York’s Public Schools, Kirk Semple, New York Times
• School choice lifts ‘tyranny of town line’, Stephen Bowen, Bangor Daily News
• Seven misconceptions about how students learn, Valerie Strauss, Answer Sheet

February 13

• Outcomes Analyses Suggest Concerns for Virtual Schools, Michael Morrison, Decisions Based on Evidence
• A Case For Value-Added In Low-Stakes Contexts, Matthew DiCarlo, ShankerBlog
• [NCLB, ESEA] Maine DOE makes plans for improved accountability, David Connerty-Marin, Maine DoE Newsroom
• Ed Committee schedule for 2/13-2/17

February 12

• [If teachers hate it, it must be good] Education proposals deserve consideration, Editorial, Sunday Telegram

February 11

• Let's Strengthen Teachers, Schools and Communities, Not Weaken Them, Seth Berry, BerryBlog
• Cornville charter school ready for students to come in fall, Doug Harlow, Kennebec Journal

February 10

• Maine may soon make its bid to leave No Child Left Behind, Steve Mistler, Sun Journal
• Attempt in Maine to Reach Agreement on Teacher Evaluations Hits Roadblock, Jay Field, MPBN

February 9

• School choice is the wrong choice, Editorial, Bangor Daily News
• LePage proposes sweeping education changes, Erin Rhoda, Morning Sentinel

February 8

• ["Puts students first"] Gov. LePage, Commissioner Bowen announce new education initiatives, press release from Governor Lepage
  • "Putting Students First", Governor's handout
• VIDEO: Gov. LePage and Ed Commish Bowen roll out 3 bills to reshape Maine’s schools, Gerald Weinand, DirigoBlue
• School choice, public funding for religious institutions headline LePage education plan, Steve Mistler, Sun Journal
• [Poll question on public funding of religious schools] LePage unveils controversial education proposals, Alex Barber, Bangor Daily News
• LePage Administration Unveils Controversial Education Package, Jay Field, MPBN
• Closing schools: Good Reasons and Bad Reasons, Bruce Baker, School Finance 101
• Time’s up for some RSUs, Gordon A. Donaldson Jr., Bangor Daily News
• “Only Connect…”: The Goals of a Liberal Education, William Cronon, University of Wisconsin
• LePage proposes sweeping education changes, Kelley Bouchard, Morning Sentinel
• Proposed bill would require school boards to get parents involved, AP, Bangor Daily News
• N.H. Schools Embrace Competency-Based Learning, Catherine Gewertz, Ed Week

February 7

• LePage to propose bill allowing tax dollars to be used for religious school tuition, Gerald Weinand, DirigoBlue.com

February 6

• Ed Committee schedule: 2/06-2/10

February 4

• Pennsylvania Schools’ Financing Fight Pits District Against ‘Charter on Steroids’, Sabrina Tavernise, New York Times

February 3

• Maligning teachers association is cheap political shot, Adam Leach, Bangor Daily News

February 2

• Schools rethink traditional grades, Dick Broom, Mount Desert Islander
• The Perilous Conflation Of Student And School Performance, Matthew DiCarlo, ShankerBlog
• School choice will make Maine more student-friendly, commissioner says, Mal Leary, Bangor Daily News

February 1

• Planned science-centered school in Portland seeks charter OK, Glenn Jordan, Press Herald

January 30

• Charter school rules public hearing testimony
• Bowen plan for schools changes focus, Editorial, Bangor Daily News

January 29

• School districts reeling from a cut in federal funding for special ed students, Abigail Curtis, Bangor Daily News

January 27

• Sumner Program in Step with Education Commissioner’s Focus, Jacqueline Weaver, Ellsworth American
• LePage Reiterates Threat to Close Schools if Medicaid Cuts not Approved, A.J. Higgins, MPBN
• Proposed Portland charter school signs laptop deal with Google, Seth Koenig, Bangor Daily News

January 26

• Maine Education Chief Promotes School Choice Legislation, MPBN

January 25

• [Standards and proficiency]Bill would alter Maine graduation criteria, Susan McMillan, Press Herald
• [Standards and proficiency] Adjustments to Traip Academy redesigned presented, Deborah Mcdermott, Portsmouth Herald
• Moving to a learner-centered system, Commissioner Bowen, Maine DoE Newsroom
• School choice will make Maine more student-friendly, commissioner says, Mal Leary, Bangor Daily News

January 24

• Author: Reform failed because schools delivering 1892-style education, Bonnie Washuk, Sun Journal
• The facts that school reformers ignore, Richard Rothstein, Answer Sheet

January 23

• Legislature's Education Committee's schedule for 1/23-1/27
• Parents should enter the debate over “School Choice Week”, Karran Harper Royal, Parents Across America

January 22

• [View from BC, Canada] British Columbia's Education Plan, British Columbia Ministry of Education

January 21

• NCLB waivers: The devil is in the details, Jack Hassard, Answer Sheet
• Schools get tossed into budget-cut warnings, Ann S. Kim, Press Herald
• Teacher evaluation plan draws concern, Susan McMillan, Kennebec Journal

January 20

• Maine Education Chief Calls for Statewide Teacher Evaluation Standards, Jay Field, MPBN
• Can LePage close Maine’s schools? No, but he can cut their state funds, Abigail Curtis, Bangor Daily News
• [View from the Territories: Basin and Range] School choice supporters celebrate education options in Arizona, Michelle Reese, Tribune

January 19

• State looks at new high school diploma, Bonnie Washuk, Sun Journal
• Is Gov. LePage preparing to propose school choice?, Eric Russell, Capitol Incite
• Is Gov. LePage preparing to propose school choice?, Eric Russell, Bangor Daily News
• Income And Educational Outcomes, Matthew DiCarlo, Shanker Blog

January 18

• Strategic plan and 'proficiency-based' education: 1/18/2012 work session notes
• Recognizing education’s evolution. Commissioner Bowen, DoE Newsroom
• Education Evolving: Maine's Plan for Putting Learners First, DoE web page
• Local superintendents praise new state education plan, Bonnie Washuk, Sun Journal
• [Words of one syllable department] Alison Consoletti: Maine Is Not the Number One Charter Law, Center for Education press release

January 17

• Education Evolving: Maine's Plan for Putting Learners First, DoE Strategic Plan
  • Discussion: Maine’s strategic plan for education, DoE Newsroom forum
• Maine Education Chief Unveils Sweeping Reform Plan, Jay Field, MPBN
• Maine plan for education improvements unveiled, Glenn Adams, AP
• Education commissioner rolls out new plan that he says puts learners first, Eric Russell, Bangor Daily News

January 16

• Legislature's Education Committee's schedule for 1/16-1/20

January 11

• Panel backs Maine bill to avoid expulsions from school, John Richardson, Press Herald

January 10

• Ravitch: No Child Left Behind and the damage done, Valerie Strauss, Answer Sheet

January 9

• Legislature's Education Committee schedule for 1/09-1/13

January 8

• Online public schools fall to bottom of class, John Hechinger, Bloomberg News

January 6

• Report: Does money matter in education?, Valerie Strauss, Answer Sheet

January 4

• Legislature's Education Committee schedule for 1/04-1/20

January 1, 2012

• [Maine and Finland] Indigenous Innovation: How Small Places can Change the World, Alan Lishness, TEDx Talks

2012

News archive