MDIschools.net

July 21

• [MDI, Lamoine, Hancock, Ellsworth] RSU 24 Board Approves Debt Service Payment to MDI High School, Jacqueline Weaver, Ellsworth American
• Many States Adopt National Standards for Their Schools, Tamar Lewin, New York Tines

July 20

• Maine’s Race to the Top Application – the Final Analysis, Steve Bowen, Maine Freedom Forum
• [Blue Hill, Penobscot, Brooksville, Castine, Deer Isle, Stonington, Sedgwick, Brooklin, Surry] School Consolidation Effort Dropped, James Straub, Ellsworth American

July 19

• Penquis area school districts to revisit consolidation, Diana Bowley, Bangor Daily News
• Graduation rate drops as state changes calculation, Matthew Stone, Press Herald
• Maine Releases 2008-09 Graduation Rates, DoE press release
• Inside Maine's Race to the Top application, Part 14: "Competition Priorities", Steve Bowen, Maine Freedom Forum
• [...so goes Massachusetts] Towns turn to school mergers, Peter Schworm, Boston Globe

July 18

• A Popular Principal, Wounded by Government's Good Intentions, Michael Winerip, New York Times
• Mitchell tries once again to turn insider success into a win with statewide voters, Jeffery Clark, Pine Tree Watchdog

July 16

• [Blue Hill, Castine, Brooksville, Penobscot, Deer Isle, Stonington, Brooklin, Sedgwick, Surry] Consolidation group to discuss cost sharing, Rich Hewitt, Bangor Daily News

July 15

• Union Endorsement Transparency, Drek Viger, Pine Tree Politics
• Voters opt to close Palmyra school, Christopher Cousins, Bangor Daily News
• Inside Maine's Race to the Top application, Part 13: "state-implemented policies favoring reform", Steve Bowen, Maine Freedom Forum
• New Evaluation Laws Split Teachers Even More, Larry Abramson, NPR
• State to get $13.3M to improve schools, Rich Hewitt, Bangor daily News

July 14

• Garrulous Mr. Gates, Arthur Goldstein, Gotham Schools
• An updated student-teacher ratio, and updated inconsistencies, Matthew Stone, Report Card

July 13

• Maine student-teacher ratio goes up to over 12-to-1, MSMA
• Inside Maine's Race to the Top application, Part 12: 'funding, charters, and innovation', Steve Bowen, Maine Freedom Forum

July 12

• Maine Application Receives Final Approval: Major infusion of funds for seven schools, DoE press release

July 10

• Goodbye Grade Levels, Derek Viger, Pinetree Politics
• [Arundel, Kennebunk] Arbitrator steps in on Thornton dispute, Edward D. Murphy, Press Herald

July 9

• Reformist v. status quo, and a tempering force, Matthew Stone, Report Card
• [$40M less] Baldacci Targets Cuts to Make up for Budget Shortfall, MPBN
• Good vs. Great Teachers: My Ravitch Response, Eric Sheninger, A Principal's Reflections
• Inside Maines Race to the Top application, Part 11: "turning around the lowest-achieving schools", Steve Bowen, Maine Freedom Forum
• [Rx: Vats of carrot soup and standardized tests for Livermore Falls] RSU 36 awarded $1.2M grant to improve education at high school, Donna M. Perry, Sun Journal

July 8

• [Maine Governor's race] The Educational Debate Heats Up, Derek Viger, Pine Tree Politics
• [Annals of choice: Arundel, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport] RSU 21 decision a touchy subject, Ann S. Kim, Press Herald
• Diane Ravitch: NCLB and Race to the Top are killing public schools, Gerald Weinand, Dirigoblue.com

July 7

• Conservative Candidates Take Aim at Federal K-12 Role, Alyson Klein, Ed Week

July 6

• Education issues to take center stage in Governors race?, Steve Bowen, Maine Freedom Forum
• Maine lower than all of New England on per-pupil spending, MSMA
  • Education Spending Per Child, Stephan Burklin, Maine.watchdog.org
• Improving classrooms in Maine, Libby Mitchell, Bangor Daily News
• [Sanford vs. Rockland] Advocates fight about mega-school proposals, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal

July 5

• [Public officials taking votes by secret ballot?]
  • [Jay] Superintendent requested to check public official law, Donna M. Perry, Sun Journal
  • [Rockland, Thomaston] Hohfeld to continue as Regional School Unit 13 chairwoman, Stephen Betts, Herald Gazette

July 4

• [View from New Jersey] Diminishing state aid prompts Glen Ridge officials to consider converting schools to private, charter, Philip Read, Star-Ledger
• NEA Convention 2010: NEA Vote No Confidence in Race to the Top, Mike Antonucci, Intercepts
• NEA's Delegates Vote 'No Confidence' in Race to the Top, Stephen Sawchuk, Teacher Beat
• Schools need more money, not less, Brian Lipsett, Sunday Telegram

July 2

• [Rockland, Thomaston] St. George to look at alternatives to Regional School Unit 13, Stephen Betts, Herald-Gazette
• [Blue Hill, Castine, Penobscot, Brooksville, Brooklin, Sedgwick, Deer Isle-Stonington, Surry] Revised School Consolidation Plan on Tap for Western Hancock County Towns, James Straub, Ellsworth American
• Inside Maines Race to the Top application, Part 10: "improving teacher and administrator preparation programs", Steve Bowen, Maine Fredom Forum
• Talk centers on teachers, not students, Eliot Cutler, Bangor Daily News
• An Alternative Look at the Census Financial Data, SchoolFinance101

July 1

• Derailed FMAP May Trigger Education Cuts, Stephan Burklin, mainewatchdog.org
• Despite Veto Threat, House Passes Edujobs With Race to the Top Cut, Alyson Klein, Politics K-12
• Some State Officials Worried About Race to Top Cut, Alyson Klein, Politics K-12
• [Lubec] Revamp the school construction list?, Doug Rooks, Times Record
• John Bapst to launch boarding program, Eric Russell, Bangor Daily News
• [Dept of the magic 8-ball] Harmony voters approve school budget just under wire, Morning Sentinel

Education Money Lost and Money Gained, Derek Viger, Pine Tree Politics

June 30

• Moderate Democrats Push Back on Cuts to Race to the Top, TIF, Alyson Klein, Politics K-12
• Diane Ravitch on what's wrong with federal ed policy (video), Bridging Differences: What Works in Schools, May 4, 2010
• Charters: Will the Free Market Improve Education?, Claus von Zastrow, Public School Insights
• Voters Back School Tuition Surcharge, Dick Broom, MDIslander
• Could Race to the Top shrink?, Matthew Stone, Report Card
• Inside Maines Race to the Top application, Part 9: "ensuring equitable distribution of effective teachers and principals,", Steve Bowen, Maine Freedom Forum
• A Pastoral Letter on Federal Policy in Public Education: An Ecumenical Call for Justice, National Council of the Churches of Christ
• [Jay, Livermore, Livermore Falls] School consolidation plans made, Donna M. Perry, Sun Journal

June 29

• [Bethel] School Board opposes state's use of student social security numbers, Alison Aloisio, Bethel Citizen
• Smart report on teacher evaluations, Educated Guess
• [Reading First] In Their Own Words: Looking at What Duncan and Company Are Up To, SusanOhanian.org
• Study Finds No Clear Edge for Charter Schools, Lesli A. Maxwell, Ed Week
  • The Evaluation of Charter School Impacts: Executive Summary, IES
  • Bill Gates: Charters Should Lead Innovation, Dakarai Aarons, Ed Week
• Annals of reorganization and school choice:
  • [Kennebunk, Kennbunkport, Arundel] RSU 21 terminates Thornton middle school contract, Kristen Schulze Muzynski, Journal Tribune
  • Lamoine Vote on High School Tuition: informational sheet

June 28

• [...so goes Vermont] Vermont school consolidation talks begin, Burlington Free Press
  ...governor, Jim Douglas, wanted to make consolidation mandatory, but allowed the voluntary merger bill to become law without signing it.
• Improving education will involve re-evaluating the entire system, Rep. Stephen D. Lovejoy, Press Herald

[Rhode Island] A Funding Formula For Success?, National Jounral

June 25

• Hard Choices in Lubec, Editorial, Bangor Daily News
• Way of life ends as Cornville school closes, Sandra Belanger, Morning Senrinel

June 24

• [SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium] Three Groups Apply for Race to Top Test Grants, Stephen Sawchuk, Ed Week
• Lubec high school to close this fall, Rich Hewitt, Bangor Daily News
• Inside Maines Race to the Top application, Part 8: "improving teacher and principal effectiveness based on performance", Steve Bowen, Maine Freedon Forum
• What the heck is Maine's student-teacher ratio?, Matthew Stone, Report Card
• MEA to announce its gubernatorial pick, Matthew Stone, Report Card
  • MEA endorses Mitchell for governor, Kelley Bouchard, Press Herald
• Wales school closing, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal

June 23

• Inside Maines Race to the Top application, Part 7: "providing high-quality pathways for aspiring teachers and principals", Steve Bowen, Maine Freedom Forum
• State Reading ScoresL Are all America's Children Really Above Average?, Voices, Children's Leadership Council
  • Executive Summary
• Rejecting & replacing 'Professional Learning Communities', Alfie Kohn
• [Arundel, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport] RSU 21 board: End Thornton contract, Ann S. Kim, Press Herald

June 22

• Small NYC high schools found to boost achievement, Karen Matthews, AP
• Inside Maines Race to the Top application, Part 6: data systems, Steve Bowen, Maine Freedom Forum
• Latest student-teacher ratio based on wrong numbers, MSMA
• Class-Size Policies, Kyle Zinth, Education Commission of the States
• Strengthening education crucial to attain sustainable prosperity, J. Duke Albanese, Kennebec Journal

June 18

• [North Anson, Embden, Solon, Carrabec] Axed teachers have hundreds of fans

June 17

• Six new regional districts formed before July 1 deadline, MSMA
• Inside Maines Race to the Top application, Part 5: "standards and assessments", Steve Bowen, Maine Freedom Forum
• [Richmond, Hallowell, Farmingdale] RSU 2's 'standards-based' grading to get oversight, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• Education Related Legislation Enacted by the 124th Maine Legislature Second Regular Session, DoE

June 16

• The Importance of Class Size, Derek Viger, Pine Tree Politics
• Inside Maines Race to the Top application, Part 4: "improving student achievement and closing student achievement gaps", Steve Bowen, Maine Freedom Forum
• [Greenbush, Burlington, Edinburg, Enfield, Howland, Maxfield, Passadumkeag] Greenbush voters reject consolidation with SAD 31, Nick Sambides Jr., Bangor Daily News
• [Straks] Voters close school, Morning Sentinel
• Vermont-NEA survey: Poverty a large factor in student achievement, press release, VTdigger.org
• Lamoine Residents at Hearing Favor Preserving School Choice, Jacqueline Weaver, Ellsworth American (on-line only)

June 15

• MDI School Board Calls Lamoines Bluff, Dick Broom, MDIslander
• [...So goes Vermont: Quantifying closing rural schools to increase student-teacher ratios] Charting a course for education? Two analyses, two different answers to cost conundrum, Anne Galloway, VTdigger.org
  ..."Is it realistic to close all these schools? Absolutely not," James said. "Can you close some of them? Probably, but its not the states mandate to close schools. Its really an illustration more than anything else to (show) that Vermont isnt like a lot of the rest of the country. And neither is North Dakota or South Dakota.
  • Effect of Closing Schools on Student / Teacher Ratio, VT-DoE
• [Starks] School's future up for vote today, Erin Rhoda, Morning Sentinel
• Maine should take fresh look at teacher tenure, Editorial, Sun Journal
• On buy-in, below average, Matthew Stone, Report Card
• Inside Maines Race to the Top application, Part 3: "capacity to implement reform", Steve Bowen, Maine Freedom Forum

June 14

• Cross-Country Evidence on Teacher Performance Pay, Ludger Woessmann, PEPG Conference: Merit Pay: Will It Work? Is It Politically Viable?, Harvard Kennedy School

June 12

• Students aren't products and don't roll off assembly lines, Mark Schwartz, Press Herald
• [Pittsfield, Burnham, Detroit] SAD 53 renamed after failed efforts to consolidate, Christopher Cousins, Bangor Daily News

June 11

• Inside Maines Race to the Top application, Part 2"achievement goals, stakeholder support, translating into broad statewide impact", Steve Bowen, Maine Freedom Forum
• [Incentives gone wild] Under Pressure, Teachers Tamper With Test Scores, Trip Gabriel, New York Times
• Restoring Our Schools, Linda Darling-Hammond, The Nation
• Why I Changed My Mind, Diane Ravitch, The Nation
• Lubec group fights against school closure, Sharon Kiley Mack, Bangor Daily News

June 10

• Notice of Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) Grant Opportunity, DoE informational letter
• Inside Maines Race to the Top application, Part 1: overview of reform agenda, Steve Bowen, Maine Freedom Forum
• Talmadge, Waite vote down consolidation effort, Nick Sambides Jr., Bangor Daily News
• DOE grants Acton 'doughnut hole' status; town no longer needs to join with another school district, Ellen W. Todd, Sanford News
• [Guilford] State education officials outline alternatives to consolidation, Shelia Grant , SV Weekly

June 9

• Initial thoughts on a LePage v. Mitchell match-up, Matthew Stone, Report Card
• Global firm to pay Montgomery, Md., schools millions for elementary curriculum, Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post
• Millinocket residents reject school budget, Nick Sambides Jr., Bangor Daily News
• After 50 years, Durham school to close, Connie Footman, Sun Journal
• Embden Elementary School to close doors, Morning Sentinel

June 8

• Otis Votes to Go It Alone, Jacqueline Weaver, Ellsworth American
• Innovations that don't fit the national mold: Maine and Race to the Top, Matthew Stone, Report Card
• Lawmakers question after-school reductions, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• Education officials searching for funds after error, Abigail Curtis, Bangor Daily News
• Lake Region SAT effort paying off, Kelley Bouchard, Press Herald

June 7

• Live Blogging the Education Committees June meeting, Steve Bowen, Maine Freedom Forum
• Performance-based evaluations from the bottom up, Matthew Stone, Report Card
• Performance-Pay Model Shows No Achievement Edge, Stephen Sawchuk, Ed Week
• Common state standards are no more than part of the answer, Valerie Strauss, Washington Post
• Susan Gendron Named Senior Fellow for the International Center for Leadership in Education, press release, Earth Times

June 6

• Scarcelli Offers Plan to Boost Teacher Salaries, Dennis Bailey, Dirigo Blue
• Penquis region rethinks school consolidation, Diana Bowley, Bangor Daily News

June 5

• Educational reform should be focused on students, not teachers, Christopher M. Easton, Press Herald
• Penquis region school officials expected to resume consolidation discussions, Diana Bowley, Bangor Daily News

June 4

• [...So goes Vermont] Governor has school consolidation blues, Louis Porter, Times Argus
• Vermont panel looks at school redistrict, Lisa Rathke, Burlington Free Press
• Saco, Dayton officials call for defeat of school budget, Edward D. Murphy, Press Herald
• St. George eighth-graders to be reassigned, Stephen Betts, Herald Gazette
• [Lee, Springfield, Webster, Winn, Lakeville, Carroll, Drew, Macwahoc, Reed, Codyville, Topsville, Cooper, Grand Lake Stream Plantation, Meddybemps, Princeton, Talmadge, Waite] Residents to vote on school consolidation, Nick Sambides Jr., Bangor Daily News

June 2

• Choice phrasing in Race to the Top, Matthew Stone, Report Card
• Statement from Acting Commissioner Angela Faherty regarding the release of the final Common Core State Standards, DoE press release
• National Governors Association and State Education Chiefs Launch Common State Academic Standards, CCSSI press release
• [Edgecomb, Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Southport] Union 49 Voters Approve Rocky Channels School System, J.W. Oliver, Lincoln County News
• Maine applies for $75 million in school funds, AP
• [Fort Fairfield, Mars Hill, Blaine, Bridgewater] Voters and Education Commissioner Approve Alternative Organizational Structure (AOS) - Mid-County School System (MCSS), Carl Young, Fort Fairfled Chamber of Commerce

June 1

• Maine Submits Race to the Top Application, DoE press release

May 31

• Bleak fiscal future forces schools to make sacrifices at all levels, Kelley Bouchard, Press Herald

May 30

• Students vary too much to rely on testing, Chris Galgay, Press Herald

May 26

• [Dept of valid points extinguished by hyperbole] Stand & Fight for Our Schools, Chris Galgay, MEA
  ... the response of the school boards association and the superintendents association was to raise the alarm that passage of this amendment would lead to anarchy and spell the end of public education in this state.
• Go Slow to Go Fast on Teacher Evaluation, Lois Kilby-Chesley, MEA
• Teachers Being Shortchanged, MEA release
• Is MEA out of touch?, MEA release

May 25

• [Race to the Top] Breaking down buy-in, Matthew Stone, Report Card

May 24

• Teacher/Student Ratios in Maines Public Schools and Gubernatorial Candidates, Mike Desjardins
  • MEA: Maine suffering from ballooning class sizes. Really?, Steve Bowen, MHPC
  • MEA: Maine suffering from ballooning class sizes. Really? (Part 2), Steve Bowen, MHPC
• Taxpayers aren't ready for education reform price tag, Elizabeth Downs, Press Herald

May 23

• For after-school programs, a risk apart from grant bungling, Matthew Stone, Report Card
• After-school, summer programs hit, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• Bad grades bring big opportunities for schools, Editorial, Sunday Telegram

May 22

• Testing can help evaluate teachers, but it's not the sole method, Thomas L. Hilton, Press Herald
• Reading study should be a wake-up call for Maine, Editorial, Press Herald

May 21

• 82 districts sign onto Race to the Top application, MSMA

May 20

• Building buy-in: Maine at 68 for 215 and 14 for 55, Matthew Stone, Report Card
• Reorganization Status of All School Systems, DoE chart
• [Bath region] RSU 1 teacher contract talks go to mediation, Seth Koenig, Times Record
• [Blue Hill, Brooklin, Brooksville, Castine, Deer Isle-Stonington, Penobscot, Sedgwick, Surry] New legislation prompts towns to reconsider school administration consolidation, Colin Powell, Weekly Packet
• 67 districts sign on so far to Race to the Top application, MSMA
• [Farmingdale, Hallowell] RSU 2 won't delay standards-based grading, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• 67 districts sign on so far to Race to the Top application, MSMA
• Maine educators examine critical education issues, MEA press release
• Building buy-in: Maine at 68 for 215 and 14 for 55, Matthew Stone, Report Card
• Education is our most severe crisis, and the danger is increasing, James Gale, Press Herald
• Poverty of Reading Skills, Editorial, Bangor Daily News
• Error delays action on closing Palmyra school, Scott Monroe, Morning Sentinel

May 18

• The Teachers Unions Last Stand, Steven Brill, New York Times Magazine
• Scoring Race to the Top: A Look Behind the Curtain, Steven Brill, Ed Week
• [Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Arundel] Committee and RSU board split over alleged school funding glitch, Laura Dolce, York Weekly
• High school closure up to Lubec voters, Sharon Kiley Mack, Bangor Daily News
• [Department of Fearless Reveilles] Next generation of Maine kids needs more opportunity to succeed, Ron Bancroft, Press Herald
  ...Just now our symphony is playing too many discordant notes. We need a new conductor with a new vision.

May 17

• Faux Tweets Edition, EIA
  ... Maine Education Association says the purpose of the teacher evaluation panel item #2 here) is to help school districts avoid lawsuits. Really? Who's going to sue over teacher evaluations?

May 16

• New system for grading in more schools, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• Teacher evaluation reform not just about federal money, Editorial, Sunday Telegram
• [Bridgton, Naples, Sebago, Casco] 'A real kick in the face', Kelley Bouchard, Sunday Telegram

May 15

• Local control from afar, Editorial, Bangor Daily News

May 14

• Extended Deadline for Race to the Top MOUs, DoE informational letter
• [Palmyra] Typo threatens school closure vote, Christopher Cousins, Bangor Daily News
• [Mars Hill, Fort Fairfield, Bridgewater] Towns to vote on school consolidation June 1, Jen Lynds, Bangor Daily News

May 13

• Surry, Unions 93, 76 to discuss school consolidation, Rich Hewitt, Bangor Daily News
• SAD 31, Greenbush look to finish AOS transition, Nick Sambides Jr., Bangor Daily News
• 'Race' on for funds: Panel endorses use of student data in evaluating educators, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal

May 12

• [South Portland] Teachers' Association signs on to Race to the Top
• Maine on Track in Education Race, DoE press release
• Stakeholder group approves teacher evaluation model, MSMA
• Choosing the evaluation panel's future, Matthew Stone, Report Card
• Stakeholders' group approves evaluation model based on Danielson Framework with modification incorporating student performance, Steve Bowen, Maine Heritage Policy Center live blog
• Race to confusion, Editorial, Bangor Daily News
• Palmyra faces school closure decision, Christopher Cousins, Bangor Daily News

May 11

• Will the budget referendum stay in place?, Matthew Stone, Report Card
• Grading teacher performance, Stephen Bowen, Bangor Daily News
• [Bingham] School district mulls options, Erin Rhoda, Morning Sentinel

May 10

• Who knew? Department of Education stands in liberty's way, Matthew Stone, The Report Card
• [Validation referenda] Deciding how to decide, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• It's wrong to judge educators by students' results on tests, Betsy Saltonstall, Press Herald
• Scratches in the Race to the Top
  • Alaska

May 9

• Charter Schools New Cheerleaders: Financiers, Trip Gabriel and Jennifer Medina, New York Times
  • Albany charter cash cow: Big banks making a bundle on new construction as schools bear the cost, Juan Gonzalez, New York Daily News
• Time is running out for teacher evaluation panel, Editorial, Sunday Telegram
• New Mainemont (Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire) united to cut costs, Tony Payne, Sunday Telegram

May 8

• Time to end unnecessary budget votes, Ben Bragdon, Sun Chronicle
• GOP Candidates on Creationism in Maines Schools, Derek Viger, Augusta Insider

May 6

• Bold approaches beyond pilot-project phase, Matthew Stone, The Report Card
• Reforming Teacher Evaluation in Maine: New Haven, Connecticuts Innovative Approach is a Model for Maine, Stephen Bowen, MHPC
• [The slippery road to standard-based grading] Parents' petition protests change in grade system, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• Lubec board votes to close high school, Sharon Kiley Mack, Bangor Daily News
• [Dover-Foxcroft] SAD 68 bid for exemption rejected, Diana Bowley, Bangor Daily News
• Former Education commissioner Susan Gendron looks back at her term, WCSH
• [...So goes VT] State to keep pushing school consolidation, Howard Weiss-Tisman, Brattleboro Reformer

May 5

• Scratches in the Race to the Top
  • most of California
• [Consolidation catch-up]
  • Not down to 80, but getting closer, Press Herald (5/04)
  • Fayette, Winthrop voters agree to school unit consolidation, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
  • [Winthrop, Fayette] School district consolidation talks still active for some towns, Brian Yocono, WCSH
  • [Mars Hill, Bridgewater, Fort Fairfield] School Consolidation, Chris Weimer, WAGM (5/03)
  • Gendron OKs Orrington-Dedham school unit, Nok-Noi Ricker, Bangor Daily News (5/04)
  • Embracing Consolidation in Rural Maine, Thomas J. Ward, American Association of School Administrators
  • [...So goes VT] School merger incentives are still a possibility, Nancy Remsen, Burlington Free Press

May 4

• AG says stakeholder group must act on evaluations, MSMA
• New Haven teacher evaluation model may be salvation of stakeholder group, Maine Freedom Forum
  • The New Haven Model, Editorial, New York Times (5/02)
  • New Evals Link Teacher, Student Performance, Thomas MacMillan, New Haven Independent (4/27)
• Attorney general, new education chief question chase for Race to the Top funds, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• Too Fast and Too Furious When It Comes to Teacher Evaluation, Rick Hess, Straight Up, Ed Week
• [Edupreneurship] The New Learning Landscape, Tom Vander Ark, Huffington Post

May 3

• Education Reform: Stakeholder Support vs. Bold Ideas, Eliza Krigman, NationalJournal.com
• Live Blogging the second meeting of LD 1799 stakeholder group..., Steve Bowen, MHPC
  • AG Mills raises Race to the Top doubts, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• How Race to the Top "Buy-In" Is Working in Maine, Education Intelligence Agency
• As she departs, Gendron says mergers will prove their value, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• No Grading, More Learning, Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed
• Baldacci claiming credit where it's undue, Matthew Stone, The Report Card

May 2

• Despite Push, Success at Charter Schools Is Mixed, Trip Gabriel, New York Times
• Not only plagiarism from Otten, but a lack of facts, Matthew Stone, Report Card
• Maine gubernatorial candidates respond to questions about education, Augusta Insider

May 1

• Teacher evaluations, Governor Baldacci, radio address

April 30

• Race to the Top MOU Available for Signature, DoE informational letter
  • MoU
  • Scope of Work
• To TAP or not to TAP, that is the question..., Steve Bowen, MHPC
• 2010 Maine Governor's Race: The Issues, Press Herald
• [East Machias, Jonesboro, Machias, Marshfield, Northfield, Roque Bluffs, Wesley, Whitneyville, Cutler, Machiasport, Whiting] Union 102, East Machias voters approve new school system, Sharon Kiley Mack, Bangor Daily News
• [Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Arundel]
  • Kennebunk taxpayers to pay extra due to school funding glitch, Laura Dolce, York Weekly
  • RSU 21 to seek new law to fix charter error, Laura Dolce, York Weekly

April 29

• Race to the Top support still in question: Maine may forgo federal school funds, Lindsay Tice, Sun Journal
• In Defense of Public School Teachers in a Time of Crisis, Henry Giroux (4/14)
• Sheepscot RSU approves budget, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• [Burnham] Today's vote may shut school, Scott Monroe, Morning Sentinel
• [Lee, Springfield, Webster, Winn, Lakeville, Carroll Plt, Drew Plt, Macwahoc Plt, Reed Plt, Codyville, Topsville, Cooper, Grand Lake Stream Plt, Meddybemps, Princeton, Talmadge, Waite] School system plan awaits final OK, Nick Sambides Jr., Bangor Daily News
• [Jay, Livermore, Livermore Falls] Jay, RSU 36 inch toward consolidation, Donna M. Perry, Sun Journal

April 28

• A tiff of irony, a question of purpose, and the administrators' absence, Matthew Stone, The Report Card
• Evaluation group worries about timeline, lack of detail, MSMA
• Some thoughts on yesterday's LD 1799 stakeholder group meeting..., Steve Bowen, MHPC
• Governor, educator exchange words, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• [The view from Vermont] Keep private schools out of the choice mix, Editorial, Burlington Free Press (4/22)
  ...Allowing the most motivated parents -- those most likely to exercise choice -- to abandon public schools and take taxpayer money with them undermines the public schools and multiplies the system's financial challenges.
• Focus on student performance , Matt Jacobson, Bangor Daily News
• [Anson, Embden, Solon, New Portland, Avon, Phillips, Strong, Eustis, Kingfield] Districts' officials cite success in sharing talks, Erin Rhoda, Morning Sentinel

April 27

• Liveblogging the LD 1799 Stakeholder meeting, Steve Bowen, MHPC
• Teacher evaluation catch-up and the would-be's on education, Matthew Stone, The Report Card
• Should Student Scores Be Used To Evaluate Teachers?, Diane Ravitch, Bridging the Differences, Ed Week
• Legislature does good job with budget, but boots education, Ron Bancroft, Press Herald
• Derek Viger interviews Eliot Cutler on school policy
• Let Eliot Cutler know how Maine should direct its education policy: complete this survey
• Scratches in the Race to the Top
  • Vermont
• Candidates for governor respond to questions about Maine and the 'Race to the Top'
  • Democrats
  • Republicans

April 26

• Stakeholders' representatives on the LD 1799 teacher evaluations working group
• Responses from Maine's candidates for Governor on questions of education policy:
  • Democrats, DirigoBlue
  • Republicans, Augusta Insider

April 25

• Candidates for governor aiming to fix education, Matthew Stone, Sunday Telegram

April 23

• [Alexander, Baring, Calais, Charlotte, Crawford, Dennysville, Eastport, Lubec, Perry, Robbinston, Pembroke] Eleven school boards eye AOS partnership to avoid penalties, Lora Whelan, Quoddy Tides

April 22

• The Lesson of Florida, Diane Ravitch, Bridging Differences, Ed Week
  ... Race to the Top will turn out to be a poison pill for American education. It is based on the same "measure and punish" philosophy as No Child Left Behind.
• [RttT scratch list]
  • Indiana
• A Pretense of Science and Objectivity: Data and Race to the Top, Yong Zhao, Michigan State
• [View from the UK] SATs Boycott to go Ahead, NAHT
• Credit Gendron for changes, but much work remains, Ben Bragdon, American Journal
  ...There are talented, forward-thinking administrators and teachers in Maine itching to push the state in the right direction. They need a commissioner who can assure them that the state is a partner, not a parent.
• [...So goes Mississippi] School mergers must be an option, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal
  ...Gov. Barbour had projected savings of $65 million if the number of districts statewide were reduced through consolidation from 152 to 100. The findings presented Monday don't appear to support such substantial savings anytime soon.
• [Dept of Anti-union Psy-Ops] The NEA Pays to Play: Buying Influence With ACORN and Other Leftwing Groups, RiShawn Biddle, Labor Watch, Capital Research Center
• [Alfred, Limerick, Lyman, Newfield, Shapleigh, Waterboro] RSU 57, teachers reach salary agreement, Foster's Democrat

April 21

• Checking in on Race to Top Landscape, Michele McNeil, Politics K-12, Ed Week
• [View from MD] Montgomery County to weigh student performance as a third of teachers' reviews, Daniel de Vise, Washington Post
• [Annals of intra-district choice] Pownal parents to be polled for RSU 5 middle school preference, Amy Anderson, Forecaster
• Stakeholder group to review teacher evaluation systems, MSMA
• Eleven Machias-Area Towns to Vote April 29on Forming Machias Bay Area School System, Fred Hastings, Downeast Coastal Press
• Gendron a good leader in a difficult time, Editorial, Press Herald

April 20

• Teachers union can fix its bad reputation, Editorial, Press Herald
• Race to Top winners chosen arbitrarily -- new report, Valerie Strauss, Answer Sheet
• [BVR] Step in budget process dropped, Scott Monroe, Morning Sentinel

April 18

• [Sunday axe grind: Perpetuating the "falling test scores" meme] Education must drive Maine's economy, Tony Payne, Sunday Telegram
  • David Flanagan responds
    • Top states' performance as a function of spending, pop. density, and income, Brian Hubbell
      • Learning is not achieving, NancyH
• [A skeptic reports from the NESSC] Strategies in every direction is like having no strategy at all, J.G. Fabiano, Portsmouth Herald
• SAT isn't best test of student preparedness, Rita Wakefield, Sun Journal
• Maryland's new education reform is only a start, Editorial, Washington Post

April 16

• Gendron calls on school leaders to review teacher evaluation models, Steve Bowen, MHPC
  ...The TAP program is by far the stronger of the two models. It is a comprehensive and fully integrated system that brings together targeted teacher training and support, thorough teacher evaluations, a career ladder model of professional advancement, and performance-based pay.  As the NEA's paper notes, the TAP program is in place in districts across the county and has proven to be highly effective at improving student outcomes.
     The Framework for Teaching model, though, is far more one-dimensional. It seeks to identify the various components of effective teaching, then uses that "framework" to assess and evaluate teachers. Under such a system, teachers are not evaluated for actually increasing student achievement directly, but for possessing the characteristics and skills that the Danielson framework suggests are simply correlated with increased student achievement. It is not, therefore, a pay-for-performance model. It is undoubtedly better than the evaluation systems in place in most states and school districts, but it is not a system that evaluates and rewards teachers for their success at actually increasing student outcomes.
     But, because it does not directly tie teacher pay to student achievement, it has become the darling of those elements within the teacher unions which favor teacher evaluation reform, and I have little doubt it will be the first model approved by the now-infamous stakeholder group.
  • Reforming Teacher Pay in Maine - Part 1 How Alternative Teacher Compensation Systems are Improving Student Outcomes, Stephen Bowen, MHPC
  • Reforming Teacher Pay in Maine - Part 2 Making Alternative Teacher Compensation Systems Work, Stephen Bowen, MHPC
• A big week in Maine education, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal

April 15

• Scratches in the Race to the Top
  • Kansas
  • Colorado
  • Massachusetts
  • Florida
  • Indiana
  • Nebraska
  • New York
• Gendron exhorts stakeholders in 'Race to To The Top', Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• Clock ticking for union-inspired panel on assessing teachers, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• Race to the Top: States Turn to Danielson's Framework, Ben Licciardi, ASCD, In Service (2/25/2010)

April 14

• One seemingly quiet day, two big education stories..., Steve Bowen, MHPC
• RE: Teacher Evaluation Models (LD 1799), DoE informational letter
  "...look in particular at two of the models in the report "the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP) and the Framework for Teaching (FFT)"
  • Teacher Evaluation Systems: The Window for Opportunity and Reform, Olivia Little, NEA, 2009
  • Governor Signs Order to Put Maine in Better Position to Access Federal Education Funds, Governor's press release & executive order
  • Race to the Top materials
    • Outline Scope of Work
    • Memorandum of Understanding
    • Powerpoint outline detailing components of MOU
• Gendron steps down as education chief, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• Gendron's Departure Met With Disappointment -- For Different Reasons, Anne Mostue, MPBN
• SAT results as gauge of teacher success is cart without a horse , Mary Paine, Kennebec Journal
• [Validation referendum] York selectmen questions motives of School Committee, Jessey Taylor, York Weekly

April 13

• [Annals of market experiments in education] Should Kids Be Bribed to Do Well in School?, Amanda Ripley, Time
  ...Paying second-graders to read books significantly boosted their reading-comprehension scores on standardized tests at the end of the year and those kids seemed to continue to do better the next year, even after the rewards stopped.
• Why Obama's schools funding approach is upsetting educators, Valerie Strauss, The Answer Sheet

April 12

• [Dept. of Assessing: ...1, 2, 3]
  • Standardized Testing: Separating Wheat Children from Chaff Children, Alfie Kohn
    ..."Are we out of our minds? What in the hell have we been letting them do to our kids?"
  • How Should Students Be Assessed?, Eliza Krigman, NationalJournal.com
    • More Widgets, Less #2 Pencils, Tom Vander Ark, Revolution Learning
  • Locating the sweet spot of dumbness: the rationale for NECAPS in the fall, Michael Hock, Vermont Department of Education
    • NECAP timing challenged, NancyH
• Better education system must engage entire community, Leigh Donaldson, Press Herald
• [Budget validation referendum] York school board prefers town meeting voting, Jessey Taylor, York Weekly

April 11

• [...As went Vermont] Local control battled 'efficiency' back in 1915, Mark Bushnell, Rutland Herald
• [...So goes Vermont] House Ed nearly runs aground on Challenges; proposes $23.2M in voluntary reductions for schools, Anne Galloway, VTdigger.org
• Disputes risk Maine's shot at $75 million in schools aid, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
  ..."The union is essentially saying, 'We're going into this at 'no ' They've already succeeded in sinking this thing."

April 10

• Diane Ravitch's letter to Florida lawmakers, Valerie Strauss, The Answer Sheet
• Portland High mounts SAT campaign, Kelley Bouchard, Press Herald
  ...it was common in the past to hear math and English teachers talk about the importance of the SAT, but now foreign language, social studies and even art teachers are talking about it.

April 9

• [Fayette, Wayne] Student 'pool' plan likely, just not now, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• Budget Validation Referendum Requirements, DoE informational letter
• Push on to pay teachers based on performance, Dorie Turner, Kennebec Journal
• Embden students going elsewhere, Erin Rhoda, Morning Sentinel
• Yarmouth HS honor code challenged by parents of suspended lacrosse player, Jenn Menendez, Press Herald
• [Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Arundel, Thornton Academy] Vote to break TAMS contract fails, Suzanne Hodgson, Kennebunk Post
• Finding Condom Sense Solutions to the Education Crisis, Chuck McKay, Augusta Insider
• Looking back on a long week..., Stephen Bowen, MHPC

April 8

• Legislature approves evaluation bill despite AG caution, MSMA
  • AG opinion on LD179920100407
• 'Race to the Top' bill wins, but with an asterisk, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• A pact for D.C. school reform, Editorial, Washington Post
• Use realistic strategies to transform education, Joseph G. Lallande, Bangor Daily News
• [Deer Isle-Stonington] School to apply for federal improvement funds, Rich Hewitt, Bangor Daily News
• Schools Face Choice, Editorial, Bangor Daily News
• [Mount Chase, Patten, Sherman, Stacyville, Crystal, Dyer Brook, Island Falls, Merrill, Oakfield, Smyrna] Aroostook school districts weigh merger, Jen Lynds, Bangor Daily News
• [Rockland, Thomaston, RSU 13] School budget shortfall affects 82 jobs, Heather Steeves, Bangor Daily News
• South Portland residents slam school budget, administrators, Randy Billings, Forecaster

April 7

• States Strive to Overhaul Teacher Tenure, Stephen Sawchuk, Ed Week
  • Delaware's successful Race to the Top application
• What to know about the new DC Teacher Contract, Elena Silva, The Quick and the Ed
• House rejects evaluation mandate; bill goes to Senate, MSMA
• Slow 'Race to the Top', Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
  • Hanging in the balance, Matthew Stone, The Report Card
    • More than Race to the Top hangs in the balance, Matthew Stone 
      • Amended bill wouldn't do the trick, Matthew Stone
        • Sticking to the 'poison pill', Matthew Stone
          • A barrier comes down? A few more thoughts, Matthew Stone
• The fate of LD 1799, and of Maine's hope for a Race to the Top grant, to be decided today, Steven Bowen, MHPC
  • Part 2, Steve Bowen
    • Part 3, Steve Bowen
      • Part 4, Steve Bowen
        • Part 5, Steve Bowen
• Be careful about rating teachers by student performance, Chris Queally, Press Herald
• Fayette, Wayne may share school buildings, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• [York] Town should vote down new school budget process, Editorial, York Weekly
• [Ellsworth, Sullivan, Sumner HS] RSU 24 Board Begins Discussions About 'Transformational Principal' , Jacqueline Weaver, Ellsworth American
• [Ellsworth, Sullivan, Sumner HS] Pathways Offers New Route to High School Diploma, Jacqueline Weaver, Ellsworth American

April 6

• Invitation to Focused RTTT Conversations, DoE informational letter
• Racing Backwards, continued..., Steve Bowen, MHPC
  ...Any volunteers?
  • at present, indefinitely postponed by House: LD 1799 bill status
• [New England Secondary School Consortium] Career center invited to conference, Howard Weiss-Tisman, Brattleboro Reformer
  • [Oak Hill HS, Wales, Searsport HS, Noble HS, North Berwick] High School Redesign in Action agenda
• Grade 10 diploma not a wise idea, Ze'ev Wurman, Sandra Stotsky, San Francisco Chronicle
• [Machias region] School official points up AOS benefits, Sharon Kiley Mack, Bangor Daily News

April 5

• Last-minute proposal would mandate how schools evaluate teachers, MSMA
  • LD 1799, and Maine's hope for a Race to the Top grant, hanging on for dear life in the Maine Senate, Steve Bowen, MHPC
    • ...Part 2, Steve Bowen, MHPC
    • Racing Backwards, Steve Bowen
• Evaluating teachers? Choose from one of the following, Matthew Stone, The Report Card
  ..."We're going to rate teachers on how they dress, whether they brushed their teeth and whether they combed their hair, because if you take away student performance, what do you have left?"
• Re: Dept of twisting data toward private ends - an exchange with Steve Bowen
  • [36th in income, 10th in achievement] School performance: a function of whiteness, income, or teaching?: public education in northern New England

April 4

• States Skeptical About 'Race to Top' School Aid Contest, Sam Dillon, New York Times
• Column oversold use of student data on teachers' report card, Mark Schwartz, Sunday Telegram
• Oak Hill test scores on the rise: Changes lead to improvements, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal

April 3

• Re: Dept of twisting data toward private ends - an email exchange with Steve Bowen

April 2

• [Dept of twisting data toward private ends] Educational Funding, RttT, Commissioner Gendron, Stephen Bowen, Jennifer Rooks, Maine Watch
  Steve Bowen: "...Yes, Maine does relatively well on these national tests. But ...how much of that is what's going on in our schools and how much of it is the unique demographics of this state? We have a student population that is overwhelmingly white, English speaking, certainly not destitute. So ...our kids tend to do well against the 40% of kids in California schools who don't speak English, against the kids trapped in these horrific inner city school districts. ...You compare our kids against kids like them in other states, our rankings on a lot of those things plunge. ...We've been living with a false confidence that our schools are really doing better than they actually are."
  • Re: "Dept of twisting data toward private ends": an exchange with Steve Bowen
• [Rockland, Thomaston] Regional School Unit 13 board rejects call for referendum on consolidation, Stephen Betts, Herald Gazette
• Rockland, South Thomaston to feel brunt of Regional School Unit 13 budget, Stephen Betts, Herald Gazette
• To judge teachers, open the door, Joan Brunnick Dawson, Press Herald
• Education reform should be at front of state's goals, Gary Knight, Kennebec Journal
• [...so goes Vermont] Vilaseca recommends mandatory redistricting, higher student-to-staff ratios and sweeping changes to special education, Anne Galloway, VTdigger.org
• Federal funds provoke House battle over teacher evaluation, Mal Leary, Bangor Daily News
• [Winthrop, Fayette] State OKs combination, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• Projections show state school funding to go down, Matthew Stone, Morning Sentinel
• [School choice, Saco, Dayton, Old Orchard Beach, Thornton Academy] Panel tells RSU state law determines school options, Gillian Graham, Courier

April 1

• Estimated Preliminary Subsidies for FY 2012, DoE informational letter
  ...minimum special education subsidy is set at 25%
• LIVE BLOGGING the South Portland Dems Gubernatorial Candidates Forum on education, Dirigo Blue
• Breaking Down the Race to the Top Scores, Jennifer Cohen, Ed Money Watch
• [Pittston] Exercise, face time raised scores, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• [Ellsworth, Sullivan, Sumner HS] School's Race to the Top means exit for principal, Bill Trotter, Bangor Daily News

March 31

• [Ellsworth, Sullivan, Sumner HS] RSU Board Opts for Federal Aid for Sumner; Principal To Be Replaced, Jacqueline Weaver, Ellsworth American
• Highlights from the data drop, Matthew Stone, The Report Card
• Our Racecar is Busted: Maine in the RttT, Derek Viger, Augusta Insider
• Lewiston bites bullet, seeks fed cash, Editorial, Sun Journal
• Nationalize Education?, Downeast Schoolhouse (3/26/2010)
  ...the purpose of education is not meeting the needs of a 21st-century nation competing in a global economy, but preparing young people to lead successful personal and professional lives and to become informed and caring participants in a democratic society.
• Race to the Top Actually Forcing States To Hew To Arne Duncan's Particular Favorite Policies, David Dayen, Firedoglake
• [Portland] Riverton anxious to elevate its scores, Kelley Bouchard, Press Herald
• Maine can't even line up for 'Race to the Top', Editorial, Press Herald
• Forum set on how to improve Hodgdon High, Jen Lynds, Bangor Daily News
• [Oakland, Belgrade, Sidney, Rome and China] Personal learning plans for everyone, Amy Calder, Kennebec Journal
• Winthrop touts school district merger with Fayette, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• Lubec board, residents discuss closing high school, AOS plan, Sharon Kiley Mack, Bangor Daily News
• State data shows how students are performing, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• Gendron explain's 'lowest-achieving' school rankings, Abigail Curtis, Bangor Daily News
• [Deer Isle, Stonington] Principal's job safe despite designation, Abigail Curtis, Abigail Curtis, Bangor Daily News
• [York] School Committee vote surprises selectmen, Deborah Mcdermott, seacoastonline.com

March 30

• [Budget validation] Upcoming referendum may be last, Scott Monroe, Morning Sentinel
• Maine Lawmakers Enact $310 Million Budget, A.J. Higgins, MPBN
  ...the school consolidation penalities remain intact.
• (Introduction) School Achievement and Progress List, DoE
• School Achievement and Progress List, DoE
• U.S. prep schools push to recruit foreign students, Michael Alison Chandler, Washington Post
• Student performance best way to measure teachers, Ron Bancroft, Press Herald
• Education mired in confusion, Arnold Greenberg, Bangor Daily News

March 29

• A little good news on Race to the Top, lots of bad news, Steve Bowen, MHPC
• [RttT] What do Delaware and Tennessee mean to Maine?, Matthew Stone, The Report Card
• [Common core wars] Corporate control of public education policy, Learning in Maine
• [Bucksport, Orland, Verona, Prospect] RSU 25 board OKs incentive for retirement, Rich Hewitt, Bangor Daily News
• [Winthrop, Fayette; Mars Hill, Fort Fairfield; Machias region] Towns give merging of schools a new try, Matthew Stone, Press Herald

March 28

• Teachers' unions stand in the way of education reform, John Chandler, Sunday Telegram
• [...So goes Ohio] Need for control of costs could lead to consolidations, Editorial, vindy.com
  ...Shrinking the number of school districts in Ohio is a key thrust in a new movement that will soon engulf Ohio. It's called "Restoring Prosperity," and it is led by nonprofit heavyweights The Brookings Institution of Washington, D.C.
• [...So goes Vermont] Commissioner will take recommendations on advisement, Anne Galloway, VTdigger.org
  ...key areas of contention centered on whether the $20 million school boards saved in general education costs could be counted toward the Challenges target for fiscal year 2011; whether consolidating school districts into unified supervisory districts should be voluntary or mandatory; and whether the state should impose a limit on staff-to-student ratios.

March 27

• Where are our schools going?, Commissioner Gendron, Bangor Daily News
  ...We will not "rank" the schools, but the list will contain all the data, and we know there will be a strong temptation by some to do so.

March 26

• Transformation to Aspiration, Bruce Bourgoine, Dirigo Blue
• [Dept of other shoe drops] Upcoming Release of Complete School Achievement and Progress List, Commissioner Gendron, informational letter
• [Livermore Falls] Board rejects grant funds for high school, Ann Bryant, Sun Journal

March 25

• A fifth model for the School Improvement Grant, Henri Gignoux
• Ed Committee amendment to LD570, liberalizing consolidation law
• Down East session stresses school reform, Sharon Kiley Mack, Bangor Daily News
• [Dept of Deja vu] Government needs fix, Caron tells Chamber, Eric Russell, Bangor Daily News
• Failing Students, Editorial, Bangor Daily News
• Huge Turnout in Deer Isle to Discuss High School's Performance, James Straub, Ellsworth American
• Embden school could close, Erin Rhoda, Sun Journal

March 24

• [Ellsworth, Sullivan] Sumner Supporters Urge School Board to Decline Federal Funding, Jacqueline Weaver, Ellsworth American
• Transforming 'persistently low-performing schools': a modest proposal, Brian Hubbell
• Hall-Dale Middle School aims to improve test scores, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• [Houlton] 'Failing school' funding rejected, Jen Lynds, Bangor Daily News
• Proposed Falmouth budget calls for cuts in staff, teachers, Emily Parkhurst, Forecaster
• In education, longer hours seem to pay, Editorial, Sun Journal

March 23

• [...So goes Vermont] Anti-school consolidation coalition forms in Vermont, press release, vtdigger.org
• RESOLVE To Establish a Working Group to Review the Essential Programs and Services Funding Formula, Ed Committee amendment to LD 551
• Conceptual Framework for Maine's RTTT Application, DoE draft
• Committee backs budget restoring $25 million to GPA, MSMA
• Confusion precedes Portland school budget hearing, Randy Billings, Forecaster
• Palmyra Consolidated School may close, Scott Monroe, Morning Sentinel
• Winslow schools face $1.1 million shortfall, Scott Monroe, Morning Sentinel
• [Bath] Hundreds Protest Proposed RSU 1 Budget Cuts, WMTW

March 22

• 'A personal journey for next generation learners', Matthew Stone, The Report Card
• [Common Core] Yet another set of academic standards, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• Still too many schools?, Melissa Maynard, Stateline.org
  ..."It's never about district consolidation, even when they say it is; it's always about closing schools."
• We must prepare schoolchildren to face real world, Linda L. Nelson, Bangor Daily News
• Temporary salary freeze for teachers would help balance budgets, David W. Findlay, Press Herald

March 21

• [Jackman] Rural school has formula for success, Kelley Bouchard, Sunday Telegram
• [Re: NYT's 'Can Good Teaching Be Learned?'] Letter to NYT Magazine, Alfie Kohn
  ...As Jonathan Kozol has observed, 'Children of the suburbs learn to interrogate reality, while inner-city kids are trained for nonreflective acquiescence. What we're being asked to celebrate here are 49 techniques for enforcing that acquiescence.
• Maine Students Perform Well on National Tests, MEA

March 20

• Debate: Are Teachers' Unions the Problem - or the Answer?, Randi Weingarten, Rod Paige, Newsweek
• Innovation vs. Inertia, Editorial, Bangor Daily News
• Student testing not the way to evaluate teacher performance, Chris Galgay, Press Herald
• Lubec to address school problems, Sharon Kiley Mack, Bangor Daily News
• [Skowhegan, Cornville, Norridgewock, Canaan] More cuts despite school's closing, Doug Harlow, Morning Sentinel

March 19

• Further Changes to Education Subsidies, DoE informational letter
  • GPA for Local Schools (3/19/2010)
• [Diane Ravitch on News Hour (3/17/2010] NCLB outrages: Obama Administration Looks to Overhaul No Child Left Behind SusanOhanian.org
• [...So goes Vermont] Unified supervisory union districts; staff-to-student ratios, block grants for special ed on the table, Anne Galloway, Vtdigger.org
• Forum focuses on change in education, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• [Deer Isle, Stonington] SAT fails to define school value, Todd West, Bangor Daily News
• [North Anson] Carrabec to seek education funds, Erin Rhoda, Morning Sentinel
• Houlton meeting to discuss school ranking, Jen Lynds, Bangor Daily News
• Fed program an opportunity or an insult?, Editorial, Sun Journal
• Cornville school due to close, Doug Harlow, Morning Sentinel
• [Windham, Raymond] RSU 14 budget cuts 46 jobs, 19 teachers, Joshua Shea, Independent
• Scarborough board OKs school budget that would cut 34 jobs, Ann Kim, Press Herald
• Lisbon town, school budgets facing cuts, Connie Footman, Sun Journal
• [Bethel] SAD 44 board to begin painful decisions, Eileen M. Adams, Sun Journal
• [Livermore Falls] Students weigh in on school budget cuts, Donna M. Perry, Sun Journal
• [Windham, Raymond] School job cuts, fees proposed, Melanie Creamer, Press Herald
• [South Berwick, Eliot] SAD 35 budget calls cutting 21 teacher, staff positions, David Ramsay, seacoastonline.com

March 18

• Forum seeks input on Race to the Top program, Dawn Gagnon, Bangor Daily News
• [Ellsworth, Sullivan] Colleagues Defend Sumner Principal at Board Meeting, Jacqueline Weaver, Ellsworth American
  • A sincere thank you (to Sumner principal Michael Eastman), Rob Liebow
• Schools can't meet goals without proper funding, staffing, Lisa Savage, Kennebec Journal
• Ed Dept to States: In Race to Top, Only Common Core Will Do, Catherine Gewertz, Curriculum Matters
• [View from CT] Goal 1: Measuring effectiveness, ConnCan
• Dialogue is good, accurate data vital in education-funding crisis, Donald J. Reiter, Kennebec Journal
• [Sheepscot Valley] RSU 12 Board Works On Next Year's Budget, Asks State To Keep Promise, John Maguire, Lincoln County News
• Kingfield community meeting on school options set for Monday, Ann Bryant, Sun Journal
• [Rockwood] School's reopening possible, Diana Bowley, Bangor Daily News
• [Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Arundel] State news helps RSU with tough decision, Editorial, Coast Star

March 17

• {Skip Greenlaw] Channeling consolidation's energy in Hancock County, Matthew Stone, The Report Card
• Teachers' Unions Slam Obama K-12 Budget Proposals, Stephen Sawchuk, Ed Week
• [Dept of The Way Policy Ought To Be] (Vermont) legislation proposes voluntary school mergers, Anne Galloway, VTdigger.org
• State seeks comment in education funds quest, Jessica Bloch, Bangor Daily News
• Along with cuts, Morse seeks more teachers in Portland, Kelley Bouchard, Press Herald
• Camden-Rockport schools reduce spending by $496,000, more may follow, Lynda Clancy, Herald Gazette

March 16

• Education Committee passes Race to the Top legislation, MSMA
• Budget validation process up for vote this year, MSMA
• ...So goes VT (h/t @VTdigger)
  • Team Vilaseca: School district consolidation best option for savings, Anne Galloway, VTdigger.org
  • School taxes may soon get less fair and more complicated, Paul Cillo, VTdigger.org
  • Vermont Department of Education amends list of 'lowest achieving' schools, VT-DoE, press release
  • Department of Ed's mistake-riddled list of 10 neediest schools merits failing grade, VT-NEA, press release
• Cumberland-North Yarmouth school budget could cost up to 30 jobs, Alex Lear, Forecaster
• Bid for charter schools fails again, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• Portland's Riverton School braces for 'unprecedented change' under controversial federal program, Randy Billings, Forecaster
• Nearly $100K in savings eyed in Portland schools administrative shuffle, Randy Billings, Forecaster
• [Dept. of the Beauty of the Bottom Line] School merger law offers new ways to save, Editorial, Press Herald
• [Litchfield, Sabattus, Wales] District likely to see school close, Betty Adams, Kennebec Journal
• [Carrabec, Madison] Schools look for answers, Erin Rhoda, Morning Sentinel
• Effective teachers are the solution to the crisis in education, Ron Bancroft, Press Herald
• Panel endorses 'innovative schools,' nixes charter facilities, Kevin Miller, Bangor Daily News

March 15

• [Bucksport] Funding Reprieve for RSU 25, Cyndi Wood, Ellsworth American
• Innovating within existing infrastructure, Matthew Stone, The Report Card
• A model charter school law, Matthew Stone, The Report Card
  • Liveblogging the Education Committee's Work Session on LD 1801, continued..., Steven Bowen, MHPC
• [Amherst, Aurora, Great Pond, Osborn] Airline communities stave off consolidation efforts, Maddy Glover CMJ 236
• Navigating the Race to the Top Traffic Jam, National Council on Teacher Quality
• State seeks input for education 'race', Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• Towns weigh cutting ties to private schools, Edward D. Murphy, Press Herald
• The benefits of national standards for student achievement, Editorial, Washington Post

March 14

• Obama proposes 'No Child' overhaul, Nick Anderson, Washington Post
  • A Blueprint for Reform: Reauthorization of the ESEA, US DoE
• Kids deserve better than to absorb millions more in cuts to education, Larry Morrissette, Kennebec Journal
• Teachers need small enough classes to give students tools for the future, Carrie Emmerson, Kennebec Journal
• Even without voter approval, Sheepscot RSU has working budget, F. Gerard Nault, Kennebec Journal

March 13

• [Pittsfield, Burnham, Detoit] SAD 53No state penalty for failing to get merger partner: State education commissioner awaits law to justify decision, Scott Monroe, Morning Sentinel
• [...So goes VT] Education Challenges Design Team meetings now open to the public, Anne Galloway, VTdigger.org
• Does the Size of a School Matter?, NY Times
• Bill may relieve school penalties, Christopher Cousins, Bangor Daily News
• Texas board adopts new social studies standards, AP

March 12

• Machias area towns to vote on AOS plan, Katherine Cassidy, Quoddy Tides
• The School Consolidation 'Fix-up' Bill, Legislative Bulletin, MMA
• District surveys Arundel, Suzanne Hodgson, Kennebunk Post
• Cape Elizabeth teachers offer salary cut to help balance budget, Amy Anderson, Forecaster
• 'Lowest-achieving' list not necessarily bad news, Editorial, Press Herald
• Orrington-Dedham consolidation request unanswered, Nok-Noi Ricker, Bangor Daily News
• Don't scapegoat the teachers: To help students, they need tools, time and trust from administrators, Randi Weingarten, USA Today

March 11

• GPA restoration now proposed at $25 million, MSMA
• Additional $5 Million in Education Subsidies, DoE informational letter
• Designation Has Sumner Memorial High School Pondering What's Next, Jacqueline Weaver, Ellsworth American
• [As Falls Livermore...] Superintendent to retire as of July 1, Donna M. Perry, Sun Journal
• Schools Across U.S. Grapple With Closures, Alan Greenblatt, NPR
• Politics and Parsnips: Obama's Common Core, Susan Ohanian, Huffington Post
• [Anson, Embden, Solon, New Portland, Madison, Athens, Starks, Brighton Plantation] Two schools hope to rise, Erin Rhoda, Morning Sentinel
• [Annals of reorganized school choice] (Arundel, Kennebunk) Student welfare is key issue in RSU 21 debate, Editorial, Journal Tribune
• [...So goes VT} Hundreds Of Parents Angry Over School Consolidation Bill, WPTZ
• Bad Teachers: Reform Them or Retire Them?, on-line debate between Newsweek's Evan Thomas and New York Times's Elizabeth Green
• [...So goes Vermont] Consolidation plans draw fire from private school proponents; public school officials support voluntary mergers, Anne Galloway, VTdigger.org

March 10

• [Alfred, Limerick, Lyman, Newfield, Shapleigh, Waterboro] RSU 57 sticks to budget positions, Dan Bustard, Current Publishing
• Draft Common Standards Elicit Kudos and Criticism, Catherine Gewertz, Ed Week
  • Draft K-12 Common Core State Standards Available for Comment, National Governors' Association release
    • Common Core State Standards Initistive
      • Read the standards and comment
• State changes rules to win U.S. grants, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• Governors, state school superintendents to propose common academic standards, Nick Anderson, Washington Post
• Union again calls for tax increase, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• State changes rules to win U.S. grants, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• State lists 'lowest achieving' schools, Christopher Cousins, Bangor Daily News
• [Machias, Jonesboro, Marshfield, Northfield, Wesley, Roque Bluffs, Whitneyville, Cutler, Whiting, Machiasport, East Machias] Committee approves consolidating 11 towns, Sharon Kiley Mack, Bangor Daily News
• Merger moves to join Fayette, Winthrop units, Betty Adams, Kennebec Journal
• 10 schools branded as 'lowest-achieving' in Maine, Kelley Bouchard, Press Herald
• Penalizing towns cannot be justified, Gordon Donaldson, Bangor Daily News
• [Camden, Rockport, Hope, Appleton, Lincolnville] Five Town CSD proposes to reduce 13 positions, Heather Steeves, Bangor Daily News
• [Belfast, Stockton Springs, Frankfort, Swanville] Board pares $515K from school budget; (and status of Frankfort's seccession effort), Steve Fuller, Republican Journal
• [Cape Elizabeth] Budget could cut some 13 Cape school jobs, Ann Kim, Press Herald
• Merger moves to join Fayette, Winthrop units, Betty Adams, Kennebec Journal

March 9

• Preparing for another charter schools battle, Matthew Stone, The Report Card
• Liveblogging the Education Committee's Work Session on the Race to the Top bills, Steve Bowen, MHPC
• [The List] Federal Funds Available for "Persistently Low Achieving" Schools, DoE release
• Will Maine stand a chance in Race to the Top?, Matthew Stone, The Report Card
• South Portland school board cuts 25 jobs, Ann Kim, Press Herald
• [Livermore, Livermore Falls] RSU 36 budget cuts staff, administration, Donna M. Perry, Sun Journal
• Brewer school budget forecast includes layoffs, no tax increase, Nok-Noi Ricker, Bangor Daily News
• [Hallowell, Farmingdale, Monmouth, Richmond, Dresden] RSU 2 superintendent: 'Still down by $1.3 million', Karlene Hale, Capital Weekly

March 8

• [Ellsworth, Sullivan] Sumner Memorial High School Among 10 Lowest-performing Schools in Maine, Ellsworth American
• Building a Better Teacher, Elizabeth Green, New York Times Magazine (3/02/2010)
• [Machias, Jonesboro, Marshfield, Northfield, Wesley, Roque Bluffs, Whitneyville, Cutler, Whiting, Machiasport, East Machias] 11 town boards to gather for school meeting, Sharon Kiley Mack, Bangor Daily News
• Middle school, freshman sports could suffer under budget cuts, Kelley Bouchard, Press Herald

March 6

• 'Race to the Top's' 10 false assumptions, Marion Brady, Washington Post
• Changes to merger legislation advance, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal

March 5

• Committee unanimously endorses consolidation law changes, MSMA
• Discussion of teacher performance evaluations following MEA RttT testimony
• Educators lukewarm about 'federal blackmail', Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• [Dept of real consolidation] Closing Schools, Editorial, Bangor Daily News
• [Windham, Raymond] New state money raises questions for schools, Editorial, Press Herald
• School budget cuts aren't going to be pretty, Joshua Shea, Independent

March 4

• [...So goes Vermont] Addison school district consolidation hailed, Molly Walsh, Burlington Free Press
  ... "It's not going to happen because the state says so. If you look at Maine and what's happened over there, it's just chaos. ...Schools are not the kind of thing you can top-down."
• [North Anson, Anson, Solon, Embden, New Portland] SAD 74 weighs staff cuts to stay within budget, Erin Rhoda, Morning Sentinel

March 3

• [Annals of school choice: Kennebunk, Kennbunkport, Arundel] Thornton Academy: Middle school choice for Arundel is 'breach of contract', Kristen Schulze Muszynski, Journal Tribune
• [Belfast, Frankfort, Swanville, Stockton Springs, Searsport] School closures eyed for savings, Steve Fuller, Republican Journal
• Talk of the Nation: Teachers Feel Ignored In Education Debate, NPR
  • Primary Sources: America's Teachers on America's Schools, Scholastic. Gates Foundation
• Survey: Supportive leadership helps retain top teachers, Nick Anderson, Washington Post
• [Gov's 2nd budget change package] Changes to Education Subsidies, DoE informational letter
  • Updated GPA distribution spreadsheet
• Sing along if you know the words: Duncan Covers Familiar Territory in ESEA hearing, Alyson Klein, Politics K-12
• [+$20M for schools] Governor Presents Changes to Proposed 2010-11 Budget, Governor's press release
• Spare change? Brunswick school chief hopes residents will donate it, Steve Mistler, Forecaster
• Survey: Supportive leadership helps retain top teachers, Nick Anderson, Washington Post
• Scholar's School Reform U-Turn Shakes Up Debate, Sam Dillon, New York Times
• MEABT rates for next year, Tom Major, South Portland Teachers Association

March 2

• Resolution Seeking Fair, Equitable, and Transparent Funding of Education In Maine, Falmouth, Cape Elizabeth, Falmouth, Portland, Scarborough, South Portland and Yarmouth
• Re: Race to the Top, We Regret to Inform You..., Michele McNeil, Ed Week
  • [Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin] Senators to Duncan: Don't Forget Rural Schools, Alyson Klein, Ed Week
• Aid to education on the way?, WSCH
• Maine's worst schools could get $11M boost, Christopher Cousins, Bangor Daily News
• [Fear and Loathing in RI] Obama wrong, Weingarten right, Jay Mathews, Washington Post
• [Manchester, Mount Vernon, Readfield, Wayne] Maranacook goes to towns, seeking $730,000, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• [Pittsfield, Burnham, Detroit] SAD 53 board supports school closure, Christopher Cousins, Bangor Daily News
• [...So goes Ohio] Timing is right in Ohio for smart district consolidation, Eric Ulas, Flypaper

February 27

The $92M Killing Floor
• [Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Arundel] A detailed look at proposed RSU 21 cuts, Laura Dolce, York County Coast Star
• South Portland school cuts target 31 jobs, 1 middle school, Randy Billings, Forecaster
• [Bath region] Two RSU 1 schools to lose sixth grades, Seth Koenig, Times Record
• Proposed Scarborough school budget would eliminate 43 jobs, Linda Maule, Forecaster
• [Rockland, Thomaston] Several Regional School Unit 13 teachers accept retirement incentives, Stephen Betts, Herald Gazette
• [Corinna, Hartland, Newport, Palmyra, Plymouth, St. Albans, Etna, Dixmont] RSU 19: Job cuts, school closure possible, Christopher Cousins, Bangor Daily News
• [Belfast, Belmont, Frankfort, Morrill, Northport, Searsmont, Searsport, Stockton Springs, Swanville] RSU 20 board may close schools to balance budget, Abigail Curtis, Bangor Daily News
• [Milbridge, Cherryfield, Harrington, Columbia, Columbia Falls, Addison] Down East's SAD 37 board rejects plan to close school, Sharon Kiley Mack, Bangor Daily News

February 26

• [Dept. of More Streamlined Piping]
  • Educators learn about new system, Abigail Curtis, Bangor Daily News
    ... "The object of the game is not to use the exams to sort students out. ...We are talking about making it crystal clear to kids what skills they need to pursue their dream and to be successful."
  • Rethinking High School, Editorial, Bangor Daily News
• Notes from today's Ed Committee work sessions, Brian Hubbell
• [Dept of Pie] LD 1801: An Act To Promote the Establishment of Innovative Schools, Governor's bill
• MEPRI reports on EPS funding formula components
• Review of Small School Adjustment in the Essential Programs and SSFM, Oct. 2009 data (includes terms of "high perforning" and "efficient" schools)
• Review of Staff Ratio Components in EPS Model, (Feb. 2010)
• EPS Salary Matrices Review and Update, Oct. 2009 Data (Feb 2010)
• EPS Benefits Percentages Review (Feb 2010)
• Review of Transportation Cost Component, February 2010

February 25

• Sanford School Committee members not fans of NECAP test, Ellen W. Todd, Sanford News
• [...So goes Vermont] Windham school officials weigh in on merger plans, Bennington Banner

February 24

• MEPRI reports to Ed Committee on EPS funding model
  • Impacts of the School Funding Formula on the State Subsidy Received by School Administrative Units, MEPRI
  • Analysis of the Impacts of Including Income in Determining Community Wealth in the Maine K12 School Funding Formula, MEPRI
  • Review of the Small School Adjustment in the Essential Programs and Services Funding Model, MEPRA
  • notes from briefing, Brian Hubbell
• [Dept of the the Glass Half Upside Down] Fear & Loathing in RI
  • A Vote to Fire All Teachers at a Failing High School, Katie Zezima, New York Times
  • Hysteria Around Turnarounds, Vander Ark / Ratcliff
    ...up to half will be rehired.
  • 'Turnaround' Not Only Policy Issue in R.I. Teacher Firings, Stephen Sawchuk, Teacher Beat, Ed Week
• Portland schools chief plans leadership shake-up, Kelley Bouchard, Press Herald
  • draft organization chart
• State revenue picture improving, forecasters say, MSMA

February 23

• Currents in merit pay: Alternative compensation and performance review
  • Houston's Teacher Evaluation Policy (and responses), Eliza Krigman, NationalJournal.com (2/16/2010)
  • Should Teacher Salaries be Linked to Student Performance?, Maurice Elias, Edutopia (2/19/2010)
  • Denver Public Schools teacher evaluations don't mirror quality, group says, Jeremy P. Meyer, Denver Post (2/19/2010)
  • Boston gets an F in teacher appraisals, James Vaznis, Boston Globe
• [...So goes Ohio] Playing to mixed reviews: Try this: Fewer school districts, Alan Johnson, Columbus Dispatch
  ...A Brookings study on Maine a few years ago called for voluntary consolidation. The proposal was incorporated into the state budget passed in 2007.
       When the dust settled, 75 of 290 districts had been eliminated or consolidated, saving the state about $36 million a year and more at the local level, said David Connerty-Marin, director of communication for the Maine Department of Education.
       Districts that opt out of consolidation get the stick: a 2 percent reduction in state funding.
       There haven't been as many mergers as state officials hoped, but there have been benefits, Connerty-Marin said. Some districts have added pre-kindergarten, language and advanced-placement programs.
• State spending limits treat localities far differently than schools, Chris Galgay, Press Herald
• Early graduation plan needs more explanation, Editorial, Kennebec Journal
• Teachers, students should emerge from schools, get into community, Susan E. Melcher, Kennebec Journal
• Portland teachers union: Bargaining needed before new schedule is adopted, Randy Billings, Forecaster

February 22

• K-12 education needs to be revamped, so here's a plan to get it done, David Flanagan, Press Herald
  ...questionable statistics about the SATs

February 21

• Radio Address: Race to the Top, Governor Baldacci
  ...These (innovative) schools ...will have flexibility in instruction design, staff selection, school calendars and assessments of professional development.

February 20

• Dueling educators: four papers on the school funding crisis
• Did the reorganization law succeed in reorganizing Maine's least efficient school districts?, Gordon Donaldson, UMaine, 2/15/2010 (*.pdf)
  (Noncompliant districts cost the state less per pupil than those exempt from reorganization.)
• Truth or Consequences, Superintendent Paul Stearns, MSAD 4, Guilford, 2/17/2010 (*.pdf)
  (Penalty money from districts which educate near the EPS rate shouldn't be redistributed to districts in wealthy communities that significantly overspend EPS.)
• Bold Initiatives, Superintendent Mark Eastman, MSAD 17, Oxford Hills, 2/17/2010 (*.ppt)
  (Detailed emergency suggestions for raising revenue and reducing staff.)
• Food for thought, Superintendent Bill Webster, RSU 24, Ellsworth, 2/19/2010 (*.ppt)
  (Even after curtailments, state subsidy is higher than it was in 2004. Time to tighten the belts.)
• Official: FBI probing Pa. school webcam spy case, Maryclaire Dale, Washington Post

February 19

• Snide*ness Alert!, Downeast Schoolhouse
• Brunswick schools Aid cut sparks spat, Beth Brogan, Times Record

February 18

• 6 votes kill South Portland plan to save $140K, Randy Billings, Forecaster
• [Taping over the MacBook's iSight]
• Suit: Pa. school used webcams to spy on students, AP
• Lower Merion School District response to 'invasion of privacy' allegation, news release

[Cradle to workforce: Revisioning the educational pipeline for more laminar flow]

• High Schools to Offer Plan to Graduate 2 Years Early, Sam Dillon, New York Times
• 'Tough Choices' Education Initiative Grows with the Addition of Three States and a Newly-Announced NEA-Business Coalition, Skills of the American Work Force Commission
• Executive Summary, 'Tough Choices or Tough Times
• [David Flanagan of Central Maine Power, Superintendent Morse and Mark Gray of the MEA] Analysts: School funding crisis an opportunity for change, Randy Billings, Forecaster
  ..."We have a mentality in public education that we're in the happiness business. ...We're not in the happiness business. We're in the business of giving kids the skill sets in order to be successful leaders for Maine and the future."
• Grants to Develop, Test Next-Generation Teaching Tools in Math and Literacy, Gates Foundation
• Maine schools join plan allowing early entry to college, Abigail Curtis, Bangor Daily News
• Maine high schools to offer early graduation, Bonnie Washuk, Sun Journal
• Invitation to Briefing on Board Examination Systems, DoE informational letter
• Rep. Sarty Details Proposal to Let School Districts Self-insure, Maine House Republicans news release

February 17

• [Dept. of curtailments: The Shorter Pipeline] Pilot Project to Test Early College for Maine Students, Josie Huang, MPBN
• [Dept of botched salutations to the House Speaker] Brunswick School Board chairman, legislators spar over aid cuts, e-mail remarks, Steve Mistler, Forecaster
• Machias-area educators upbeat on repeal of school penalties, allowance for new alternative school organizations: Legislative panel unanimously backs amendments proposed by Small Schools Coalition, Fred Hastings, Downeast Coastal Press (not on-line)
• Don't sacrifice the lessons in real life, Editorial, Sun Journal
• [Alfred, Limerick, Lyman, Newfield, Shapleigh, Waterboro] RSU 57 to appeal state subsidy cut, Dan Bustard, keepmecurrent.com

February 16

• [Dept of relentless flogging] Consolidation Consequences, Editorial, Bangor Daily News
  [On-line response]
     The logic of this editorial seems flawed.
     First, was the consolidation law good for the districts that reorganized or was it bad for them?
     If it was good for them -- if they now are enjoying the necessary relief and advertised benefits of the policy -- how are they harmed whether or not the districts which found no benefit from the law are penalized?
     And, if it was bad for them -- if, in fact, the penalties rather than educational and cost benefits were what forced them into bad policy decisions -- then why is the harm done to them compelling reason to apply the same harm more broadly?
  

     Further, the editorial concludes that, because 40% of the state budget goes to support schools, the state should get to set the rules.
     But there are non-compliant towns in which school spending represents over 90% of the local tax assessment.
     Following the editorial's reasoning, should this give these towns more than twice the authority of the state?

February 15

• [Dept. of curtailments: the shorter long view] In Utah, a plan to cut 12th grade -- altogether, DeeDee Correll, LA Times
• In response to the PPH editorial supporting penatlies, comments continue.

February 14

• School districts that won't merge should pay the price, Editorial, Sunday Telegram
  • ...Wrong

February 13

• Facing debt, towns eye property tax, Kevin Miller, Bangor Daily News

February 12

• (Washington) County schools face $4.3 million loss in subsidy, Susan Esposito, Quoddy Tides
• [Annals of consolidation] But That Trick Never Works, Mike Antonucci, EIA
  • Kansas
  • Georgia
  • Vermont
• [Dept of test-teaching synergies] Company that produces standardized tests based in NH, Ashley Smith, Nashua Telegraph
  ...In the meantime, the company is concentrating on other projects, including a partnership with the Nashua School District to help the high schools better align their curriculum to testing standards. Nashua is the only district in the state that has this kind of partnership, although the company is in talks with others.
      "Nashua is a very forward-thinking district," said Diane Bailey, national assessment consultant for Measured Progress.
• Legislation puts flexibility in school consolidation law, MSMA
• Schools hit hard Down East: Some districts find state aid cut in half, Sharon Kiley Mack, Bangor Daily News
  ...Lubec is one of the hardest hit. Its subsidy for school year 2009-2010 was $601,908. The 2010-11 subsidy will be $29,107.
• [Scarborough, South Portland, Cape Elizabeth] Schools demand more state aid, Tess Nacelewicz, keepmecurrent.com
• Caribou RSU fears staffing reductions, Jen Lynds, Bangor Daily News
• Machias not suffering big school subsidy cuts, Sharon Kiley Mack, Bangor Daily News
• Policy advocate starts Web site on school funds, Jessica Bloch, Bangor Daily News
• [Livermore, Livermore Falls] School board majority backs merger with Jay, Sun Journal
• Plan to Ease Consolidation for Smaller School Districts Moves Forward, A.J. Higgins, MPBN
• [Oxford Hills] School plan gets hearing in Otisfield, M. Dirk Langeveld, Sun Journal

February 11

• [Deja vu: Approps trumps Policy] Legislative Committees Spar Over Education Funds, A.J. Higgins, MPBN
• Education Committee 2/11 agenda
  • Committee votes out LD570 OTP: Report from today's work session
• [So goes Vermont] Scheuermann proposes elimination of supervisory unions, creation of 'educational districts', Rep. Heidi E. Scheuermann, VTdigger.org
• [Amity, Cary Plantation, Haynesville, Hodgdon, Linneus, Ludlow, New Limerick] SAD 70 schools see $312,000 loss in state aid, Jen Lynds, Bangor Daily News
• [Pittsfield, Burnham, Detroit] SAD 53 to air cost-cutting ideas, Scott Monroe, Morning Sentinel
• [Bingham, Moscow] Money woes smack district, Erin Rhoda, Morning Sentinel
• [Saco, Dayton, Old Orchard Beach] A surprise for district: smaller cut in state aid, Edward D. Murphy, Press Herald
• [Tooting the NECAPs] A bright spot during trying times for RSU 21, Editorial, York County Coast Star
• Angry Brunswick officials demand explanation, action from lawmakers, Beth Brogan, Times Record
• [Ellsworth] RSU 24 Superintendent Says Consolidation Saving Classrooms, Jennifer Osborn, Ellsworth American

February 10

• Two views of AP
  • AP Participation, Successes Increase: Maine exceeds nation in percentage of students scoring 3 or above, Maine Department of Education
  • Sixty-nine percent of Vermont AP exams taken by high school seniors were scored at three or higher, Vermont Department of Education
  • Maine Students Improve Performance in AP Placement Exams, Maine Public Radio
• [Dept. of the Subjunctive Passive Pluperfect] Merged schools go hat in hand to Capitol, Susan M. Cover, Kennebec Journal
  ..."This is about addressing the short-term assistance that was calculated into the planning, anticipated, and never arrived."#

[Annals of diminished school choice] [Arundel, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport] RSU 21 middle schoolers may leave Thornton, Edward D. Murphy, Press Herald

• Yarmouth schools face $1.1M subsidy loss, Amy Anderson, Forecaster
• Falmouth schools fare better than expected in state funding, Peggy Roberts, Forecaster
• [Bethel, Andover, Woodstock, Greenwood, Newry] Bethel school district faces job losses, building closures, Eileen M. Adams, Sun Journal
• [West Paris, Paris, Waterford, Norway, Otisfield, Oxford, Harrison, Hebron] SAD 17 'cluster concept' goes on the road, Duke Harrington, Oxford Bear
• SAD 75, Brunswick schools hit hard by state; RSU 1 fares better, ALex Lear, Forecaster
• [Starks, Madison, Athens] Starks to send students elsewhere, Erin Rhoda, Morning Sentinel
• New Website Tracks Education Data -- and Promotes an Agenda, Anne Mostue, MPBN

February 9

• Using LD1 report to bash school districts is insulting, Christopher Galgay, Ashley O'Brien and Shannon Welsh, Bangor Daily News
• [Richmond, Dresden, Monmouth, Farmingdale, Hallowell] RSU 2 board to weigh staff cuts Wednesday, Times Record
• Georgetown mulls Boothbay alliance, Seth Koenig, Times Record
• Georgetown studies school busing options, Seth Koenig, Times Record
• [Brunswick] Deeper school aid cuts loom, Beth Brogan, Times Record

February 8

• Maine well-positioned for federal Race to the Top educational funding, Susan Gendron, Press Herald
  ...working to establish "innovative public schools" with charter-like flexibility, but run by public school boards and with certified teachers.
• The EPS Model and School Spending, Dogulas Rooks, Maine Townsman (January, 2010)

February 7

• Aspiration or Abandonment, Bruce Bourgoine, Kennebec Country Democratic Committee

February 6

• President Obama's quest for a renewed, tougher No Child Left Behind, Editorial, Washington Post
• Scarborough schools facing $2 million loss, Edward D. Murphy, Press Herald
• Portland a pioneer in examination of special ed programs, Senator Bill Diamond, Press Herald
• Board OKs Rockland-St. George consolidation, Heather Steeves, Bangor Daily News
• [Western Foothills, Dixfield, Rumford] RSU 10 superintendent: Aid cut could have been worse, Eileen Adams, Sun Journal

February 5

• [Dept of blood money wars]
  • Panel alters way penalty money distributed, Susan M. Cover, Kennebec Journal
  • Lawmakers Upet by Penalties in School Subsidy List, MPBN
  • GPA 2010-11: updated to remove penalties
  • School Funding Battle Brewing, Laurie Costigan, Mount Desert Islander
  • State releases alternate school subsidy figures, mainetoday.com
• Members of school board assess criticism of special ed, Kelley Bouchard, Press Herald
• [Freeport, Pownal, Durham] School district may contract out bus service, Dennis Hoey, Press Herald
• [Wales, Litchfield, Sabattus] RSU 4 sets forum on school status, Betty Adams, Kennebec Journal
• [Rockland, Thomaston, St. George] 'Devastating' cuts face Regional School Unit 13, Stephen Betts, Herald Gazette
• [Waldoboro] SAD 40 board declines to support Many Flags, Andrew Benore, Herald Gazette
• Teachers' union responds: THEY'RE LYING!, Tony Payne, Herald Gazette
• School Subsidy Spreadsheet Released for FY 2011, MMA Legislative Bulletin

February 4

• [Dept. of the magic 8-ball] Lawmakers Consider Change to School Consolidation Law, Josie Huang, MPBN
• Ed Committee votes to delay reorganization penalties
• Education Committee schedule
• City schools sweeten retirement incentive, Kelley Bouchard, Press Herald
• [Hallowell, Farmingdale, Dresden, Richmond, Monmouth] RSU 2 cut among state's largest, Meghan V. Malloy, Kennebec Journal
• Too late for Chelsea to get divorce from RSU 12?, Jil Crochere, Kennebec Journal
• [Canaan, Cornville, Mercer, Norridgewock, Skowhegan, Smithfield] School budget outlook bleak, Doug Harlow, Morning Sentinel
• SAD 54 panel to discuss Cornville school closing, Robert Gauvin, Morning Sentinel
• [Jay] No special town meeting needed for school's use of money, Donna M. Perry, Sun Journal
• [Dover-Foxcroft, Charleston, Monson, Sebec, Greenville, Guilford, Sangerville, Abbot, Parkman, Wellington, Cambridge] Schools look to offset reduced state subsidies, Diana Bowley, Bangor Daily News
• How Unions Work, Megan McArdle, The Atlantic

February 3

• $92M School Funding Drop, Redistribution Causing Tensions, Laurie Costigan, Ellsworth American
• Rankings of the States 2009 and Estimates of School Statistics 2010, NEA
• Education spending, not tax cuts, best job creator, Greg Kesich, Press Herald
• [Kennebunk, Kennebunkport] RSU 21, Wells-Ogunquit students fare well on NECAP tests, Deborah Mcdermott, seacoastonline.com
• [The (50-year) view from Kansas] Kansas school consolidation: it won't be the first time, Bob Weeks
  ..."A bunch of school districts got together and filed a lawsuit against the State claiming not enough state aid, and the Legislature responded by establishing a mechanism requiring unification of smaller weaker school districts.
• [View from Vermont] Consolidation or Merger?, Rep. Peter Peltz, vtdigger.org
• Hancock County loses $3.9M in school funds, Rich Hewitt, Bangor Daily News
• Test results in for Maine's students, Keith Edwards, Kennebec Journal
• State: Students' test scores 'sound', Kelley Bouchard, Press Herald
• State funding for school districts varies widely, Bonnie Washuk, Sun Journal
• [Alfred, Limerick, Lyman, Newfield, Shapleigh, Waterboro] RSU 57 towns want school budget cut, Dan Bustard, keepmecurrent.com
• [Cumberland, North Yarmouth] School chief: 'Everything on the table' in SAD 51 budget, including jobs, buildings, Alex Lear, Forecaster
• Falmouth sports boosters see threat in pay-to-play proposal, Peggy Roberts, Forecaster
• Brunswick schools face $2.8M loss from state; staff cuts, larger classes loom, Steve Mistler, Forecaster
• Bar Harbor facing $2 million deficit, Mac Smith, Bar Harbor Times
• [Waldoboro] SAD 40's draft budget combines classes, cuts staff, Andrew Benore, Herald Gazette

February 2

• Reorganization Penalties Must Go, Gordon Donaldson, Maine Small Schools Coalition
• GPA 2010-11 in spreadsheet formats (preliminary, 2/01/2010)
• [Rumbles from Cumberland Co.] 7 school boards in greater Portland call for new state funding formula, Randy Billings, Forecaster
• Maine October 2009 NECAP Test Results
• President Obama seeks to revamp No Child Left Behind teaching standards, Nick Anderson, Washington Post
• States Rush to Join Testing Consortia, Stephen Sawchuk, Ed Week
  • Letter to state school chiefs, Susan Gendron, CCCSO
• Education Hell: Rhetoric vs. Reality, Edurati
• [National Board Certified Teachers] State right to dump teacher salary subsidy, Editorial, Press Herald
• [Augusta] Au revoir, francais?, Karlene Hale, Capital Weekly
• Most Maine school districts to lose state aid, AP
• Oxford Hills proposes cutting principals, Leslie H. Dixon, Sun Journal
• Cuts in aid deep for schools, Scott Monroe, Morning Sentinel
• [Dept. of the magic 8-ball] RSU 12 To Seek Legal Advice On Fifth Budget Attempt, Lucy L. Martin, Lincoln County News

February 1

• Funding Outlook and Financial Strategies, DoE
  • [Dept. of excellent visual representations] 100% EPS, GPA, local share, & ARRA - FY05-13, Jim Rier, DoE
• Preliminary FY11 General Purpose Aid for Local Schools, DoE
• Spreadsheet shows GPA cuts and consolidation penalties, MSMA
• [Teachers' health insurance] Probing Politics: Intentional or just a multi-million dollar mistake?, Tony Payne, Forecaster
• Muncipalites meet LD 1 challenge, MMA, Legislative Bulletin
• [Topsham] SAD 75 budget picture darkens, Darcie Moore, Times Record
• [Dept of the magic 8-ball] Error in Alna; RSU 12 budget actually defeated, John Hale, Capital Weekly

January 31

• [Dept. of Sticks & Tweaks] Consolidation still looks good from Portland, Editorial, Sunday Telegram
  • ...Cussedness
• Teaching lessons: State cuts seen as threat to certification, Kelley Bouchard, Sunday Telegram

January 30

• Shrinking Government, Editorial, Bangor Daily News
• State's LD1 report unfairly criticizes schools again, MSMA
  • Review of EPS: Has the funding formula done its job?, MSMA (July 2009)
• #Why rural ME exceeds EPS
• EPS formula underfunds rural #MEschools by labor market adjust factor. York/Cumb +6%; Machias -15%
• In rural areas, #MEschools that match programs of Scarborough or Cape will always cost more per-pupil. There are simply fewer students in the denominator. Alternative is to accept offering rural students less.
• Quantification of EPS underfunding small #MEschools
• Report: Special-ed overhaul could save city $2.5 million, Kelley Bouchard, Press Herald
• Education Committee to debate school budget approval procedures on Thursday, Steve Bowen, MHPC
• [Pittfield, Burnham, Detroit] SAD 53 reviews options with funding cuts, Christopher Cousins, Bangor Daily News

January 29

• Broadband Stimulus in Maine - A Battle between Fairpoint and UMS, background, compiled by Jim Burke
• Maine Fiber Company Provides Three-Ring Binder Update, Maine Broadband News
• LD 1697: "An Act To Protect Universal Service", Rep. Stacy Fitts
• Testimony in opposition, Brian Hubbell
• Notes from public hearing, Jim Burke, Learning in Maine
• Bill looks to cut UMS Internet sales, Kevin Miller, Bangor Daily News
• FairPoint bill would slow Internet growth , Editorial, Press Herald
• [The View from Vermont] The Cost of Saving Money, Jon Margolis, Vermont News Guy
  "...where else should we spend a lot of money?"
• {Dept. of RttT allegories] A make-believe conversation about parenting, John Spencer, Musings from a not-so master teacher
  "...If my kids are someday going to compete in a global economy, they need to first compete for my affection."
• Augusta: Budget proposal ends elementary French program, Keith Edwards, Kennebec Journal

January 28

• [Blue Hill, Brooksville, Castine and Penobscot, Surry] Union 93 hires former chief: Consolidation still poses challenge, Rich Hewitt, Bangor Daily News
• [Ellsworth] RSU 24 Board Considers Intra-District School Choice, Cyndi Wood, Ellsworth American
• [Department of collapsed headroom] LD 1 Progress Report 2009, State Planning Office
• Governments comply with spending limit, Kevin Miller, Bangor Daily News
• Most municipalities obeyed spending limits, Susan M. Cover, Press Herald,
  ..."If you're over because you're inefficient, or your administration is too small to be efficient, that's a problem, ...If you're over because you're spending on (advanced-placement) classes, that's a different issue."
• [Portland] Residents are urged to lobby governor, Kelley Bouchard, Press Herald

January 27

• School Choice working for Alna, therefore must be stopped, Steve Bowen, MHPC
• Break Consolidation Cycle, Editorial, Bangor Daily News
• [Dept of Every Day in Every Way, Better and Better] Transportation Routing Software, DoE Informational Letter
• [Oakland, Belgrade, Sidney, ChinaRSU 18: Tough choices face district, Amy Calder, Morning Sentinel
• Why use the NECAP to assess Maine's math standards?, Beth Schultz, Times Record

January 26

• [VT engages NESSC] Vermont must accelerate learning, reduce drop-outs and develop work force, Gary Gilbert, Burlington Free Press
• [...So Goes Vermont] Video update: Early ed main focus at UVM gubernatorial candidate forum, Steve Cormier, VTdigger.org
• [Dept of Orders of Magnitude] MEDMS Financial System Upgrade for FY 2011, DoE informational letter
• Three bills would alter school consolidation law, Susan M. Cover, Press Herald
• [Kingfield, Coplin Plt. Highland Plt.] Legislation would allow neighboring plantations to join SAD 58, Susan M. Cover, Morning Sentinel
• [Burlington, Edinburg, Enfield, Howland, Maxfield, Passadumkeag, Atkinson, Brownville, LaGrange, Lake View Plantation, Milo] Greenbush, SADs 31, 41 share services, Nick Sambides Jr., Bangor Daily News
• [Litchfield, Sabattus, Wales] RSU 4 tries plan to avert closing, Betty Adams, Kennebec Journal
• [Alna, Chelsea, Palermo, Somerville, Westport Island, Whitefield, Windsor, Wiscasset] 8-town district to vote on $26.1M school budget referendum, Kennebec Journal
• [Pittsfield, Burnham, Detroit] SAD 53 consolidation waiver hearing set for Feb. 22 , Mike Lange, SV Weekly

January 25

• LD 1739 dead, but the fight to retain school budget voting rights continues..., Steve Bowen, MHPC
• Reports, hearings and work sessions today at the Legislature's Education Committee...
• Portland backing off on pledge to help schools, Kelley Bouchard, Press Herald
• [Pittsfield, Burnham, Detroit] SAD 53 faces possible consolidation penalty, Scott Monroe, Morning Sentinel

January 24

• Breaking News: LD 1739 to be withdrawn..., Steve Bowen, MHPC

January 23

• [Dept of Good Jobs at Good Wages!: West of the Hudson division] Transfinder Reports Record Numbers in 2009
• What Did Baldacci Say On Education?, Derek Viger, Augusta Insider

January 22

• [Precipitation in the Rockies] Denver Public Schools receive $10 million grant from Gates Foundation for teacher evaluation, Jeremy P. Meyer, Denver Post
• [So goes Vermont] A Vote for School Consolidation, Susan Allen, Times Argus
• Orrington, Dedham consider school pact, Nok-Noi Ricker, Bangor Daily News
• [Waterville, Winslow, Vassalboro] Over some objections, $1.66 million school budget approved, Scott Monroe, Morning Sentinel

January 21

• State waives minimum local share for aid to schools, Leslie Dixon, Sun Journal
• Camden Select Board encouraged to reduce school spending, Heather Steeves, Bangor Daily News
• Maranacook budget targets staff, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• SAD 4 votes to transfer ownership of schools to Parkman, Guilford, Diana Bowley, Bangor Daily News
• Bill targets graduation rate increase, Press Herald

January 20

• [Oxford Hills] GPA, state reduction of local mill rate expectation, and where have all the supers gone?, Duke Harrington, Oxford Bear
• [View from Vermont] Striking a balance in education spending, Armando Vilaseca, Times Argus
• [Dept of the magic 8-ball: Windsor, Chelsea, Palermo, Somerville, Whitefield, Alna, Wiscasset, Westport Island] RSU 12 budget up for fourth vote at polls, John Hale, Capital Weekly
• [Oxford] "Unprecedented" cuts seen in school services and staff, Leslie H. Dixon, Sun Journal
• [Brownville, Milo] SAD 41 weighs closing LaGrange school, Diana Bowley, Bangor Daily News
• Stability amid a sea change, and The Report Card's last mark, Matthew Stone, The Report Card
• [Moscow, Bingham] SAD 13, 74 merger defeated, Erin Rhoda, Morning Sentinel
• Portland high school teachers may take on more classes, Kelley Bouchard, Press Herald
• D.C., Virginia seek $450 million in federal education funds, Bill Turque, Washington Post
• Kingfield Board updated on school funding woes, David Hart, Irregular

January 19

• [Alfred, Limerick, Lyman, Newfield, Shapleigh, Waterboro] Testing highs, lows seen in RSU 57, Dan Bustard, keepmecurrent.com
• Obama's school grants reveal how far behind Maine lags, Stephen Bowen, Bangor Daily News
• Return to smaller schools, and also walk to them, Charles Robertson, Kennebec Journal
• [The view from Mississippi] Barbour: 2 groups, maybe 3, pay for merger study, AP

January 18

January 17

• [Dept of the magic 8-ball: Alna, Chelsea, Palermo, Somervile, Westport Island, Whitefield, Windsor, Wiscasset] RSU 12: So far so good, Betty Adams, Kennebec Journal

January 16

• [...So goes Vermont] Vilaseca: Current school system is inefficient and inequitable, VTdigger.org
• Shining moment for ed reform, Editorial, Boston Globe
• August's proposed cuts in education would be devastating to our schools, Bangor School Committee, Bangor Daily News
• [Bingham, Moscow] Time has come to accept consolidation as law, Brian Malloy, Morning Sentinel

January 15

• Preventing program cuts, Matthew Stone, The Report Card
• Educators and school administrators decry budget cuts, Rebekah Metzler, Sun Journal
• Teachers, officials make pleas on budget, Matthew Stone, Press Herald
• [Rockland] Rockland weighs closure of MacDougal School, Heather Steeves, Bangor Daily News
• Meeting summary, Maine Children's Growth Council, Dec. 7, 2009

January 14

• [Shapleigh, Massabesic] RSU 57 teachers union feels shut out, Dan Bustard, keepmecurrent.com
• Brunswick School Board opts for administrative shuffle instead of new school principal, Steve Mistler, Forecaster
• Holding States, Nation to Educational Account: Executive Summary, Quality Counts 2010, Ed Week
• MPBN Story on Charter Schools, South Portland Teachers' Association Blog
• [Ellsworth] RSU 24: Laptop repair money depleted, WLBZ-2
• [Windham, Raymond] RSU 14 board reduces WHS graduation requirements, Emily Parkhurst, The Independent
• [Dept. of silver linings: Saco] RSU 23 budget picture improves for now, Dan Bustard, Scarborough Current

January 13

• [Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Arundel] Creating a vision for RSU 21, Kristen Schulze Muszynski, Journal Tribune
• At 'the top of the chart' or 'racing to catch up?', Matthew Stone, The Report Card
  • Racing to Catch Up, Stephen Bowen, Maine Heritage Policy Center
• [Dept. of the magic 8-ball] (Sheepscot Valley) 4th try for budget, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• State: Acton schools must consolidate, Dan Bustard, keepmecurrent.com
• [Starks] Elementary school may close doors, Erin Rhoda, Morning Sentinel
• [Dept. of consolidated transportation and phys. ed] (Madison) 'We're saving the world and the kids', Erin Rhoda, Morning Sentinel
• Will Pensions Bankrupt Your District?, Kurt Eisele-Dyrli, District Administration
• Teachers' union shift is a step toward reform, Editorial, Press Herald

January 12

• Taking the lead on reform?, Matthew Stone, The Report Card
• The Weingarten Speech, Andrew Rotherham, Eduwonk
• Won't Get Fooled Again Again, Mike Antonucci, EIA Intercepts
• A New Path Forward: Four Approaches to Teaching and Better Schools, Randi Weingarten, AFT, address to National Press Club
• Scarborough schools cuts lower-level sports teams, Tess Nacelewicz, Current
• Union head to propose tying test scores, teacher evaluations, Nick Anderson, Washington Post
• States Lower Test Standards for a High School Diploma, Ian Urbina, New York Times
• Education: Debunking the Case for National Standards - Alfie Kohn, Edurati

January 11

• NESSC, Common Core, Gates, & RttT: View from CT
• Bethel signs on for federal education grant; Danbury may, too, Eileen FitzGerald, News Times
• Schools slow off the mark in 'Race to the Top', Linda Conner Lambeck, News Times
• School districts competing for share of $175M, Elizabeth Benton, New Haven Register
• Furlough days for schools considered, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• The next wave...
• [Edgecomb, Georgetown, Boothbay-Boothbay Harbor, Southport]Edgecomb School, Town Officials Discuss Possible Consolidation And Expansion, John Maguire, Lincoln County News
• [Jay, Livermore, Livermore Falls] School panels to discuss consolidation, Donna M. Perry, Sun Journal
• [Camden, Rockport, Hope, Appleton, Lincolnville] Five towns to begin school district reorganization talks, Kim Lincoln, Herald Gazette
• Final Report of the Study Commission Regarding Teachers' Compensation, Legislature's Office of Policy and Legal Analysis, December 2009
• Testimony needed on GPA cut impact on schools, MSMA
• Study shows how dumb we might be, Jay Mathews, Washington Post
• School districts eye local furlough days, Matthew Stone, Press Herald

January 10

• Brief Summary of Background Materials Compiled for the Study Commission Regarding Teachers' Compensation, Office of Policy & Legal Analysis, 12/09/2009
  • Meeting Agenda, Study Commission Regarding Teachers' Compensation, 12/14/2009
• What Makes a Great Teacher?, Amanda Ripley, The Atlantic
• [Department of How Things Actually Fall Into Place] Meeting Summary, Maine Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Initiative, November 9, 2009 (Invest Early in Maine)
• [Lee, Springfield, Webster, Winn] SAD 30 superintendent to resign effective June 30, Nick Sambides Jr., Bangor Daily News
• Jackman, or bust, Working in Maine
  ..."if someone wanted to create a policy designed to destroy what vitality and hope remains in Maine's rural outposts, they couldn't have come up with anything better than school consolidation." While this might not be received happily by the current administration in power, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone that understands life in Maine's small communities to disagree with that statement.
• 150 Years of Education in Maine: 1820 - 1970: Sesqui-centennial History of Maine's Educational System and the Growth and Development of the Maine Department Of Education
  • Part I -- Education in Maine Prior to 1900
  • Part II -- Development of the State Department of Education
• [Special Ed] Public, private approaches debated, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• [Augusta] City, schools face bleak financial times, Keith Edwards, Kennebec Journal
• Small gifts, big impact, Kelley Bouchard, Press Herald
• [Rockland, Thomaston, St. George] Health care and school consolidation, Stephen Betts, Herald Gazette

January 9

• [Rumble from Eddington] Elections and Silver Mornings, Eddington News
• State not cities needs to fix budget, Bangor City Council, Bangor Daily News
• Education reform requires more than taking potshots, Adam Leach, Bangor Daily News
• Innovative program would establish funding for rural areas, Susan M. Cover, Kennebec Journal
• [Bingham, Moscow, Anson, Solon, Embden, New Portland.] Voters to decide on school merger, Erin Rhoda, Morning Sentinel
• When officials e-mail, trouble is online, Bill Nemitz, Press Herald

January 8

• [Eastport] Bleak financial picture painted for area schools, Edward French, Quoddy Tides
• Teachers Should Be Seen and Not Heard, Anthony Mullen, Teacher of Year Road Diary
• [RISC] Educators, Public Invited to Education Reform Session, DoE press release
• [Rockland, Thomaston] Regional School Unit 13 OKs payments to encourage retirements, Stephen Betts, Herald Gazette
• [Waldoboro, Warren, Union, Washington, Friendship] SAD 40 board unanimously supports all district elementary schools, Andrew Benore, Herald Gazette
• [Rockland, Thomaston, St. George] Regional School Unit 13 board puts brakes on high school consolidation, Stephen Betts, Herald Gazette

[...So goes Washington state] Ready to merge 295 school districts into 150?, Brad Shannon, The Olympian

• [South Portland] Furlough?, Tom Major, SPTA Major Blog
• Castine principal resigns, takes job in Pennsylvania, Rich Hewitt, Bangor Daily News
• Maranacook vote keeps drama, sports; tax seen, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• [Portland] Public's views sought as school layoffs loom, Kelley Bouchard, Press Herald
• Best Practices in Action 'Momentum Building' Regional High School Conference, Nashua, NH, April 8-9, New England Secondary School Consortium

January 7

• [New England Secondary School Consortium: View from Connecticut] We need to keep close eye on common national standards plan, Eileen FitzGerald, News Times
• Commissioner warns of future school cuts, Gillian Graham, Scarborough Leader
• [Rumble from Arundel] Consolidated school board gunning for Arundel, Jon Renell, Kennebunk-Kennebunkport Post
• Dover-Foxcroft system has failed to find any consolidation partners, Diana Bowley, Bangor Daily News
• [Department of consolidated influence] Pursuing political favors, John Christie, Bangor Daily News
• High school review begins in Kittery, Deborah Mcdermott, York Weekly
• New special education regulations not likely to save district much money, Leslie H. Dixon, Sun Journal
• [Alfred, Limerick, Lyman, Newfield, Shapleigh, Waterboro] RSU 57 faces either large tax increases or severe cuts, Dan Bustard, Waterboro Reporter

January 6

• Avoiding a state-to-local cost shift, Matthew Stone, The Report Card
• [Department of Reverse Largess] Waiver of Minimum Local Required Share in FY 2011, Commissioner Gendron, DoE informational letter
• [South Berwick] Superintendent sure SAD 35 will see staff, program cuts, Jason Claffey, Fosters Democrat
• Should Education Be a Race?, Jim Burke, Learning in Maine
• Legislature's Education Committee agenda for Jan 4-8, 2010
• South Portland city, schools facing dramatic cuts, layoffs, Tess Nacelewicz, Current
• Skeptics pepper Gendron with questions, concerns, Dan Bustard, Waterboro Reporter
• [Topsham, Harpswell] Group sues to prevent closing of West Harpswell School, Steve Mistler, The Forecaster
• [Topsham, Harpswell] Lawsuit challenges closing of Harpswell school, Dennis Hoey, Press Herald
• [Waterville, Vassalboro, Winslow] New-look budget in district, Scott Monroe, Morning Sentinel
• [Houlton, Hodgdon] School panels may try more collaboration, Jen Lynds, Bangor Daily News
• Augusta schools to plug budget hole with stimulus funds, Karlene Hale, Capital Weekly
• Foreign students living and learning at Dirigo High School, Eileen M. Adams, Sun Journal

January 5

• [Ellsworth] Video interview with Bill Webster, superintendent of RSU 24, Chris Crockett, Ellsowrth American
• Budget Tops Agenda as Lawmakers Reconvene, MPBN
• [International Baccalaureate] In this school program, the goal is to ask 'why?' Ann Kim, Press Herald
• Gendron points to ways schools can trim costs, Kelley Bouchard, Press Herald
• [Solon] Board to vote on closing Embden Elementary School, Erin Rhoda, Morning Sentinel
• Comparing State Math Standards, Pam Kenney, Learning in Maine
• [Harpswell, Topsham] School closing foes go to court, Beth Brogan, Times Record

January 4, 2010

• Department of Education uses Grinch's calculator, Alan B. Cobo-Lewis, Bangor Daily News
• $73 million in proposed GPA cut shifts burden to locals, MSMA
• [Wales, Sabattus, Litchfield] RSU #4 Schools Hold Two-Day Event to Create Common Vision, press release
• Working to become higher paid, Matthew Stone, The Report Card
• [Camden, Rockland regions] Full steam ahead, Herald Gazette
• Teacher Pay Shake-Up, Editorial, Bangor Daily News
• Appropriations panel to hear testimony on cuts Tuesday, Susan M. Cover, Kennebec Journal
• [Maranacook] $10,000 to cut in RSU 38: 7th-grade sports, play are at risk, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal
• {Maranacook] Winter carnival might help restore activities cut in RSU 38 budget, Matthew Stone, Kennebec Journal

January 3

• Maine Budget Top On Maine Legislative Agenda, Glenn Adams, AP

January 2, 2010

• Mergers reshape area school districts, Erin Rhoda, Morning Sentinel

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