MDIschools.net

L.D. 1783: Resolve, Regarding Legislative Review of Chapter 140: Public Charter Schools, a Major Substantive Rule of the Department of Education, Rep. Richardson

...provides for legislative review of Chapter 140: Public Charter Schools, a major substantive rule of the Department of Education.

Public hearing testimony

• Bills carried over in Committee
• Enacted
• Dead bills
• MDIschools advocacy
• Bills reported out of Committee, live in legislature

February 2

• School choice will make Maine more student-friendly, commissioner says, Mal Leary, Bangor Daily News

February 1

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

January 30

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

January 29

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

January 27

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

January 26

• Maine Education Chief Promotes School Choice Legislation, MPBN

January 25

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

January 23

• Legislature's Education Committee's schedule for 1/23-1/27

January 21

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

January 20

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

January 19

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

January 18

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

January 17

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

January 16

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

January 11

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

January 10

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

January 9

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

January 8

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

January 6

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

January 4

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

January 1, 2012

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

2012

News archive

LD 309: An Act To Make Voluntary Membership in a Public Employee Labor Organization in the State, Rep Winsor

...amends the State's labor laws to ensure that each public sector union represents only those public employees who voluntarily are members of that union. [Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development]

6/29/2011 - CARRIED OVER TO ANY SPECIAL OR REGULAR SESSION OF THE 125th LEGISLATURE PURSUANT TO JOINT ORDER HP 1190, IN CONCURRENCE

LD 18: An Act To Extend the School Year, Rep. Edgecomb

...increases the school year from 180 days to 185 days. ...amendment, which is the majority report of the committee, proposes to phase in the increase by extending the school year by one day each year over the 5-year period between the 2012-2013 school year and the 2016-2017 school year. The amendment also strikes the provision in the bill that prohibits counting a day when students are released early as a teacher in-service day.

LD 12: Resolve, Regarding Legislative Review of Portions of Chapter 131: The Maine Federal, State and Local Accountability Standards, a Major Substantive Rule of the Department of Education, Rep. Richardson

[adoption of Common Core] ...provides for legislative review of portions of Chapter 131: The Maine Federal, State and Local Accountability Standards, a major substantive rule of the Department of Education.

EMERGENCY FINALLY PASSED, Mar 23, 2011

• Bills carried over in Committee
• Enacted
• Dead bills
• MDIschools advocacy