All posts tagged "education"
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Maine DOE seeks accountability and assessment reporting waivers for third consecutive year
For the third consecutive school year, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) is...
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Maine DOE hiring for MOOSE online learning program
The Maine Department of Education (DOE) recently announced it is looking to hire...
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University of Maine System disregards policy in Chancellor Malloy’s temporary contract extension
During a June 16 meeting of the Maine Legislature’s Committee on Education and...
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Why isn’t Maine’s preferred K-12 gender identity curriculum more accessible to parents?
In the aftermath of widespread pandemic-era learning disruptions, many parents and community members...
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Protecting our children, both in body and in mind
In recent weeks, our hearts have been broken and our consciences racked by...
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Malloy, UMS Board of Trustees chair address controversies during education committee meeting
A decision about University of Maine System (UMS) Chancellor Dannel Malloy’s contract will...
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Hybrid learning during pandemic cements Cape Elizabeth parent’s support for school choice
For John Lewis, his local school district’s decision to enact hybrid learning during...
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Empowerment, exit and entrepreneurship will continue to transform education
Over the past two years of social and economic disruption, U.S. education has...
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What a SCOTUS ruling in favor of Maine families would mean for school choice, town tuitioning
Before the Supreme Court issues its final opinion for the October 2021 term...
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Remote learning correlated with greater K-12 learning loss, study finds
A new study recently published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)...
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Waivers, assessment changes make difficult comparisons of education outcomes in Maine during pandemic
For the last two school years, Maine has received a waiver from the...
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Decisions on masking schoolchildren belong to parents
The dominoes are falling. In just the last month, public leaders of numerous (though...
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Education panel endorses bill allowing Maine college athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness
The Maine Legislature will vote on a bill this session intended to protect...
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The biggest education innovation is growing use of school choice
It wasn’t long ago that “normal” schooling meant public school, understood as some...
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Truancy on the rise in Maine schools amid the pandemic
Maine’s truancy rate tripled between the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years, increasing from...
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Citing debunked CDC research, Virginia school districts vow to defy Youngkin on mask mandates
On Saturday, newly minted Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, declared an end...
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New guidance allows schools with mask mandates to stop contact tracing
On January 12, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) and the Maine Centers...
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U.S. DOE, DOT announce relaxed rules for bus drivers amid omicron surge, labor shortage
On January 10, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) and U.S. Department of...
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It’s 2022, but many schools are reverting to 2020’s COVID playbook
It’s 2022 but you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s still 2020—especially if you...
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Maine CDC, DOE update COVID-19 protocols in schools following new federal guidance
On December 30, the Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and...
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Maine’s public school enrollment remains below pre-pandemic levels
The number of students enrolled in Maine public schools grew in the 2021-2022...
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School districts are using their COVID-19 relief money on vape detectors, tennis courts
Earlier this year, schools around the country received more than a hundred billion...
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The torches are being lit, the battle is being joined and the truth is being pursued. It’s time to join up
Abraham Lincoln once famously said, “The philosophy of the school room in one...
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Sorry, Washington Post, but parents do have every right to shape their kids’ curriculum
We shouldn’t be too surprised that the ongoing exodus from public schools is...
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Number of Mainers homeschooling remains higher than before the pandemic
Recent enrollment numbers released by the Maine Department of Education (DOE) show that...
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Cities lead the way in (another) massive fall exodus from US public schools
Many parents pulled their children out of school last year for homeschooling and...
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Understanding Maine’s pooled testing program for students
As of October 7, there have been just under 3,000 reported cases of...
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New school choice project highlights need for more educational options in Maine
A new publication from Maine Policy Institute shows which municipalities in Maine allow...
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Want school choice? Here’s where to live in Maine to get it
Today, Maine Policy Institute released a new analysis on the scope of educational...
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Education secretary touts mask study—gets rebuked by senior author of the study
On Monday, US Education Secretary Miguel Cardona touted new academic research to show...
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Prevailing pandemic policy is hurting children’s health
Since the world learned of a novel coronavirus emerging from Wuhan, China in...
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Commissioner Makin briefs education committee on school reopenings, virus outbreaks
During a September 15 meeting of the legislature’s Committee on Education and Cultural...
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Families are fleeing government-run schools
This fall may be the biggest moment of truth for public education since...
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CDC: Schools with mask mandates didn’t see statistically significant different rates of COVID transmission from schools with optional policies
The ACLU on Tuesday announced it is bringing a lawsuit against South Carolina...
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Kids caught in the crossfire in debate over masks in schools
At the end of July, Governor Mills and the Maine CDC issued a...
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Eight things children are more likely to die from than COVID-19, according to the CDC
Last week I received a letter from my children’s school district. “We will...
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Students should learn more basic life skills in high school
The Maine Department of Education has certain requirements students must complete before they...
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Maine conforms with new CDC guidance on masking in schools, indoor settings
On July 28, Gov. Janet Mills announced updates to Maine’s recommendations for wearing...
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What will school look like when Maine students return to the classroom this fall?
According to Maine Department of Education (DOE) Commissioner Pender Makin, ensuring every student...
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Supreme Court charts path to greater benefits for collegiate athletes
On June 21, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a decision...
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More wrangling to come on supplemental budget, federal relief spending
On June 17, the Maine Legislature is expected to adjourn a special session...
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Maine schools to be freed of pandemic mandates starting July 1
On June 9, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) updated its PreK-12 and...
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Imminent SCOTUS ruling to have major First Amendment implications for schools and students
On April 28, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments...
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Maine families deserve school choice, and the pandemic underscores its necessity
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new light and perspectives to many issues we...
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Mask rules persist for children in Maine schools. Why?
On Monday, May 24, nearly eight months after it was first ordered, Maine Gov....
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Why should Mainers pay more for closed government schools?
Governor Janet Mills unveiled a new supplemental budget last week that would grow...
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Sen. Collins slams CDC for ‘confusing, conflicting guidance’
Maine Sen. Susan Collins grilled US CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky on Tuesday...
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Should Mainers be fined $500 for recording their child’s virtual learning?
Lawmakers on Maine’s Judiciary Committee held a public hearing Wednesday on LD 864,...
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Data from around the country affirm schools are safe to reopen
Over the last few weeks, a central pillar of pandemic-era decision making crumbled....
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New analysis shows Mainers can’t keep up with government spending
State government spending has rapidly outpaced population growth in Maine over the last...
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Woke classrooms show why parents should be free to choose on schools
Illinois legislators last week voted in favor of enacting new “Culturally Responsive Teaching...
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Teachers unions continue to block school reopenings across America
As district school closures enter their 11th month, many parents are frustrated and...
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School choice in Maine amid the pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic and our collective response to it has changed (for better...
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Portland’s ‘Green New Deal’ initiative complicates ongoing school renovations
School officials and building committees involved in Portland’s elementary school renovations are seeking...
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Biden advisor notes incoming administration’s plan to neuter charter schools
Last year, the Maine Legislature and Governor Janet Mills enacted a pair of...
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Maine school choice lawsuit replicated in New Hampshire, Vermont
A pair of lawsuits that mirror a Maine-based legal challenge (currently pending in...
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School reopenings linked to union influence and politics, not safety
School closures have affected over 55 million K–12 students in the U.S. since March as...
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Mills administration appears destined to halt high school sports this fall
The Maine Principals’ Association’s (MPA) Interscholastic Management Committee voted unanimously on Thursday to...
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Waterville-area school district plans to bring students back to school full-time
In mid-August, the board of directors of Regional School Unit 18, a school...
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Reisman: Midsummer Nightmare
August rolled in and although the garden looks good, I cannot say the...
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Economic Recovery Committee urges Gov. Mills to spend $1.1 billion to revive Maine’s economy
Last week, Governor Janet Mills’ Economic Recovery Committee released recommendations urging the administration...
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Infectious disease experts at UVM says its safe for schools to reopen
A recent commentary published in the Journal of Pediatrics encourages schools to reopen,...
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Maine DOE’s school reopening guidance presents major challenges for working families
On Friday, Governor Janet Mills released guidelines for schools as they consider whether...
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Education savings accounts can give Maine families more flexibility as school year nears
As the school year fast approaches, only one item in the curriculum seems...
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Survey shows Maine parents and students hope for in-person return to school this Fall
A survey conducted by Rep. Justin Fecteau and Rep. Heidi Sampson indicates that...
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Fall is coming, and decisions on school reopenings should come sooner than later
Now that Governor Mills has signaled through her executive orders that the 2020...
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Teachers’ union quietly advancing ballot initiative that would strip power from school boards
A pending ballot initiative is quietly seeking to expand negotiable items for teachers’...
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Pediatric medical experts agree: Send kids back to school
These days, in states across the nation, public health officials are discovering more...
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Education savings accounts provide families more schooling options amid COVID-19
During periods of crisis, some of the most innovative solutions to problems have...
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SCOTUS ruling on religious school funding could pave way to victory for similar case in Maine
On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court voted 5-4 to strike down a Montana...
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Homeschooling experts highlight the varied paths to gaining an education
On Thursday, April 9, Maine Policy Institute hosted a panel of veteran homeschoolers...
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Homeschooling in a crisis? We can help.
A few short weeks ago, could you have imagined what you’d be doing...
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Maine unions want to set education policy at your school
Who should be in charge of local education policy? Should it be parents...
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Lawmakers to address the grave emergency of electric school buses
Lawmakers on Maine’s Education and Cultural Affairs Committee are holding a public hearing...
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Understanding Governor Mills’ 10-year economic plan
Governor Janet Mills earlier this month released her 10-Year Economic Development Strategy for the state,...
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Briefs submitted in Maine school choice lawsuit
The Maine Heritage Policy Center and EdChoice recently filed an amicus brief in Carson...
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Unity charter school approved to fill 10th and final spot available in Maine
Hundreds of bills failed to become law in the First Regular Session of...
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Does Maine spend too much on school administration?
There has been quite a bit of debate in recent years about whether...
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Lawsuit challenging exclusion of religious schools from town tuitioning program headed to higher court
On Wednesday, June 26, United States District Court Judge D. Brock Hornby issued...
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Don’t cap Maine’s charter schools
As we approach the ten-year anniversary of Maine’s historic public charter school system,...
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Debt-free college bill ignores troubling realities of higher education in Maine
The Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business heard several bills last...
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Maine cannot afford ‘debt-free’ college
This session, lawmakers in the Maine Legislature are considering a pair of bills...
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Empower Maine families with school choice
Quite often we hear politicians and special interests say that the quality of...
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Efforts to undermine public charter schools only hurt Maine students
A lawmaker from Portland appears to have a personal vendetta against public charter...
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New budget mandates will force property tax increases on hardworking Mainers
A few weeks ago, my radio address focused on the unsustainability of the...
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Maine needs more young people to skip four-year degrees and work in the trades
High school guidance counselors, parents and popular culture have spent decades telling young...
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Governor Mills’ budget sets up Maine for fiscal ruin
The Maine Heritage Policy Center (MHPC) on Monday released a new analysis of...
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Bill to improve teacher quality would do just the opposite
Senator Rebecca Millett, the chair of the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, has...
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New bill creates unnecessary burden for special needs students and their families
On Thursday, Feb. 14 the legislature’s education committee held a public hearing on...
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Is the three percent surtax back from the dead?
During the biennial budget battle in 2017 that led to Maine’s first government...
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The costs of universal pre-K are not worth the benefits
It is no secret that the Mills administration and legislative Democrats are planning...
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Education in Maine is worse than you think
It’s no secret that Maine’s public K-12 education system needs work. Bloated bureaucracies...
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The numbers tell the real story on education funding
It’s the political season and a lot of misinformation is flying around. I...
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School choice under attack in town of Alna
In 2010, The Maine Heritage Policy Center shared an article titled, “School Choice...
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Socializing higher education is not a viable solution to the student debt crisis
When it comes to the student loan debt crisis, government-oriented reforms are not...
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Scarborough residents successfully recall three sitting school board members
Something beautiful happened this week – something that should scare every elected official...
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It’s time to repeal proficiency-based diplomas
On Monday, April 9, at 1:30 p.m., Maine’s Joint Standing Committee on Education...
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Traditional public schools suffer from educational paralysis
Education in Maine is captive to progressive administrative and structural stagnation. Our educational system...