Charter Schools: The Educational Equivalent of the Snuggie?

Charter schools are still a hot education topic in Maine.  A meeting in Augusta last month rekindled the fire.  Opponents of charter schools in Maine fear what will become of public schools.  They categorize charters as a slight to the hard work done in public schools.  Charters, some believe, undermine the public school system and […]

Steve Bowen on charter schools in Maine

The introduction of charter schools in Maine has been plagued by myths and misconceptions. Maine’s senate voted 20 to 14 against the most recent charter school legislation, LD 1438. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan stated recently that “states will hurt their chance to compete for millions of federal stimulus dollars if they fail to embrace […]

Maine Explores Charter Schools

Maine is now considering charter schools. According to Maine Charter Schools, a bill(LD 1438) has been proposed to allow charter schools to form here in Maine. Some highlights on the bill: – LD 1438 will cash in on federal funds available to new charters. For a state struggling to meet budget requirements this is a […]

Charter School Battle Reignites

Several groups are seeking to make Maine the 40th state to allow charter schools.  The groups, including the Maine Association of Charter Schools, Democrats for Education Reform, and the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, will meet this Wednesday the 14th in Augusta.  The groups seek to inform Mainers about the benefits of charter schools […]

Charter school supporters hold public forums

Both Greenville and Belfast hosted public forums on charters schools in Maine this afternoon. Dr Judith Jones will speak at the event in Greenville. Dr. Jones talk will emphasize how charter schools can benefit a rural state such as Maine. Dr. Jones is director of the Maine Association for Public Charter Schools. Dr. Joe Nathan […]

Arne Duncan wants to slam dunk bricks on charter school haters

“We will come down like a ton of bricks on states that treat charter schools unfairly.” Arne Said it. You’ve read it. Depending on where you read Slam Dunc’s statement you will get a slightly different version of the story. Just like a top chef, Mike Klonsky at Small Talk serves up Ed Sec Duncan’s […]

Maine Charter School Vote

An update on the Maine Charter School Bill from Boston.com: AUGUSTA, Maine—A bill to allow charter schools in Maine has gone down to defeat in the Senate and now goes to the House for consideration. The Kennebec Journal said Thursday’s 22-13 vote split largely along party lines, with most Democrats opposing the bill and most […]

Charter School Teachers Aren’t Sticking Around

Two Vanderbilt scholars have released their findings on teacher retention in charter schools. The initial numbers may be considered a boon for charter haters. Corey Bower, who writes Thoughts on Education Policy and is pursuing a PhD at Vanderbilt, gets a big nod for his analysis of the study. from Thoughts on Education Policy Debra […]

Charter School Debate

Change.org introduced a new voice today on their education blog. Carl Anderson is here to give us his positive take on charter schools. from Change.org Our current home was built in 2007, just a year before we moved into it. While we have had some growing pains with this new place it’s structure and design […]

Does Maine Education Make the Grade?

As Matthew Stone has reported, a new study grading state’s education innovation came out recently.  The study, conducted by the Center for American Progress, the  American Enterprise Institute and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.  The study explored how well states fostered innovations such as charter schools, use of technology, and transparency to name a few […]