Maine

News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in Maine
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, center, with Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., left, and Rep. Julia Letlow, R-La., speaks about proposed legislation dubbed the "Parents Bill of Rights," Wednesday, March 1, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, center, with Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., left, and Rep. Julia Letlow, R-La., speaks about proposed legislation dubbed the "Parents Bill of Rights," Wednesday, March 1, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Law & Courts Lawsuit Alleges Maine School District Violated Parental Rights Over Child's Social Transition
A mom claims her child's school district is supporting their social transition at school without informing her.
Eesha Pendharkar, May 4, 2023
9 min read
Close up of a heat pump against a brick wall
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School & District Management Four Things to Know From a State's Push to Switch Schools to Heat Pumps
Installing a heat pump is complex, but the payoff is well worth it, says an expert in Maine who's pushing their adoption in schools.
Mark Lieberman, January 30, 2023
4 min read
New Mexico educator Christopher Nunez receives a Milken Educator Award on Oct. 21, 2022 in Las Cruces, NM.
New Mexico educator Christopher Nunez receives a Milken Educator Award on Oct. 21in Las Cruces.
Milken Family Foundation
Science How These Teachers Center Student Voice in Science Class
Three award-winning teachers discuss connecting curricula to students’ lives and helping kids see themselves as scientists.
Sarah Schwartz, December 27, 2022
6 min read
Image of a clock, calendar, and a pencil.
Tatomm/iStock/Getty
Recruitment & Retention Schools Don't Embrace Flexible Work: Ideas From 3 Superintendents on How to Do It
Schools' traditional schedules and practices can be adapted to support some flexible work options, even for teachers.
Elizabeth Heubeck, December 5, 2022
5 min read
Image of a child's hand on a keyboard.
kiankhoon/IStock/Getty
IT Infrastructure & Management Q&A The Essential Tech Question for Schools: What Are the Teacher's Objectives?
One district technology director outlines the challenges that are unique to smaller districts.
Lauraine Langreo, October 18, 2022
3 min read
Image of the Supreme Court.
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Law & Courts Supreme Court Strikes Down Maine's Exclusion of Religious Schools From Tuition-Aid Program
The justices hold that barring "sectarian" schools from the program for towns without public high schools violates the First Amendment.
Mark Walsh, June 21, 2022
7 min read
Parents pick up their children while wearing masks outside of P.S. 64 in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan on Dec. 21, 2021, in New York.
Parents pick up their children while wearing masks outside of P.S. 64 in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan on Dec. 21, 2021, in New York.
Brittainy Newman/AP Photo
School & District Management As Omicron Surges, Schools Battle Pressure to Stay Open
The hyper-contagious Omicron variant is spreading swiftly, prompting some K-12 leaders to shut down schools amid intense pressure to stay open.
Catherine Gewertz, December 21, 2021
6 min read
From left, Amy and Olivia Carson pictured outside Bangor Christian School in Bangor, Maine on Nov. 5, 2021.
Amy Carson, left, and her daughter, Olivia, stand outside Bangor Christian Schools in Maine in November, before their case went before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Linda Coan O’Kresik for Education Week
Law & Courts Religious Schools and State Aid: What to Glean From a Lively Supreme Court Argument
Justices seem skeptical about Maine's exclusion of religious schools from tuition aid for students in towns without public high schools.
Mark Walsh, December 8, 2021
8 min read
The Carson family pictured outside Bangor Christian School in Bangor, Maine on Nov. 5, 2021.
Institute for Justice senior attorney Michael E. Bindas, left, accompanies Amy and David Carson who flank their daughter, Olivia, outside Bangor Christian Schools in Maine in early November. The Carsons are one of two families seeking to make religious schools eligible for Maine's tuition program for students from towns without high schools.
Linda Coan O’Kresik for Education Week
Law & Courts Can Public Money Go to Religious Schools? A Divisive Supreme Court Case Awaits
The justices will weigh Maine's exclusion of religious schools from its "tuitioning" program for students from towns without high schools.
Mark Walsh, November 18, 2021
13 min read
Collage of figures and money texture.
Collage by Laura Baker/Education Week and iStock/Getty
Education Funding State K-12 Spending Is Inequitable and Inadequate. See Where Yours Ranks
There's a $17,000 per student difference between the highest- and lowest-spending states. High-poverty schools suffer especially.
Mark Lieberman, October 28, 2021
4 min read
In this June 8, 2021 photo, with dark clouds overhead, the Supreme Court is seen in Washington.
The U.S. Supreme Court's new term opens in early October with several cases that could impact K-12 schools.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Law & Courts Here Are the Upcoming Supreme Court Cases That Matter for Schools
Major cases on school choice and religious schools will be heard, along with a case on whether school boards can reprimand outspoken members.
Mark Walsh, September 27, 2021
9 min read
Conceptual Illustration
Pep Montserrat for Education Week
Equity & Diversity Reported Essay What the Indian Caste System Taught Me About Racism in American Schools
Born and raised in India, reporter Eesha Pendharkar isn’t convinced that America’s anti-racist efforts are enough to make students of color feel like they belong.
Eesha Pendharkar, September 14, 2021
7 min read
Illustration of students reading with pie chart.
iStock/Getty Images Plus
States From Our Research Center Map: A-F Grades, Rankings for States on School Quality
Here’s a map showing grades for all the states on this year’s Quality Counts summative report card, on which the nation gets a C overall.
EdWeek Research Center, September 1, 2021
1 min read
Illustration of students reading with pie chart.
iStock/Getty Images Plus
States From Our Research Center Nation Gets a 'C' on Latest School Quality Report Card, While N.J. Again Boasts Top Grade
A slight increase in this year's Quality Counts score isn't enough to boost the nation's school system above last year's middling grade.
Sterling C. Lloyd & Alex Harwin, September 1, 2021
8 min read