Maine Education

Once a fixture in nearly every community, the blacksmith shop is now mostly a relic of the past, but for a few hobbyists and shops scattered across the state. But the Maine Academy of Natural Sciences is trying to re-invigorate interest in the craft.

Local education officials say that a lack of building space, teachers, and special education services are some of the factors limiting the growth of career and technical education across Maine.

Schools across the state received threats disrupting classes on Thursday.

The benefit cards are the last round of a pandemic benefit that provides nutrition funding for school-age children who learned remotely during the pandemic or were absent due to illness caused by COVID-19.

Jackson Green, the principal of the Sumner Learning Campus in Hancock County, wrote a letter to Maine's two U.S. senators this month to draw attention to the dire situation, noting that for the upcoming school year, 80% of his school's new teachers lack an appropriate teaching certificate.

The new spending bill expands the free community college program to the high school classes of 2024 and 2025. Students are eligible for two years of free tuition.

Majority Democrats advanced a Department of Education rule that codifies new confidentiality standards for counselors, but not before Republicans argued that it allows students and counselors to keep secrets from their parents.

But some of the measures faced pushback from LGBTQ advocates and school groups.

Jenifer Cushman has served more than six years as the chancellor of Penn State Beaver, a small campus located about 40 miles outside of Pittsburgh.

The Maine Department of Education says that the funding will go to 9 districts, which were found to have fewer mental health staffers than the rest of the state.