Pender Makin’s personal approach led the Maine Principals’ Association to name her high school Principal of the Year.
Noel K. Gallagher
Noel Gallagher covers K-12 and higher education issues statewide. Her stories are a mix of breaking news and trend stories. In recent years, they’ve ranged from why college costs so much, the launch of the state’s first charter schools, how a school welcomed a transgender student and why Maine schools have a hard time finding teachers. She’s enough of a news nerd to enjoy sitting through legislative education committee meetings and hours-long school board meetings so you don’t have to.
The Maine Press Association has honored Noel’s work, but she says she writes for the readers, in the firm belief that an informed citizenry is key to a healthy democracy.
Noel is a California native who has worked at wire services, online websites and newspapers across the country. She was in Washington D.C. during the early Clinton years, covering AIDS activism in 1990s San Francisco, documenting the business of wine in Sonoma County and riding out the boom and bust cycle of the early Internet era in early 2000s Silicon Valley. She arrived in Maine at the beginning of the recession and wrote quite a bit about the downturn here.
In her free time, Noel writes the occasional cookbook review, spends an inordinate amount of time at the Portland Public Library and hangs out with her three fabulous kids and wonderful husband. She is not a former member of the band Oasis.
‘Very difficult decisions’: Portland schools mull cuts
School officials say they need to find $3.8 million in savings to keep the tax rate increase at about 3.2 percent.
LePage voucher plan for low-income pupils is met with concerns
Some lawmakers say Maine is already cutting school funding, so it doesn’t make sense to siphon off more money.
Lawmakers question plan to shift schools’ retirement costs
The state proposes to trim its budget by asking local districts to pay significantly more for public school teachers’ retirement costs.
LePage administration proposes jobs clearinghouse
The plan is greeted enthusiastically by lawmakers.
Democrat proposes keeping Maine liquor in private sector
Senate Majority Leader Seth Goodall says the governor’s plan to take over the function paints too rosy a picture.
Maine teachers: Loosen restraint rule
The rule is too narrow and causes problems in classrooms, they say.
Maine bill would loosen definition of ‘restraint’ for teachers
Backers say the current reluctance to intervene is leading to property damage and staff injuries.
LePage denied on food-stamp request
Gov. Paul LePage sought to require food-stamp users to present an ID when buying groceries.
Maine could see early-childhood education grow
President Obama’s proposal would mean a significant expansion of such programs in the state.