The Maine Charter School Commission also discusses possibly waiting a year to consider a 10th charter school.
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.
Cities, towns paying more for schools as state pays less, study finds
State funding for Maine’s K-12 public schools declined 9 percent from 2008 to 2015.
Portland school board adopts comprehensive transgender policy
It joins about a half-dozen other Maine school districts that have approved such policies since a landmark state supreme court ruling in 2014.
Portland school officials craft transgender policy
The comprehensive guidelines – with input from students – will require staff training. A vote takes place Tuesday.
Brenda Viola
She’s committed to making the immigrant experience easier for other newcomers.
Lucky Hollander
She launched a network of adults to help young immigrants who arrive alone.
Board chairwoman says Portland schools working to close academic gap
Anna Trevorrow’s State of the Schools address outlines efforts to improve test scores, add staff training, pass policies to condemn hate speech and protect the rights of transgender students.
Surge in out-of-state enrollment boosts UMaine System’s finances
The main campus in Orono and the University of Southern Maine both see jumps in revenue from non-state students, who pay much higher tuition.
Portland schools again cut back request to city for maintenance funding
The request comes one week after voters passed a $64.3 million bond to renovate four schools that deteriorated because of years of deferred upkeep.
Lewiston legislator introduces bill to restore student health centers in 15 schools across the state
Rep. Jim Handy’s bill would reverse state budget cuts that defunded clinics serving thousands of students.