The magnet high school in Limestone announces its deal with the University of Maine Presque Isle.
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.
Maine bill would have state fund charter schools directly
The measure, backed by the Legislature’s Education Committee, would then relieve school districts of the responsibility and the difficulty.
To make up for snow days, bill calls for longer school days
Several Maine districts now face the possibility of holding Saturday classes, adding days to the end of the school year or holding classes during April vacation week.
Portland School Board considering inverting start times
It is looking into having Portland’s elementary schools begin earlier and the high schools start later.
S&P downgrades UMaine System outlook to negative
The credit rating firm cites declining enrollment and the high turnover among leadership at the seven system campuses.
In Portland, earlier start considered for high school
It’s one of five options for adding 20 minutes to the class day as officials try to give students more instruction time.
Panel votes to shift Maine teachers’ retirement costs back to state
Just two years ago, the state moved some teacher retirement costs onto school districts.
USM names former dean to lead Metropolitan University initiative
Lynn Kuzma, now an associate professor, will serve a 12-month term overseeing USM’s effort to form new partnerships with the community.
Maine won’t issue A-F grades to schools this year
A new assessment test in use means grading of schools will happen next in the fall of 2016 with two years of data.
Bill calls for notices on right to opt out of school testing
Parents need to be aware of that ability amid a growing trend, the sponsor says.