He leaves Sept. 12 for a national policy post. Gov. LePage’s office has no comment on a successor.
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.
Portland charter school denied occupancy approval
The charter school plans to fix building code violations and start year one on time.
Labor of love equips Maine kids to learn
Ruth Libby’s nonprofit is providing more than 4,500 students with free backpacks filled with school supplies.
LearningWorks receives $2.2 million grant
The Portland agency will use the funds to place AmeriCorps members in underachieving schools.
Portland athletic directors, coaches to save teams
They will volunteer time or reallocate funds to preserve seventh-grade sports in Portland schools.
Consultant: Add 10 administrative jobs in Portland schools
An analysis, to be used in restructuring, also says the organization of the Portland district has fallen behind ‘best practices.’
Maine gets waiver on some ‘No Child Left Behind’ requirements
The state will get flexibility, for example, on a rule that all students be proficient in math and reading by 2014, but must continue publishing A-F report cards for all schools.
Maine food pantries go to school
The BackPack Program will expand serve about 200 children from eight elementary schools along the midcoast, and eight schools statewide will host food pantries.
SMCC chief floats ideas to prepare Portland kids for college
In an address to Portland educators, he describes some of the deficiencies freshmen struggle with.
LePage ‘offended’ by charter school criticisms
At a Heritage Policy Center luncheon, he blasts Sen. Justin Alfond’s family background and criticism of the school for hosting the conservative group.