Social distancing, online classes and mask wearing add to the stress of being a new student in Maine, and some campus counseling centers are seeing different and more acute complaints because of the coronavirus.
Rachel Ohm
Staff Writer
Rachel covers state government and politics for the Portland Press Herald. It’s her third beat at the paper after stints covering City Hall and education. Prior to her arrival at the Press Herald in the summer of 2019, Rachel worked at the Morning Sentinel in Waterville, covering Franklin and Somerset counties, and the Knoxville News Sentinel in Knoxville, Tennessee, covering higher education. She has a master’s degree in journalism from New York University and when she’s not writing and reporting enjoys running, cooking and traveling to new places.
Posted inLocal & State, Schools and Education
Some Portland high school parents disappointed with proposal to add 4 hours of in-person learning
The superintendent is expected to present the plans for adding in-person time for 10th- through 12th-grade students at a school board meeting Tuesday.
advertisement
Posted inLocal & State, News, Religion and Values
Catholic Bishop Deeley says state’s new gathering size limit for churches is ‘unacceptable’
A spokeswoman for Gov. Janet Mills defends the recent updates to capacity limits after the bishop of the Portland Diocese says they will have little impact on most Catholic churches in Maine.
Posted inLocal & State, Schools and Education, Uncategorized
South Portland guidance counselor on leave as district investigates incident with Black Student Union
The guidance counselor says he didn’t intend to offend anyone with an email to staff last week regarding the new student group, but some students and teachers say the incident was hurtful and a reminder of why having a Black Student Union is so important.
Posted inLocal & State, News, Schools and Education, Uncategorized
Proposed law would require Maine schools to teach African American history
The measure, which would also require schools to teach about the history of genocide, comes as states across the U.S. are examining how they’re teaching about racial and social injustice.
Posted inLocal & State, News, Schools and Education
UMaine System campuses plan virtual graduation ceremonies this spring
Some students are criticizing the plan to forgo in-person graduations this spring because of uncertainty about the pandemic and the safety of large gatherings.
Posted inLocal & State, News, Uncategorized
Maine clears all counties for in-person learning as COVID-19 cases continue to decline
The Maine Department of Education announced all counties are now designated ‘green,’ meaning in-person learning can be offered as long as health and safety requirements are followed.
Posted inLocal & State, News, Schools and Education, Uncategorized
Portland schools to consider adding in-person learning for high school students
There is no timeline for when students in grades 10 through 12 might be back in classrooms, but the school board is expected to discuss plans for more in-person learning Feb. 23.
Posted inLocal & State, Schools and Education
USM grows scholarship program for disadvantaged and first-generation students
A Scarborough couple’s effort to help a handful of Portland-area students pay for college has grown to an endowed scholarship fund that aims to help 100 Maine students at a time graduate debt-free.
Posted inLocal & State
Maine delegation presses federal agency to protect rural forest economy
A proposed change in federal guidance threatens conservation efforts and forestry in rural Maine, particularly on land owned and managed by the Appalachian Mountain Club, the four delegation members say.