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Full-Text Articles in Education

Attracting, Training, And Retaining A Skilled And Ready Workforce To Support Maine’S Seafood Economy, Keri Kaczor, Anne Langston Noll Dec 2023

Attracting, Training, And Retaining A Skilled And Ready Workforce To Support Maine’S Seafood Economy, Keri Kaczor, Anne Langston Noll

Maine Policy Review

Despite the many challenges, the entirety of Maine’s seafood economy—from harvesting, transportation and logistics, marketing, and food service—still offers valuable employment and career opportunities. Understanding training needs and career aspirations, as well as how they align to available training and career opportunities is key to addressing the challenges of recruiting, training and retaining a skilled and ready workforce. Findings from recent projects assessing workforce training needs, preferred training formats, existing workforce barriers, and incentives will be shared as well as input from educators and others who support the industry. Recommendations for investment and new programs to support the industry include: …


The Fabulous Promise And Practical Need For The Humanities In The Twenty-First Century, Liam Riordan Jan 2015

The Fabulous Promise And Practical Need For The Humanities In The Twenty-First Century, Liam Riordan

Maine Policy Review

Guest editor Liam Riordan in this overview article explores the relationship between the humanities and policy in general terms, identifying the recurring themes in the other articles in this special issue of Maine Policy Review. He contends that the humanities offer fabulous promise to enrich the quality of civic life in Maine and that this promise is firmly rooted in how the humanities address our practical need for meaningful human experiences.


Homeschoolers And Public Libraries: A Synergistic Relationship, Cynthia Jennings Jan 2013

Homeschoolers And Public Libraries: A Synergistic Relationship, Cynthia Jennings

Maine Policy Review

Homeschoolers are commonly heavy users of their local libraries. this article discusses how libraries can become educational “hubs” for for homeschoolers by developing programs and services to support this burgeoning population.


Sustainability And Workforce Development In Maine, Catherine S. Renault, Linda Silka, James (Jake) S. Ward Jan 2012

Sustainability And Workforce Development In Maine, Catherine S. Renault, Linda Silka, James (Jake) S. Ward

Maine Policy Review

Maine is facing challenges in terms of its work­force: education levels lag behind those in the other New England states; population growth is slow; and the economy is undergoing a change that has shifted from manufacturing to more knowledge-based jobs. Catherine Renault, Linda Silka and Jake Ward discuss these challenges, looking at what employers want in their employees and at the kinds of jobs the state is likely to see in the future. They point out that the Sustainability Solutions Initiative, with its emphasis on a boundary-crossing approach to educa­tion, is an example of a way to train today’s students …


Improving Maine’S Future Through Education: Overcoming Challenges And Learning To “Row” Together, Linda Silka, Karen Hutchins, Meredith Jones, Chris Rector Jan 2012

Improving Maine’S Future Through Education: Overcoming Challenges And Learning To “Row” Together, Linda Silka, Karen Hutchins, Meredith Jones, Chris Rector

Maine Policy Review

Although people agree that education is a crucial ingredient in the mix of factors that will improve Maine’s economic prospects, we often come at the problem from different angles and develop different methods to improve educational outcomes. In this article, Linda Silka, Karen Hutchins, Meredith Jones, and Chris Rector assert that progress in securing a bright future for Maine requires working together across disciplines and areas of expertise to support education. The authors present nine recommendations for strengthening Maine’s educational systems.


Education On Food, Fisheries And Agriculture, Molly Anderson Jan 2011

Education On Food, Fisheries And Agriculture, Molly Anderson

Maine Policy Review

This article describes the important role of education in helping the growing workforce in food-related industries, as well as the general population. The author notes that education in Maine about food, fisheries, and agri­culture is provided in a wide variety of venues: formal degrees at colleges and universities; Cooperative Extension; farm-to-school programs; the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA); and even educational farms. A sidebar by John Rebar discusses the work of University of Maine Cooperative Extension.


Educare: A Catalyst For Change, Lauren Sterling, Sheryl Peavey, Michael Burke Jan 2010

Educare: A Catalyst For Change, Lauren Sterling, Sheryl Peavey, Michael Burke

Maine Policy Review

Educare is a national model for providing center-based early childhood care and education, focused on improving student achievement for children growing up in poverty. The authors of this commentary describe development of Educare Central Maine in Waterville, scheduled to open in September 2010.


High School Achievement In Maine: Where You Come From Matters More Than School Size And Expenditures, Fern Desjardins, Gordon A. Donaldson Jr. Jan 2008

High School Achievement In Maine: Where You Come From Matters More Than School Size And Expenditures, Fern Desjardins, Gordon A. Donaldson Jr.

Maine Policy Review

Fern Desjardins and Gordon Donaldson report on their research examining the relationship between academic achievement in Maine’s public high schools and school size, per-pupil operating costs, and socioeconomic status. Using aggregated Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) scores, their study confirmed previous research that socioeconomic status (using both family and community measures) is the most important factor associated with achievement, while school size is not a critical factor. Additionally, the authors found that per-pupil operating costs are higher in the state’s largest and smallest high schools. The authors suggest that the creation of larger districts and larger schools, as supported by recent …


You Don’T Always Get What You Want: Lessons To Be Learned From The Demise Of Maine’S Local Assessment System, Rebecca H. Berger Jan 2007

You Don’T Always Get What You Want: Lessons To Be Learned From The Demise Of Maine’S Local Assessment System, Rebecca H. Berger

Maine Policy Review

The recent repeal of Maine’s local education assessment requirement was met with mixed reactions ranging from relief to outrage. That there were such differing responses points to the fact that “assessment” in education is understood in diverse and sometimes contradictory ways. In this article, Rebecca Berger looks retrospectively at how the problems associated with implementing Maine’s local assessment system (LAS) were caused by a lack of understanding of important aspects of assessment as it relates to standards-based reform in education. Using examples from her case study of one Maine school district, Berger notes three areas of ongoing concern: lack of …


Potential Efficiency Gains From Consolidation Of Maine’S Educational Resources, Philip A. Trostel Jan 2003

Potential Efficiency Gains From Consolidation Of Maine’S Educational Resources, Philip A. Trostel

Maine Policy Review

Economist Philip Trostel analyzes the size of Maine’s schools and school districts and the costs and quality of education. He argues that some schools and districts may be too small to be cost-efficient; that on average education in Maine costs more per student than in the rest of the country; and that education quality may not be as high in smaller schools as in larger ones, at least based on some measures. While there may be some less-measurable benefits to small schools, Trostel suggests that declining school-age populations and increasing costs should lead policymakers to seriously consider consolidating schools and …


A New Look At Senior Education, Harry Sky Jan 2003

A New Look At Senior Education, Harry Sky

Maine Policy Review

Rabbi Harry Sky, founder of the senior college movement in Maine, provides his insights on the increasing desire by older adults for lifelong learning. He writes that older adults are seeking experiences to counteract the profound sense of loneliness and “disconnectedness” that often accompany retirement. Institutions such as Maine’s senior colleges provide one such kind of experience, though they are not the only answer. Rabbi Sky reflects that in this country, we have not afforded the honor to seniors seen in other parts of the world, and that we should take a page from other civilizations.


School Size Choices: Comparing Small And Large School Strengths, Janet C. Fairman Jan 2003

School Size Choices: Comparing Small And Large School Strengths, Janet C. Fairman

Maine Policy Review

Janet Fairman discusses the thorny issue of school quality, suggesting that small schools have certain strengths compared to larger schools. Data from her study of small high schools in Maine, as well as research literature, suggest that compared to large schools, small schools allow for greater personal attention to students, have greater flexibility in scheduling, programming and instructional decisions, and often have stronger school-community connections that support student achievement and serve important community needs. Using quantitative measures of quality, Fairman notes that school size alone explains very little of the variation in 11th grade Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) scores, while …


Barriers To Postsecondary Education In Maine: Making College The Obvious And Attainable Next Step For More Maine Students, Colleen J. Quint, Lisa Plimpton Jan 2002

Barriers To Postsecondary Education In Maine: Making College The Obvious And Attainable Next Step For More Maine Students, Colleen J. Quint, Lisa Plimpton

Maine Policy Review

The question of why more high school students do not go on to college has been the focus of recent research at the Mitchell Institute. Quint and Plimpton summarize this research, which involved more than 2,500 Maine students, educators and parents. They find that financial barriers are only one piece of a complicated puzzle. Other barriers include parental attitudes, whether any family members have attended college, the high school experience (i.e., what track the student is placed in), the quality of career planning in school and at home, and the level of active planning for college (while many students say …


Higher Education In Maine: A Conversation With Sally Vamvakias, Sally Vamvakias Jan 2000

Higher Education In Maine: A Conversation With Sally Vamvakias, Sally Vamvakias

Maine Policy Review

This conversation between Sally Vamvakias, former chair of the University of Maine System Board of Trustees took place on October 5, 1999. At the time, Vamvakias had just completed her ten-year tenure as a trustee, the last four as chair. In this forward-looking conversation, Vamvakias talks about the change that electronic forms of knowledge transmission are bringing to higher education, and lays out the challenges to the University of Maine System as we begin the new millennium. This interview was conducted for Maine Policy Review by Luisa S. Deprez of the University of Southern Maine.


Educational Reform: An Interview With Commissioner J. Duke Albanese, J. Duke Albanese Jan 1997

Educational Reform: An Interview With Commissioner J. Duke Albanese, J. Duke Albanese

Maine Policy Review

Few issues touch the hearts, minds, and lives of Mainers more than education. Learning Results, budgetary concerns, violence in schools, and school choice are among the issues that occupy much of the public policy focus of educators, administrators, taxpayers, and lawmakers alike. In this interview, Commissioner J. Duke Albanese addresses some of these education issues, most notably Learning Results and their potential impact on education in Maine.


Fusing Educational Reform Policy And Action: Assuring The Development Of Local Leaders, George F. Marnik, Gordon A. Donaldson Jr. Jan 1994

Fusing Educational Reform Policy And Action: Assuring The Development Of Local Leaders, George F. Marnik, Gordon A. Donaldson Jr.

Maine Policy Review

School change does not happen in a vacuum. It requires initiative and leadership. Because Maine's educational system features a strong local control component, successful educational change requires development of local leadership. George Marnik and Gordon Donaldson report on the Maine Academyfor School Leaders, an educational leadership development project in which they were involved. Among other things, the researchers learned that successful educational change is not likely to result from a one-size-fits-all state policy. Rather, successful reform occurs "one individual at a time, one school at a time."


The American University In Bulgaria: Institution-Building In A Developing Democracy, Edward B. Laverty, Roberta P. Laverty Jan 1993

The American University In Bulgaria: Institution-Building In A Developing Democracy, Edward B. Laverty, Roberta P. Laverty

Maine Policy Review

Edward and Roberta Laverty describe the new American University in Bulgaria (AUBG) that opened in September 1991. This is the first private educational institution opened in Bulgaria since World War II, and because of its affiliation with the University of Maine, it becasme the only fully accredited university in Eastern Europe..


A Business Perspective On Education: Launching A Revolution Of Participation, James F. Orr Iii Jan 1992

A Business Perspective On Education: Launching A Revolution Of Participation, James F. Orr Iii

Maine Policy Review

Business has been increasingly concerned about the reform of education in the U.S. in recent years, according to James F. Orr III, chief executive officer of UNUM. Although financial resources have been contributed to the reform efforts, Orr admits, business has not taken the larger step of actually participating in the process of education reform. Participation, he argues, is central to changing schools to respond to the realities of the 21st century. Business must retake ownership of American schools, along with other stakeholders and citizens in general. In this article, based on an address made earlier this year at a …