Education Forum of Maine Blog
Reimagining and Repurposing School
Why do we do school? Is it serving the needs of the students, educators, communities, and industries of Maine? How can we make sure that we are designing school to meet current and future needs? To discuss these questions, Education Action Forum of Maine hosted a...
Integrating School and Community
The St. George Municipal School Unit (MSU) has found creative ways to support teachers’ innovative ideas, meet the needs of all students, and connect the community to their school. How are they doing it? By prioritizing relationships, staff and student wellbeing, and...
Giving Students Hope for the Future
Zoe Weil, co-founder and president of the Institute for Humane Education (IHE), shares her revolutionary approach to education, designed to provide young people with the skills, capacities, and experiences they need to feel confident in solving the problems they care...
Educator and Student Thriving with Change Maker and Educator Rob Houben
Intro: Change maker and educator Rob Houben (Agora School in the Netherlands) shares why it is so vital to our students' success for us to treat them all unequally, to respect them as professional learners, and most of all to understand them as unique individuals who...
Imagining What School Could Be with Ted Dintersmith
Intro: Get inspired with ideas to transform teaching and learning with Ted Dintersmith, founder and chairman of WhatSchoolCouldBe.org. A former venture capitalist, Dintersmith is consumed with issues at the intersection of education, career and citizenship skills, and...
Rep. Millett on Education Priorities
Representative Rebecca Millett joins us for a conversation about the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee and her top priorities for this year's legislative session. Listen here to learn what actionable steps you can take to make a real impact for our kids, our...
How Charter Schools can Enhance Educational Equity and Systemize Inquiry-based Learning
Scott Barksdale is the Head of School for the Harpswell Coastal Academy. Scott began his career as a musician but found that friends who were teachers seemed the happiest in their career choices. That change in career trajectory developed into an 11-year career...
The School within a School Model, Developing Success Pathways for all Students
Public Schools are filled with Innovative educators and leaders. In this interview, Aaron Churchill speaks with Julia Sleeper-Whiting, Executive Director of the Tree Street Youth Center and Jake Langlais, Superintendent of the Lewiston Public Schools. In this...
Advice from Fern Desjardins, Maine Charter School Commission
Fern Des Jardins has served her community of St. Agatha in rural Maine for all her professional life. Fern has influenced the lives of hundreds of students in her classroom as well as education leaders across the state and country. In this remarkable interview, Fern...
Addressing the Mental and Emotional Health of Maine’s Students and Educators
When our colleague Laura Ornest asks, “what message you would send to legislators,” Kristel Thyrring, Director of Youth Mental Health Programs and Libby Wright, Coordinator at NAMI Maine respond, “Help us to better help you, Help us work upstream.” Kristel and...
Nonprofits, Schools, and Community Collaboration in the Face of Growing Economic Disparities
“Nonprofit agencies represent the public’s conscience.” They are the ones who say to the public, “This is what needs to be done in the name of creating a better society for all of us.” These words from Allan Luks, former Director at Fordham University’s Center for...
The Threshold Program, an Innovative High School Diploma Program
Aaron Churchill talks with three of Maine’s extraordinary educators. The Threshold Program operates from the MEANS Academy serving some of Maine’s most vulnerable students. In this conversation we hear how a program started to address teen pregnancy expanded to...
Charter Schools as Catalyst for Community Rebirth
Early in his career as a middle school teacher in Philadelphia Travis Works realized the best way for a child to achieve success was to provide them what they need when they need it. Although most of the education research encouraged that, it not practiced in the...
School-within-a-School for Several Public Districts in Rural Maine
EdForumofMaine · Cobscook Institute - Kara McCimmon Director Kara McCrimmon, is an educator who was able to forge creative alternative pathways for students desiring to engage in experiential learning not typically offered at a district schools. In a creative...
Student Assessment Models and Reimagining a Post-Covid Education System
Erica Mazzeo is the Director of Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment in RSU 57. Her unique educational history as researcher and teacher in public, private and public charter schools makes her an exceptional resource in Maine as the state endeavors to reimagine a...
Online Virtual Schools
After 31 years as an educator in the “bricks and mortar” public school system, Maine native Walter Wallace took on the role of Principal at one of the State’s two virtual public schools. Prior to the Covid pandemic, many were suspicious of virtual schools. Maine...
Magnet School Innovations
Kylie Bragdon, Head of the Maine Ocean School in Searsport is a self-described “Downeast Girl” who followed her family’s generational involvement with lobstering. Sensing a need to provide educational opportunity to students who did not fit into typical district...
Flexible Education Models Meeting Individual Learning Needs
Brittiny-Rae Perron was headed for a career in medicine when an internship at the Perkins School for the Blind outside Boston changed her career trajectory. Brittiny-Rae discusses with Aaron Churchill how her experiences with Teach for America in Nashville followed...
Student-Centered Learning & Innovative Approaches to Educational Success
Matt Newberg is a master educator with 20 years’ experience in fostering student-centered learning. In this conversation with our host Aaron Churchill, Matt discusses topics that are subtle, innovative approaches to educational success practiced at the Maine Academy...
Integrated Arts Curriculum for Students from Rural Areas
Our inaugural conversation with creative education leaders across the state of Maine features Heather King, Head of School for the Maine Arts Academy. Heather discusses how this charter school offers an integrated arts curriculum for students from rural areas in...