Sign Up for the Politicker.com Wake Up Call

Maine

RSS Feeds

Syndicate content Add to Netvibes Subscribe with Bloglines
Add to Technorati Favorites
Add to Google

Send suggestions to: editor@politicker.com

Maine: Susan Gendron

April 6, 2009 - 10:01 pm
NEWS FEED: Bangor Daily News

Student privacy bill spurs debate in Augusta

By Mal Leary

AUGUSTA, Maine — Students, parents and school administrators all told lawmakers the Department of Education should stop collecting the names of students disciplined by schools and keeping them in a database, but Commissioner Susan Gendron warned that could jeopardize all federal funds for education that come to the state.

“If we don’t comply with reporting requirements as the federal government specifies, we can in fact be required to return all and any federal dollars,” she told lawmakers. “IDEA [Individuals with Educational Disabilities Act] alone is $50 million a year.”

Gendron said that while the state is collecting the disciplinary information, it reports the information only as aggregate data without the students’ identification numbers.

Read More at Bangor Daily News >
There have been 159 comments posted in response to this story.

March 10, 2009 - 08:01 pm
NEWS FEED: Bangor Daily News

Flaw in levying consolidation penalties targeted

By Rich Hewitt

AUGUSTA, Maine — A bill that would postpone penalties on schools that were “orphaned” when their towns voted for a school reorganization plan rejected by partner towns is making its way through the Legislature.

The bill, An Act to Provide Additional Time to Certain School Administrative Units to Comply with School Administration Union Reorganization Laws, would delay for one year the penalties assessed under the school consolidation law.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Stacey Fitts, R-Pittsfield, said Tuesday in a press release that he expects the Legislature will pass the bill.

“The bill essentially buys more time for school districts that tried to consolidate with other districts, but were rejected,” Fitts said.

Read More at Bangor Daily News >
There have been 29 comments posted in response to this story.

February 26, 2009 - 09:30 pm
NEWS FEED: Bangor Daily News

Gendron: Funds for schools will be spent wisely

By Kevin Miller

AUGUSTA, Maine — The state’s education commissioner said Thursday she is still waiting for guidance from Washington, D.C., on how Maine’s share of $100 billion in stimulus funding for education programs should be used.

But Commissioner Susan Gendron tried to reassure lawmakers that both her staff and local superintendents are aware that the federal government and the public will be watching to make sure the funding isn’t squandered to create new programs.

“There are consequences built in,” Gendron told members of the Legislature’s budget and education committees.

The economic stimulus package passed by Congress and signed by President Obama last week contains more than $100 billion for elementary, secondary and postsecondary education.

Read More at Bangor Daily News >
There have been 23 comments posted in response to this story.

February 3, 2009 - 09:09 am
NEWS FEED: MainePolitics.net

Daily Hit - 020309

By Mike

Read More at MainePolitics.net >
There have been 21 comments posted in response to this story.

Tue, 12/02/2008 - 12:39

Gendron to take role in education policy committee

By Jessica Alaimo, PolitickerME.com Reporter

Susan Gendron, Maine’s education commissioner, is taking part in a 10-member education policy task force to create a plan to guide President-elect Barack Obama’s administration through its first 100 days in office.

The group met Monday night where it discussed expanding broadband, No Child Left Behind, the Family Educational Rights and Policy Act and Medicaid. The group also considered a move away from a “compliance-driven relationship” with the U.S. Department of Education.

There have been 42 comments posted in response to this story.