Chronic Absenteeism and What to Do About It
More than 1 in 4. 28.4% to be exact. That’s how many Maine students were chronically absent according to the Maine Department of Education’s most recent data. A student is defined as chronically absent if they are absent 10% or more of the days enrolled. That’s just...
MEA President’s Letter – Winter 2024
Writing the President’s Letter for this issue has been a struggle. October 25th will cast a long shadow over us for quite some time, even those of us less directly impacted by the tragic losses suffered by so many that day. Events taking place around the...
From MEA’s Executive Director – Winter 2024
What is the Right Thing? Is There One? Honestly, I am struggling. Struggling to find the right thing to say in this message. The unthinkable has happened in Maine, and at the same time, the holiday season is upon us. Is it appropriate to be joyful when others have...
“The stress and disappointments of teaching aren’t worth it.”
That’s the headline from a new RAND survey that highlights the top reason teachers cite when asked if they were very likely or somewhat likely to leave their jobs. While low pay is the second factor cited for why a teacher would leave the profession, dissatisfaction...
Books For the New Year
ELEMENTARY GRADE LEVEL MIDDLE GRADE LEVEL When Rubin PlaysBy: Gracey Zhang Rubin, an aspiring violinist, ventures into the forest to practice and is visited by creatures who appreciate his music as it is, helping him find his strength and voice. Simon Sort of SaysBy:...
Writing Strategies for All Students
By: Sara Flanagan, Assistant Professor of Special Education, University of Maine & Tammy Mills, Senior Lecturer of Education, University of Maine Writing can be difficult for students from learning to form a sentence to a formal paper. The writing process demands...
MEA 2023 Career Earnings Data
As part of MEA’s continued commitment to educate its members on issues that impact their work and life, MEA staff compiled the following data regarding salaries, in particular, career earnings in Maine. Career Earnings is a strength-of-scale measure. The name is a bit...
Editor’s Note | Fall 2023: Through the Cracked Windshield
I now have a high school freshman and a middle school student. I also now have a LOT of white hair. When I started this job at the MEA my youngest was 12 weeks old, in diapers, and barely moving. Fast forward a few years, and I’m writing this same editor’s note...
Empowering Student Voice: Fostering Active Participation in the Classroom
A sense of ownership in the classroom is key for students to participate and engage in the learning process. By valuing and incorporating students’ ideas, perspectives, and opinions you are closer to having a room full of students who not only aren’t afraid to speak...
The Maine Educator is the nationally recognized award-winning official quarterly publication mailed to the households of approximately 23,000 Maine Education Association members. The Maine Educator is published four times a year (Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer).