I know and understand that our community desires the very best teaching and learning from our schools; teaching that that leads to ongoing student growth and achievement. We have made every attempt to limit early releases, half days, and full day professional learning days for teachers. We have also worked to limit the number of these delayed starts to fewer than one per month. Thank you for your part in helping us to ensure the very best teaching for Portland children.
The rollout of our one-to-one Chromebooks took place at Brownstone Intermediate this week. Students participated in a series of training sessions that included the importance of digital citizenship and the use of Google Applications for Education (GAFE). Brownstone joins the Portland Middle School in creating blended learning opportunities for students where they will enjoy the benefits of utilizing technology to engage in 21st-century digital learning.
The Portland Board of Education has met twice in October. This past Tuesday, I discussed a number of topics with BOE members including the school calendar for the coming two years. Both school calendars are approved and copies will be uploaded to our website within a few days. Numerous policy revisions have been reviewed as part of our extensive policy overhaul. In addition, I reported on numerous business-related topics such as new potential grants, our electricity pricing and our new substitute service, Source4Teachers. The BOE also approved a new three-year extension to my superintendent’s contract.