There have long been anecdotal reports that some Maine districts have difficulty filling vacancies and retaining teachers. This is a common lament for schools in rural areas, and for schools across the state in hiring teachers for certain subject areas-namely math, science, special education, and foreign languages. Current policy initiatives in…

The Commission to Study the Adequacy and Equity of Certain Cost Components of the School Funding Formula was created in legislation crafted by the Joint Standing Committee on Education of the 126th Legislature (the "Education Committee"). The legislation was enacted as Resolve 2014, chapter 114. Creation of the Commission is the latest…

This paper presents the Maine edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's 2008 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook". The 2008 "Yearbook" focuses on how state policies impact the retention of effective new teachers. This policy evaluation is broken down into three areas that encompass 15 goals. Broadly, these goals examine…

Reports survey of active and former teachers and high school seniors to determine sources of satisfaction/dissatisfaction in teaching, analyze teacher turnover rates and causes, and explore decision factors of prospective teacher. Finds teacher sources of satisfaction to be service to others, dissatisfactions to be low economic rewards and…

Two consecutive collective bargaining agreements between the Maine Vocational Technical Institute (VTI) Board of Trustees and the Maine Teachers Association VTI Faculty Unit are presented, covering the years 1986-87 and 1987-89. Both agreements include articles on: (1) union recognition; (2) union security; (3) grievance procedures; (4) paid and…