Tag Archives: global education

Maine’s graduates need to be able to compete on the world stage

Apparently many school districts in Maine are urging that the state drop the World Language graduation requirement of Maine’s LD1422, An Act To Prepare Maine People for the Future Economy, because of the cost of implementation. I believe it is important that we both keep and strengthen this graduation requirement. In a world where the norm among […]

Bringing out the best in children

As I was walking down Church Hill today the potential of our nation torpedoed toward and then past me in the form of a vigorous 8 year-old girl. Her feet pounded the pavement, her wide golden eyes locked with mine, and then she was gone. “Who knows?” I thought. “Maybe that girl will do humankind […]

We start our students learning languages too late

Proficiency in a second language is important and is most easily achieved by those who start young and who have the good luck to be educated in a school system that has a coherent and sequential language program. In this age of globalization, schools should be prioritizing all aspects of global education. While just one element […]

Is it really that important for students in Maine to learn a second language?

Taxpayers, teachers, board members, parents, and administrators in Maine sometimes wonder why we should fund an elementary and middle school World Language program in the public schools when taxes are so high and students seem to be having such trouble with subjects like math and reading. First, everyone should realize that according to LD 1422, […]

Unfunded Mandate? Let’s Do Pre-K Right in Maine!

An opinion piece in today’s Bangor Daily News expresses concern that despite good intentions LD1530 – the bill to require preschool access to four year-olds living in Maine by  school year 2018 – 2019 – is seriously flawed. A key problem in the bill is that funding is not clear for the program. This bill […]

Imagination in the Curriculum: the Arts, History, Languages

“In Singapore and South Korea, teachers are thought of as nation-builders.” Secretary Duncan made this comment in May, 2011 at the National Center on Education and the Economy National Symposium. As a teacher in the United States am I seen as a nation-builder? To be honest, I more often feel I am seen as a second-rate […]

Global Education: of core importance

We live in an age when pundits, presidents, business leaders, and the general public alike extol the importance of global education. Yet the curriculum in most of our elementary and middle level public schools in Maine consigns social studies and geography to the category of second-rank subjects, and views world languages as a ‘frill.’ The […]