Janet Fairman
Contact
Location
Janet Fairman grew up in the Chicago area and earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Chicago. She earned a master’s degree in political science/public policy and a doctorate in education policy from Rutgers University. Since joining the University of Maine in 2002, Dr. Fairman has researched and evaluated Maine’s major education policies and reform initiatives. She studied the implementation of state learning standards, local assessments, the laptop program for middle school students and teachers, and the consolidation of school districts. In 2015, Dr. Fairman assumed the role of co-director of the Maine Education Policy Research Institute (MEPRI). She continues to provide education policy analysis to the state legislature to inform policymaking. Dr. Fairman combines her interest in education reform, teacher leadership, and public policy with a focus on innovative practices that support students and teachers in math and science. Serving as a co-principal investigator, she researched the ASSISTments online homework platform for middle school students and teachers in mathematics. Her interest in supporting girls and women in STEM fields extends to higher education where she researched undergraduate women in STEM majors and evaluated UMaine’s Rising Tide Advance Grant initiative to support recruitment and advancement of women in science.
Education
M.A. in Political Science/Public Policy, 1992, Rutgers University
B.A. in Political Science, 1986, University of Chicago
