School principal survey cited in BDN report on state’s education system
A survey of Maine school principals conducted by the University of Maine’s College of Education and Human Development was cited in the Bangor Daily News report, “How Maine hurt education by trying to reform it.” The article is the first piece in a series that examines what is holding back teachers, principals, parents and communities from helping students realize their full potential, and aims to hold up promising efforts that other places might learn from, according to the BDN. In the 2011 UMaine survey, a number of educational leaders called for a sustained focus and said school districts, and state and federal governments, needed to stay the course, the article states. “It’s difficult to lead a charge for school and student improvement when the end goal keeps changing,” wrote one respondent. “It burns out teachers, it burns out staff, and it burns out the principal. If we know what to teach, how to assess, and how to measure it consistently, progress could be made.” The article also cited Gordon Donaldson, professor emeritus of education at UMaine and author of “From Schoolhouse to Schooling System: Maine Public Education in the 20th Century.”