In the school year of 2004-2005, Maine ranked a sour 38th for average teacher salaries among the nation. However, Maine student achievement has remained among the nation's top, according to NAEP scores. In fact, Maine students have attained similar results in reading proficiency and other categories since 1992. There has been very little sway to one side or the other. Many would shrug and suggest Maine to simply keep plugging along. Unfortunately, this has been the sentiment of Maine's tax payers as well. Such is the public bias that the result has been a declining amount of funds to support the advancement of our public education system. The problem lies within the public education's inability to exhibit it's own necessity. Maine's tax payers are not stupid and consequently do not see the point in throwing money into reforms that are not benefitting their children. What Maine's public education system needs is a larger population of highly qualified educators coordinating to express unanimously the importance of increasing educational funding. It is the job of educators to first, become highly qualified teachers with graduate level educations and secondly, for the most educated, to adopt leadership roles.
Future Maine Teachers: Teachers and Administrators alike are becoming restless and increasingly motivated as each year passes by while little to no effort has been made throughout Maine communities to jump start reform. These are fertile times for uprising among educators to begin campaigns expressing the necessity of supporting Maine's public education in terms of providing a quality work force and confident, concerned citizens for the future. This is a ripe time for new, highly educated teachers to begin their careers. With job shortages, incentives for teachers with advanced degrees abound. Maine is looking for teachers to move us into a brighter 21st century with comprehensive understanding of data-driven decision making, resource management, modern teaching theories and ethical leadership. So, earn your Bachelor's degree, Master's degree or PhD and be a catalyst for change.
Current Maine Teachers and Administrators: Student performance has ranked among the top in the nation for many years running. However, as funding has slipped behind, teacher satisfaction and student performance are sure to follow. This is a defining moment for Maine's future in public education. Are you an experienced teacher or administrator who believes all is well and the current system is sound? Or are you one who acknowledges the ominous stagnancy and consistent decline in teacher and community satisfaction with our educational system? The choice is yours whether you believe one way or the other, but for those who wish to be part of a solution, the procedure requires high levels of education. A qualified, experienced teacher or administrator has a comprehensive knowledge of Maine's current system and of burgeoning reforms. Qualified educators need to have the knowledge to be able to determine whether the introduction of new reforms are based upon student achievement or something less noble. Gain the knowledge you need to become a quality leader for Maine's public education with a Master's degree, PhD or Administrative Credential from a top, accredited university.
