oprahpress

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 10, 2006

Demand for Change Grows Nationally for Better High Schools

"Oprah" to Report on American Schools in Crisis on

Tuesday, April 11 and Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Contact: Commissioner’s Office, 624-6620

America is facing a crisis: Too many young people do not graduate from high school. Too many students graduate unprepared for college and work.

“The Oprah Winfrey Show” has an exclusive joint TV interview with Bill and Melinda Gates, founders and co-chairs of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The foundation has invested more than one billion dollars to support the creation of more than 1600 high-quality high schools. Next week, a new national campaign will be announced to build awareness and support for improvements in high schools so all students can graduate prepared for success.

“This week Maine is launching its own version of this national campaign, called the Maine Readiness Campaign,” said Susan Gendron, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Education. “The national attention being given to the task of educating our students for the challenges of the 21st century couldn’t come at a better time to support Maine’s own efforts,” she said.

Maine has been recognized as a leader in high school reform. In 2002, Maine received a $10 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to support high school redesign. In 2005, through a competitive process the National Governor’s Association selected Maine’s proposal to build public support for high school reform. In addition, Maine was chosen by the Successful Schools Network to focus on rigor and relevance at the secondary level.

According to Gendron, only 37% of Maine adults have a college degree, compared with 46% in New England. Enrolling in a 2 or 4 year college program immediately after high school graduation is less common in Maine than in New England and workers in Maine without a college degree earn 43% less than their counterparts in the work force with a Bachelor’s Degree.

“This week,” Gendron said, “invitations to participate in the Maine Readiness Program are being mailed to every school board, superintendent, high school principal, and local education association in the State, as well as to community and business leaders in every municipality.”

Commissioner Gendron noted that Governor Baldacci has provided leadership and commitment to preparing Maine’s workforce for the jobs of the 21st Century. A key goal of the Governor has been to increase the rate of Maine people seeking higher education and workforce training opportunities. “Governor Baldacci understands that education is the foundation of success for Maine citizens,” said Commissioner Gendron.

Governor Baldacci said, “In Maine we are building on our impressive high school graduation rate. The focus and resources of the Maine Readiness Campaign we will enable us to further expand improvements to our high schools and ensure more Maine people have access to quality higher education in Maine.”

The Governor stated that Maine already leads the nation in investing education dollars in the classroom. The recently signed supplemental budget adds another $42 million on top of school funding already appropriated for fiscal year 2007.

Additionally, the Community College System the Governor created three years ago continues to see increased enrollment. In the three years from the establishment of the Community College System, enrollment has increased 42%. Now, 11,000 students are attending community colleges in Maine. Since 2003, enrollment of students directly from high school to Community Colleges in Maine has jumped by 50%. Through the cooperation of the Community Colleges and University of Maine System, students can now move seamlessly from earning an Associate degree to earning a Bachelor degree.

“To really launch the Campaign,” Gendron announced, “we’ve scheduled three Student Forums to begin with the very people that the campaign is intended to benefit. The Forums will be on May 9, 10 and 11 in Bangor, Augusta and Portland and invitations to the forums are also being mailed to schools this week. I’m personally excited about starting the Campaign with students and learning directly from them what the barriers are to getting the skills they need to graduate ready and how to eliminate those barriers.”

The Maine Readiness Campaign is funded over two years with a $719,500 grant from the National Governor’s Association, also sponsored by the Gates Foundation. That grant will be augmented with revenue from the Great Maine Schools Project at the Mitchell Institute and from donations raised from corporate and community sponsors. The Maine Readiness Campaign is a three-pronged strategy that will include a creative media campaign, a community leadership and engagement program with 50 Readiness Partnerships and a statewide engagement program with organizations that share the agenda that all students should graduate ready for college, career and citizenship. All three strategies are geared toward successfully supporting school and community collaborations that launch locally designed actions that support Maine’s high schools as they make the necessary changes to better prepare students for college, career and citizenship.

“The Department of Education and the Readiness Partners hope to engage with Maine’s young people and their future,” Gendron said, “doing so will prepare Maine for a brighter future.”

Check your local listings for “The Oprah Winfrey Show”

Bangor, ME – WABI Channel 5 @ 4:00 p.m.
Portland, ME – WGME Channel 13 @ 4:00 p.m.
Presque Isle, ME – WAGM Channel 8 @ 4:00 p.m.

Center for Educational Transformation Information