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At its Sept. 20 meeting, the Portland Board of Public Education voted unanimously to approve a new three-year collective bargaining agreement with the Portland Education Association, The new contract shows trust and collaboration on both sides, with educators and the district working towards a common goal of student success. The contract begins this school year and runs through the 2024-2025 school year.

At a ceremony in Brunswick Sept. 15, four Portland Public Schools educators were presented with the 2022 Education for the Common Good Award by Bowdoin College. The four recipients of this year’s award are Superintendent Xavier Botana; PPS Director of BIPOC Career Pathways and Leadership Development Julia Hazel; Portland High School Assistant Principal Alberto Morales, and Executive Director of Human Resources Barbara Stoddard. They were recognized for their work to transform conditions for educators of color in the district

To kick off the NEA Big Read: Portland, ME, a city-wide discussion of immigration using the adult novel INFINITE COUNTRY that is taking place this fall, the Portland nonprofit I’m Your Neighbor Books and USM’s Department of Literacy, Language, and Culture delivered 1,200 children’s books to the Portland Public Schools – texts that will extend the conversation from kindergarten to grade 12. I'm Your Neighbor uses children’s books and stories to welcome immigrants, sharing books that help all students to better understand the perspectives of others and learn to value diversity.

Rippleffect, a nonprofit that promotes youth development and leadership through adventure, on Sept. 13 officially announced the Rippleffect Outdoor Center (“ROC”), a central piece in Rippleffect's vision to provide equitable access for all Maine youth, starting in Portland’s backyard. 

The Portland Public Schools has worked with our medical team to develop COVID-19 protocols for the new school year that reflect federal CDC recommendations.

The district has a new assistant director of student support services for secondary schools: Sharlee Mahoney. Shar, who started work on Aug. 22, will be introduced to the Portland Board of Public Education in September. She is joining our district from the Falmouth Public Schools, where she was a special education coordinator and instructional strategist across all grade spans.

Letters of hope to the children of Ukraine, penned by Lincoln Middle School students, took flight on a plane last week for delivery to children in the war zone.

Mohamed Kilani, a Spanish teacher intern at Lincoln Middle School, was recognized April 1 as a Preservice Teacher of the Year at the Educators Rising Conference hosted by Thomas College in Waterville.

Lincoln Middle School will have a new principal for the 2022-2023 school year: Marisa Ayala, an educator with leadership and bilingual teaching experience with the Boston and Chicago public schools.

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), in partnership with the Maine Department of Education (DOE), this week announced the winners of a video competition for Maine children to encourage COVID-19 vaccination.

Lincoln and Lyman Moore middle schools and Rowe Elementary School were excited to welcome author Saadia Faruqi for virtual visits this week to discuss her new book,  “Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero.”