BIDDEFORD — On Thursday, Biddeford Middle School put its best foot forward for a visit by a VIP.
State Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen, who has been visiting schools around the state, was taken on what he termed a “whirlwind tour” by BMS Principal Charles Lomonte and two eighth-grade students, Matthew Perkins and Megan Frieo.
The visit is part of the commissioner’s Promising Practices Tour, which will take him to the nine superintendent regions throughout Maine.
The goal of the tour is to “get a sense of what schools are working on that shows promise and is working,” said Bowen.
The plan is to share these ideas with other schools, he said.
In addition, said the commissioner, through the visits, he is learning about areas where schools need more support from his department.
While at BMS, Bowen spent the morning viewing the performing arts center, the math lab, classrooms and other areas of the school.
He said he was particularly impressed with the math lab.
“I haven’t seen that in other schools,” said Bowen.
“It’s a good opportunity for hands-on education,” he said, and added that schools around the state are looking for ways to offer more hands-on learning activities to their students.
“He’s really sweet,” said Frieo of the commissioner.
“I’m glad I could be showing him around the school,” she said. “The students seem to be getting a kick out of it.”
At one point, BMS was a continuous improvement priority school for failing to make adequate yearly progress for two or more consecutive years, according to the DOE.
Student performance has been improving for three years, in part because of the efforts of Principal Lomonte, who was named Middle School Principal of the Year in 2010.
After touring the school in the morning, Bowen, a former social studies teacher, held conversations with a group of teachers and later with area principals.
Bowen will complete his Promising Practices Tour with visits to elementary schools in Skowhegan and Canaan today, according to a statement from the DOE.
— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 324 or [email protected].
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