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Dr. Betsy M. Webb, Superintendent of Schools
The City of Bangor
is justifiably proud of its school department. Built on a reputation of
high academic achievement, the school program retains a deep
appreciation for the history and values of the community while
recognizing that its graduates face a rapidly evolving future.
Our strategic plan, Beyond 2000: A Plan for Educational Improvement in the Next Decade
identifies seven Core Values and thirteen Core Competencies that create
the expertise and energy key to our success. These qualities position
our schools to recognize opportunity, identify and redirect resources,
and develop strategies to maximize teaching and learning. The result
has been the remarkable student achievement described in the Achievement Profile. The
Bangor School Department has a critical interest in student performance
at all levels. Our initiatives have demonstrated effective ways to
enhance and even accelerate achievement. The first in the state to
implement full day kindergarten for all students on a large scale, our
analysis of improved reading and quantitative skills in kindergarten
provides overwhelming evidence of its statewide necessity. Our longtime commitment to early literacy assessment to inform instruction remains the primary focus of the elementary schools. Other curriculum and assessment activities
have become models for meeting the requirements of Maine's Parameters for Essential Instruction, most notably at the high school level. Finally, our interest
in student performance extends well beyond the classroom into a full
array of co-curricular and extracurricular activities that enrich the school experience.
Generations
of Bangor students have put their skills and talents to use upon
graduation, becoming successful and valued members of their
communities. We are proud of our students and their accomplishments,
and it is with this pride in our tradition as an outstanding school
system that I join the Bangor School Committee in welcoming you to our
schools.
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