Kennebec Sentinel Friday, April 19, 2024 A5 OPINION ollowing the release of Maine Policy new report on the decline of Maine K-12 education earlier this week, the Maine Department of Education responded by trying to discredit both the report and the National Assessment of Educa- tional Progress, an important piece of data used in the analysis. The report itself is not an attack on current DOE. Rather, it tells a story of decades-long de- provides no disclaimer about cline in Maine classrooms due to utilizing the test in the way I did. mandates that disrupt learning, for which prominent politicians at all levels of government on both sides of the aisle are responsible. The NAEP, or the Re- port as it is often called, is a congressionally mandated test administered by the National Center for Education Statistics.
It involves a repre- sentative sample of students in each state taking the test every two to four years. report provides evidence that Maine fell in the NAEP rankings COMPASS from consistently scoring first and second in math and reading in the early 1990s to an average of 36th by 2022. In public comments this week, the DOE said that the NAEP used to identify national trends and was never designed to mea- sure individual They fur- ther claim that the test a limited and narrow snapshot of the academic of a small group of 4th and 8th graders and has proven to be a valid or reliable measure of individual It is dishonest the DOE would say the NAEP was never designed the state and federal government to measure student performance in individual states. The NAEP itself has stated that its two major teach, test, grade and manage goals are to compare results be- tween states and across time. If the assessment itself was not icated to paperwork, data collec- representative, the federal gov- statisticians would not other tasks.
This steals valuable let it be used for comparisons be- classroom time from students, and tween states. In fact, the National teachers do not like it either. Center for Education Statistics works hard to ensure there are representative subgroups to ana- local parents, teachers, adminis- lyze in each state, accounting for demographics such as race, gen- be empowered to make the im- der, and socioeconomic status. It is also worth noting that while the DOE criticizes the use of the NAEP, NAEP results are publicly available on the DOE website going all the way back to 2003. Users can compare results to other Jonah Davids is a research fellow with states and see its performance over time.
The department The NAEP was selected for this report because it is a rigorous and reliable test that provides data go- ing all the way back to the 1990s. It is used by policy scholars across the ideological spectrum, from the American Enterprise Institute to the Brookings Institution. As one leading education scholar said, it comes to education, no facts are as reli- able or respected as those produced by the To me, it seems the DOE does not care about data and is working to obscure the obvious: Maine test scores have been fall- ing, students are not learning as much as they should be, and teachers and administrators are burning out and leaving their professions in droves. The DOE knows the report is right on those key findings, and that is why they must resort to attacking the use of this assessment. Far more important than these test scores is the reality that Maine has seen a recent exodus of teachers and is facing one of the most staggering teacher shortages nationwide.
Experimental top-down man- dates, pushed on Maine schools by over many decades, have forced teachers to change the way they students. What used to be valuable instruction time is now being ded- tion, social-emotional learning and If Maine wants its test scores and student achievement to improve, trators and school boards should portant decisions regarding their education. Now is not the time to ignore evidence. Now is the time to learn from past mis- takes and deliver Maine students the education they deserve. Maine Policy Institute, a free-market think tank in Portland.
mandates to blame for decline What used to be valuable instruction time is now being dedicated to paperwork, data collection, social- emotional learning and other tasks. I you want to see a living example of a public health in- tervention that has supported rates among children living in the well-being of chil- dren for decades, look no further than your nearest public school cafeteria. Established after World is higher in schools serving War II, the National School Lunch healthier meals. Participation in Program and School Breakfast Program now reach approxi- mately 30 million school children outcomes, including improving daily, with a science-based menu shown to improve long-term health outcomes and academic success. Maine has taken it a step further by providing free school meals for all public school students.
Only eight states have made this commit- ment, elevating Maine as a national leader in making school meals both healthy and finan- cially accessible. a promising start. Now, with the U.S. Depart- ment of Agriculture poised to fi- nalize updates to school nutrition to gradually reduce sodium by standards this month, we have a once-in-a-decade opportunity to build on this momentum and ensure that all children receive nutritious and delicious meals at school. This will help them suc- ceed in the classroom and build healthier eating habits to last a lifetime.
School nutrition standards are vital; a lack of access to nutritious salsa made with student-grown foods can negatively impact a health. Evidence shows that children routinely consume excess sodium and added sugars, directors across the state are putting them at risk of elevated blood pressure, heart disease and ingredients into their menus. obesity. To prevent this, healthy eating reduces risk of developing high blood pressure, cancer, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and more. We know school nutrition standards work, so essen- tial that they keep up with the science.
Research has found that without the 2012 updates to school meal standards, obesity poverty would have been higher. Even better, student participation in school lunches school meals has been linked to positive educational and health academic achievement, atten- dance and student behavior at school, decreasing childhood food inse- curity and promot- ing the consump- tion of more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and milk. The proposed revisions would align school nutrition standards more closely but Kevin Concannon not completely with the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. If the final rule follows the pro- posal, schools will be required before fall 2029.
For the first time, added sugars will be limited so that by fall 2027, on average, they will account for no more than of total calories. The revisions are science-based and informed by nearly 100,000 public comments. Many schools in Maine already serve healthier meals. From tomatoes in Katahdin schools to sweet potato fries in Millinock- et schools, school nutrition incorporating nutritious, local Farm to school partnerships fill the salad bars with local produce. Local food manufactur- ers, including Maine Marinara and The Good Crust, supply products with Maine-grown ingredients to school districts, benefiting both our schools and local businesses.
Although the updated standards are designed with flexibility in mind, many schools will need help to put the standards into practice. Fortunately, over $100 million in federal grants are available nationally for schools to improve the nutritional quality of school meals, connect with local food providers, upgrade facilities, hire additional staff and more. Twelve Maine school districts are receiv- ing up to $150,000 each from this initiative. And Full Plates Full Potential will award up to $7.4 million to increase Maine-based foods in school meals and provide school nutrition professionals with the necessary resources and training. We know school meals are a key source of nutrition for more than of American schoolchildren, and the program has a demon- strated record of providing young people with nutritious food that sets them up for academic suc- cess and healthier eating habits.
Embracing the upcoming revised nutrition standards and helping our schools implement them are logical, critical and necessary changes for all health and education. Kevin Concannon is a former undersecretary, food nutrition and consumer services, for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and former Maine commissioner of human services. Anupama Joshi, M.S., is vice president of programs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an independent advocacy organization that works to improve how the nation eats, and the founder and former executive director of the National Farm to School Network. To improve health, start in the cafeteria MAINE COMPASS Anupama Joshi KENNEBEC JOURNAL centralmaine.com Morning Sentinel Central Maine SUNDAY hat do artificial intelli- gence and the Jewish holiday of Passover have 3,300 years ago.
One of the most in common? AI has taken the world by storm over is matzah, the unleavened recently, dazzling many and causing serious reservations among others. No longer just a fun tool to play with, AI is increas- found on grocery store shelves ingly used to create everything from high-quality digital art to full-length newspaper articles, from complex mathe- matical formulas to beautiful pieces of music. Compared with doing these tasks by hand, the re- liable quality, speed and cost savings of AI are apparent to just about everyone. However, many leaders in the tech community are ringing the alarm bells that AI will endanger has seen its fair share of inno- countless jobs and creatives warn vation, as well as controversy. that AI may spell the death of their livelihoods.
AI can also have of matzah making was revolu- society-wide impacts: industries as varied as journalism, advertis- Singer invented a matzah-baking ing, computer programming and accounting have the potential to be radically disrupted by AI. What does this have to do with Passover? On April 22, Jews around the world will gather for the Seders festive ritual-heavy Passover meals to celebrate their free- dom from slavery in Egypt some recognizable practices of Pass- Passover bread. It is an iconic product enjoyed by both Jews and non-Jews alike, and can be year-round in many parts of the country. Matzah has been consumed since time immemori- al, starting when Moses led the Jewish people out of Egyptian slavery. In the millennia since, the recipe remained the same a simple blend of water and flour kneaded by hand and flattened into circular cake shapes.
But as everything else, matzah Almost two centuries ago, the art tionized when French Jew Isaac machine in 1838. This machine made matzah simpler and cheaper to produce, more consistent in size and quality and easier to churn out in bulk quantities. For many reasons, including the greater availability and cheaper price, this new matzah exploded in popularity. However, a debate erupted over this new technology. One of the biggest issues with the matzah machines was that it took away jobs from the thousands of im- poverished manual laborers who relied on the seasonal work of hand-sorting, rolling and baking the matzah to survive.
Many rabbis also opposed the new development for hala- chic or Jewish legal reasons: the machines were difficult to properly clean between batches, which many Rabbinic authorities consider crucial to ensuring that the matzah is Kosher for Pass- over. To assuage these concerns, Singer and the Rabbis came to a compromise where he agreed to produce his machine-made matzah in a square shape, and not the traditional round shape in order to easily identify the differ- ence between the products. There are a few lessons from the centuries-old matzah dispute that may offer some direction forward for AI. First, in recent decades, hand-made has made a comeback. After nearly a century of near total machine-matzah dominance, handmade matzah is now sold in many supermarkets, including Costco.
It may be partially at- tributed to changing tastes or the desire for authenticity, however it is more likely due to the efforts of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, who began the in 1954. The Rebbe instructed his followers, known as Chabad-Ha- sidim, to distribute Shmurah matzah to Jews before the Seders. What started as a small endeavor resulted in tens of mil- lions of handmade matzahs given out with love to Jews around the world over the past 70 years, and continues to this day. On a deeper level, however, handmade matzah represents what I believe is the remedy for our ailing world today: connec- tion.
Technology, for all its bene- fits, creates distance and dis- connection between people. The antidote for this is connection connection to age-old traditions, connection to the fruits of our labor and connection to others through shared ritual. This is the message of Pass- over. We join together as a community around the Seder table. At the Seder, we recite the following verse as we consume the is the bread our forefathers ate when they were slaves in The con- nection we feel, both to our an- cestors and with others around the world, is a powerful tool in the fight against the epidemic of loneliness and depression that our society faces.
This Passover, as we come together at the Seder and enjoy matzah, let us appreciate it for what it means (and not just for how it tastes.) If you know some- one who have a place to go for the Seder, invite them to your home to celebrate Passover. If you, yourself have a Sed- er, know that you are invited to join our communal Seders at the Chabad of Maine. And of course, if you are in need of matzah, we would be honored to provide you with some. Rabbi Wilansky is the assistant di- rector of Chabad of Maine. Feel free to join their public Seders on April 22 and 23.
For more info, please visit chabadofmaine.com/passover2024 Passover teaches us lessons of unity, connection MAINE COMPASS Rabbi Wilansky MAINE Jonah Davids School nutrition standards are vital; a lack of access to nutritious foods can negatively impact a health. On a deeper level, however, handmade matzah represents what I believe is the remedy for our ailing world today: connection. Technology, for all its benefits, creates distance and disconnection between people. The antidote for this is connection..
